First of all, hi to all the curious readers who wanna know what the hell I'm doing in India! I normally would never write a blog, cause I would never read one myself, but I guess it's a good way to keep all the memories of an experience like this in tact. So I'm gonna give it a try, embrace yourselves! Oh yeah, forgot to warn you guys about my wounderfull spelling talent ;)
A year ago I received an email from the Vlir-Uos, an organisation which links most of all the colleges and universities in Belgium. They were offering the opportunity, and scholarship, to students who wanted to have a foreign experience. The criteria was that if had to be relevant and help the development of a 3rd world country. It mainly was for students who wanted to do internships abroad, but seeing as TEW, toegepaste economische wetenschappen, or applied economical sciences doesn't have any practical courses incorperated in the program I wasn't sure I could do it. But, as I am, once I set my mind on something that I want, I'll do just about anything to get it :) So I looked into it and found out if I could write my master thesis about aomething developmental and economical, and I could as long as a reached the criteria.
I chose India because I have always been fascinated by it. The food, the people, the social structures and ofcourse the beauty. So realating to my country I chose a topic, micro finance. It sounded good but I really had no idea what is was, as long as it had sth to do with economics and development it was good enough for me :) I got a promotor at my university, found one in India who was willing to help me, booked my flight and arranged for a place to stay for a month. Once my application got approved it really occured to me that I was gonna be gone for 3 months in a country so far away, not only in kms but in everyway possible for a Western person to be able to understand. I told myself, what the heck let's just do it and we'll see, what will happen will happen and if it won't break me it'll only make me stonger.
A couple of days before I left I started getting quite nervous about leaving. I still had to do so much and only started packing a few hours before I had to leave for the airport ;) I realised that I wouldn't see my baby Tsjarlie boy for 3 months, and my boyfriend too :) I'm not really a person who will miss someone easiely so I wasn't worried about missing family or friends, but Wouterke I was worried about not seeing you, not being able to talk to you whenever I want, not being able to hold you, kiss you and fight with you. I was worried that I wouldn't miss you, but I do :)
So anyway I got to the airport, said my goodbyes, got on the plane and arrived in Delhi at 00h00 local time, which is 4h30 later than Belgium time. Some guy was gonna pick me up, he was gonna have a playcard with my name written on it and take me to the guesthouse of the Indian Statistical Institute (my base). Once I got there, he showed me to my room and left. I will never forget that moment, I took a good look at the place where I was going to be staying for a month and wished I had never got it into my thick head to come to India... I just got into my PJ's and tried to fall asleep, but I couldn't! I was cold and hearing all sorts of noises, thinking that any moment now someone was gonna break into to ly room and steel me :) When I think of it now, I really have to laugh about my foolishness! The first couple of days I always locked my bag when I went out of my room, checked 5 times every hour if I still had my pasport, wallet and phone on me and was suspicous of everyone arround me. Just to say how stupid we are and how we let other people influence our jugement of a country they know nothing about!
Anyway the next day I left for Delhi centre and stayed in a hotel over there. I booked it for a week but then realised that I was beeing a fool and that it wasen't that bad. I stayed there for 2 days and came back to the institute. Luckely I did because I made some friends over here. Farkhonde, Nishant, Soham and another guy who's name is too difficult to remember :) They took me to the worlds famous Kareems. It's like a snack, what we would call it in Belgium, but it's really big and really busy. We had to wait for half an hour to get a table but the food is great! It is located in Old Delhi, rusty roads, old and dirty buildings, smelly but very charming and BUSY!! To get there we took the metero. I never would have thought that I would be taking a metero in India :)
A year ago I received an email from the Vlir-Uos, an organisation which links most of all the colleges and universities in Belgium. They were offering the opportunity, and scholarship, to students who wanted to have a foreign experience. The criteria was that if had to be relevant and help the development of a 3rd world country. It mainly was for students who wanted to do internships abroad, but seeing as TEW, toegepaste economische wetenschappen, or applied economical sciences doesn't have any practical courses incorperated in the program I wasn't sure I could do it. But, as I am, once I set my mind on something that I want, I'll do just about anything to get it :) So I looked into it and found out if I could write my master thesis about aomething developmental and economical, and I could as long as a reached the criteria.
I chose India because I have always been fascinated by it. The food, the people, the social structures and ofcourse the beauty. So realating to my country I chose a topic, micro finance. It sounded good but I really had no idea what is was, as long as it had sth to do with economics and development it was good enough for me :) I got a promotor at my university, found one in India who was willing to help me, booked my flight and arranged for a place to stay for a month. Once my application got approved it really occured to me that I was gonna be gone for 3 months in a country so far away, not only in kms but in everyway possible for a Western person to be able to understand. I told myself, what the heck let's just do it and we'll see, what will happen will happen and if it won't break me it'll only make me stonger.
A couple of days before I left I started getting quite nervous about leaving. I still had to do so much and only started packing a few hours before I had to leave for the airport ;) I realised that I wouldn't see my baby Tsjarlie boy for 3 months, and my boyfriend too :) I'm not really a person who will miss someone easiely so I wasn't worried about missing family or friends, but Wouterke I was worried about not seeing you, not being able to talk to you whenever I want, not being able to hold you, kiss you and fight with you. I was worried that I wouldn't miss you, but I do :)
So anyway I got to the airport, said my goodbyes, got on the plane and arrived in Delhi at 00h00 local time, which is 4h30 later than Belgium time. Some guy was gonna pick me up, he was gonna have a playcard with my name written on it and take me to the guesthouse of the Indian Statistical Institute (my base). Once I got there, he showed me to my room and left. I will never forget that moment, I took a good look at the place where I was going to be staying for a month and wished I had never got it into my thick head to come to India... I just got into my PJ's and tried to fall asleep, but I couldn't! I was cold and hearing all sorts of noises, thinking that any moment now someone was gonna break into to ly room and steel me :) When I think of it now, I really have to laugh about my foolishness! The first couple of days I always locked my bag when I went out of my room, checked 5 times every hour if I still had my pasport, wallet and phone on me and was suspicous of everyone arround me. Just to say how stupid we are and how we let other people influence our jugement of a country they know nothing about!
Anyway the next day I left for Delhi centre and stayed in a hotel over there. I booked it for a week but then realised that I was beeing a fool and that it wasen't that bad. I stayed there for 2 days and came back to the institute. Luckely I did because I made some friends over here. Farkhonde, Nishant, Soham and another guy who's name is too difficult to remember :) They took me to the worlds famous Kareems. It's like a snack, what we would call it in Belgium, but it's really big and really busy. We had to wait for half an hour to get a table but the food is great! It is located in Old Delhi, rusty roads, old and dirty buildings, smelly but very charming and BUSY!! To get there we took the metero. I never would have thought that I would be taking a metero in India :)
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