Monday morning, I started my exploration into waste management. We are working with a waste management program at a university here, which I don't want to mention by name in the unusual instance that random googlers would find this blog. Long story short: our visit to the university on Monday was one of the most bizarre experiences of my life.
Long story long:
We arrived at the university and began looking for the head of the program, who will be our host. We were directed to an office in the palatial university hall, where an Indian woman behind a desk greeted us. Then she began asking questions such as "So.. you are American?" and "So.. here for just a week then?" that would have been previous knowledge for the person hosting us, or so we would have thought. Turns out that she was not our host, but a dean of the college, and after about half an hour and a round of chai, we finally met our host.
Then we went to meet the university's chancellor, which turned out to mean waiting in a separate waiting room for about half an hour (and a round of chai). The room was bright pink, and had recently changed the curtains, but all of the old curtains sat along the opposite wall from our chairs. And that was all that was in the room. So we waited, then spoke with the chancellor, which is another story altogether.
Next, we went to our classroom for the day, where the guest lecturer was awarded a plaque, then we clapped, then she started using a microphone to talk, then we had to use a separate microphone to introduce ourselves. Then our lecture started, with a break about 10 minutes in to take photos of all of us together. Then lecture continued, followed by a microphoned Q and A afterwards.
I am noting the use of microphones because of the small scale of our group and large scale of everything else. Let me show, rather than tell:
Then we went for lunch, where the same dean who didn't know us in the morning sat and talked with us for about half of the time, and on her phone for the other half. While all 6 of us women ate, a staff of about 15 men watched and attempted to serve us - which was even more particular because it was buffet style so we served our own food.
Then we went back to the same loosely populated lecture hall, and the head of the program introduced herself and then we had a brief discussion. Then, back to the dean's office for more chai.
All in all - really strange day.
Long story long:
We arrived at the university and began looking for the head of the program, who will be our host. We were directed to an office in the palatial university hall, where an Indian woman behind a desk greeted us. Then she began asking questions such as "So.. you are American?" and "So.. here for just a week then?" that would have been previous knowledge for the person hosting us, or so we would have thought. Turns out that she was not our host, but a dean of the college, and after about half an hour and a round of chai, we finally met our host.
Then we went to meet the university's chancellor, which turned out to mean waiting in a separate waiting room for about half an hour (and a round of chai). The room was bright pink, and had recently changed the curtains, but all of the old curtains sat along the opposite wall from our chairs. And that was all that was in the room. So we waited, then spoke with the chancellor, which is another story altogether.
Next, we went to our classroom for the day, where the guest lecturer was awarded a plaque, then we clapped, then she started using a microphone to talk, then we had to use a separate microphone to introduce ourselves. Then our lecture started, with a break about 10 minutes in to take photos of all of us together. Then lecture continued, followed by a microphoned Q and A afterwards.
I am noting the use of microphones because of the small scale of our group and large scale of everything else. Let me show, rather than tell:
 |
| Packed room. |
Then we went for lunch, where the same dean who didn't know us in the morning sat and talked with us for about half of the time, and on her phone for the other half. While all 6 of us women ate, a staff of about 15 men watched and attempted to serve us - which was even more particular because it was buffet style so we served our own food.
Then we went back to the same loosely populated lecture hall, and the head of the program introduced herself and then we had a brief discussion. Then, back to the dean's office for more chai.
All in all - really strange day.
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