Wednesday 7th May 2014
My latest favourite: pistachio gelato. Yes, I’m talking
about ice cream again, but when it’s 45°C (113°F) every day, it’s keeping me
sane. The mangoes are delicious too, it’s a shame the EU has banned their
import from India. Yesterday, it rained a little after a mini-dust storm that
made the city look like the opening scenes from ‘The Wizard of Oz’.
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| Pistachio gelato at Melt In. |
I’ve not
done any travelling or touristy stuff in the last few days, but have actually
been busy here in Ahmedabad. I had the pleasure of presenting my research and
preliminary findings to Saath, firstly an hour or so with various members of
staff and leaders of youth programmes from across Gujarat. It was a great
learning and sharing experience for us both, as I talked through my five
research topics: experience of changing roles and responsibilities; everyday
problems; how male youth use their time; attitudes towards women and gender;
and educated un/under-employment. It’s been a while since a presentation of
mine had such a captive and attentive audience, and for that alone I am
extremely grateful to Saath! The main presentation was followed by a couple of
hours one-on-one with the organisation’s Executive Director. This was a little
daunting at first, but the academic nerd in me absolutely loved it. I
came away with some excellent insights and reflections.
 |
| Presenting my research at Saath. |
On
Sunday, I spent 6 hours (yes, really) at the Amdavad National Book Fair. I went
twice in one day, and bought 10 books. I could have bought many, many more. I was shocked by how busy it was, considering the fact that many people here have expressed surprise, and almost concern, about the fact that I read for pleasure, and would take a novel over a cricket match any day. I’d
think about moving to India just for the price of the books. The food court at the
fair was pretty good, too.
I was also fortunate enough to recently meet Renu Seth, a friend of a friend, who works for Pratham (pratham.org), the largest NGO in India. It works towards the provision of quality education for underprivileged children. I am really looking forward to staying in touch with both Renu and the organisation.
And so, today brings the beginning
of my last week in Ahmedabad. I’ve enjoyed (almost) every minute of my time
here, and work with Saath. Ahmedabad and Gujarat might not be on most visitors’
itineraries when coming to India, but if you have a few days to spare, it’s
certainly worth the time. The food is great, and there are lots of beautiful cows.
Don’t
forget, it’s the Eurovision Song Contest final on Saturday (10th
May, 20.00 BST/21.00 CEST). The UK's entry this year is actually quite good, we might even make it into the top ten. San Marino has finally made it to the final. Go on, watch it, you know you want to. #JoinUs
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