It all began a week ago when all seventeen of us gathered at Auckland Airport for our 1 am departure time. After a 10-hour flight to Singapore and a blissful sleep in the middle seat between Sarah and Brooke, it was just a 5-hour hop over to Mumbai.
Our first adrenaline rush in India, as I’m sure everyone will bring your attention to, was the drive from the airport to our accommodation. After cramming into the van with most of our suitcases (the rest were strapped precariously to the roof), we set off on a journey that nothing could have prepared us for. Driving in India is probably the most high-stakes game of Tetris I’ve ever played. Our driver managed to squeeze our 10 seater van into gaps that drivers in New Zealand wouldn’t go near with a lime scooter, at any time no more than a few inches from the nearest car on all sides, all while pretty much continuously holding his hand on the horn.
The next day, after all arriving in one piece at our new home for the next six weeks in Colaba, we began an incredible two days of orientation with our in-country coordinators, Naveen and Shwetha. Naveen and Shwetha taught us everything we needed to survive and thrive in Mumbai, from the best foods to try to how to survive whilst crossing the streets and using rickshaws and the commuter trains. One thing in particular I have to mention was the most incredible Thali we had on our first full day (pictured below), easily one of the best meals I’ve had in my entire life!!
After two days of exploring Mumbai, it was time to begin our internships. With a bit of excitement and a lot of nervousness, we all went our separate ways Tuesday morning and headed off to work. To catch you all up, I’m interning at a foreign policy think tank called Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations, located in the World Trade Center complex. Luckily for me, it’s only a 10-minute commute by taxi from our accommodation, which, if you’ve read any of my fellow interns’ blogs, you’ll know is quite the luxury. After introductions and a staff meeting to discuss recent events in Indian and global politics, I was briefed on my first project: creating maps and infographics to analyse India’s footprint in the Indo-Pacific region! I am lucky enough to have two fellow interns from right here in Mumbai to show me the ropes at Gateway House and help me get started on my project!
After a solid week of working on my project (minus one day where the local food got the best of me), I’m about to head to Ahmedabad, where Anna, Hayley and I will attend a wedding! Stay tuned for the next update 🙂