Sorry for the delay in posting my whereabouts...
I am the lone South Indian in the class of 12 (4 engineers, 2 BCAs, 1 Law Graduate, 1 Geologist, 1 architect, 2 Science Graduates -> 3 girls, rest all boys). About 12 classes each week, but lots to read before the lectures. Over last 2 weeks, introductory classes of Science, Law, Policy, Development, Financial, Philosophical aspects of water, were taught. Development, Science, Policy and Law classes are interesting. Financial course a bit tough. The class room strength varies from 800 students (when the whole batch is taught Philosophy, Research Methodologies at the Convention Centre), 100 students (Policy aspects taught along with other courses like Urban Policy, Regulatory Governance under the Habitat school) or 30 (Law taught along with Regulatory Governance course). This gives an insight of the inter-disciplinarity these courses offer. Plenty of people from varied streams and background.
Still in the transition phase, so traversing safely and slowly here in Mumbai... ( "Zara hatke! zara bachke! yeh hein Mumbai meri jaan... " :-))
Lazy Calm Bangalore to Speedy Crazy Mumbai... IT City to City of Dreams... Boring IT work to interesting Water lectures. Namma Bengaluru to Aamchi Mumbai... Salubrious drizzles to Torrential cloud bursts... Guro to Bhau... Bisi Bele Bath & Khara Bath to Vada Pav & Pav Bhaji... City Volvos & BMTC buses to Local trains & BEST Buses... Employee to Student... Salaried spend thrift to Unemployed judicious spender...
TISS life going great, so far. Water Policy and Governance course comes under School of Habitat Studies. Thus after 7 years, back to school, with the same eagerness cum nervousness of a Kinder Garden student in the month of June. Heavy monsoon, new umbrella, sitting in class with drenched clothes, French Open and Wimbledon makes things even more eerie and similar. TISS campus has a lots of trees. Birds like bulbuls, magpie robins, sparrows, mynahs, crows, cuckoos have made it their home.
Bonnet macaques, dogs, cats and squirrels roam freely in the campus. They too have their rights in here and should not be shooed away. But few Homo Sapiens do murmur/feel irritated when these four legged friends try to socialize with them in the canteens.
A film by Sanjay Kak "Red Ant Dream" was screened last week. The director was present after the film for a talk. Had a small talk with Dr. Binayak Sen (had met him in Bangalore some 1 year back at Bangalore, so shared that experience), while both of us were searching for the room where this film was being screened.
The accommodation is quite near the campus. To make some sense as to how near, the TISS Wifi reaches our home . At Deonar Farm Road. Couldn't see any farm in and around. Seems the farms have been converted into apartments. The owner is one Sunil from Irinjalakuda. Rent: whopping 31000 per month. This will be divided among 6 of us. Out of 6 room mates, 3 dentists (who are into School of Health, out of whom one is an Angamalikkaran, one from Chandigarh, another from Jaipur). 2 others from Pune (one into Disaster Management course and another a TISS passout, working in Mumbai). Yet to get the rental agreement. Net connection needs to be installed(The TISS Wifi is too feeble and only one laptop can connect, at a time). Yet to take a Mumbai telephone connection.
IBM work is in tatters. Finding it difficult to sail with legs in "Randu Thonis"... Hope last day of my employment, July 30th comes soon and without much wrath from office.
Food: From TISS Dining Halls. As it is at any other educational place canteens, here too food taste varies from moderate to horrible. Curd/Buttermilk seems haraam in here. Soya curry which I ate yesterday was more of eraser put in some curry. Hope to influence my room mates with the idea of cooking food at least at night. Mani Chithappa/Pushpa Chithi prepared food provides reprieve during the weekends.
TISS surely is a social science paradise with its 40+ different disciplines. Have made friends with fellow students of Media and Culture, HR, Disability Studies, Disaster, Hospital Management, Women Studies, Tribal Studies, Social Work and of course many from my own Habitat school. A healthy population of people with varied background, from almost all states in India and also few from abroad.
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