Wednesday, September 29, 2010

The Beginning

Well, the last batch of interns certainly left big shoes to be filled.  And even though my wife and I have a starkly contrasting cultural compatibility to that of the previous interns, we are excited to be interning here at Maitri and living in New Delhi.

I have had a decent amount of travel experience in my life; South America, Africa, and a little Europe, but nothing could have prepared me for the deep, exotic culture of India.  The smells, the sights, the tastes and sounds of the streets here in Delhi are almost overwhelming.  Walking down the street, we've had to dodge cows, hide from mischievous monkeys, and stay clear of camels and elephants.  It is hard to believe that all of this happens within the boundaries of the sixth largest city in the world.  It is different and beautiful.

The office here at Maitri has been very nice.  While we are not able to be quite as social as the previous interns due to our language barriers, the administrators are extremely helpful and friendly, making sure we stay busy.  Currently, I am working on reformatting and populating the new website, which should be up and running in the next week or so.  I am also working on establishing an office network to help streamline efforts and organize projects.  I was given these assignments because I have had (though very limited) some experience with web development and IT.

The apartments that Maitri recommends to us are very nice and in a great location.  We have the President of India's Yogi (Yoga Master) come to our flat a couple times a week to teach us yoga in exchange for English lessons.  A pretty good trade if you ask me.  Life is good.