Things are looking brighter!

Sometimes I've felt that nobody must be reading these writings but apparently you are :) On Sunday I went sightseeing to the centre despite that 3 buses had been set on fire on Saturday as a part of the demonstrations to the air pollution restrictions. I visited some old colonial buildings, went to an exhibition, walked through New Market area, had lunch at KFC and visited Indian Museum, which was nice. The centre was a bit of a hassle. Beggars came to me, odd men tried to chat up or sell something etc. Also crossing the busy roads was nerve wrecking. And the air pollution is terrible, my eyes and throat are itching here.. I went boths ways by taxi (a real environmentalist..) just because it's the easiest way without getting lost. After my sightseeing tour I went to my another home City Centre where I bought some Hindi movies and music and went to the cinema to see Australia. Maybe I've been a bit lonely and thus emotional, but I was crying like a baby at some of the scenes ;)

Monday I made it to Tata Centre to interview WWF India state office. After the interview, the state director kindly arranged me another interview at their programme office, which was in another location. I found my way by taxi and I chatted with their programme officer probably for almost 2 hours. He told me loads of stories about how they are protecting Sundarban islands from floods, sea level rising and adjusting agriculture accordingly. And also about the political environment here. He also showed me lots of photos of their activities. He again arranged be an interview for tomorrow to interview a mariscience professor.

After the interviews I can back to CRG. In the evening me and Geetisha tried to get me an Indian mobile number. It is such a bureaucratic process that you wouldn't believe. Finally we got one at City Centre and had soup and salad for dinner. In the evening, I called some of my relatives with my new Indian number (to my family: I called Zebun-fufi and Safiya first as I thought it was Afiya's number and then I called Afiya). They kept asking why aren't I coming there and that I should. Feel so bad that I'm not able to see them this time!

Today Kaarle sent me a message in the morning that his domestic flight is late. I then came to the office for a while and was able to arrange an interview with Greenpeace Kolkata tomorrow and with another professor at his home on Thursday. I'll take Kaarle along as he'll probably be interested in the topic as well. Went then to the airport to fetch Kaarle around noon. I had to wait almost 1h 15 min at the airport so was a bit boring. Finally he came and now he's here, yay! Came to the office for a while with him. I just arranged an additional interview for next Tuesday to meet the Chief Environment Officer of West Bengal Environment Department. I'm really happy as I was told it is almost impossible to meet a government official. Luckily one of the professors I'm meeting on Thursday recommended this Officer, so that might have helped.

So I'm quite happy at the moment. I've got or arranged all together now 6 interviews and my husband is here, hoorah!

Regards from here and hope all is well with you.