Hi everyone,
Well, there have been a few major developments. The first is that yesterday afternoon I officially completed the 60 household interviews I have been working on. We (can't forget all of the help I got from my wonderful translator) put a lot of hard work and a lot of time into finding the types of areas I needed, getting permission from the "leaders" to do interviews (which was actually always pretty easy) and then putting all of the time into sitting with them and asking them the questions from my interview guide. Some people didn't have too much to say, especially if they were living in pretty decent conditions, while others talked to me for a few hours. As much work as it was, I am almost sorry that the interaction with all of the nice people I met has come to an end. Now comes the time when I need to figure out how to analyze the incredible amount of data I have and put it into a coherent thesis. I will start working on that part as soon as possible.
The next development is that I am considering staying here in India while I write my thesis. The cost of living is much cheaper than it is in Amsterdam and I don't even know if I will be finding a job in Amsterdam. I was originally supposed to go back to Amsterdam on May 21 however the airlines have cancelled the flight I was supposed to take from Mumbai to London (this flight is no longer operating). Because I have to completely rebook my tickets this might be a good time to figure out what exactly I want to do about this situation. If I go back to Amsterdam as originally planned I will have a few months before my thesis is due where I will be working on it quite a bit of the time. This means I have to find a new place to live (and somewhere that won't make me sign a lease, because I can't do this without knowing if I am able to stay in Amsterdam after I finish my thesis. If I don't find a job in the country, I will lose my visa and have to leave). Not to mention, the cost of living in Amsterdam both for rent, food, etc is quite high (especially in comparison to India). So, an alternate plan would be to stay in India while I finish writing my thesis and take advantage of the low rent and food prices (I am a broke student after all, so every little bit helps). I have started looking for jobs, so while I am here writing my thesis I could apply for jobs in the areas or companies I think I would be happy working for. As of right now, I am looking in Washington D.C., Amsterdam, and even considering some "field" jobs in Latin America and other places. I have student loans to pay back, so generally if I am offered a job anywhere I apply, I am probably going to need to take it.
Right now I am in the process of moving from Mysore to Bangalore. Bangalore is a bigger city with more of the comforts of life (more international cuisine, movies, etc) so I think I might be a little happier (and less bored) there as a home base for the next few months. I have also made some American friends I previously mentioned there, so it is nice to have some company. Sudy also lives there.
That is pretty much the news of late, I am going to have to figure out how to analyze all of my interviews which seems a bit overwhelming right now.
How is everyone else? Love to all.
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