I am living on the campus of the University of Hyderabad in the Study in India Program (SIP) Guest House. The campus is huge – 2,300 acres of land, which figures out to about one acre per student at the university. The campus is so large that it is a project to get anywhere. The Guest House is located in a good place for me to get to my classes (about a 10 minute walk to each one), but if I want to go to the bookstore, stationary store, or the atm it is a 30-45 minute walk. The SIP house is nice – very nice by Indian standards. There is a dining room downstairs where the kitchen staff cooks 3 meals and 1 tea a day for us. We also have laundry facilities, water coolers of purified water, a tv room, a computer lab with 5 computers, air-conditioning, and wireless (which only works off and on and only downstairs). Like all of India, the power is very temperamental in the SIP house. For example, last night we lost power four times. 
I have a single room, which also happens to be one of the nicest rooms in the house. I have a double bed, a mirror, a bedside table, a fold-up table and chair that act as a makeshift desk, a closet, and small bookshelf. My only complaint is that my walls are very bare (hint: anyone kind enough to send me something to hang on the walls to make my room look less like a prison cell will be placed at the top of my favorites’ list). I also need to go sheet shopping because my bed only came with a woolen blanket and it is much too hot for me to sleep under that. There is a huge padlock on my door. We are encouraged to lock our rooms whenever we leave them, but it seems sort of paranoid because we also employ three security guards. I share a bathroom with three other girls. The bathroom is sort of interesting. The toilet can not flush toilet paper so we have to throw it in a trashcan that is changed daily. There is no shower stall, the water just falls on the floor and then eventually goes down a drain in the floor. The sink also drops water straight onto the floor (although I don’t think this is supposed to happen). The four of us (Whitney, Kelsey, Alesandra & I) also share a little common sitting room and a rooftop balcony. I can’t wait to start doing my reading and yoga out on the rooftop. All in all, I think the SIP Guest House will serve as a nice home base for the next 5 months.
I have a single room, which also happens to be one of the nicest rooms in the house. I have a double bed, a mirror, a bedside table, a fold-up table and chair that act as a makeshift desk, a closet, and small bookshelf. My only complaint is that my walls are very bare (hint: anyone kind enough to send me something to hang on the walls to make my room look less like a prison cell will be placed at the top of my favorites’ list). I also need to go sheet shopping because my bed only came with a woolen blanket and it is much too hot for me to sleep under that. There is a huge padlock on my door. We are encouraged to lock our rooms whenever we leave them, but it seems sort of paranoid because we also employ three security guards. I share a bathroom with three other girls. The bathroom is sort of interesting. The toilet can not flush toilet paper so we have to throw it in a trashcan that is changed daily. There is no shower stall, the water just falls on the floor and then eventually goes down a drain in the floor. The sink also drops water straight onto the floor (although I don’t think this is supposed to happen). The four of us (Whitney, Kelsey, Alesandra & I) also share a little common sitting room and a rooftop balcony. I can’t wait to start doing my reading and yoga out on the rooftop. All in all, I think the SIP Guest House will serve as a nice home base for the next 5 months.
2 comments:
Hi, Sarah!
Your blog is very insightful and so appreciated...are you really there for five months? Here's some info from Phil:
We will try to send some postcards to brighten up your room!
Do you know Penny Estabrook? She returns to Brandon each summer, and lives in New Delhi the rest of the year. She is a piano teacher there. If you expect to return to Delhi during your stay, I can give you her address.
Have a great semester!
Laura and Phil
Hi Sarah. :)
Thank you so much for starting a blog about all of your interesting & wonderful adventures in India. It will allow all of us to learn about the Indian culture right along with you! We check your blog every day and can't wait to read all about what happens next. Thinking of you half a world away ~ Rebecca, Bob, & Baby Grace (I show Grace all of your pictures too!).
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