Welcome to my blog!

The purpose of this blog is to share with you my upcoming internship in Mumbai (Bombay), India and the journey in preparation for it. It has so far been an interesting experience and I have not even started my trip yet.

Why the name? I will be in Mumbai during June and July, the beginning of the Monsoon season. Learning to wade through flooded streets and work with this natural phenonema is to me very similar to the learning experience I have had so far and am sure to face in India. Most of India's water supply falls during the Monsoon season. It is kind of a feast or famine on water. I found this analegous to India itself, a nation of extremes and it will be my challenge to learn to work with and within it. From what I have understood of India, this amazing nation will both pull on me like the raging flood waters and at the same time fascinate me like the tranquility of a steady stream.

I have the priviledge to travel with another student who has now also become a friend. She is as talented as she is kind and fun. Together we will set out to work with an inspirational company that is dedicated to empower women in deplorable situations, often in the slums of Bombay, to better their lives. The company works with small textiles producers and our task is to develop a plan to standardize the production process so they can deliver a more uniform end result.

Before I continue with this blog I want to take a moment and thank my family, friends and college. They have been very instrumental in making this trip possible and encouraging me as I am learning to have the two most important things in this journey: patience and endurance.

I hope my blog will entice you to consider traveling to India and help you with your preparations.

Let's start swimming!!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Lodging in Mumbai!

When you decide to visit this country and someone warns you that finding lodging in Mumbai will be very difficult (and very expensive), do not underestimate this warning!! It is incredible difficult and you can easily spend thousands of dollars.

There are basically four ways to stay in Mumbai:

1) You can be a "paying guest" in someone's home. This involves renting a room with a family and sharing meals with them. Unless you have a separate entrance, this could be difficult if you are seeking privacy, but it can be an affordable option.

2) Hostels, which are basically dorms for women. All-inclusive of everything including meals, etc. This could work for a short stay when you just need a place to sleep and basic amenities.

3) Hotels. There are plenty of hotels available but if you need to stay for a longer time, this could pose a problem. Some only let you book for 2 weeks and others up to 30 days. If you need to stay longer, you could book two bookings periods, if the hotel has the availability and will let you. You might then just need to switch rooms during your stay.

4) The last option is to rent a serviced apartment for a couple of months. These are fully furnished appartments with some of the amenities of a hotel. There are set up for business travelers who are staying for longer than a week or two and need something that feels a little more like home.

We are still negotiating some final details but I believe we finally might have a place to stay.

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