Lost in Lucknow

Summary: I've arrived in Lucknow and have nothing much to report. Spent a day at the DSH office and am trying to look for an apartment. I've also come to the very important conclusion that I need to learn Hindi.

Namaste. After a relatively painless 30 hours in transit, I arrived in India only to remember how a difficult place India can be for foreigners. Even the simple task of transferring from the international to domestic terminal at the airport in Delhi was a worrisome experience. Only if you spot a small sign diverting you from the exit after passing through customs and only if you have 30 minutes to spare will you be able to use the shuttle to get from one terminal to the other without much stress.

Being in Lucknow, I realize how futile it will be to try to navigate the city without learning even a little bit of Hindi. In my first day, I've mastered perhaps two words: "namaste" (hello) and "dhanyavad" (thank you). I'm lucky to have a great guide with me (Anna), a colleague / friend from DSH who is in the second phase of her DSH experience.

I spent most of yesterday in and around the StudyHall School and DSH office, as well as running errands and looking at an apartment / room that might not work out. We're trying to find me a place in Gomti Nagar, near StudyHall School and the DSH office. Finding an apartment in Lucknow is a whole other experience that relies solely on word of mouth. And I don't even want to think about how the furniture-buying process might go, as most places here are unfurnished.

I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I actually do get lost, even though I already feel quite lost. Hopefully that will happen after I master a functional level of Hindi, though Murphy's Law dictates otherwise.