I wake up and start my day with our service apartments complimentary breakfast which includes 3 slices of white toast and omelette that contains eggs and onions. I have learned to love this breakfast. It is easy to obtain and reliable, things that are hard to come by in India. I had never been a big egg person, but I appreciate the daily protein in the generally vegetarian carb heavy south Indian diet. The bread which is referred to as “toast” but is reliably soft is extremely white and processed but is also quite tasty especially on the days that it is served with an incredibly sweet jam whose flavor I have yet to decipher. After breakfast it is off to the office. The factory is a 10 minute walk away. A luxury. This comes at the cost of having to live in a relatively industrial area that is not the most inviting. My mourning will normally consists of meetings or independent work time. Work is challenging because I often have to ask others for help to move forward in my projects, and although I want to be productive, I don’t want to burden people who are already busy. On an exciting day we may even go visit another factory. Things here also don’t follow a strict schedule. This can be frustrating from an outsider perspective. A meeting scheduled at 10 may not happen until 3 or may not happen at all. 

The day is broken up nicely by a canteen lunch. Although most staff are not a fan of the canteen lunch, I am. The food is predictable and relatively unoily. I’ve grown to really enjoy the Roti and the select curries and dals of the day.  After lunch is normally similar to the mournings a meeting, a factory visit, independent work time. One highlight of the day is the two chai breaks one in the morning and one in the afternoon where staff are supplied with free very sweet chai or coffee that tastes like melted ice cream. It is a nice break in the day especially since it is served on the terrace roof, and the temperature is almost always pleasant. From there it is back to the apartment. To finish the day I normally do a bit of light exercise with a yoga mat on the floor and then have dinner. Dinner is normally a local restaurant, cooking, or on a special night a nice dinner from a trendy restaurant downtown. Food prices a particularly good in India, so we have been enjoying the opportunity to explore nice restaurants without breaking the bank. Although, it is extremely difficult to call ubers from the apartment which makes going downtown a bit of an ordeal and not an everyday venture. I then go to sleep and do the whole thing over again. This predictable scheduled that I have cultivated is nice and helps fight the homesickness.  

As week four comes to an end the excitements of India has faded. This has its pros and cons. I am less overwhelmed and exhausted by each day, but things like eating dosa have become less exciting. I crave the comforts and my favorite parts of home and miss my family. I will see how these feelings progress through the remaining weeks.