Briefs

Nothing huge has happened, just a few thoughts: The janitors dump our hazardous waste into the garbage with their bare hands and mop the chemicals from the floor, wringing it out after with bare hands. We have a little gas camping burner! I bought some vegetables from the market and plan to saute them! FRESH FOOD! I'll let you know if I die. When we have lunch, we don't "eat" we "take food" and "take tea." The tea is unbelievable here. They make it by boiling a large pot of milk and sugar and then infusing tea into it. I've gotten over my disgust at eating everything cooked outside in the dirt, with the flies, in the most unhygienic way possible. I take my tea at this filthy stand near the institute and sit on a dirty little bench with flies covering everything. Sometimes I eat it with a freshly (or should i say recently fried) samosa. Dr. Chaterjee has been working on my case trying to find me some clinical work (besides working with patient's stool) and may have gotten me a position to go on a field study to outskirt towns!!! Keep your fingers crossed--I want to do this more than anything. My computer plug melted. I was using a 2 prong adapter for my 3 prong computer plug (leaving out the grounder.) I should have known. Anyway I found a place that sells apple plugs all by myself (after 2 days of searching.) I'm really getting to know the city. The plug is British so I need an Indian adapter to fit it into the plugs and I'll need an American one when I return home :-p I let the cab driver this morning believe I was Indian and speak to me for half the ride in Bengali. I got by with side nods and smiles. And he just kept talking. Some things are the same everywhere.