Slowly learning how to venture out on my own

Nehru Planetarium and the cute little peanuts I was hanging out with

- - - - - - - - - - -
This morning I went down to the hospital and had to figure out my badge situation. They were telling me that I needed an passport photo (a copy of my passport was no good). I had to have an actual photograph or else I couldn't work at the hospital. They told me I could find a photo place just down the road at "Shoba Hotel." So with no other option, I left the HR building and began walking down the little side street they pointed to. There were markets, and people walking, sitting and laying on the sidewalks. I pretended as if I knew where I was going, but after a while of not seeing the "Shoba Hotel" I stopped at one of the little stands and asked "Shoba Hotel kidthar hei?" (where is the SH?). The guy just pointed down the street and said "Oodthar" (there). Not having a clue where he was pointing, I just kept walking. After another block I asked a different guy the same question, and he had the exact same response... soooo I kept walking. This happened 3x then finally on the 4th try he pointed across the street to a building and said "oodthar." Now that I was quite a ways from the hospital, I was very thankful I had made it!  ..However...when I asked the guy if they do photos and he said no. He pointed across the street to more huts and marketing stores and said, "Oodthar".  I frog-hopped across the intersection (traffic laws don't seem to exist here), and made it to more little market stands. Finally I saw this tiny little hut that had a sign saying "20 rupees for 8 passport photos." So I asked the guy if I could have a passport photo, and he told me 50 rupees for 8 pictures- my only option. With me being stubborn, I pointed out that the sign says 20 rupees, not 50, and we started going back and forth. It wasn't the money (since 50 rupees is only $1) but that he was trying to rip me off and take advantage of me. I finally gave in and said "Teekay teekay" (ok ok). After I agreed to the 50 rupees, they brought me to a back little room, shut the door, and dimmed the lights to take the photo. I started regretting being stubborn, hoping I didn't make them mad, and that they weren't planning on killing me.... Not sure this was the best idea I've ever had, but I didn't know where else I was gonna find a stupid passport photo...  Fortunately, they took the photo and had me wait outside to process the photos. After a bit more bargaining- 50 rupees more to get photos "now", 40 more rupees to get all 8 photos, etc.- they let me go with 4 photos for 50 rupees total. Was a little freaked out there for a moment...but I survived :) I brought my photos back to the hospital and got my ID.

After I got that all settled, I met my team for lunch and they told me all the cases were canceled for today, sooo they let me go explore for the day! Another med student from Ohio is at Hinduja doing a rotation in IM, ICU, and ID (He is seeing some very interesting things! the diseases we read about but never see). He grew up in Bombay and is fluent in Hindi. (yes, I should've waited for his help in getting the passport photo... I know...) So anyway, him and I headed down to the Art and History Museum, and after he left I stayed to explore the Nehru Planetarium :) There was an elementary school field trip and they were all dressed in their little uniforms. haha they were so cute! It was me and a ton of little ones hanging out at the planetarium. So yes- I still get excited about things a first grader would enjoy... I was saddened to be reminded that Pluto is not worthy of planet status anymore. At the sky show the little kids were ooing and aahhing and giggling at every little thing. Made me miss those days. After just about 21 years of school (k-12, college, med school) and only 3 more months left, it's hard to believe I'm almost done. I think I will always be like a first grader in that sense tho... I can't help it. I simply like the ooing and aahhing, learning, wondering, and questioning. No matter how much studying I do, there will always be more to learn. (yea. I know. I'm a nerd..)

Anyway, those were my two adventures for the day. We'll see what tomorrow brings!

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Nehru Planetarium

 

My new friend from Ohio and I outside of Hinduja

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious." (Albert Einstein) ..smart guy.

"Everything we call real is made of things that cannot be regarded as real." (Niels Bohr) 

[being at the planetarium made me think of this one... the infinitely large with the infinitely small. the uncertainty principle. relativity and quantum mechanics. yum.]