Living in Manipal has a lot of similarities to being on any college campus, though there are also plenty of differences. Walking by the KMC greens behind the food court reminds me of the main quad on AU’s campus. Between classes students flood the campus, walking purposefully to minimize time in the sun. The colorful kurtas worn by the girls are often covered with white lab coats, at least on our side of campus. Because students dress fairly traditionally during the days, you will often find us in kurtas and salwar kameez to fit in and join in the wonderful culture of color (much different from my wardrobe of neutrals back home). We live in the dorms on campus (called hostels), most of us with Indian roommates. Slowly, I’m getting to know my roommate much better and she is absolutely great. When she or I return late at night after a long day we chat for a bit before turning to our computers to complete unfinished work or to catch up with friends and family scattered across the globe. Our group eats most of our meals at the dining hall, although the food is pretty mundane and completely non-reflective of the amazing Indian food options that exist beyond the campus perimeter. Because of that we try to eat many of our meals off campus or in the second story of the dining hall where there is a food court full of continental foods including a wonderful Malaysian place. We go to class with other Indian students, although public health is only a masters program at Manipal, so technically we are taking all masters classes this semester. The classes are structured slightly differently than in the US though, so the actual workload is not too bad (at least not yet!). We fill our free time attending the abundant campus events, like the volunteer service organization’s kite flying festival, cultural dance performances, the college of hospitality graduation and performances, the annul KMC Verve festival including a fashion show and dance competitions, documentary film screenings etc. There is a much greater culture of participation here than I have noticed at home. The events are all well attended and people are always eager to participate and to invite you to attend events at their colleges. We also fill our free time at Manipal’s gorgeous fitness center we joined a yoga class that meets every evening in what seems like a giant abandoned classroom overlooking the greens. The class is unlike any yoga I have ever done in the states – it is much slower and focused on breathing exercises. On weekends and some weeknights we go out in Manipal, including to the much-anticipated Wednesday night karaoke. However, going out here is not a priority since most students have class every day except Sunday, Saturday is really the only night to go out and because most places in Manipal close at around 11:00-11:30 and we have to be back to make the hostel’s 12am curfew, our nights are early and often uneventful. It is a great venue to meet new people though and I’m starting to recognize familiar faces out and about. Everything is starting to come together and I’m settling into a routine. I’ve found a great smoothie place I try to go to a couple times a week, I discovered a great little coffee shop that’s perfect for studying or just hanging out and a great ice cream shop just a seven rupee bus ride away etc. I’m meeting more people and getting comfortable in classes. It’s starting to feel like we have a place on campus and in Manipal.
AuthorAmerican University Student studying abroad in Kenya and India and wandering the world Archives
May 2015
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