HEADLINE: Kalka Mail train accident: 69 dead, rescue operation over

Read full NDTV article here

We were supposed to be traveling by train the night after this horrible accident happened, so our tickets were understandably canceled.  Thankful to be safe and sound, and also to have had an extra day to recover from the weekend's wedding festivities.  Thankful also that the death toll was not higher than it was.

Registration at the FRRO

That stands for Foreigner Regional Registration Offices.  Anyone staying in India on an Entry visa for longer than six months is required to register at the FRRO in the region where they are staying (ours was Delhi).  Last year's ETA's blogged horror stories about their FRRO experience, so I was pleasantly surprised with how smoothly the process went for us this year.

Fortunately we had an Indian citizen, who works part-time for Fulbright, assisting us with the process (e.g. making enough copies of certain documents, putting documents in the proper order, etc.).  He was also kind enough to put all ten of our names on a queue list at 6 AM this morning so that our applications would be processed first when the Office opened at 9:30 AM.

Thankfully these preparations allowed us to bypass much of the chaos that would have ensued otherwise.  Despite some expected confusions (we are in India), the process wasn't bad at all.  It ended up taking only 1.5 hours for all 10 of us to get registered.

Abby was number 10.  And just as Abby finally convinced the official that, yes, although she was born in Tokyo she is still an American citizen by birth because her parents are American citizens, the power went out.  Fortunately all she had left to do was get a final signature, which happened within minutes.  Thank goodness it waited till we were finished!

Welcome to India!

Now read that title again, with a strong Indian accent this time, so that "Welcome" sounds more like "Velcome," and you pronounce every vowel and consonant with the same precision you did when you were learning Spanish or some other foreign language.  Come to India and, ironically, your English will be improved, guaranteed.

Of the fifteen ETA's that are in India this year, twelve of us were on the same flight out of Chicago yesterday, July 3rd, the day before America celebrates her independence.  (There were supposed to be thirteen of us on the flight, but one unfortunately missed her connecting flight.)  Having met at the Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO) in Washington, D.C. one week prior made it easy for all of us to recognize each other at the airport.  We all congregated at the gate from which we were to depart.  One big blob of Americans amid a whole lot of Indians who were, I imagine, either returning to the subcontinent after a temporary stay in the US, or making their annual trip to visit their extended families in India.  Someday, I think to myself, my husband and I will be making this trip.

It was there, from our cozy little pile of people and luggage, that we watched the expected departure time for our flight to Delhi change from the original 4:40 PM to various other in-between increments until reaching the final departure time of 7:10 PM.  I was just glad that this flight was not canceled as was my flight home from the PDO in DC.  But, even if it had been, something would have worked out.

And so continues my preparation for India.  Another reminder of two of the most important items you cannot fit in your suitcase: Patience and flexibility.  Five years ago, one of my dear friends, who happens to be Indian American, kindly asked me why I walk so fast.  And, believe it or not, when I finally considered her comment and consciously slowed down my pace, and breathed deeply, the calmness and patience came with it.  This is part of my trick for adjusting to life in India.

This is not to say that I never walk like a crazy person anymore.  Sometimes I have to just to keep up with my mother.  But the pace of life in India is generally more nonchalant.  And you'll probably find yourself slowing your pace for one reason or another, be it the contagious nature of nonchalance or the high temperatures and humidity that impair your ability to do it any other way.

When we finally arrived at the airport, I rushed ahead to get through Immigration and to claim my baggage.  Not that it was terribly busy when we arrived, but I was eager to see my soon-to-be-husband, whom I knew would be waiting for me at Pillar 15.  My nervous excitement must have been a foil to my fellow ETA's who are leaving behind their (romantic) loved ones back in the States.  The feeling of leaving for an unknown period of time is one that I could relate to all too well.  But, fortunately for me, I now found myself on the opposite, happier end of the spectrum - reuniting with my loved one after almost one year.

From the airport the whole group of us traveled to the ridiculous Taj Mahal Hotel.  And by ridiculous I mean marble fountains and banisters, and being welcomed with leis made of fresh, aromatic jasmine flowers.

More on my conflicting feelings about the Taj in an upcoming post...

Pre-Departure Orientation in Washington, D.C.

Up until last week, I hadn't really grasped the fact that I am soon leaving for India.  I started a facebook group a while ago for the ETA's in India, which has been really helpful for communicating and getting to know each other, at least to the extent that the virtual world allows.  However, Fulbright still seemed somewhat like an illusion.

The Pre-Departure Orientation in Washington, D.C., was just the thing I needed to jump-start my enthusiasm about making last-minute purchases and packing.  It was also great to meet my fellow ETA's--and a relief to know that they are good-hearted, down-to-earth people who are excited to learn from and share with a culture and people very different from our own.

I was also pleasantly surprised to find out that several of the ETA's are also in committed relationships.  On that note, Prospective ETA's, if your significant other plans to visit you in India and stay for a significant period of time, I would highly recommend attending the Spouses and Dependents Panel at the D.C. Orientation--even if your significant other does not fall under this category.

One of this year's panel members, who studied in Nepal, semi-humorously told about how she and her then-boyfriend told everyone they met in Nepal that they were married because it is not socially acceptable for a woman and man to live together if they are unmarried.  That was one point that I gleaned from the session: Honesty is not always the best policy in India.

The second important point was that, if your significant other (or sibling, or parent, or anyone really) is visiting you in India for an extended period of time, make sure they have something meaningful to do with their time.  There are plenty of things to do in India, and especially in Delhi.  You could study at a local public library, take yoga classes, visit museums or temples, or volunteer with an NGO.  Regardless of what it is, make sure your significant other has something to do whenever you are not there to entertain.

Obtaining the Proper India Visa

The process of applying for and obtaining an entry visa to India was more time-consuming than I had anticipated.  I submitted my application to the Indian Consulate through Travisa Outsourcing, a third-party company who handles most India visa applications.

I had used Travisa's services twice before and had very positive experiences.  However, this time - while not miserable - was a little more disorganized.  Apparently there is confusion every year over the fact that Fulbright ETA's require an entry visa and not a working visa.  This resulted in my application being put on hold for 10 working days.  Now, I should have contacted Fulbright as soon as my application was put on hold (they had advised us to contact them immediately if we encountered any problems).  Instead I waited for four or five days before notifying them.

Even after contacting Fulbright, I still ended up calling Travisa and being put on hold with a representative for nearly one hour.  But, with polite persistence my application was finally processed and sent to the Indian Consulate.  Still, despite all this, I received my passport with the proper India visa about 2 1/2 weeks after Travisa received my paper application in the mail.

I know that other ETA's had similar issues, but there were also some who had no problems at all.  I know of one fellow ETA who submitted his application approximately one week later than me and still received his visa before I did - I'm convinced that those of us who applied right away helped to uncover all of the problems and that Travisa had everything sorted out by then!