Round Two - Just eight months since we returned home and here we were heading off again to India for another semester at UFV Chandigarh.
We didn't pack any lighter but maybe a little wiser.
This time our route was to the east on British Airways with a stop in London and then on to Delhi.
Departure was from YVR on the evening of August 20, and 27 hours later, we were greeted by Gurneet and Dilmeet at the Chandigarh airport.
Yes, we were back in India. Somehow the sites and sounds did not seem so unusual this time. What is noticeably different, though, is the decrease in the number of cows roaming the streets. We have been told that there is a project underway to gather them up and take them to a place where they will be cared for. Kinda miss them!
So, what else is new?
Well, we have a new guest house. We are now living in Sector 44B and have a very lovely suite on the middle floor of this three-storey house. Our neighbourhood is a very typical residential neighbourhood in Chandigarh.
We especially like the more modern kitchen-- though cooking is not on the agenda.
And the living area is so comfortable thanks to the tender touch of Dilmeet and Ninni (Gurneet's Mom).
It does feel like home!
We thought we would miss our favourite jogging route through Terrace Garden close to our previous home. However, thanks to Monsieur Le Corbusier and the other planners of the City Beautiful, we have a great linear park just a block away--the Garden of Annuals.
With temperatures still in the 30's and the monsoons hanging around, the humidity is way up there.
Lots of sweat equity even on a short run!
We have no permanent roomies this year but will share our space with Daniel, a recruiter from UFV Canada, for one more week.
We had just a couple of days with Lorne Mackenzie from UFV Canada who is now coordinating this program from the Canadian side. He had completed the Foundations program with the Year 1 students.
A welcome addition on the campus is the new Faculty office. We now have desks as well as a gathering place for faculty. We look forward to getting to know the Indian faculty better this time around.
Sanjeev Sandhu has joined the Administrative Team and is a great addition.
We all miss Jeevika and wish her well in her studies at UBC this fall.
Of course, there is "The New Batch." This year has been a record year for recruitment at UFV Chandigarh--42 students!
George will have quite a BUS 100 class.
Some things never change!
Of course, one of the biggest changes for me is my teaching assignment. This year, I am not a visitor to the campus, I have to work!!! Today was the big day for me to return to the classroom and it looks like it will be a great semester.
Hopefully, I will have time for a weekly blog............
