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Arka's adventures with himself 😂 Read more
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  • TravelerTurin ISU study abrd 24 trip
    Day 1

    WARNING: TYPOS TYSPO TYPOS

    May 12 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    I have no idea who you are and why you are reading this. Or if anyone IS actually reading this. It's my public journal (I will explain, whether you like it or not) soon.

    BTW, I am writing this on May 20 around 930 am ish time sitting on a bench looking at the view in this post. You can find more about it 'future" posts

    Point of this post is to explain what to expect from reading this (if you are reading this, that is). It will have typos. all over. This includes grammatical errors spelling errors etc. fragmented sentences like grammarly calls it 🙄This is how I THINK. so it's the only way I know how to type.e. So ehow even after trying to add words in the keyboard dictionary and correcting them for years, it feels like it has gotten worse for me. So I decided to leave them as is. It's part of the experience. Started telling friends recently that if you can't figure out what I am trying to say fro the typos, they're not really my friends (well that sounded better in my head). Not sure if it's something to do with Android or me.

    I am not a writer. I am not trying to make the rwder happy .. well maybe a little, if you get happy that's bonus .. but it's mostly to make myself happy. I don't have the skills, patience time or money to do a better job! 😜 Maybe think of it as a new odd literary style maybe, if that helps

    Oh also it will have a free flowing steam of consciousness style .. kinda like in Trump rallies. 🤣 I will be jumping around from topic to topic, time to time. E g. This post. It should be read at the beginning, but I am writing it later (in the "future" 😳)

    Why am I doing this? Well as I explained in a message to my friend a couple of days back ... Well, don't feel like typing all that now. Attaching it as a screenshot. So not posting on social directly. And writing my thoughts down has been REALLY helpful for me. So that's the idea ... Kinda like local-social media .. not open to the bigger group of followers. I used to write "diaries" (journals) as a kid ... Maybe stopped when I was a teenager. When I started writing this it felt like that. Things got sorted out in MY head while writing. So that's why ...

    And please please please 🙏 don't click like or ❤️ without reading it. Do t feel pressured to comment either. I am trying not to track/increase any user "engagement" her3    Read more

  • TravelerTurin ISU study abrd 24 trip
    Day 1

    The start (Dugga Dugga)

    May 12 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Packed my bike in the suitcase, packed biking supply etc. put printouts in the suitcase for TSA people to explain that it's just a normal bike, disassembled, packed in a normal size suitcase. I think I took everything I need for living alone for 2 weeks in Turin Italy and "work" there 😜. Also practiced Italian for 100 days straight ... Activated Verizon for phone, even packed a new hotspot device (Solis) with a global plan as a backup! It's going to be good!

    Went to airport in a taxi/Uber. Driver was new to Iowa ... But got me there. Bag weighed 49.5 lbs (50lbs limit) .. yaay! Almost feel bad not putting something small like shoes there...

    Flight was ok. Watched American Fiction that I wanted to see. It was ok. Tried taking some homeopathic tablets from Amazon that reviewers said work for jetlags (it didn't). Detroit. Amsterdam. Turin. All went ok. Bags came intact and my bike was ok.    Read more

  • TravelerTurin ISU study abrd 24 trip
    Day 2

    Arrivo a Torino

    May 13 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Reached Turin. Took a cab to the B&B I booked. It's called Gianduja B&B. Really nice. Super friendly host .. older single lady lives alone and makes money doing B&Bs ... She was an architect before .. now just does that. All this I leanred in next few days. Also Gianduja (g=j, j=y) is like a mascot of the Piedmont region (where Turin is, North East Italy) apparently .. he's a cartoon character .. chocolate maker or something. Famous in this area.

    Took a nap. Set up my new 360 camera and left to get food etc. the camera took a gorgeous timelapse of the mountain. Later the owner lady told me that its just a basic hill .. the great Alps is on the other side of the house - can be seen only from her kitchen balcony. Took me there to show - couldn't see much because of the cloud but got an impression of its big-ness compared to the tiny hill I videod.

    Ate at some gyro place (Kebaps and Pizza? Or something like that) ... Got a stamp/punch card. Maybe I will come again during the trip. Watched TV a little. It was a variety show like Kapil Sharma show. Looked fun and simple. Tried to use the closed captions feature and got some error messages on TV saying "check page 796" or something. Gave up. Slept off. Only to get up at 3 pm next day.

    Missed breakfast .. host lady got worried. Told her don't wait up ... I don't eat much breakfast .. even if I look fat 😂.

    And that Amazon jetlag pill didn't work. For me.

    By the way the "older" host lady might even be my age. I need to update the way I look at people, especially their age.    Read more

  • TravelerTurin ISU study abrd 24 trip
    Day 3

    Program starts tomorrow!

    May 14 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Got up late today .. 3pm ... raining outside .. didn't do anything. Got a gyro again (got second stamp). I tend to lean towards safe choices when I get to decide my food options, fyi.

    Wasted the whole day .. should have been roaming around sight seeing.

    Or maybe not. I need to slow down. Kichhu paliye jachhe na. Dont need to rush all the time. Don't know why I do that. I might even come back next year for the same thing to Turin. It's ok. To not be rushed.

    Class start tomorrow. I think first day will be orientation with students. I have 24 for my class. Other class had 14. With 2 professor and staff member, Andrea (she has been doing this every summer for a while), it's 41 of us. I need to prepare a little for my class.

    But if it's just orientation, I should be ok, na? Just chill Arka!

    I also told the Math dept faculty that I will meet with them separately. The idea was to make friends in the politechnic, so it might help with my research activities too. Separate from this teaching program. I was very proud to think of that.

    I need to prepare that too .. they want me to give a talk explaining my work etc. Shit! But chill... Breathe.

    And it's raining outside. I hate rains. Makes me sad. Slept off early so I can get up early for breakfast (so Gabriella, the host , is happy) and meet students for orientation at 9 am! I haven't woken up at a normal time so far. 🤞

    Oh, I found a bike shop .. got my bike ready to ride. Inflated tires a little with my small pump to ride. Found a bike shop that Inflate tired nicely later. The guy didn't take money for the help with pumping air. So I bought a nice cute red bell for €3. And gave him my my other new bell that I got but didn't like. His name is Georgio. Chill young guy with a cool pointy mustache. Hipster types.

    Also had dinner with the 3 leaders. Me, Matt (Prof for other course), Andrea and Aa local faculty member who helps this program, Stefania Specchia. Ate dinner at Capannina. Fancy place. The dishes were amazing. But that I mean the shape of the plates mainly. Very unique styles of pottery. Good was good too. Stefania had raw meat dish .. that I tasted 😳. Like raw fish in sushi .. but beefs etc. Was ok. She also told me to go to St Maritz. It's in Swiss border and the train ride through Alps is very scenic. Will try going there this weekend from Milan. Tentatively that's the plan for weekend.

    Didn't plan anything for the weekend. No booking etc and no clear idea where to go or maybe not go anywhere. But that's least of my worries. Just prep for class today!    Read more

  • TravelerTurin ISU study abrd 24 trip
    Day 4

    First day of the program

    May 15 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    Got up late! 9:15 am. Supposed to meet the group at 9. Rushed to change and got bike to rush at the meeting point. Gabriela said just walk - it's faster. So I ran sorta. Managed to be there barely on time.. kinda .. some other people were late too. So... Phew!

    Whole day was orientation. They talked about their institute, Turin as a city, Piedmont as a region, and this program. It was good, since this is my first time here.

    There was a guy from International office here who had a talk about hand gestures in Italy. How the Italians would use their hands to express feelings a lot. And how it can be confusing. So he told us some of the common geatures and which ones are ok, which ones are vulger etc

    Then had a grand lunch at a restaurant with the whole group. 41 of us! It was a mess. . waiters didn't speak English, we barely had Italian speakers with us. 39 of us are 20 year old kids. But went well. Ate some stuff that I didn't know existed.

    Other faculty member , Matt, and Andrea went to see some exhibition of Leonardo da Vinci's self portrait. Apparently it is a big deal. Since it is shown for a couple of weeks under some special light (so the paintings don't go bad) once in a few years.. going on now. Everyone suggested I should go. I didn't. Not today at least.

    Came home and prepared class and slept off early hoping I can get up on time for my class at 930am next day    Read more

  • TravelerTurin ISU study abrd 24 trip
    Day 5

    1st day class and trip to a grand palace

    May 16 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Got up on time!

    Showed up at 9:15am to meet with 24 students outside of the classroom building to go to class at 930. Saved wore nicer clothes 😜

    Italy has a lot of old fashioned bureaucracy like India. To get to the building I need a card (students can't get in) and to get to a classroom, I need keys. Which I have to check out every day, but sighing a book and return and all that.

    All students were there, except 1. Told the other leaders about it, started class, got message that his alarm didn't work - so he's late - went out to get him in the middle of the class.

    But the class went well. Students were good. Covered everything I wanted to cover. Their exam is next week - so I had to cover those topics. So it was a success.

    Got to know that there is some day trip planned right after class. So grabbed a little to eat and went to train station. Spent the rest of the day with students exploring an old fancy palace .. used by the Savoy family (big deal in Italy history... Kind of like the last king family until WWII) .. it was their palace to chill out and have fun on weekends. Its called La Vaneria Reale ( means something like royal hinting palace .. where they will come for entertainment, hunting, "fun" stuff 😀)

    Took a lot of 360 videos with my camera. Some of the students were curious to see the video. So when I came back, I spent about 4 hours editing those and made a 9 minute long video.

    Asked myself why. Answered: why not .. I enjoy learning how to edit 360 videos, that's new to me. So I did it. Until 4am. Ate some of the breakfast that Gabriella set up the night before.

    Can't post the whole video here, but here's the link.

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/KjckuKgNeQrRhP546

    Ended the day with gelatos for everyone in the group. I got a mango+pistachio 2 scoop gelato. Mango was amazing. Pistachio had a burnt flavor that was new to me. Was disturbed but a map of India on. the wall of the gelato shop.

    Came home. Real tired. Raining outside. Should get a kebap sandwich.    Read more

  • TravelerTurin ISU study abrd 24 trip
    Day 5

    Desi connection!

    May 16 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    After the long day in rain with 38 kids, train rides where we didn't know which train to take which stop to get down at ... Making sure one over-excited kid doesn't do anything stupid or get lost etc... decided to go eat my kebap sandwich and maybe a beer from outside before the next round of pouring rain starts again!

    Ordered a chicken panini and got my 3rd stamp from the shop (10th sandwich is free, .. maybe the 11th one). It's cheap, fresh and something that's non-italian. More like Mediterranean/Middle Eastern food ... Gyros type. I am tired already of eating things I have never seen or tasted before. I had veal with salmon and anchovy paste. It tasted good, but not like anything I tasted before!

    Placed order for a chicken panini today... while waiting decided to walk to a tabacchi (? tobacco store ... basically a convenience store) and pick up beer. Owner was Bangladeshi - I was only 55% certain but decided to mumble in bangla "Card cholbe?" ("do you take credit cards?") His face lit up and said aapni (you're) bangali?

    Told him I'm a teacher and visiting the politechnic to teach a class. His first reaction was ' campus ta ki sundor na?' ("isn't this a pretty campus?").

    I thought it's kinda cute. He lives here, I don't. But his first reaction was to assume that being a desi I am sure to be impressed by the "beauty" of the campus. Vigorously agreed and left.

     Managed to be back with my dinner just before it started pouring again.    Read more

  • TravelerTurin ISU study abrd 24 trip
    Day 6

    Going to Milan

    May 17 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Class got cancelled because of pro-Palestine protests planned at the university where my classes are (politecnico di turino). Had the option to leave early for sight seeing but decided to sleep late (4am) get up at noon ... Then decide to leave for Milan by train with my bike.

    After packing, hotel tickets etc decided to catch the 530 pm direct train with my bike. Arrived half and hour early at train station. Started to get ready by folding the bike for travel.

    That's when I realized the hard way that the bike (which is almost new to me, got it just for this trip) has a design flaw. While folding, the handlebar can get stuck between the pedals .. and being a single speed, I could not move the pedal backwards ... And I was about to freak out.

    Asked maybe 50 people .. some on bikes to see if they have a spanner .. figured if I can get the chain off, I can back pedal and unstuck my half-folded bike. No luck. Asked police, some soldier looking people with big guns, maintenance people at the station. No luck. The fact that after my 100 day streak with Duolingo Italian didnt help me AT ALL so far is another story 😜. It not completely the apps fault - I freeze up right before I have to say something in Italian and all that comes out of my mouth is 'hola'!

    Finally found a desi looking guy - seemed like a food delivery guy on an electric bike (with a food delivery bag on his back) .. he had a tool. Helped me get it unstuck. Even did part of it himself since he said 'aap bohut time laga rahe ho' 😂. Became friends. Offered him some money 'for beer' (I always get awkward doing this .. never know if it's offensive, how much .. which hand, fold the notes? ... Anyways offered €20 for the record) .. he said 'paisa is not very important to me' or something like that. Amjed Ali, from Gujarat in Pakistan (?) - told him I knew there is a Punjabi but didn't know a gujarat there .. he said Gujarat is in Punjab (in Pakistan, I guess),... I wanted to ask so many questions at that point. But he was helping me with the bike, so I didn't.

     Then I met another guy from Bangladesh .. he wanted to make a local phone call - Amjed helped him too. Took a photo all 3 of us and laughed that we are having a fun India-pakistan-bangladesh reunion in Turino Porta Susa station! Amjed told me he'll show me the best coffee place around (I was suggesting beer, but he said he doesn't drink while at work!) . .. but then he got a call to deliver food. So he left.

    Talked to Pooja on video for a long time. I had some food.. didn't eat since late night's "pre-toasted" bread and Nutella at 4am. Managed to change the ticket to a 735 train (for free! 15 minutes before the train). Now finally in the train typing this. My bike is in an overhead compartment of the train .. kinda precariously hanging over my head .. hope it doesn't fall on anyone during the train.    Read more

  • TravelerTurin ISU study abrd 24 trip
    Day 6

    Angry Dinner!

    May 17 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Guess what .. wanted a hotel close to the train station .. but being cheap, sorted by price on hotels com and found a good hotel 8/10 rating and costs only $60ish for a small single room. Figured that's all I need. Don't care for fancy hotels. Just want to stay close to the station in general.

    Just found out it's 1+ hour bike ride from the station!!!! 😂😂😂. Now thinking if I should get another hotel here ... Or just take a taxi to that one. I think I will do the latter. Will eat now. Found a restaurant that seems to have good ratings.    Read more

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