January 29, 2025

Settling In and Starting Fresh

This week has been about finding our rhythm—adapting to early mornings, full schedules, and the unique pace of life in Bengaluru. Today started a little rough for me, waking up with bug bites all over my arms and legs, but I tried not to let that dampen my mood. After breakfast, our day began later than some of the other GCIL teams, which gave us a chance to ease into the morning. Our commute to Biome is thankfully short—just a hop, skip, and a nap away.

In the afternoon, we finally met a member of the Biome team in person. After weeks of remote discussions, seeing someone face-to-face brought a renewed sense of excitement and clarity. During our meeting, we reviewed Biome’s expectations for our final deliverables and discussed key logistics about borewells and hydrogeology—freshening up on the topics that will be involved in much of our work here. The conversation was incredibly informative, sparking a wave of ideas and anticipation within our group. Afterward, we regrouped at the hostel after lunch to brainstorm the next steps and begin shaping our approach to the project.

Later in the evening, a few of us headed out for dinner to celebrate Lunar New Year. Since many of us couldn’t be with our families due to distance and time zones, I was grateful to spend this time with them. The meal was incredible—Peking duck, carrot/ginseng soup, chili fish, tofu, JASMINE tea, and a surprising five orders of white rice! It was a really fun experience and an opportunity to learn more about the other GCIL students—like discovering everyone’s go-to karaoke songs or the fact that some of us were named after mythical creatures and some of us were named after a computer. To end the night, we stopped at a super old (but super good) Bangalorean dessert spot for ice cream.

I’m struck by how these shared moments help make unfamiliar surroundings feel like home. Connecting with both the Biome team and my GCIL peers reminded me how important relationships are in shaping this experience. Looking ahead, I’m excited to dive into our work with Biome and to keep building these connections, one meaningful moment at a time.

By,
Nadia