Field Trip

After I spent some days in the field in Shimoga I am back in Bangalore. Just read in the newspaper that the official Monsoon period starts today :-) how great.

Well the trip to the field was kinda exciting. I met and talked to all kinds of people involved in bamboo extraction, collection and trade. Most of them were a little bit stunned about the fact that I came all the way from Austria to do a study on bamboo ;-) Thus even it should have been my part to ask questions, I first had to answer the following to them:

Why did you come from Austria to study bamboo in India?
How do you like India?
Are you married?

Well I am not kidding about the last one. I guess have not met anybody who didnt ask me this particular question. Further I am sure I have never talked or ever talked *g* so much about my future wedding and how my husband should be and look like???? Kinda tricky questions, I have to say.

However back to bamboo. I really appreciated the opportunity going there. Everyone seemed to help me out and all kinds of people from different institutions drove me around with their jeeps to show me particular places in the forest to learn some more about the extraction and also to meet some tribal people who depend only on making bamboo handicrafts.






In terms of translation a local professor from the agricultural college was with me all the time to help me out conducting the interviews. Studying their major problems and challenges they are facing in terms of education, training, etc...gave me a pretty good insight in their daily lifes.







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Well besides work I got the chance to go on a little safari too. The town and district of Shimoga is near the outskirts of the Whestern Ghats which is a protected area spanning down on the west coast of India. So well see for yourself on the pictures.

Hope you enjoyed your week as much as I did.