I recently completed a three-week internship in the QUB India International Office as a Recruitment Ambassador with one other student. The following 5 phrases used most frequently throughout my trip should give you an insight into my time.
1. “Is it spicy?”
The answer is usually yes. And if it’s no, tread with caution, most Indian people have a much higher spice tolerance than us! Food was a little bit of a challenge on this trip but also exciting. With a hint of humour, someone would ask each lunch time, “what are you having today, Emma?”
In India, it’s very normal to share food with everyone at the table. In the office, people picked and ate from each other’s plates as they liked. When going out for meals, food was ordered for the table, not for people individually, which is great because you get to try a bit of everything!
2. “I’m freezing”
One I wasn’t expecting to say! Most people were baffled that I had come to India during the summer. This is the tourist off season because it is so so hot. Because of this, everywhere is very heavily air-conditioned and, spending most of my time indoors, I was often cold. Overall, I found the weather very manageable (cardi in hand everywhere I went), although I definitely never used this phrase outside.
3. “Do you mind taking a picture please?”
Travelling alone has a lot of challenges; lugging all your stuff with you anytime you want to move in the airport, not being sure if something is crazy or it’s just you, and of course no one to snap your next picture for Instagram. Travelling in Asia also has a lot of benefits including the -5% chance that you will ever see any of these strangers again, therefore you can shamelessly ask them to take your pictures for you.
4. “How much is that in pounds?”
A lot of things in India are very cheap. For example, I once got a 10-minute taxi which cost me 43p! Food, transport and phone services, are all super cheap and all together Delhi was a very affordable city to live in. However, with £1 equalling 90 Indian rupees, the large numbers could sometimes be difficult to convert on the spot, and before you know it you’ve spent £38 for a one-week membership at the gym!
They also have larger amounts like Crores (10,000,000 inr) and Lakhs (100,000 inr) which I unfortunately didn’t come by on my trip. In fact, I probably wouldn’t ever have heard of them only that one of our meetings was held in a house worth over 400 Crores (£45 million).
5. “Hahaha…”
There was not one day of my trip that I did not laugh. In fact, I had the most fun while working! The QUB India International Office staff members are very kind and caring but most importantly hilarious, they definitely made my trip! Especially with Ashish Vats around, laughter is never far.
In closing, I’d like to offer some advice to anyone considering working or studying abroad. Apply! You can always make up your mind later if you get the offer. Talk to someone who has completed the program before you to get a feel for the experience. And finally, weigh up the pros and cons but if it’s coming down to the wire – go for it!!! Although it can seem scary and daunting, you’re guaranteed to learn a lot, meet some cool people and have fun!
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