Washington University | Village India Program

(last update 1 March 2008)

USEFUL LINKS: This page has many useful links. It will be updated when this year's information becomes available.

Much of this is straight from the US State Dept and it may be a bit on the paranoid side. And remember this is aimed at individual volunteers and some of it doesn't exactly apply (e.g., you may want to wear kurta pajamas but you don't have to).

A good source for travelers' health information is the Centers for Disease Control and Protection website: www.cdc.gov/travel/indianrg.htm

Discuss your travel plans and personal health with a health-care provider to determine which vaccines you will need. The following vaccines may be recommended for your travel to India: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, and Typhoid. Click here for discussion of Japanese encephalitis.

Malaria prophylaxis is strongly recommended. The most commonly prescribed drug is Malarone; there are several alternatives, each with its pros and cons. Most medicines can be bought in India but not Malarone.

(In years past there was a problem with Chikungunya fever--a viral disease transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. Symptoms can include fever, chills, headache, nausea, vomiting, joint pain, and rash. It almost always self-limited and rarely fatal. Since 2006 the incidence of Chikungunya has declined sharply. For more information, see http://www.cdc.gov/travel/other/2006/chikungunya_india.htm.)

The monsoon will have started by the end of June so the weather will be quite tolerable with a moderate amount of rain. In Hyderabad, mean yearly precipitation is 800 mm and the mean daily high in July is 80 F; in comparison, Wash U gets 1000 mm (some of it as snow) and has a mean daily high in July of 89. Bring a long-sleeved cotton shirt or two if you want (mainly for mosquitoes), but certainly nothing heavier. A cheap poncho would be a good idea.

Some basic good advice is to pack in advance, and to keep a list of things to bring so you don't depend on your memory at the last minute. Laundry service will be available in Kalleda, plus you will probably be buying some inexpensive Indian clothes, so you probably don't need more than a week's worth of clothes. For most people, one medium/large suitcase and one carry-on suitcase or backpack will be about right (backpack may be more convenient if you plan on travelling). You will be able to leave suitcases and other things in the RDF office in Hyderabad; there is plenty of room and they will be safe. Remember to leave room in your suitcase if you plan to bring stuff back.

Items never to travel without. Foam earplugs. A good book. Medicine, toiletries, change of clothes for a day or so in case bags are lost. An extra copy of your itinerary and contact numbers.

Things you can get easily in Hyderabad or Warangal. Cash (there are ATM's; I wouldn't bring much cash or travellers checks). Many medicines (made mostly by large reputable companies; no prescription needed) although Malarone is scarce and expensive in India. Office and computer supplies. Bottled water and toiletries are available right in Kalleda -- don't bring tub of shampoo. (Actually bringing shampoo to India is ironic anyway, but that's another story.) You can get wonderful rugs in Hyderabad (mainly from Kashmir), much cheaper than in the US.

Things that may be harder to get than you thought. Insect repellant -- most of it is goopy cream rather than aerosol. Electric appliances -- you can get any devices you want but they won't work in the US due to the voltage difference (more below).

No one ever said India was crime-free, but Hyderabad, Warangal and Kalleda tend to be safe places and your odds of being robbed or attacked are extremely low. Roads are more dangerous than US roads, but they aren't quite as dangerous as they look at first; what may look to you like terrible driving is often normal driving according to different conventions on horn use, passing, and road-sharing. We will try to have seat belts available for all inter-city driving, and until you are comfortable with local road-use conventions, please be extremely careful and observant when walking.

But you should not be timid about telling unsafe drivers to drive more safely. Most of the time when you are in a vehicle the driver is being paid by you (or us); you are not the driver's guest, you are his employer. Sometimes it is necessary to check his breath for alcohol, or tell him to drive slower, or turn off his mobile (i.e., cell phone).

You have a strong accent! Get used to this idea. And it is not in the students' interst to learn an American accent (if by some chance some of them get jobs at call centers, they can be taught an American accent then). As an English teacher you have to walk a fine line: you need to teach students how to say and use words correctly, but you also have to become familiar with differences between American and Indian pronunciation and usage. You will want to learn some Indian English.

It is important to speak English with the kids. Normally it is highly desirable to learn local languages, and the kids will be delighted to teach you some Telugu. But at the end of the day, they need English a lot more than you need Telugu, and the only way they are going to learn it is to use it -- that's

one of the major contributions you will be making. Please insist that they use English with you.

Repitition is important is language training, but once a pupil knows something it is good to push them to learn variations. There is a strong tendency for these students to learn by rote, and it is helpful to encourage them to understand the rich variation in English.

Women generally wear a scarf over their chest although this isn't essential when wearing a high-necked garment. When eating ang hanging out in the guesthouse this isn't necessary. But please show no cleavage under any circumstances.

Norms are different regarding contact and proximity in public. Men will often hold hands with each other, and women with women, but contact between unmarried members of the opposite sex is inappropriate. No hugs, arms around shoulders, etc. This is especially important when posing for photos.

Drinking age in Andhra is 21. But the real problem with drinking is the example it sets. There is a problem with drunkeness and alcoholism in this area. To you, it may seem completely different for college students to get a buzz on and for adults to drink up their wages, but the distinction may not be so clear to the students who look up to you.

India has different plugs (2 round pins, or 3 on a grounded plug) and also different current (240 volts as compared to the 110 volts common in the US). For dual-voltage devices like most laptops, all you need is an adapter. Other appliances you might bring (cellphone or camera chargers) will require a voltage converter. Converters vary in how heavy-duty they are; if you are just going to be charging a camera, a light one should suffice.

There will supposedly be wireless broadband at the Pai JC this summer (knock on wood).

Your cell phone will work in India only if it is a quadband phone (look under the battery to see). If you have a quadband phone and you want to use your usual number in India, check with your carrier because it might be exorbitant (Cingular would charge me $2.49/minute). But sim cards and minutes and cheap in India, so one option is to use your phone and buy a sim card there; however this will probably require "unlocking" your phone (ask your carrier about how to do this). Another advantage is that you can pick your Indian carrier -- BSNL offers much better service into Kalleda than other carriers like Airtel.

I will always carry a cellphone, and we will buy other cellphones so anyone can have one to carry when they go off; we may be able to issue everyone their own cell phone.

In theory we should have nearly constant internet access. In practice there will probably be some service disruptions, but rarely for very long.

Do NOT give handouts. It disrupts our work. It turns people into beggars. It is also a poor use of your charity. One of the reasons we work with RDF is their unusual level of insight into poverty alleviation; we are not turning our backs on poverty, we are focusing on more effective systemic interventions.

We have had problems in the past with VIP students offering to provide support for pupils. RDF has asked that no money be promised to their students without working through proper channels (normally this involves discussing an earmarked donation to RDF).

Politeness works very differently in different cultures. One of the first Telugu words you will want is "thanks," to be polite -- but politeness in AP doesn't require offering thanks and in fact there is no such word! (There is a phrase, dhanyavaadaalu, but it is very formal; don't use it.) However in Telugu, politeness often takes the form of honorifics in references to people and things, and in making requests. For example, the honorific "garu" is often used when referring to someone, and the honorific "andi" is often added at the end of a sentence. This approach to politeness influences spoken English; for instance, rather than simply asking for your name and then thanking you, someone may ask for your "good name" but then not thank you.

When meeting people, you may use the traditional Indian "namaste" or "namaskaram" greeting by placing your hands together in front of you and bowing very slightly (not a deep bow as you might see in parts of East Asia). However in many situations a western-style handshake is also appropriate.

Taking photographs is not in general considered rude or inappropriate. Like anywhere, it is possible that someone may take exception to being photographed, but most are enthusiastic about being photographed and some will beg you to photograph them. For more on photography, see below.

Also: you are an oddity in a village like Kalleda, and even in a city like Warangal. You should expect people to stare, and don't be annoyed -- you would stare too.

As noted above, people rarely mind being photographed and many insist on it. My advice is to err on the side of taking too many photos than too few, especially if your camera is digital. We will be emphasizing photography in 2008 and we will try to help you (and your pupils, if you are teaching photography) get into good situations for taking pictures.

We will ask that everyone agree to share any photos they take with RDF and IRDF for non-profit, promotional uses (e.g., in their calendars, brochures, or website).