Auspicious beginnings in Ahmedabad

I started my Fulbright in Delhi, arriving on Sunday December 13, but it really feels like I've really "arrived" when I came here as I have such fondness for this city, as it was the first city in India I ever came to on my first trip in 1999 to be at the Kanoria Center artist residency. Delhi is a bit chilly this time of year but Ahmedabad is just lovely, warm days and "light sweater" nights.
I made good progress on my few Delhi days as galleries I visited, Vedhara and Nature Morte, have been exceedingly helpful in helping me connect with artists for this series of interviews. My main times in Delhi will be a week here and there in March and April.

Ahmedabad started auspiciously because I plan to interview just three artists in my 10 days here, my friend Rajesh Sagara, their very good friend, the internationally known installation artist Sudarshan Shetty, and a painter whose work I love, Ahmedabad native, Amit Ambalal who I hoped I could possibly meet. The first evening I came we attended an outdoor lecture at CEPT University and by chance one of the first people we ran into was Amit Ambalal who Sharmila introduced me to and I will interview next week. That was a very nice way to start!
This morning started early on my balcony where I lit a piece of my favorite incense, my coffee was made on this kitchen burner you see, a staple of Indian cooking that always terrifies me, so it was good to conquer it this morning. Under the counter is the red propane tank, switching it on creates a sinister hissing and smell, then one lights the burner with a tiny tiny match and uses metal tongs to put the pot of water on, for the instant Nescafe that although pretty wretched tasting, always very fondly reminds me of India.
The kitchen has its little cooking balcony as well as this nice one overlooking a common garden. The flat I'm "borrowing" belongs to my friend Ela Shah from Montclair NJ who will come here after I leave on Dec 26th, she happens to live next door to my friends Sharmila and Rajesh Sagara (talk about a very small world!,) Ahmedabad is a huge (mega-city as it is called) and the chances that two people I know might live next door to each other is a pretty amazing coincidence. Sharmila teaches at CEPT University, which is the "host" institution for my Fulbright.
CEPT University (Center For Environmental Planning and Technology) is a large campus, this is just one of many interesting modern buildings designed by B.V Doshi, that have a sense of flow between inside and outside, good for this mostly hot sunny climate, the Kanoria Center for arts and several museums are also part of the campus
a class being held outdoors
the library, the inside is decorated by MF Husain
My friend Rajesh inside his studio