Rahui: "I could go on about how great Mysore is but even then I wouldn’t be able to do it justice."
Before leaving New Zealand, every time I thought “I’m going to India”, my mind blanked out a little.
Getting off the plane in Bangalore, I realized that India was indeed an entirely different ball game — from the smell (sweeter than it was spicy surprisingly) to the number of stalls at the ready for incoming passengers.
It was so easy to get caught in the tide of people while trying to remember that you're on your way to catch a bus and not to drink sugar cane juice - and before you ask, yes, sugar cane juice is hella nice.
I’ve lived most of my life between the Cook Islands and New Zealand, and this was my first time traveling outside of the Pacific, let alone by myself.
Going from city to city in New Zealand, you become used to the silent open roads and the cows. But arriving in India there were so many people, colours and things to look at; to say I was overwhelmed would be an understatement. But what surprised me the most was the fact that the chaotic traffic made sense to me.
I stayed in Mysore, which is approximately four hours away from Bangalore and is often described as the “cleanest city in India”.
If you want to see colour and really experience a market, head on down to Devaraja market to get lost in the sights, smells and sounds. Or if you want to play with some puppies or donkeys, just go outside.
I could go on about how great Mysore is but even then I wouldn’t be able to do it justice.
Rahui says her colleagues went out of their way to help and quickly became friends
My internship was based at Skanray Technologies Healthcare division, in the Patient Monitoring Systems R&D. While at Skanray, I got to learn about the basics of the business, the different departments and the numerous procedures they follow.
After my initial induction, I was assigned a project in which I had to extract databases from different sources and collate them into a user-friendly database.
The data extracted will be used to verify electrocardiogram (ECG) modules based on different types of ECG waveforms that can be produced.
I actually really enjoyed this project. I had a lot of flexibility and independence. It required me to use programmes and skills that I wasn’t very proficient in and really gave me a new sense of confidence in my abilities.
The confidence I’ve gained has made me more willing to get out there in the world and take on new projects after I graduate, rather than be apprehensive about what the future holds.
I could not have felt this way about it if it weren't for the people that I work with. Although everyone is always working on something, they were more than willing to help me whenever I got stuck.
I’ve been here for just over a month, and I’m already starting to miss this place even though I haven't left yet.
To all the engineering students out there considering this internship — do it. I was nervous at first at the prospect of going to India, given the rhetoric you hear in New Zealand, but India is very different from how it's perceived and being here has been an incredibly humbling experience.
I have met the kindest people ever (they surpass the Kiwi kindness threshold) and you learn so much during your time here — about you, your abilities and the endless opportunities that are actually out there.
I’m glad to say that India has won me over and will most likely see me in the future.