Bangles

Here tis: another attempt at a travelblogasaurus minimus. I've gotten a lot of questions recently about what I am doing here. Finding an answer is funny for me because part of the point with "uncovering" industrial symbiosis is that you do not know what you are going to find. That said, I'm looking at how industrial facilities trade byproducts with each other and what the social connections are that facilitate these exchanges. Yes, I really am in India for the summer.

One week into the summer in Bangalore, I at least seem to know what I am not doing: my research has narrowed down to two industrial parks from the original concept of just something in Karnataka. Comically, despite thinking that I am going to spend the summer in Bangalore, luck would have it that the best research site seems to be 200km away in Mysore. No sarcasm here, Mysore is known for sandalwood, palaces, yoga, and a relaxed atmosphere that most Indian cities lost over the past 15 years. Conversely, Bangalore is "the city of the half-boiled bean" and is known for a rowdy nightlife. I'll be heading to Mysore on a train with my research partner, Megha, in 36 hours to see for ourselves. We'll come back to Bangalore for the weekend via a 300-acres biodynamic coffee and fruit plantation that Megha's friend owns. If the Mysore industrial site is suitable, I'll pack up shop and move to Mysore for the next 4-6 weeks to harass as many people to tell me about their waste products as possible! I realize that this does not excite anyone else except me...

This past week held a flurry of meetings with industrial managers, government officials, and potential partners along with learning a bit about the city. I moved to a sweet guest house on Thursday, just in time for a sustainable architecture guy from the states to move in as well. Turns out that the lady who runs the guest house also does green consulting work, so we are like peas in a little green pod.

Stay tuned, I promise that I'll do something with my time here besides play in piles of garbage.