Workup to the workshop
Introduction
This set of blogs will be about the environmental epidemiology workshop in Kolkata, and the plan here is to provide a little background of the project, a little about the plans for the workshop, how to find the site of the workshop, go about in Calcutta and so on. If you find something useful, or have something of use to add to it, I'd greatly appreciate if you do.
Background
The purpose of this workshop is in the larger context of the Fogarty International Training Program in Environmental and Occupational Health in India. In this training program, we try to encourage and support qualified post-graduate and researcher level individuals with their research projects, and initiate regular didactic, almost "tutorial" type sessions on various aspects of epidemiology in general, some biostats, and environmental health in particular. The big workshop is in that context, where we are bringing together some renowned experts from all over the world to discuss and provide information about the latest in the field.
Official Site
The official site of the Fogarty Training Program will be at the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, so this was the obvious choice for the workshop. If you are interested to apply for the larger Fogarty Training Program, e-mail me your resume and a short statement of your current research and the linkage to environmental/occupational health. We followed a similar procedure for the selection of the candidates for the workshop, so you probably know by this time how we work.
This workshop will be directed towards environmental epidemiology and in particular the problem of arsenic toxicity in the Indian subcontinent. I think a few words about the general structure of the workshop, finding your way to the IICB, and moving around in Calcutta would not be out of the way here.
The workshop will run from the 13th of December through the 20th December, 2005, between 9:30 AM till about 6:00 PM or later/earlier as the case may be. December, in Calcutta (or Kolkata) is arguably, the best month of the year. The year is coming to a close, relaxation is the word, the temperature is down, and parties just about to happen. The workshop will be in the southern part of the city, and you can reach IICB from different directions. The best way to find out using your web browser is go to the following site:
http://www.mapmyindia.com
and type in "4, Raja SC Mallick Road", "Kolkata", "West Bengal" in the appropriate boxes. The map that results (you may have to select "Raja Subodh Mallick Road" in the next box) shows you roughly where you are heading. The area is Jadavpur and the Institute is opposite Jadavpur University campus. The nearest big street crossing is the crossing between Anwar Shah Road and Raja Subodh Mallick Road. If you want to learn more about IICB, or take a look, check out this:
http://www.iicb.res.in
Fun and events
Your early mornings and evenings are free, so might as well make the best use of them. Remember that this workshop is not all about work. For the party animal in you, there's one on the evening of the 16th on the River Ganges, and for the nature lovers, bask in the field trip for the whole day to one of the lovely countrisides of Bengal in winter. I am sure the weather will go well, and you'll have something to rave and rant about.
While we are at it, do not miss out the stroll along the lovely little Dhakuria Lake (there are two big lakes in the city of Kolkata, and Dhakuria Lake is the one close to the workshop site. It has little jogging tracks and paths, and provides some of the most wonderful sights for sunrises and sundowns in the city).
Eating out, changing money and flagging taxicabs
For those with a penchant for the good food and good life, Park Street is the most happening place. Stroll the plazas, sip a cup of coffee at Barista's, or check out the personal restaurant of the local cricket idol Sourav Ganguly, it's glitzy time in Park Street at this time of the year. Calcutta has all sorts of restaurants out there, Bangladeshis can have some real home made fresh meals at the Marquis Street eating outs, and the best chinese fares are at the Chinatown, and then there's always the ubiquitous typical north and south Indian restautrants and Dhabas. Remember that the tip in town is usually about 10% of the bill or less.
Check out a map of Calcutta (the full map) here:
http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/westbengal/kolkata-city-map.gif
While changing money, keep your passport ready. Safest option, to me, seems changing money at the airport. The exchange rates vary by the day, so read ahead. There's a money changer office close to Dhakuria crossing (closest one that I know to the workshop site), and then there are quite a few in the central Kolkata.
Taxis in Calcutta can be flagged down on the street, but payment involves some math. When I left Calcutta six months back, the fare calculation was (170-270)% of the meter price, depending on the type of meter you get to see. If it's an electronic meter, you should pay no more than 1.7 times the amount shown. If it's not an electronic meter, it will be around 2.7 times, but always insist to see the rate chart. It's a yellow sheet with red and black fare prices printed on it. The lower price is the meter price and the higher price is the calculated rate. It's not necessary to tip the taxi driver, and it's not usual for the taxi driver to negotiate for prices.
The other type of popular taxis include what we in the Indian subcontinent call "auto rickshaws" or our East Asian friends call "Tuk Tuks". These, almost, always, go by the prefixed prices and their routes are fixed, kind of bus routes. Ask beforehand before getting into one of these. The ride is usually very crampy and stormy, with hair raising experience as they swivel through the busy traffic of the Kolkata city.
What's next?
In the next set of blogs, I will try to detail more about the proceedings of the workshop, some links to the pages and my lectures, intro to the speakers and so on. Hopefully, by the time you arrive for the workshop, you will be well prepared to know what lies ahead.
This set of blogs will be about the environmental epidemiology workshop in Kolkata, and the plan here is to provide a little background of the project, a little about the plans for the workshop, how to find the site of the workshop, go about in Calcutta and so on. If you find something useful, or have something of use to add to it, I'd greatly appreciate if you do.
Background
The purpose of this workshop is in the larger context of the Fogarty International Training Program in Environmental and Occupational Health in India. In this training program, we try to encourage and support qualified post-graduate and researcher level individuals with their research projects, and initiate regular didactic, almost "tutorial" type sessions on various aspects of epidemiology in general, some biostats, and environmental health in particular. The big workshop is in that context, where we are bringing together some renowned experts from all over the world to discuss and provide information about the latest in the field.
Official Site
The official site of the Fogarty Training Program will be at the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, so this was the obvious choice for the workshop. If you are interested to apply for the larger Fogarty Training Program, e-mail me your resume and a short statement of your current research and the linkage to environmental/occupational health. We followed a similar procedure for the selection of the candidates for the workshop, so you probably know by this time how we work.
This workshop will be directed towards environmental epidemiology and in particular the problem of arsenic toxicity in the Indian subcontinent. I think a few words about the general structure of the workshop, finding your way to the IICB, and moving around in Calcutta would not be out of the way here.
The workshop will run from the 13th of December through the 20th December, 2005, between 9:30 AM till about 6:00 PM or later/earlier as the case may be. December, in Calcutta (or Kolkata) is arguably, the best month of the year. The year is coming to a close, relaxation is the word, the temperature is down, and parties just about to happen. The workshop will be in the southern part of the city, and you can reach IICB from different directions. The best way to find out using your web browser is go to the following site:
http://www.mapmyindia.com
and type in "4, Raja SC Mallick Road", "Kolkata", "West Bengal" in the appropriate boxes. The map that results (you may have to select "Raja Subodh Mallick Road" in the next box) shows you roughly where you are heading. The area is Jadavpur and the Institute is opposite Jadavpur University campus. The nearest big street crossing is the crossing between Anwar Shah Road and Raja Subodh Mallick Road. If you want to learn more about IICB, or take a look, check out this:
http://www.iicb.res.in
Fun and events
Your early mornings and evenings are free, so might as well make the best use of them. Remember that this workshop is not all about work. For the party animal in you, there's one on the evening of the 16th on the River Ganges, and for the nature lovers, bask in the field trip for the whole day to one of the lovely countrisides of Bengal in winter. I am sure the weather will go well, and you'll have something to rave and rant about.
While we are at it, do not miss out the stroll along the lovely little Dhakuria Lake (there are two big lakes in the city of Kolkata, and Dhakuria Lake is the one close to the workshop site. It has little jogging tracks and paths, and provides some of the most wonderful sights for sunrises and sundowns in the city).
Eating out, changing money and flagging taxicabs
For those with a penchant for the good food and good life, Park Street is the most happening place. Stroll the plazas, sip a cup of coffee at Barista's, or check out the personal restaurant of the local cricket idol Sourav Ganguly, it's glitzy time in Park Street at this time of the year. Calcutta has all sorts of restaurants out there, Bangladeshis can have some real home made fresh meals at the Marquis Street eating outs, and the best chinese fares are at the Chinatown, and then there's always the ubiquitous typical north and south Indian restautrants and Dhabas. Remember that the tip in town is usually about 10% of the bill or less.
Check out a map of Calcutta (the full map) here:
http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/westbengal/kolkata-city-map.gif
While changing money, keep your passport ready. Safest option, to me, seems changing money at the airport. The exchange rates vary by the day, so read ahead. There's a money changer office close to Dhakuria crossing (closest one that I know to the workshop site), and then there are quite a few in the central Kolkata.
Taxis in Calcutta can be flagged down on the street, but payment involves some math. When I left Calcutta six months back, the fare calculation was (170-270)% of the meter price, depending on the type of meter you get to see. If it's an electronic meter, you should pay no more than 1.7 times the amount shown. If it's not an electronic meter, it will be around 2.7 times, but always insist to see the rate chart. It's a yellow sheet with red and black fare prices printed on it. The lower price is the meter price and the higher price is the calculated rate. It's not necessary to tip the taxi driver, and it's not usual for the taxi driver to negotiate for prices.
The other type of popular taxis include what we in the Indian subcontinent call "auto rickshaws" or our East Asian friends call "Tuk Tuks". These, almost, always, go by the prefixed prices and their routes are fixed, kind of bus routes. Ask beforehand before getting into one of these. The ride is usually very crampy and stormy, with hair raising experience as they swivel through the busy traffic of the Kolkata city.
What's next?
In the next set of blogs, I will try to detail more about the proceedings of the workshop, some links to the pages and my lectures, intro to the speakers and so on. Hopefully, by the time you arrive for the workshop, you will be well prepared to know what lies ahead.
posted by Arin Basu at 10:53 AM
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