``I arrived in Pune in June last year and I must say it was a cultural shock,'' she admits a bit diffidently. Gehrs was struck by the dirt and garbage wherever she went. And, of course, the extent of air pollution is worrying, but she discloses that she has become as habituated to it as any Indian.

After one year here, she has a list of things which have impressed her. ``I like the colours. The saris, the bangles, the flowing salwar-kameezes, I'd love to try them out sometime,'' she giggles. Gehrs does have a problem with spicy food, but is impressed by the variety of food available.

And the heat, that's not too much of a problem. ``In May, I go to Germany, it's too hot here, isn't it?'' she queries. But living alone can become a hassle. As a single foreigner living in a city where society is culturally rather tightly-bound, it is not easy to build a compatible social circle. ``But I have friendly colleagues and students and I enjoy teaching,'' she reveals.

Gehrs spends time working with a theatre group, Studio Poona, or then reads and listens to music. ``I try to listen to Indian music and read books by Indian authors,'' she says. She has obviously learnt how things work in these parts. ``Things move slowly here. The bureaucracy in the University of Pune is special, isn't it?''

But what really awes her is the way ``religious men pray with concentration amidst all the noise.'' She is keen on trying her hand at yoga - a beneficial method of relaxation worth experimenting with. Gehrs smiles when asked if she's tried wearing the sari. ``So many colours and so many materials but I would feel like I'm wearing a costume''.

Gehrs is making an attempt to fathom an alien culture, and at the same time, trying her bit to promote the image of Germans. ``I was pleasantly surprised to see that Indians are interested in German culture. Even Germans have a sense of humour, that is what I would like to tell everybody,'' she says laughing.