As much as England's temperature and determination to pelt you with rain and wind makes you curse the weather, disembarking BA flight 0035, has re-ignited my appreciation for the cold. The heat of India (even at night) hits hard. My home stay host, Achiah, told me that India has three seasons 'hot, hotter and hottest'. Currently we're in the 'hotter' time of year and it's heating up for globally warmed summer. Surprisingly, the bible that is Lonely Planet, after promising the throbbing hustle and bustle of a city was betrayed by the quiet.
Chennai was in a communal slumber, as the Bay of Bengal's waves lapped the coast However, there are a few truths that were immediately recognisable. First of all, being stared at - I could be a walking circus. That I'm not, is given away by "Hey, hello! How are you? Beautiful beautiful. Where are you from? Come here, come here! Madam, madam!" Which will take a considerable amount of getting used to. Secondly, every guidebook you can buy about India will tell you within the first paragraph that 'India is a land of contrasts' be they in economics, religion, language, diet, color etcetera, which is thrust in your face everyday.
Conscious of a 2am arrival with my home stay hosts made me feel a little guilty when I clattered in with my bags full of energy and excitement, probably saying sorry and thank you an exhaustingly annoying number of times. Sona and Achiah, husband and wife by arrangement were/are absolutely lovely, as is their apartment in the district of Kilpauk and their dog, Dan. My room is enormous and I have my own bathroom, balcony and best of all full fruit bowl and biscuit tin! Anyone thinking that India is the place to detox and diet is sooo wrong. It's a cultural habit that Indian mothers like to see their juniors eating well. Which is remarkably easy when a fresh curry is made for each meal (which, is credited to the culinary skills of their cook Lakshmi, they also have a maid). The South of India is mainly vegetarian so at least I'm getting my five-a-day. Including chillies, phewf.
A few days in India has convinced me that however treacherous Britain's highways and byways seem, in comparison we have luxuriously peaceful, neat little streets. India could easily be a world competitor for the largest variety of vehicles on the road. A colorful assortment of cars, buses, bicycles, auto rickshaws, share autos, cycle autos, cows, goats and pedestrians struggle for space to move forwards. And they also want people to know about it. Drivers seem to have musical aspirations owing to the frequency horns beep out their rhythmic, tuneless drones.
Rush hour in
Chennai had people crammed into every available space on the bus with people hanging out of the doors. It was slightly unnerving that one lady sat down kept looking at me, having a good stare and then facing away again. This happened so often I thought I had something on my face. A final time she looked at me, opened her mouth in a big grin and beckoned me to her seat, which involved a conveyor belt process of my bags and me in pursuit, being passed down the bus. It was a very welcome relief to sit down and a touching moment I shan't forget. Indian ways may seem strange, but their hospitality is heart warming.
Working as a Newspaper Editor:
Though still a complete stranger to the most part of India- and being frustrated beyond belief at least once a day- the charm of India has got me all intoxicated and I really love it here. It would take a lifetime to properly unstitch the weaves on the Indian canvas and my four months will barely scratch the surface. What I HAVE been enjoying however is playing (unfortunately without Clark Kent and his alter ego) the Lois Lane of the Newspaper. Having written my debut article on the release of Harry Potter 7- Miss Lane, eat your heart out- I've been cruising around sweaty
Chennai (no joke it's peaking at 40 degrees Celsius and warming up) attending all sorts of glamorous events. The highlights of these have included an outstanding Bengali jazz concert by a brother sister duo under Zoe and Idris. Being hosted at the 5* Taj Coromandel hotel, having a press pass, and the apparent "access all areas" that white skin affords you in
Chennai, I could have been royalty. The immaculately uniformed and smiling staff are ready to open any doors in front of you and seem to find nothing more satisfying than securing your comfort. The pre-performance cocktails (la di dah) were an absolute blessing as first of all there was white wine, secondly, it was free and thirdly, the service men and women were ready with a full glass as soon as your own was drained. It was a small insight into the world of the upper class in India, and they know how to do sophistication, darling.
Along with my gap-buddy and co worker Sam, we found ourselves being introduced and shaking hands with a handful of moneyed professionals. We didn't dare tell people we were just nineteen year old interns. With the Newspaper, I've seen a shockingly awful India vs. North Korea football match, a Tamil pop concert (PVC, crotch grabbing men galore) a launch of Casio keyboards into India and a PETA protest against the first KFC in Tamil Nadu, (which I happened across whilst ripping through
Chennai on the back of a photographer's motorbike) Gripping stuff. I like to think of myself as a minor celebrity with my name printed under a number of published articles! I'm currently explaining to
Chennai the concept of speed dating. In such a conservative country it's like explaining Greek to a roomful of newborn babies.
Mahabalipuram/Pondicherry:
The unbearable heat of
Chennai has driven us away at weekends. We've spent one in Mahabalipuram and one in Pondicherry, both on the East Coast road just a few hours from
Chennai. Mahabs (the cool way to say it) was wonderful and if I had any more time, I would go there every weekend!
The shops in Mahabalipuram were fantastic and your money can definitely go a very long way when you bargain with the vendors. My favourite purchase to date is a wrap top that I had tailor made for the equivalent of three British pounds.
On Sunday morning, I couldn't sleep, and went for a walk, after a good half hour walk, I was out of the slums and on the coast and was alone by the sea with the sun rising and a very welcome cool breeze. It was a very unique was to spend Easter morning. On my return, I decided to boost the local economy with a whole twenty Rupees and bought some cakes to distribute to some of the children on the walk home. One father, thinner than any man I've seen, though I offered food to him his two young children, refused to take any cakes and encouraged me to share them with the twenty or so kiddies I was set upon by and who demolished the snacks within about two minutes. His humility and generosity for the other children was so rare and another 'moment' that I'll remember forever.
Chennai is soon to be a fond memory, and I will definitely miss the place, my friends and my work. With the joys of electronic mail however, I've been told I am still welcome to write for the paper, when the mood takes me. Super.