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Published: February 20th 2006
Well we have been in Chennai for a week now and it is pretty hard going. Very busy, much more hectic than London even!!! It was a relief to be met by Vasanthi from the GELS foundation with whom we were working, to be taken by car to our lodgings before negotiating the city on our own.
Chennai is a hectic, smelly and polluted city, most major roads have four lanes on both sides and the traffic belches out tons of thick smoke every second. Crossing each river brings a stronger wave sewage stench. Crossing a road is like crossing the M6 on a bad day and we take our life into our hands each time we attempt it. We have taken to finding locals who are crossing at the same time and crossing with them. EJ is much better at road crossing than Sophia - I panic and have to sing ‘I don’t want to die’, squeak or remain on the side of the road I started! EJ is very calm and giving me lots of positive encouragement.
So far the poverty hasn’t been as bad as I had prepare myself for, but it is hard when there are hordes of children and old people begging, but it would be impossible to give to all of them and bad to give just to one. We also saw a community of people living in tents on a rubbish dump which was pretty upsetting, and people asleep in the middle of the road - not even on the pavement - with traffic rushing past them isn’t uncommon.
In our first 2 days we saw 3 funeral processions - along the sides of busy roads- there is no slowing or hushing here in respect. In the car from the airport suddenly we heard the sounds of drums and bells and Vasanthi pointed out ‘Girls you must see this - very good omen’, what is it we asked, ‘ it’s a funeral - very good omen to see one - and on your first day, very good!’ Slightly bemused we watched as the mourners passed us beating drums, chanting, ,carrying a wooden platform strewn with flowers in colours of fuscia, bright orange and white and a bull with painted horns and bells on. The next day we passed another two funerals which our host pointed out with glee - only this time we were slightly closer to the procession, and could see clearly the dead body being carried aloft on the platform - no coffins here just flowers.
So here we were in India being whisked around from place to place with barely time to think. No sooner had we landed in Chennai, with barely time for our feet to touch the ground, we were taken to Chidhambaram, a town about 6hrs drive away the following morning. With the purpose of visiting the Nataraja temple the home of Bharanatyan dance. On the spot where Shiva in his carnation as Nata supposedly danced the cosmic dance that drove the goddess Kali out of her forest home. Unable to face the 7.00am temple visit - due to extreme exhaustion we missed the temple as it was closed later that day.
We did however visit another temple, a place of healing where the 9 spirits of the planets lined up - in order to heal the spirit of Mars from leprosy. All over the temple were shaven headed women and children with yellow sandalwood paste adorning them - as a sacrifice or offering to the Gods to grant them health. All over the temple at various points pooja was happening, with doors suddenly opening to candlelit shrines to many deities, accompanied by gasps, chanting and enthusiastic prayers from the devotees.
We are staying with an Indian couple in their 60s Shri and Asha who haven’t fully grasped that we are 2 independent, professional (sort of!) women. Wanting to know where we are, how we are doing things and trying to chaperone us everywhere we go. Which would be fine if they weren’t quite so frustrating, Shri can never accept what we say and never listens to anything, his volume just gets louder and louder until no-one can hear themselves think let alone speak. He also corrects everything that we do - as far as complaining we don’t make our tea correctly or that we shouldn’t mix pineapple and curd because he doesn’t like it.
To get some respite we have to hide in our bedroom which also contains their shrine, and seems to be the room in the house that absorbs all the noise of the neighborhood. Including Asha cooking at 4.00 am every morning and some sort of banging and clacking building work for most of the night. Suffice to say our home stay isn’t fantastic. But enough of the negativity.
We are now not doing the project that we signed up to - another regular aspect of work in Asia. But doing some training for English teachers in using drama in the classroom, and communication training for a software company. So all fun stuff.
As our original project fell through we have 2 weeks less in Chennai - giving us the chance to explore a bit more of the country.
We do have some big events to attend, of which we are very excited - a dance recital, which is a very big event that dancers put on after 9/10 years of specialized training, a wedding and a housewarming. All these events come at a cost - the cost of silk sarees, hopefully one each will suffice. Tomorrow morning we are being taken to the silk looms to buy direct and at discount of 40% - fab!
So far we have only Cotton saree’s with which we shocked and surprised everyone at the office and our hosts by turning up wearing them having been unassisted by any of them in the buying. The big mistake we made though was going to ‘Saravara stores’, a place for the lower middle classes, obviously far below our station!!!!!
Had the weekend in Mamallapuram to get some R&R time by the beach. Unfortunately the sea didn’t seem so clean as there is a sewage outlet nearby. So we opted for an afternoon by the pool at a cost of 200 rupees, the pool was also pretty filthy, no water pump just a tank of chlorinated water with a lot of dead insects floating around and a shiny scum on the top of the water. We soon realized that the pool was located next to the hotels cesspit which explained the sheer quantity of flies!
On arrival in Mamallapuram we tried to find a room - at bargain prices of course, however the only room left in the whole resort was a single. So we spent the night sharing a single bed - very cosy!
It was great however to meet some more like minded people, drink a beer and share stories. After the pool episode we spent a delightful afternoon eating amazing prawn and vege curries and sipping chai masala (chai tea) in a rooftop restaurant under a banana leaf thatched roof, planning our onward journey.
Tonight E.J’s friend and former assistant manager Joelle is joining us in Chennai for a month after also escaping the demon that is ‘energy wise recycled glass’. We are hoping to spend some quality time with her and now we finish work earlier will have the last week and bit to travel altogether.
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claire
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tapestry
hello girls, sounds like you're having a crazy time... all part of lifes rich tapestry!!! Good that you'll get some more travelling time in, sure you'll be ready for independence... Have fun and make the most of the sun, it's still cold here. love claire xxx