I heard a saying while I was in India which goes, “In America they drive on the right, in Britain they drive on the left, and in India they drive on the sidewalk.” This could not be more true! Ok, so maybe they don't drive on the sidewalks per se, but the sidewalks are so rarely used by pedestrians that the streets become one huge walkway. Driving on literally the wrong side of the road is the norm, as long as you honk to alert others of your presence. I will admit that I couldn't have been happier to spend my stay in Chennai with the Rao family, being driven around by their family driver in the safety of their car!
After many email exchanges prior to my arrival in India, I was able to connect with Venkat and Padma Rao, the siblings of my mother's co-worker back in Maryland. I had spent the first afternoon on a trip with Semester at Sea to Mammallapuram, a complex of ancient stone temples built along the shore. Upon arrival back at the ship, I was instructed to call the Raos' driver, who would be waiting for me outside the port gates. I don't want to scare you all, but this port area was shady to say the least. It was about a mile's walk from the ship to the outer gates, through the dirt roads congested with loading trucks and speeding motorcycles. By the time I was to meet the driver, it was already dark and I was walking alone. I expected to see him right at the first gate, but he was nowhere to be found. I kept going along the street, being verbally harassed by the mobs of rickshaw drivers who were trying to get me into their vehicles. One actually tried telling me that my driver had left to take another job! Eventually, I realized I would be wandering in the dark for a long while if I didn't try calling this man. I asked an auto driver for his cell phone and as soon as he took it out of his pocket, a huge gathering of 30 rickshaw drivers crowded around me to see what I was doing. I decided it was best to take a rickshaw to where the driver was waiting, and ended up paying way too much for a 2 minute ride. I didn't care though- I was happy to find the car! It was a 30 minute drive to Venkat's house in the city, and I was so relieved when I arrived.
The whole family was so gracious in welcoming me into their beautiful home. I met family member after family member and must admit that I can barely remember all of their names! Still, it was so nice to be around a big family again after not seeing mine for two months. We talked for a long time over snacks about my study abroad program and my experiences so far, and then about their lives in India, both growing up and also raising their kids. I found it so intriguing how our two societies have so many similarities, yet the fundamental backgrounds of each culture are so contrasting. It was clear that life in the cities is much more comparable to that of the US, while the rural areas are more reminiscent of the 5000 years of Indian tradition. Around 10 o'clock, we went down to the dining room for dinner, which I had worried they had eaten without me since I didn't arrive until 8! It was absolutely delicious, and the first of many fantastic Indian meals. I love eating with my fingers, especially after a month of fumbling with chopsticks. The curries and masalas were fantastic, and I must send out a thank you to Danielle and Dibya, my roommates last semester, for preparing me for spicy cuisine!
I had a lovely night's sleep in their guest room, and awoke refreshed in the morning. When I left my room, I found Venkat's mother awake in her room, sipping her tea while watching a soap opera. I asked if I could sit with her and she graciously obliged. She spoke very little English, and I'm sad to say I failed to learn any Tamil while I was in Chennai, but we were able to communicate with each other despite the language barrier. Above the television in her bedroom was a wall full of family photographs. She pointed to pictures of her own parents, as well as all of her children and grandchildren. At that moment in time, it really hit me how there are families all over this world, just like mine, who pose for photos together to remember each other when they are not together. I couldn't help but think of my own family photo that hangs on the wall of my cabin and the old Polaroids of my own grandparents and aunts and uncles that were taken when they were young.
For the rest of the day I was shown around the city by Padma and her husband. I was able to get in touch with Kristina and Nick and they happily joined us. We went to Mylapore temple and Venkat's restaurant, Palimar, where we were completely mystified by how tasty the cauliflower was! India has made us all into believers of cauliflower (I thought it couldn't be done)!
It was just a fabulous day and I am so thankful to the entire family for welcoming me into their home and dedicating their entire day to myself and my friends. It made my experience in Chennai truly unforgettable. Around 5 pm we were dropped off at the ship to pack our bags for our train to Alleppey. Unfortunately, I have no exciting train story for you this time. We all got seats on the train (we had been on the waitlist for some days) and though there were a few cockroaches, it was nothing I couldn't handle. Best of all, we were well prepared with snacks this time!
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