On our own in Chennai

We often travel through India in Rising Star vehicles driven by the Rising Star Drivers and with large groups (between 8-30) white people. Today, was a day of our own exploration. We were driven to the bus stop in Chingleput, our driver, Vamel found our right bus, gave us strict instructions on what we needed to do (women sit on the right side of the bus only) and gave us emergency contact information. He waved us off and we started our big adventure! The drive takes about an hour to get to the part of Chennai that we were needing to get to. And from that bus stop we had to find an Indian to help figure out what bus we needed to get on to make to the Spencer's plaza where the mall of Chennai is located. My camera died while we were there, so not very many pictures of the day. But the buses in India almost always have people hanging out of the door frames, holding onto the rail because the bus is so full.

There is no such thing as personal space in India. If you manage to get a sit, you spend the time getting bumped by bellies or I had a woman cuddle up next to me with your head on my shoulder and make use of it as a pillow. If your standing, you are constantly anticipating the screeching stops the drivers make. You will hear mixes of Tamil, Hindi, and English throughout the buses, or witness the long streams of lifeless stares that is most common on the bus as people zone out for their bus ride and just endure the journey to their destination.

We always managed to find someone to talk to, that would often be accompanied by that man personally walking us to where we were needing directions to go to. That is something that I love about Tamil Nadu. The nicest people live here. Literally.

The state of Tamil Nadu is known for having the kindest and most giving people. In India the way that people are greeted, is that you say your hellos and the next question is "Have you eaten?" The assumption is that if you have eaten then you must be good and feeling in good health. If you have not eaten, then something is not right and the initiator takes it upon themselves to prepare a meal and to dine together.

Much of our day was spent shopping, bartering, and being helped to our next locations. On one of our street walks, Kacy saw a man that reads palms, which we had talked on the bus about wanting to get done! She and I immediately jumped on the idea and it was worth the rs. 60 we paid! 

 He looked at my hand and he described past events that had happened (he talked specifically about experiencing a change in my family life) and described that my dads side of the family was very large and influential and very close with one another (True!). He talked about how I was independent and did not follow others in their directions, but I make my own path through out life. He also said in regards to marriage, it is something that does not act as a door in my life (meaning it is not absolutely open or absolutely closed), but more as a window that is open in my life and that If I find it, then it will be my own choice to pursue. He laughed explaining that it mimics my personality of not following a direct path but still creating my own. He also said that I would have a governmental type of job involving :commuting" (this specific word was hard with the translation) that I will work at until I am 60. I will have 2 boys and 1 girl. I will die soon after I turn 90 and at that time I would have 5 grandchildren. The sun is the planet that I follow, and my lucky #'s are 1 and 5 but #9 is not lucky for me.      

We were able to go shopping at FabIndia, the very popular store in India that is popular, especially among the volunteers! It is like an Indian version of a Pottery Barn mixed with an cheap Indian Anthropology. They have lighting and home furnishings, as well as jewelry, chitigars, pants, and salwars! The manager spoke English, so she actually set us up with a rickshaw that could drive us to a grocery store, and a store we had heard about from some friends. We were amazed when we got to our new location! A part of Chennai that no one knew existed! We are used to the trash filled streets, followed with piles of sand, skin and bone cows and sarees beautifully decorating the woman. Here we found trees, and sidewalks, a store that was indoors with back lighting to her jewelry. A massage parlour, and an outdoor restaurant complete with mood lighting and... COFFEE! :-) The restaurant had watermelon soup, feta cheese, the people all eating were dressed in western clothes and western modest skirts with hair flowing down their shoulders! We all sat down and were amazed that this side of Chennai even existed.

I imagine I feel very similar to a person of royalty who is always having things done for them and having someone available to transaction and translate for them. But today we had the opportunity to leave that net of safety, to travel 2 hours north to the largest city in Tamil Nadu, experience the bus routes, bargain, find food on our own, and manage to make it back to Chingleput where our Rising Star driver was gladly waiting for us to take us back home.