Vanakkam: Welcome

   Today was my first "day" in India, since the last time I traveled to this country in 2009. There were some familiar sights and smells during my first few hours here, and some very new things too. The city where I'm staying, Auroville, is quite unique and very welcoming. "Vanakkam" is a welcoming greeting in Tamil, the language spoken in Auroville and the rest of the Tamil region.

   I say today was my first "day" because it didn't feel like a whole day. After spending about 20 hours in the air (with a stop in Dubai) I didn't arrive in Chennai until 3:30 am. Thankfully, my professor and friend, Jean, had arranged a cab driver to meet me there, and it was quite easy (as promised) to find him. I was reminded of several sensations and memories from my last trip to this country. The moment I stepped off the plane, despite it being quite early in the morning (or late at night, depending on your perspective), I was greeted with warm, humid air and the smells of incense, smoke, spices, and sweat. The familiar smell and feel of the air made me smile and put me at ease. When I got in the cab, I instantly reached for my seatbelt, which caused me to laugh to myself because of course, there weren't any buckles. I then laughed when my driver got in on the right side of the car. How quickly I had forgotten the fact that most cabs in India do not have functional seat belts for passengers and that the steering wheel is on the right side, not the left. I did not forget the way most Indians drive, however. They must be the safest, most dangerous drivers I have come across. The treat the road like it is a video game, driving at high speed, swerving to avoid obstacles, and slamming on the brakes at the very last minute and win only necessary. At a speed bump I almost nearly went through the roof because my cab driver had not slowed down at all (and I had no seatbelt). At the same time, I have never seen a car accident in India, so they have to be quick, cautious, and alert. So while it seems dangerous, I am convinced it may be the safest place to hail a cab. Driving along the roads this early (or late) was calmer than driving during the day. Only a few cars, motorcycles, mopeds, and bikes were on the roads and the businesses, shaky and packed structures like houses of cards with papers and advertisements wallpapering the outsides, were quiet and dark. The horn only played when we met another car, as most of the city was asleep. In India, the horn is honked every time you near a car to signal that you are near. In the US, the horn is often associated with anger or irritation with another driver, while in India it's simply a way to alert others you are close. During traffic, you can imagine the amount of horns you hear! But in this occasion, I found myself missing the music of traffic.

Rajivani's House

About 2 hours later I arrived at Rajivani's home in Auroville. She showed me to my room and showed me my bathroom. My room is quite comfortable; it has a fan, a full-sized bed, and a wardrobe. There is no A/C, but a fan that keeps me quite cool. The power comes on and off during the day, which can make it difficult to get around the home, which is very large with multiple patios and bedrooms. I thanked her for her help and went to bed, eager to wake up and go to the school in the morning. Well, 20 hours with no sleep in the sky and 2 more hours in the car plus other time spent in the airport took a toll on my body and I slept until 2 pm. This is why I say today was my first "day" in India, since most of it was spent sleeping.

When I awoke, Jean was here from her day at the school and we enjoyed some chai, a banana, and some bread. She told me she had intended on greeting me when I arrived, but discovered my cab had arrived early and I had gone straight to bed! Alia, the other UW student, came home from the school at 3 pm and we took a cab to town. I went to the financial center where I changed my money and got an Auroville account, which permits me to keep my money at the bank but make withdrawals with a card (like a debit system except there can be no over drafting since I put a certain amount of money on it). Next, we visited one of Jean's friends, Kao San, from Tibet at the Tibetan Pavilion.  Since Auroville is an international city, many people from around the world have come to live here and have set up Pavilions as gathering centers for people from their country. This one in particular is decorated with peace flags, pictures of the Dalai Lama, and Buddha figurines and altars. Kao San was busy teaching her two children Tibetan, who also attend the school where Ravjivani works as a teacher. As the children worked in their workbooks, they told me they speak Tibetan, Hindi, and English. Kao San told us about the impact the latest cyclone (12-30-11) had on the Pavilion and on Auroville. They are still cleaning up the mess, she said. Over 70 percent of her trees fell, many blocking the roads and putting out the power which made it impossible to reach family back home in Tibet for weeks. Everyone was safe, thankfully, but the damage was terrible and the people came together to help clean it up and provide food and shelter. She said despite the horribleness of the storm, it brought everyone close together which brought peace and love. Shop keepers in the village shared food with the Tibetans, and they shared water with the shop keepers. Everyone helped each other out.   

Right beside the Tibetan Pavilion sits the American Pavilion. This was built by many UW students in year 2000, and is as eco-friendly as one can imagine. Glass bottles, recycled metals such as aluminum cans, and even petrol hoses make up most of the structure and everything runs off solar power. I was shocked to see how grand a place made completely out of recycled goods could look. My favorite piece was the rocket shower, which looked just like a rocket and was lined with recycled mirrors and powered by solar power. "B" on of the founders and caretakers took us on a tour of the pavilion. I could see why when he moved here (from the US) why he stayed. This place reminded me of a giant treehouse--anything you dreamed could be turned into reality. They are currently planning to make a suspension bridge out of petrol hoses to link both buildings together. They even have a mobile office for the architecture students with a kitchen, living quarters, and wheels, of course!

Rocket Bathroom (inside)

"office" on wheels

"B" and Alia and Jean checking out the exotic fruit from the palmero tree

   We headed home to eat and chat with Rajivani and her son, Abhi. Ironically, Rajivani's husband, Ranthiam, is in Seattle on business right now! We had pizza delivered here for dinner (never knew that was an option), which arrived by bike. I am renting a bike tomorrow to help me get around town. The weather stayed in the low 90s today and was surprisingly pleasant. I am excited to see what tomorrow holds! I will be waking up early to go to the school and meet the principal, teachers, and students. I better post this before the power goes off again! :)

Notice anything different about the moon here?