welcome to india -- day one

i woke up early, the smell of india was tickling my nose. it is hard to describe a smell, but i would most certainly say that each country has a scent as unique as it's culture or buildings or food. india is known for its pollution and the smog that clouds the sky. the smell of india is like the smell of new york city or boston -- a mixture of petrol, pollution and lots of people.

after waving to some tug boat workers, our curtains closed & we readied ourselves for the day ahead. we were cautioned to wear conservative clothing, so i wore my longest dress with a t-shirt under it; though i knew that i would likely overheat wearing so much. with our purses packed, we ate a hurried and crowded breakfast. it seemed everyone was more than ready to go. we did have a mandatory diplomatic briefing where we were told about the over-zealous rickshaw drivers and beggars on the street. again, i think they have to scare us. someone brought up a good point, though, that when people travel to the united states they are told similar things about what to expect in new york or miami.

there were different customs requirements in india than we have had before and we were required to fill out forms a while back. one detailed the electronics we would be taking off the ship (camera, cell phone, etc.) for 'sightseeing purposes' and the other had our visa number and photograph on it. these forms were handed out similarly to the passports -- each sea is called and then you wait in line to collect your papers.

i was not sure if i was going to make my way off the ship prior to my field trip, at 1245. i debated leaving, as we were told that we were far from the city center but quickly decided to accompany mckendree & friends to 'spencer's plaza,' the biggest mall in the city.

and so began our first interaction with chennai.

we left the ship and found the port area to be absolutely filthy. there was soot everywhere, covering everything. there were plastic bottles and trash littered all over. as we walked off the ship and through the first gate, we came face to face with a group of bicycle rickshaw drivers, wanting to take us to the port gate. the men were so skinny and wore no shoes, meaning they were covered in the soot. the rickshaws were positively falling apart and made of whatever materials the men could find. they all rushed over to us and tried to get us to ride and grabbed our hands, trying to lead us to their rickshaw. we kept walking and said no over and over again. eventually they stopped following us and we were able to walk towards the port exit.

as we walked through the port, many workers stopped and stared. some pointed and laughed, others were clearly talking about us. it was an odd feeling, being laughed at for walking by, and i was uncomfortable. soon we found our way across the train tracks and stopped to see the customs officers, showing them our shore passes. we quickly got through the line and made our way out to the street.

once in the street, we were again approached, but this time they were auto rickshaw drivers. auto rickshaws are unique, to say the least, and are nothing like a taxi. they are 3 wheeled carts that weave in and out of traffic at unnecessary speeds. they are infamous for ripping off foreigners and for taking passengers to their friend's stores where they receive commission. we waded through the sea of drivers, who surrounded us and tried to get us to pay 500 rupees ($10 usd) for a 15 minute drive to the mall. we had been told ahead of time that the drive should be no more than 50 rupees a person for the ride, and that even that was a bit much. there were five of us all together-- mckendree, carrie, kelly, michelle and i -- and we eventually got a driver to take us to the plaza for 200 rupees, which was a great deal.

being that there were five of us, there was not much room in the rickshaw. four of the girls squeezed in the back, which would comfortably fit 2 with some room, and i found myself next to the driver. all vehicles in india are standard to save gas and because the traffic requires changing gears often. in the rickshaws, which are driven using handlebars, not a steering wheel, the clutch is a large lever and i happened to be covering it. so, whenever the rickshaw stalled, i had to hop out into traffic so that our driver could restart us and get us going again. our ride was most certainly an adventure as we weaved in and out of traffic, which included buses, mopeds, bicycles, rickshaws, cars, and cows. yes, cows. in the streets.

after a stop for more gas, we arrived at spencer's. we made our way inside and looked for an atm. we passed through the metal detectors and quickly found an atm. we all took turns taking out rupees and then waited in the lobby, taking in the stores around us. while i was waiting with mckendree we heard a loud boom outside and everyone stopped in their tracks, tourists and indians alike.

we had been warned in pre-port to spend minimal time in the very western areas, like spencer's. the theory behind it being that western related stores and attractions were targets for bombings & terrorist attacks. so, when the big bang happened, we were reasonably nervous. i was glued to my spot and i'm sure my eyes were huge -- i was really panicked. and then, the security personnel and several customers ran out of the mall and went to see what happened. mckendree went too, and i waited to hear what she saw. the fact that the security officers and other people were running out of the mall confirmed that i needed to be nervous & that this was out of the ordinary.

a few moments of being puzzled and staring out the entrance, the guards came over to tell us that everything was okay. it turns out that the big bang was a bus tire exploding, not a bomb. most places a big bang would not make me nervous but in india, the first port where we have been prepped about terrorist attacks, it was enough to make me very anxious.

after calming down and reassembling our group, we made our way into the mall. this mall is similar to a western mall, though very different. i would liken the stores at spencers to the stalls one sees on canal street in new york city-- small family owned shops filled to the brim with merchandise. there were also some more department style stores, though they charged much more and had fixed prices. that's what was unique about the mall -- most of the prices were negotiable. we passed several western style stores as well as fabric and souvenir shops. we soon found ourselves looking through gorgeous wrap skirts to wear while in india (and home, too). its so hard to say no when the prices are so low!

we shopped around for a little while, though i was on a time frame. there was a store similar to borders, called landmark, which had everything under the sun. i purchased the most recent newsweek and the new fray cd. i am so glad i purchased both-- i am in need of new music & i was seriously missing my weekly newsweeks and time magazines.

after wandering around for a little while longer, carrie and i made our way out of the maze (there are so many additions to the mall that it is SO easy to get lost.) and found ourselves a rickshaw for 150 rupees. we weaved in and out of traffic, our driver honking his horn the entire time. in india, honking the horn is more of a "hello, i'm here," as opposed to an expression of annoyance or frustration. so there is a lot of honking. i took some video clips of our rickshaw experience which will hopefully help communicate this better.

making it to the port gate, we had to wait for the train to go by before we could enter the port itself. this meant that traffic was at a standstill and we were the perfect target for beggars. its funny how there may be rickshaws upon rickshaws of indian nationals but the beggars go straight to the white, or foreign people. i suspect the odds of getting something increase. and so we were approached, as we knew we would be. a grandmother came up to us with a small child who was naked and kept putting his hand out to us. this was heartbreaking, and very difficult to see. i must say, that even thinking back on it makes me tear up. many times the children toted around are not even theirs, but are hired out on a day to day basis to anyone looking to make more money and to pull at the heartstrings of passerby. this little boy had sad eyes and was clearly malnourished. the grandmother kept signing for food and would not leave us alone. it was so hard to say no, but it was recommended that we not hand out money to anyone and to donate to reputable charities instead. the theory behind this is that beggars are often working for someone and that the money perpetuates a negative cycle. if i'd had a granola bar or something i would have shared it but instead i just stared into this little guy's eyes and my heart broke.

soon the train was gone and we were able to cross into the port. i was hot and sweaty and just wanted to be back on the ship. we walked, rather quickly, back to the ship to meet our groups for our field trips. as we returned to the ship, i saw my professor and asked him not to leave without me-- i needed to run in, drop off my things and grab something for lunch. i hustled back to my room where i put up my now sweaty hair, grabbed a water and quickly washed the soot off my legs. in doing so, the towel became black and i could not help but think that i had been breathing in the soot as well.

hurrying to make a pb&j (with the still icky and no-good peanut butter) i ran off the ship and got on my bus. there were 11 students and my professor, george thomas, on the trip and we were headed to an outsourcing company to learn how outsourcing works and the role of english in india.

i knew a few people on my trip, which always makes things better. thomas, who i traveled with in india, and emily, one of my buddies from my safari, were on the bus. we drove fore nearly 40 minutes across chennai (through horrid traffic) and found ourselves at congruent.

upon entering the building and taking the elevator to the 8th floor, we were welcomed with message on the computer screen that said "welcome semester at sea students, mv explorer." we were taken to a conference room with swirly chairs and took our seats. the presentation was so very interesting and i learned a lot about how outsourcing works. our presenter made a good point that the point of outsourcing is to augment a companies productivity by relieving some responsibilities, which allows the company to focus on what they do best. the point is not to replace or take away jobs from the company.

the portion about english was very interesting as well. the english ruled india through 1947, and therefore had a huge impact on the country. the entire government system is based on the english system and therefore english is used in all paperwork, exams and signage. english is the language of success-- the lower classes see english as their way to make their lives better.

we then heard from a rotary member who told us about all the wonderful projects that they have done. from creating a school for low income students to learn microsoft office to creating a bakery school that now generates 30,000 usd a month in profits which are then pumped back into the neighborhood. hearing about the work that the rotary club has done in india was very inspiring, as it gave a sense that things really can be done to better the communities around us.

after our presentations, we were served some traditional indian snacks. we had samosas - pastries filled with potatoes and spices, and some fried rice-flour snacks. it was such a treat and so nice of them to provide a snack for us. we then headed up to the terrace for a 360 degree view of chennai. we could see some greenery in the distance, the train station and the highway with cars rushing by. it was wonderful to get a bird's eye view of the city, to get a better idea of where we were. a group photo, a couple more snacks and gifts from the office & we were back on the bus heading to the ship.

a sleepy ride through the city, past marina beach (one of the longest beaches in the world) and the slums, we made it to the ship.

i found mckendree and we decided to try and get on the sas welcome reception trip. we had heard wonderful things about the evening and knew it would be great if we had the chance to go. we changed into our new skirts from the mall, grabbed our cameras and made our way down to the buses, hoping that there would be room & that we could have tickets written for us.

luckily, sas knew that the trip would be popular and ordered an extra couple of buses. so we got tickets, wrote down our names and hopped on the bus. it was a short ride to the hotel where we would be meeting up with students from SRM university. upon entering, we were given bindis (the dots on the forehead) and flower necklaces, which smelled wonderful. everyone was so very happy to see us. the whole time we were in india, everyone was incredibly welcoming and generous to us, complete strangers.

there was a long table set up with jewelery, scarves, bags, etc. as well as a table with henna (the 'ink' is called henna, the art/design is called mhendi) and a long table of food. we had a wonderful time chatting with students who were eager to ask questions and to hear about life on the ship. i got some mhendi from a young girl, who must have been about seven; she was so sweet. it was the first time i've ever gotten henna and i love it! i wish it would last forever. the designs are so intricate, its incredible. i took some pictures, no worries.

also at the reception were some traditional dancers who were amazing. i've seen some indian dancing before, but these girls were mind-blowing. they were dressed in very fancy saris, had tons of jewelry on and very heavy eyeliner. the dance was very intricate, with hand motions conveying meanings in addition to the arms, legs, feet and most importantly: the eyes. their eye movements were intense.

we had some traditional food, which i don't know the names for. there was a 'sweet,' which was like a donut saturated in sugar water, a rice cake to be dipped in various chutneys, a spicy soup, large thin pancake-like bread to eat with and a fried crab-cake like concoction made with rice. it was all delicious and too spicy for my liking, but good nonetheless.

we stayed as long as possible, talking with students about arranged marriages, the caste system, america, pop stars and families. we reluctantly boarded the buses and headed back to the ship.

exhausted from the long and intense day we'd had, mckendree and i nearly fell into bed. we watched a movie on the tv, caught up with friends about their day at an orphanage & hiv/aids clinic and listened to the new fray cd. luckily mckendree likes the cd as much as i do and we now listen to it on repeat.

i showered and found dirt everywhere. when we used to go to new york city, dad always said that it was so dirty, we'd blow our noses and see black. i know that's a bit much, but it was on a whole new level after india. soot was even in my ears!

i was soon falling asleep and planned to meet up with rennika for breakfast at 830. mckendree and kelsey were going to be leaving for a trip very early in the morning and so i said goodbye to them for the next three days.

and so concluded my first day in india. a swirl of color, pollution, wonderful people, unique smells and life.