After almost three weeks of silence, here I am again with some updates about my stay in Chennai. During those three weeks, I‘ve entered second phase of cultural shock, I experienced some „first-times“, I met new people, I visited some new places and I went through hell as well. But let’s start from the beginning...
Cultural shock is supposed to have four phases. The first phase usually lasts 2-3 months and it’s the part of your stay abroad when you’re just all „WHOW“. Everything seems to be so great; people are very kind and smiling all the time; weather is wonderful with its neverending sunshine and blue sky; food is delicious; dirt, noise and chaos is unusual. Everyday there is something new and you just savour every moment of your cross-cultural experience. Unfortunately, this phase really doesn’t last forever...And then you enter the second phase. Suddenly, you realize that people are not that nice: most of them have no manners, they keep pushing you and steping on you on the bus, they don’t let you get in or off the bus, they keep staring and yelling at you „Helloooo, welcome to Indiaaaaa“...they’re just pissing you off and sometimes you really lose your temper and you feel like screaming: „Why the hell can’t you just say excuse me instead of jumping on my foot or diging me in the ribs while getting off the bus?!?! What the hell are you staring at? Do I have two heads?“ Besides this, sun and blue sky is begining to make you crazy. Your days are just desperate pursuit of shade, you’re cursing the bloody sun and praying for clouds and rain...but you know that none god is powerful enough (I apologize to all religious people who might be reading these lines but it’s stronger than me) to make it rain in Chennai. Also food is not as good as it used to be in the beginning and you miss such simple things as yummy fresh steak and good cold beer (a real beer, not the disgusting rot-gut sold in India and cold beer...such an offense!!!) And last but not least, the neverending honking is just driving you crazy. On one hand you become absolutely indifferent and stop even looking behind or around you since you know that there is no logical reason behind this honking and that nobody is honking at you...it’s just an Indian national hobby or what. On the other hand, there are some weak moments when you just can’t stand it anymore and you curse a lot (I mean A LOT!!!). „Yes, I’m crossing the road on pedestrian crossing (isn’t that the purpose of this white zebra painted on the road?). Yes, I can see you pretty well and I know that you see me too. So why the f*** can’t you just slow down for three seconds and let me cross in peace instead of honking like an idiot?!?!“
Well, I believe this should be enough for you to understand what I’m going through right now ;o) Let’s hope this second phase of my cultural shock will come to its end soon, I will stop my everyday cursing and will be the good, well-raised girl again ;o)
But there are also positive things that I really enjoy even in this hard phase. For instance fruit. I've just fallen in love with all tropical fruit that you can get here and moreover so cheap! Besides water melon, pineapple and different types of bananas, I've tried fresh coconut, papaya, mango, jackfruit, passionfruit and some other fruit the name of which I don't remember for the first time here. I just love them all and I'm enjoying these tropical gifts every day. Next positive is that we have a maid. First I wasn't that happy about the fact that we would pay for something that we can do ourselves. But now I really enjoy it! Kala comes every weekday, she does washing-up, cleans the kitchen, living room, bathrooms and our bedrooms as well. And we pay her only 800 rupees (i.e. less than 400 CZK) per month!!! Well, one gets use to this pretty fast ;o)
But let’s proceed...Two weeks ago (April 24 – 26), we were invited by Vikram (Indian guy who I met in Chennai Trekking Club) to visit his home town Salem and close Yercaud. And since I’m a very active person (in fact I’ve never thought I was that active but here in Chennai and compared to other AIESEC trainees, I’m just hyperactive ;o)) and I want to travel as much as possible, I certainly didn’t say no. We were six together: Vikram, Melanie (French girl with whom I went for two trips), Maria (very nice Portugese/French girl), Karthick and Bhagath (Indian guys, friends of Vikram, passionate photographers). During this trip I also experienced another „first-time“, i.e. travelling by sleeper bus. Well, I can’t say it wasn’t comfortable...it kind of was: big soft berths and blankets provided. But since Indians just love A/C, it was terribly cold and since Indian roads are not the best ones (but still I admire how good they are!!!) and Indian drivers are not the most cautious ones, I felt like travelling on Titanic.
First day of our trip was quite nice and relaxing. After meeting Vikram’s parents and having a breakfast we continued to Yercaud (little hill station at an altitude of 1033 metres) where we hired a cottage. We just enjoyed a bit cooler weather, went for a walk, hired pedal boats on the Yercaud lake, went to the view point (the view was not very clear though) and had a campfire in the evening. Just a nice relax. Unfortunately, for me the relax finished by that romantic campfire. After my first diarrhoea experience, I was very careful about what I was eating and drinking. However, that fatal night, my friend diarrhoea came to visit me again. I had a really hard night but what was worse: I spoiled the next day program of whole our group since I was not able to leave the cottage until the pills stopped (well, better said reduced the frequency ;o)) the diarrhoea. I must say that my friends were really nice and helpful. Finally, I was able to leave the cottage and we set out to Salem. On the way from Yercaud we stopped in two temples...however I didn’t enjoy them that much given my special state. Then we went to Vikram’s parents‘ house where I slept a bit to recover my forces for night bus travel back to Chennai. Do you remember that I mentioned going through hell in the beginning of this writing? So this was it...Can you imagine travelling by swinging and bumping bus with diarrhoea? Well, better don't even try to imagine and believe me: it's a hell!!! I'm sure I don't have to tell you what my dreams were about and how happy I was when the driver woke me up by shouting "toilet pause" ;o)
Catholic church in Yercaud university campus.
Still life with a cow ;o)
Little temple in Yercaud hills.
Well, it's getting late and the writing is already longer than I expected, so I'll just quickly go through some more updates:
- Fish (Chinese flatmate) and Telcio (Brazilian flatmate) are gone :-( Our flat is so empty and quiet now.
- My boss went to Canada for 1 month!!! Yippee!!! ;o)
- A Czech girl (Michaela) who is doing her traineeship in Gurgaon (30 km from New Delhi) came to Chennai and we went to Guindy park with its memorials, children park and famous snake park.
Lovely pink memorial in Guindy.
Another memorial.
Attractions in children park seem to be really safe, don't they?
Just one kiss, honey ;o)
Do you remember what a big deal it was when Prague ZOO showed its gavials for the first time? Here you can find one in such a little dirty pool.
- I met 3 new trainees: Lamy from Vietnam but living in Germany, Sandy from China and Angela from Kenya. We went to the beach together on May 2 and it was really great!
Angelina, me, Lamy, Sasha, Angela and Sandy stuffed in one rickshaw. Danilo, Cagdas and Abdul were yet to get in as well...aren't we really "close" friends? ;o)
Enjoying sea
- On Friday, May 8 I'm setting out for a big 9-day trip to Karnataka (Mangalore, Coorg) and Kerala (Cochin, Wayanad and/or/maybe Munnar)!!! Please, keep your fingers crossed that I don't get diarrhoea again ;o)
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