Monday evening I said farewell to all the people I worked and lived together in Pondicherry. The last week passed by really fast, and I can say that despite of the so many things that had happened my whole stay in Pondicherry seems very short. I had a great time. I don't want to write any evaluation now, I will have to write my final report and that will be a good occassion to think through everything and draw some conclusions. But theare are names that framed this time and I want to mention them here. First of all Raquel, we were given only two months together, but needless to say, the time I spent with her is a very important part of my little India Story. Sille with whom we shared home, and supported each other through sicknesses, fight with the hous owner, and had lots of fun and who was a very nice companion. Then Isabel of course, with whom we really understood each other, had long, long talks (she would say that I was just bullshitting most of the time) and had so many shared moments and laughters. Her presence made my life much easier, and gave me a kind of homy feeling, I hope You know what I mean :-) Then Lucein, my collegaue and friend who sat next to me in the last few months and who is the only Indian person who I think really understood me. Quite a thing!!! Last but not least Kusum, my project leader, who is a really nice and really Indian person with all her controversies and oddities and I can tell: I like her and keep very nice memories from our co-operation.That is in bried what I left behind when I jumped into the car on Monday evening to take me to the airport. We have a new driver again, and he is not an expert neither in English nor in Chennai, so he took the wrong way and we got onto the highway to Bangalore, what is not very practical 
if You want to get to Chennai. When he realized his mistake he attempted to turn back on the middle of the highway! I had to raise my voice significantly to dissuade him to do so. Indian traffic is quite freaky and I think I am quite used to it, but that manouver was just to much for me. And we had plenty of time as my plane left in the eraly morning. So I still five hours to kill at the airport. I tried to sleep but it was just too cold inside altough I took my sweater along with a blanket. But staying outside is not an option considering the crowds hanging around with God knows what purposes.
After all the inconveniences I had my best flight in my life, the sky was really beautiful in this early hour, and I half-awake half-asleep with empty had I surrendered this beauty and left all my worries behind for a while. In Delhi I got a pre-paid taxi to TCGD, though the address was only the name of the district and some landmark buildings and my absolutely English-free driver and I had difficult moments in the search for it, but we both survived and I am here now :-)
I have a very small and hot room, but it's still quite a luxury seeing how the students have to manage: they sleep in the classroom and in the office on the floor.
I must admit that after visiting Chennai and Bangalore I am not a big fan of Indian metropolises, and Delhi is by far the biggest. So I was very anxious when I started to explore it on my own today. I asked a student to show my the nearby railway station so that I can take the train to the center. That did not work out, the train came 30 minutes late and was so full that I gave this plan and decided to hire autorickshaws for travelling around. This plan will come into practice tomorrow, today I stayed within walk distance. I visited the ISKCON temple (second photo). ISKCON stands for International Society for Krishna Consciousness that maybe help You out a bit :-) I don't want to use all the adjectives to describe it though it is a truly beautiful piece of art.
But I was lucky enough to visit also the Lotus Temple (only twenty minutes walk from the ISKCON) and I fell in love. For first look I couldn't help to assocoate to the Sydney Opera House and that's not a bad company. But this building is the embodied harmony. I stepped in and it touched me. I sat down looked up to the magnificient ceiling then looked around and then stayed. For more than an hour. You have to leave Your shoes outside and are strongly asked to keep silence and it (strange in India) works. And altough toursit groups passing constantly (spending approximately 45 seconds inside!) I felt so well... relieved... harmony. It is not connected to any religion, dedicated to public worship. And I really had a kind of elation while being inside. I love the building and as luckily it's only a good half an hour walk from my place I will certainly return.
Outside I was taking some photos when a big family asked me to pose with them and I was reckeless enough to concede. Seeing that soon I was surrounded by dozens (not joking!) of Indian "toursits" who wanted to have a common photo! I reminded them that the tourist attraction is actually behind them not in front then hurried away. Inside harmony outside India...
One more thing to add: since I have been in Delhi I am constantly sweating. It is not the heat alone, it is the extreme high humidity. I think I have tough but very exciting days ahead of me. I just miss someone to accompany me, but Natacha is still working, and there isn't many other options around. I so much would like to see her again, it was so good to hear her yesterday (phone) but these are the last days for her as well and knowing how much it means to her I don't want to interfere in any ways. That means that I have absolute freedom to fill my days with content, I hope I will grove up to this challenge :-)
if You want to get to Chennai. When he realized his mistake he attempted to turn back on the middle of the highway! I had to raise my voice significantly to dissuade him to do so. Indian traffic is quite freaky and I think I am quite used to it, but that manouver was just to much for me. And we had plenty of time as my plane left in the eraly morning. So I still five hours to kill at the airport. I tried to sleep but it was just too cold inside altough I took my sweater along with a blanket. But staying outside is not an option considering the crowds hanging around with God knows what purposes.After all the inconveniences I had my best flight in my life, the sky was really beautiful in this early hour, and I half-awake half-asleep with empty had I surrendered this beauty and left all my worries behind for a while. In Delhi I got a pre-paid taxi to TCGD, though the address was only the name of the district and some landmark buildings and my absolutely English-free driver and I had difficult moments in the search for it, but we both survived and I am here now :-)
I have a very small and hot room, but it's still quite a luxury seeing how the students have to manage: they sleep in the classroom and in the office on the floor.
I must admit that after visiting Chennai and Bangalore I am not a big fan of Indian metropolises, and Delhi is by far the biggest. So I was very anxious when I started to explore it on my own today. I asked a student to show my the nearby railway station so that I can take the train to the center. That did not work out, the train came 30 minutes late and was so full that I gave this plan and decided to hire autorickshaws for travelling around. This plan will come into practice tomorrow, today I stayed within walk distance. I visited the ISKCON temple (second photo). ISKCON stands for International Society for Krishna Consciousness that maybe help You out a bit :-) I don't want to use all the adjectives to describe it though it is a truly beautiful piece of art.
But I was lucky enough to visit also the Lotus Temple (only twenty minutes walk from the ISKCON) and I fell in love. For first look I couldn't help to assocoate to the Sydney Opera House and that's not a bad company. But this building is the embodied harmony. I stepped in and it touched me. I sat down looked up to the magnificient ceiling then looked around and then stayed. For more than an hour. You have to leave Your shoes outside and are strongly asked to keep silence and it (strange in India) works. And altough toursit groups passing constantly (spending approximately 45 seconds inside!) I felt so well... relieved... harmony. It is not connected to any religion, dedicated to public worship. And I really had a kind of elation while being inside. I love the building and as luckily it's only a good half an hour walk from my place I will certainly return.Outside I was taking some photos when a big family asked me to pose with them and I was reckeless enough to concede. Seeing that soon I was surrounded by dozens (not joking!) of Indian "toursits" who wanted to have a common photo! I reminded them that the tourist attraction is actually behind them not in front then hurried away. Inside harmony outside India...
One more thing to add: since I have been in Delhi I am constantly sweating. It is not the heat alone, it is the extreme high humidity. I think I have tough but very exciting days ahead of me. I just miss someone to accompany me, but Natacha is still working, and there isn't many other options around. I so much would like to see her again, it was so good to hear her yesterday (phone) but these are the last days for her as well and knowing how much it means to her I don't want to interfere in any ways. That means that I have absolute freedom to fill my days with content, I hope I will grove up to this challenge :-)
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