Study tour in Tamil Nadu!

The 28 of January 2009 i had packed my bags and was on my way to India. This trip was a part of my Studies at the college of oslo, where we had to do a 5 week Field Work in a developing country. India is a huge country and i was looking forward to this trip and the experience of getting to know their culture and traditions. We were going to a state in India called Tamil Nadu.

We arrived At the Airport in Chennai, which is the capital of Tamil Nadu and also the fourth largest city in India. While going out of the air plane we were all struck by the warm weather, and it did not take long before we had to take of some of our clothes. We then tok a buss directly to Pondicherry, where we had decided to start our studies. Pondicherry is a very peaceful city by the ocean. The city is actualy an old french colony, and you can defenetly se the influence it has had, and still has on the city today. Since India used to be a English colony they still drive on the Left side of the road! This was a bit unusual for me, comming from a country where we drive on the right side of the road.

While staying in pondicherry we actualy visitet many different restaurants and places. India is known for there spicy and interesting food, so ofcourse we had to try some of it. In Pondicherry we ate at a restaurant called SURGURU which soon became my favorit. It was a vegetarian cheep restaurant where you could order many different things from Fried rice with cashew nuts til Masala dosai, and ofcourse to fit in we would eat with our fingers. In Pondicherry we also went to some more fancy restaurants where we would sit down and eat with a knife and a fork. Everywhere in the streets you se bicycles and scuters, and on them you would find everything from people(from 1 to 4) to fruits to animals. In Tamil Nadu the people speak Tamil, and after staying there a few days we started to pick up some words like, Vanakam Which means Hi, and Nandri which means Thank you. The women in india usualy were a SARI or a punjab, so after a few days we went out and bought some. The SARI was a little hard to put on so we usualy wore the punjab more. Walking around in these clothes got us a little more attention but at the same time they also gave us more respect.

When the sun is shinning and the heat is rising the beaches outside of pondicherry are verry nice. While traveling in pondicherry you would Normaly use a richshaw or so called tuck tuck! These are little 3 wheel open cars that take you from place to place, and if you pay extra they wait for you until you are ready to go back.

After a few days in Pondicherry we decided to take the Train to Madurai to meet an organization there. The first time we took the train we ended up in the sleeping class. This was a coach with 3 bunk beds on top of eachother on all the walls. So you sleeped 9 people in one little erea, and on the floor you might find cacroches and other things. Maduari is known for its tempels so when we went there we got to se the menakshi tempel. When you go in these places you always have to take of your shoes and you have to make sure your shoulders and knees are well coverd. ON the way back to Pondicherry we decided to take a higher class on the train, by useing our IQ! Which means International Quota! Which is something they have just for international people so that they almost always can get a seat on the train. We then ended up in Second AC, which was a much nicer coach with only 4 people in each room, with covers, pillows and a table. The buss ride from the train station to the city that night was quit a ride. They go verry fast, and if they want to pas they honk their horns and blink their lights and then they go even faster! Its and experience you will never forget!

After a few more days in Pondicherry we decided to go to Chennai by taxi. On the way there we stoped to look at a tempel that is a golf ball made out of gold!! This is a verry tuoristic place and the taxi driver told us that indians are not alowed becasue they make to much noise! We then drove a few hours before Our tire exploded in the middle of nowhere and we had to change tires on the side of the road. On the way to Chennai we also saw many places where they make salt!

Arriving in chennai we could allready se that this city was nothing like pondicherry. It was so dirty and you could feel the polution in the air all the time. The People here also tried to trick you more and you had to debate more to get the prize you wanted. The tuck tuck drivers also ganged up against you and tried to trick you to pay more than you should. We stayed at a hotel called Himalaya hotel, which was totaly ok, except a few bugs here and there. IN Chennai you could not go swiming in the ocean in your bikinis unless you covered your shoulders and knees. So we were having a huge problem trying to find a place to swim in the heat. finnaly our hotel lady helped us find a nice hotel where they had a swiming pool that you could use your own bikinis. In Chennai they had huge Shooping malls at one corner and a fruit seller at the next. It was a verry huge contrast between the poor and the rich. In chennai there was some verry nice huge hotels and resorts that had everything you could possibly want.

All in all it was a great trip, and we meet a lof of nice people, we got to try some indian food and we got to see their culture and their traditions. I strongly advise other people to go there and experience the great part of the country!