Closing in Chennai, opening in Kottayam

Photos coming soon with a speedier internet connection...

Classes in Chennai finished on Friday September 19th with a round of papers and exams and a celebratory thank you lunch with our friends and colleagues from Women’s Christian College. It was a great opportunity to realize how much everyone had learned over the 5 weeks of study, and how deep the relationships had grown over the same course of time. At the lunch all Earlham and WCC students were mixed together socializing freely and you could barely tell who was from which college. The sound of laughter filled the hall.

The following evening was the closing party with the host families that has welcomed students into their homes and their lives for the previous weeks. Everyone was dressed up and excited to be together. The food was delicious and abundant. A highlight of the evening was when the students sang the one Tamil Language song they had learned: a pre-school esq, very simple song about baby animals:

Nai Kutti Nai Kutti, na na na na na
Poonai Kutti, Poonai Kutti, poo poo poo poo poo
Kanna Kutti Kanna Kutti, ka ka ka ka ka
Aatta Kutti, Aatta Kutti, ha ha ha ha ha

It was difficult to tell who was more embarrassed, the Earlham students or their adolescent host-siblings, but all in good fun…

On a more serious note, each student presented their family with a gift of a nice wooden box, and in the presentation spoke personal words of gratitude for the time they had shared together. The families responded with their own stories of learning and gratitude. We learned that Megan is fierce on the football (soccer) field and that Krista intersperses Tamil words into her language at home. Several students were officially named new members of the family. It was inspirational to see how connected everyone had become in their time together.

The next morning, Sunday September 21st everyone took off on a bus together for a 6 day study trip, reading Arshia Sattar’s modern translation of The Ramayana, a classic Indian text. Arshia accompanied our travels and hosted a lively and engaging lecture and discussion each day on the text. Along with these studies, we also saw palaces, old temples, modern temples, a tile-making factory, two bronze-making demonstrations, a hand-made paper factory, and French-Pondicherry. So we were pretty busy…

Also we received blessings from temple elephants – really. Many large temples have an elephant, and you can make an offering of 5-10Rs. (about 25 cents). The elephant will take the money from your hand with its trunk, and tap you on the head with its trunk (your blessing) and then hand the money-notes to its handler standing close by. Quite an experience!

After so much time together, everyone broke up into small groups for nearly two weeks of independent travel time. We re-gather in Kottayam Kerala to begin another session of classes beginning October 13th.

Weekend Study Trip - by Krista

Two weeks left in Chennai, one student of Earlham College, Krista Rumschlag, reflects upon her weekend trip to Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram.

After a Friday morning Economics class, a groovy looking van pulled up at WCC to take the ten Earlhamites, Julie, Sarmishta, and Chitra to the temple cities. Unfortunately, the traffic out of Chennai was bad because PM Singh was in the city, but after maybe two hours, the first destination was reached.

After lunch and getting the rooms settled at the hotel, the group realized Mahabalipuram’s caves were within walking distance. For maybe two hours, the group had the pleasure of hearing Chithra explain the history of the temples and caves, many built far before much else the group had ever seen. Perhaps the highlight for some, a monkey drinking an Orange Fanta, after uncapping it, was discovered atop a cave. Other notable things included a baby goat, remarkably old displays of devotion to faith, and some beautiful sights of the city from high altitudes.

The group swam and relaxed back at the hotel, and for dinner had amazing seafood at an ocean-front restaurant. Phil Hexley gave the food a “nine out of ten…no, no..a ten out of ten!”

Saturday we all awoke to a continental breakfast early in the morning, and then set off to explore more of Mahabalipuram. It rained some of the day, but it made for excellent, cool weather. The group saw a lighthouse, had their picture taken by native students, and of course interacted with more temples and caves. As Adam Estroff said, “I really like old stuff”. Indeed, many on the trip shared in such sentiments. The flash of photos was a constant presence in the caves and temples, showing how much the group wanted to remember the trip.

The group braked for lunch and then met up again before dinner on Saturday to see one last cave. Perhaps Krista’s favorite site, all of the group could fit inside and climb the cave. Nearby a recently unearthed temple, or at least what was left of it, was discussed and looked upon. The group had the opportunity to touch bricks older than two thousand years old. We also sat around and chatted with guards of the site. After watching a beautiful sunset, the group returned back to the hotel and went out for dinner at Moonraker’s, a touristy restaurant that proved to be highly entertaining.

Sunday the group left Mahabalipuram and traveled via bus to Kanchipuram. Temples of a completely different creation were explored. The group had to keep shoes off at most sites, and in some instances could not enter if they were non-Indians. In one active temple, many in the group received blessings from a Brahmin priest. (This temple, it should be noted, was absolutely HUGE. Even bigger than the typical American Catholic church!)

A nice change to Sunday’s trip was the opportunity to see how silk saris and scarves are made. Even nicer, many in the group indulged in buying silk for themselves and loved ones!

After returning to Chennai, the group was dropped off one-by-one (sort of) near their homes (sort of).

Hopefully such an exciting, educational experience foreshadows the structured travel time we’ll have after classes in Chennai end!

Until next time,

Krista Rumschlag for the Earlham College South Asia Study Abroad Program

Birthdays and Classes

We are in our second week of classes in Chennai at Women’s Christian College. Everyone has official student IDs now and can easily move around campus without completing copious amounts of paperwork – those security guys are ruthless until you have an ID. Though some of the photos look as if they have been oddly digitally remastered by a fun-house mirror, having IDs is definitely a perk.

Students have regular classes in:
Economics of India
Politics of India
Contemporary Social Issues (yes… of India)
Indian Literature and Film
Conversational Tamil (the local language)
and Yoga

There are also special lectures, demonstrations and classes in music, dance, cooking, and architecture, just to name a few. Each of the regular and special classes is taught by a local expert in the particular field including journalists, professors, and lawyers.

On top of the academics, TWO students have found time to celebrate birthdays in India. Adam was first, on just the second day of class. His newly adopted Indian mother had baked a cake for him to bring and share, which was joined by another cake (this one from the SASAP program) at college. During the mid-morning break of Contemporary Social Issues everyone sang, shared cake, and Adam opened his gift: a stunning new kurta (pictured).

Exactly one week, to the sweet smell of flowers brought by friends, Kaitlyn also celebrated her birthday, also during the mid-morning break of Contemporary Social Issues. Yes – we actually study and have class as well – but there’s abundant time to celebrate birthdays in India. The local custom resembles a western wedding cake ceremony to outsiders looking in. Someone may help the birthday-girl or birthday-boy cut the cake, and then proceeds to feed them a piece (see photos – but know that no one got married here- not yet). Will keep you all posted on further developments…

Where it all begins

Ten eager Earlham College students have arrived safely in Chennai India and the South Asia (India) Study Abroad Program 2008 has officially begun. But formalities aside, this crew is ready for adventure, willing to try new things and prepared for a grand time in India.

The first day of formal orientation consisted of the ten students and three program leaders sitting together for Raja’s Taxonomy of Food talk. He artfully described the basics of South and North Indian food, what is made out of what, what commonly goes with what and at what time of day. There were abundant exclamations along the lines of “Oh… so that’s what I ate for breakfast…” and “Ah.. so that’s why they bring all those little dishes of different colored chutneys.” All this new information gets surprisingly relevant when ordering off Indian menus 3-meals-a-day.

Raja also walked everyone through the process by which milk is pasteurized and made into homemade yogurt (locally called curd or dahi) made fresh in most families, sometimes twice a day. He continued that the cream is then saved, can become butter and butter milk, and that butter boiled into ghee. All eyes were wide taking in such a wealth of news.

Additionally, students have survived crossing the busy streets, taken their first rides in auto-rickshaws (essentially a 3-wheeled-mini-taxi). After her first ride Krista said, “That was AWESOME!” and Ben proclaimed, “I’m never walking anywhere again!”

Orientation continued with students taking their first shopping trip and all showing up the following day looking absolutely stunning in their new local clothes. There was talk of academics and a visit to Women’s Christian College where we will have our first five week’s of classes. Needless to say the five men from Earlham enjoy a special exception to enter the Women’s campus than any male college student in Chennai would die for. Students have begun planning their independent travel and all are set-up with local-number mobile phones. We even found time to watch the movie Gandhi.

Saturday morning, everyone packed up their belongings, moved out of the Woodlands Hotel that had been their home for the first week in India. Students waited in the lobby for their family to arrive and take them home. Alex’s family was first to arrive: mother, father and 16-yr old brother to take him to live with them for the next five weeks. The range of families came over the next 2 hours, toting small children, grandparents, college-aged children, aunties, the whole gamut of families.

Orientation is now officially over, all students are with families, and classes begin. Phase One: Successfully Completed. The adventure continues…