Arrival and First Impressions
Hello everyone,
I’m writing to you for the first time from faraway India and already have plenty to tell you about what I’ve experienced during my first few days here.
I don’t think I’ve ever experienced so many things for the first time in my life. Very few things remind me of home, and I realise that these nine months will be a challenge, both physically and mentally. New people, a new language, new food, new routines and customs – it’s all been overwhelming me since I landed in Chennai with my fellow volunteers on 8 October.
What really stuck with me was the moment we stepped out of the airport building in Chennai for the first time and were met by a cloud of muggy, hot city air. Fortunately, we were met there by our mentor, his daughter and another member of staff from the CSI (Church of South India), as we were, on the one hand, completely exhausted from the flight but also immediately overwhelmed by so many sensory impressions that we had to process. The crowds of people on motorbikes and other vehicles turned our first journey through Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu (a state in southern India), into a real adventure.
Once we arrived at the CSI headquarters, we were immediately invited to our first meal there. This is where we spent our first few days in India. I must say, the staff there, as well as our mentor’s family, were so hospitable; we felt very welcome, well looked after and, above all, safe. It was particularly very, very important to them that we actually ate enough (Indian portions are somehow bigger than German ones… :).
You can read more about our first experiences with Indian food in Harriet’s blog…
In between a few theory sessions, where we learnt more about Indian society, history and also CSI, we went on our first few outings into the city, to a museum, a shopping centre, an Indian restaurant and the beach. I am so grateful for the first few days that the four of us (Simon, Leander, Harriet and I) were able to spend in Chennai, feeling so welcome and looked after, to acclimatise a little and settle in, even though the departure for our respective placements was always at the back of my mind.
On the evening of 11 October, Harriet and I, together with two staff members from Capron Hall Higher Secondary School for Girls, our placement, boarded the night train and slept through a whole night on a train for the first time; it was due to take us to Madurai in about 8 hours. The journey had been unexpectedly pleasant and we were able to sleep for a few hours on the fold-down berths. The trains and stations we have seen so far are all very crowded, and you are overwhelmed by sounds, smells and other impressions. The next morning, upon arriving at our placement, we were greeted with great warmth and enthusiasm by the children of Capron Hall, who live in the hostels there. To welcome us, they had prepared a little dance and gave us handmade flowers. Being greeted by such jubilant children was lovely for us at first, but at the same time quite disconcerting. Only a few were shy; the vast majority immediately sought contact, spoke to us, and within seconds a cluster of girls had formed around us, making it almost impossible to make our way towards our future room. The girls’ enthusiasm, I can tell you this much, is still going strong now that I’m writing this first blog post and we’ve already been at Capron Hall for a few days.
Since we’ve been here, and the children’s carers have realised that our presence can cause quite a stir, they often urge us to stay in our room and eat indoors, partly for our own protection. We very much hope that in the coming weeks we’ll be able to participate more in the pupils’ lives, spend more time with them, eat with them, and that they’ll get used to our presence and start seeing us as perfectly normal housemates here.
As for our tasks here, we – and the school’s teachers and staff – still need to find our feet a bit.. As we are the first volunteers at this school, we are often asked what we are actually doing here, what our project is and how long we expect to stay. We try not to let this unsettle us too much, and have now discussed with the headteacher that, for the first few days and weeks, we will simply observe various classes to get to know the teachers and pupils a bit better, so that we can then draw up a sort of weekly schedule. I’m confident that our role here will become clearer over time. As the first Hindu festival is coming up at the end of October – meaning the children won’t be at school or in the hostel for a week – we’re already in the process of planning our first little trip. I’m really looking forward to the time ahead here in India and will keep you updated as best I can on this blog.
Best wishes
Salome
This text was automatically translated using an AI-powered translation system.
