What an absolutely incredible day. So much has happened, so much of Chennai has revealed itself, and yet this is only my third full day here.
I will start from where my current energetic high comes from. Tonight at about 8:30pm, an American woman and a German man pulled up in a tiny Korean compact car to pick Ari and I up and take us to dinner. Ari had met this girl on Facebook (it’s everywhere!) – they went to the same university but had never met before last Sunday. She has introduced him to around 15 Europeans (mostly Germans…Germans are running Chennai from a business perspective...more on this later) and they invited us to come out tonight.
We originally planned to go to dinner and then to a club, but a torrential thunderstorm stopped us from leaving the restaurant. So we just ended up staying at this “Italian” restaurant on the beach. It took us quite a long time to get to the place, as Chennai has been steeped in festivities for the past three days (although no one can seem to tell us why everyone is celebrating). Also, driving in this city is terrifying, and I was so glad that someone else with nine months experience was at the wheel. Basically, as the Germans explain, once you forget about any road rules or prior driving habits, you will be fine. Just honk your horn, expect to hit a car or two, and don’t worry about which side of the road you drive on. Finally, we arrived at this “Italian” restaurant just south of the city. I felt quite ambiguous about the establishment, as it was obviously an upscale resort hotel that catered only to the expats and visiting Westerners. It was, however, beautiful, and reminded me of the villas in Key West. There were so many people, and while I think I remember only two or three names, it was a good first glimpse of the foreign community in Chennai.
We spent the evening drinking French wine (which is incredibly expensive in the province of Tamil Nadu), smoking cheap cigarettes, and hearing about the others’ experiences of the city and of India. Most of the Europeans were very surprised that Ari and I would stay here for 12 months without returning home (Europe often being a direct flight away), and such comments made me even more appreciative of Thailand in January. It seems as if there will be numerous people to meet and activities to participate in (beach volleyball, bowling, yoga) –I will have to simply get over my unathletic tendencies in order to engage the community at large.
The night concluded with a very rainy drive home; however, the sounds of the storm and any remaining traffic were drowned out by the deep bass of Euro trance blaring from the car stereo. As the techno beat on, I stared out the window at a Chennai fast asleep, my thoughts drifting to memories of Thursday nights at Parking in Montreal.
I am so grateful for this opportunity at this stage in my life. Three years ago, my experience in Nepal was slightly tainted by a lack of self-confidence and a fear of how others might perceive me. Tonight, I was eager to meet the larger community, but completely unconcerned by their perceptions of who I was. In 2004, I think I would have been paralyzed by the size and scope of this year abroad. But at least for tonight, I found myself able to let go of any doubts, any misgivings, and simply appreciate the moment in the present. I believe this current, confident attitude is largely in thanks to the love and support I have found over the last twelve months. I have had more reassurance, more connections, and more cheerleading in the past 365 days than ever before. So thank you to the family, friends, and even passing acquaintances who have reaffirmed that this was the best decision for my stage of life.
I recognize that I am on a travel high at the moment. Who wouldn’t be after such an international evening?! But I also want to recall tonight for when, three months from now, I begin to lose perspective and start to scream for a break. I came here to have once-in-a-lifetime experiences. The difficult thing to sustain will be the understanding that here in Chennai, every day offers such opportunities.
Sweet Dreams, loves of my life!
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