Thursday 29 September 2011

We're singing in the rain...

We were awoken this morning by the loudest thunder either of us have ever heard. We're not just talking about a rumble, or even a drumroll, this was fierce, tropical and unmistakably the oncoming of the autumn monsoon. So being true Brits, we donned our anoraks, got out our brollies and got on with it!

Today was our last day in the city we've come to love- Chennai. We really feel like we've made friends and have learned so much already. We topped up on our handicraft knowledge today with a visit to the model craft village Dikshinachitra. An hour away from the centre of town, this reconstruction of tradtional houses from across the south of India, was a great way for us to learn about the origins of different types of Indian craft. Some of the doors were so small that even wee Jen banged her head!

We paid our last visit to our favourite coffee shop in town, enjoyed a last fantastic meal in the guest house and got in a tangle trying to take our mosquito nets down. Ah, Chennai we'll miss you but here we come Bangalore. Bright lights, big city and our dear friend from art school days Anna Louise!

And now for today's travel update-it's a rainwear fashion special:
This morning spotted on the sodden streets of Chennai was a vast array of plastic bag head gear, bin bag coats and puffed out (due to high speed motorbike travel) anorak all-in-ones. However, Lyns will be trying out her favourite style of rain protection- the classic cycling whilst holding an umbrella- when she returns to soggy Glasgow.
   

Wednesday 28 September 2011

Cha Cha Chai!

Vanakam! (our new word of the day, which means hello! We know it's a bit basic and it is day six, but we'd been using the northern 'namaste' all this time by mistake. Oh dear)

It's been two days of sharp contrasts. Yesterday we were in the newest shopping mall in town in the fanciest cinema we've ever been to watching the daftest ro-com starring Imran Khan, and today we've been at a leper colony - a name we know sounds strange to our western ears but this tiny village 90 minutes away from central Chennai, that is home for many leprosy sufferers and their families, is still known as such.

The leper colony is another project of CMCT, which provides once again  many areas of support to those who live there. What we were particularly interested in was the sewing project, which we found fascinatingly similar to what we are part of at home - a group of women coming together to chat, have tea and bikkies, and sew. The difference today was that we were surrounded by banana trees, stray dogs and the tea had a certain kick. Yes ladies and gentlemen, it was Jen's first experience of proper Indian chai! Another big difference though is that for most of the women we met today, the items they were sewing to sell (and they were good) will provide their only chance of income. We were met with the warmth and hospitality that we have become quite used to here in India and for some we were a bit of a tourist attraction ourselves(especially for a one year old who looked downright scared of Lynsey and her red hair!).

So two days, two extremes and two sides of India we are privelidged to have experienced!

Now for today's travel update:
Wrong way down a dual carriage way  - twice.
Being led accross train tracks with a train coming  - again, not once but twice.
Riding on what must be a land speed record breaking rickshaw  - once. Thankfully.
  

Monday 26 September 2011

Day 4, handicrafts and more...

Hello there folks!

It's the morning after the day before and we've got lots to report back on. We went to the towering empire of CMCT yesterday- a project that started life in a garage as a sewing bee with 3 young girls and is now a multistorey complex complete with a clinic, hostel, soup kitchen, orphanage, dentist, optician, chapel, laboratory, screenprinting studio, oh, and a workspace for 90 trained adult stitchettes- AMAZING OR WHAT?! The sewing space, which produces embroidered products for export all over the world, provides employment and much needed income for the women, but it's much more than that. As Rosaline, our guide and translator (who herself was an 'original CMCT girl' back in 1979) explained:

"Our main focus is building. We build people up!"

On telling them about The Studio, they were full of encouragement and shared their belief that their incredible success and growth has been all thanks to God. Our journals might need more pages!

Our evening was spent indulging in some chai and sweets with our new friend Thangam (from CT Philips) before returning to the guest house to have a brilliant game of 'silent disco give us a clue'. We'll invite you all round for a game of this challenging, expressive, energetic new sport when we get back.

By the way, did we mention the day's travelling adventures included going the wrong way up a dual carriage way in a rickshaw, taking 10 minutes to get across a road (we were finally assisted by a pitying local) and being taken mid journey to an extremely crowded and hectic petrol station to pour fuel into our little auto's tank!

Ps. Unfortunately not able to add pics at the mo, will add as soon as we can.

Sunday 25 September 2011

Day three and we're still going strong!

What a great couple of days we've had- full of rickshaw rides, inspiring sights and the tastiest curries ever!

Yesterday we had our first appointment with a lady called Thangam Philips of the fair-trade handicraft business, C.T. Philips. As well as exporting goods all over the world, they own a beautiful shop where we arranged to meet. We learnt alot about craft from all over India, as well the principles behind Thomas and Thangam's business and for those that know us, you'll be able to guess we were in our element as we feasted our eyes upon the amazing collection of textiles, jewellery, papers, ceramics, leather goods...we could go on! We're going back for more tomorrow!

Whilst here we've also managed to find a great coffee shop chain that we escape to to rest our swollen hot ankles(it's 105 degrees!), drink candle-lit tea in and catch up on some journal writing. They even play Bananarama-oh yes. 

This evening was spent taking a sunset stroll along Chennai beach- with cricket players next to fish sellers, kite flyers next to donkeys, and picnicing families next to shoot the balloon competitions. As night fell, we left the hundreds gathered to catch a rickshaw back to our hostel with beautiful pictures forever imprinted on our minds. Which is a good job because our camera ran out of battery!

As we do now... night night xx

Friday 23 September 2011

We've arrived in India!

For those of you that don't know, Jen has won a travelling scholarship from The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust to travel to India and Nepal to research textiles and social enterprise projects. As a true follower of Jen: her buddy, co-worker and the other half of The Studio, Lynsey Wells has joined her on this amazing trip!

Well, our adventure has truly begun. After brilliant flights (with built-in plane cameras so we could see our take off and land from the pilot's viewpoint which was truly amazing and helped with any flying wobbles) we landed in Chennai and got straight into that wonderful instituition that is an Ambassador Taxi!

We spent the day dodging traffic- including rickshaws, trucks, buses and cows, getting whistled at by officials for going into the grounds of a closed museum- everything stops on Friday, and getting VERY VERY HOT! Everything's brilliant though and we're having so much fun already.

First appointment today, so off we go into the 33 degree craziness and we'll be posting again soon!