Might as well be a Mason-Dixon Line

I think that when we (or at least me and most Americans I know) think of a few things when we think of "the divide" in India. We think of Jammu and Kashmir and the border with Pakistan, or we think of the Hindu/Muslim discussion, or maybe the language divide. What I never realized was the depth of the divide between North and South India. It's not a violent type of stuggle like some of the others are, just a huge culture difference. Most of the differences stem from the fact that the people in the south are Dravidian descent, so their ancestors have been on the sub-continent much longer than the ancestors of the northern Indians. Their languages also are Dravidian and are apparently not much changed from 3000 years ago, as opposed to languages like Hindi and Urdu that come from Sanskrit. To start with the language problem- since colonial times, the working language of the country has been English. However, since independence, and since the backlash against a lot of British customs, there has been a move to develop an Indian national language. The obvious choice (to most people) is Hindi. And this is ok with most people- in the North, many people speak their regional language or dialect and then also Hindi for business etc (and English if they're educated). But, in the south, where the Dravidian languages are much older, and not at all related, they really don't like the idea of speaking Hindi. Obviously, in Tamil Nadu, the language is Tamil- all signs are in Tamil and English. and in Kerala it's Malialam (also related). So, the business language is English, and Tamils and southern Indians would prefer that English be the national language to avoid Hindi.



Then there's Bollywood vs Kollywood vs Tollywood. We all know Bollywood and how fair skinned, tall, and beautiful the actors are. Well Kollywood is the Chennai based Tamil language film industry that is quite booming as well over here, but not as big overseas. and Tollywood is in Telegu. Apparently, the southern Indian quotient doesn't like to watch movies about beautiful people. They like movies about chubby men with mustaches and well proportioned or even a little rounded women. There is always a good guy and a villan trying to get in his way. Apparently there is a big controversy about winning Kollywood movies getting remade in Bollywood or Bollywood actors coming down to make movies down here and then getting dubbed over in Tamil.

It seems like people in the south just are a little more laid back and they like to talk about how the people in the north wear so much western (read: skimpy) clothing and do things faster. Although this probably refers only to the bigger cities. So far here in this city listed at 8 million with really more like 12 million, I have not yet seen an Indian woman wearing anything above mid-shin or anything less traditional than a corti (longish traditional shirt) over a pair of jeans, though there are plenty of ads for things that are looking like swim suits. And these ads all feature north Indians.

One of my Australian friends here apparently was in Kolkatta and told one of her local friends there that she was going to do research down south. To this, the friend responded "You mean, with those Dravidians?"

Maybe there would be more tension, except that apparently, the official sentiment of Tamil is ambivilence- as in ambivilence to the issue of Tamil independence in Sri Lanka or to some of the other border/culture/ethnic skirmishes. Overall, however, one of the national mottos is Unity and Diversity, so people seem to just go about their business, as much as they make fun of people from other parts of the country.

So, you ask, what am I actually doing?

Since monday, I have been going to the Dr. MGR Medical University here in Chennai Each day. This is a big Health Sciences research university, but with no affiliated hospital. I am sponsored by my University and our professional connections here with the Experimental Medicine Dept. I am spending the week here, getting to know what is going on prior to leaving for Namakkal (a small district hospital in the center of Tamil-Nadu) on Monday night. MGR is the reference laboratory for many of the PCR and serologic tests in the state as well as the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh and part of Karnataka (this is an area of about 100+million people). So I am just spending this week in the lab, watching the dark field analysis and serologic testing for leptospirosis ( a nasty bug that causes a fever disease from animal urine-contaminated water) as well as watching the advance testing for HIV done here. They do all of the early confirmatory and reference tests for babies born to HIV+ mothers, for example since this requires in depth and expensive procedures and not just a rapid test to be done on-site. These are all techniques I did a long time ago in college, but now I'm revisiting them and remembering the indications for each one, so that is good.

The people in the lab are technicians, PhD students, post-docs, and a few MDs and they are all very nice and very helpful (and are all still trying to feed me).

I take the train here from my lodging at the YWCA. It is a regular train, but operates like a subway. I walk 10 min to the station, buy a return ticket for 10 rp (about 30cents) and then wait for the train. I try to line up with the women and go in the women's only compartment. At first it upset me that it was segregated, but when I realized that it is wall to wall people and the elderly people just shove the younger people to make way, I found it reassuring that the only people patting my butt were other women. And I think it's probably safer as well. I ride the train past Chetpet, Nungenbakkem, Kondabakken, Mambalam, and Saidapet (I love these names) and get off at Guindy, walk another 5 minutes and I'm there....relatively stress-free and cheap compared to the autorickshaws who like to get you there faster by veering around the slow busses into oncoming traffic!

Lunch: Have you tried Indian food?

Somehow most people are amazed and flabbergasted that I've had Indian food before, let alone cooked it in my home. They ask "have you tried this?" "Is rice ok" "You might not like, it's spicey." My conclusion is that the entire department staff at Dr. MGR University is like a Jewish mother. They worry that the food won't agree with me, that the spices will upset my stomach. Each person asks me every day what I had for breakfast and if the food at the YWCA (where I am staying) is alright. ( I get free breakfast, which is Indian + eggs and toast usually).

When it comes time for lunch, I order either rice with sambar (spicey sauce based on lentils) or chapati with another sauce from the canteen for 20rupees (50 cents). I pay a woman who brings it up from the canteen and we all sit and eat together: professors, students, lab techs, and myself. Everyone brings a little metal canister full of rice from home with a little metal dish or bottle full of some sort of vegetable curry or sambal, or other sauce. Then everyone passes the sauces around, takes some from everyone elses and puts it on their rice. The custom is to eat with your right hand (left hand is for dirty stuff). You put your hand right in the saucy rice and scoop a bit and put it in your mouth. This is hard, since it's not like sticky rice....and since I'm left handed, using my right to do this is tougher, but I'm getting the hang of it. And, since I am new here, everyone asks "Rachel, have you tried this bitter melon? Have you tried this vegetable? This sauce? Yogurt curd?" Please take some! And someone even broght me idly, which is a rice batter that is steamed into a spoon shaped cake, used for dipping in sauce. So I bought a little rice and then people gave me part of 6 other meals! And I feel all eyes are on me to see if I like it. Which is ok, except me eating rice with my right hand isn't quite smooth yet, so I get nervous that they're watching me smear sauce and drop rice everywhere....
I brought a chocolate bar for everyone to share....that was a hit!

I'll write more about food at some point I'm sure, since people (mostly my parents) have lots of questions...

Bob your Head

When I first arrived, I thought people were giving me unenthusiastic answers to everything I asked- like if it was safe to take the train or walk in a certain area or if the temple in the south was nice to visit. Every time I asked a question, people gave me this very subtle head tilt back and forth from side to side. Sort of the bobble head thing, not really a forceful shake. It made me wonder if I was being too forceful in my questioning or asking to be to brave in my exploring of the city.

This side to side head bob replaces nodding yes here. If someone agrees or answers yes, they simple bobble. And it also is a sign of approval, thanks, sort of a polite parting gesture as well. Sort of like how when we walk out the door we say something like "Ok then" "Sounds good" or "take care". As a matter of fact, people seem to bobble pretty much any time, while talking about things that are good or exciting. Or the people who are listening to someone else will bobble showing that they are hearing, understanding, agreeing.

I'm trying to learn to do subtle bobbing as well, since I tried nodding and it just seems to confuse people. It is very common to bow one's head when taking leave of someone, but this does not replace the nod. Nod is replaced by bobble. Subtle bobbling is hard. I tried and it first came out as a shake, it makes you a little dizzy. It's getting better- and hopefully I'm making myself understood. So if I come home bobbling, you'll know why!

First Looks around Chennai

It was a long trek to finally get here. 14hrs to taiwan, 7.5hrs to dehli, then wait 4 hrs in dehli, then 3.5hrs to chennai.

Indira Ghandi Int'l Airport was incredibly unorganized. I waited for a shuttle from the international airport to the domestic airport with a swedish couple who had been waiting for 6hrs for the shuttle to the other airport. the ride took 20mins and then the other airport was chaos- I was surprised that they can move that number of people around with the confusion I can't even describe.

My first impression of Chennai was that it smelled exactly like Mozambique, which surprised me. It must be humid people and maybe decaying plants....but once I was out of the street, the buildings smelled much sweeter- everyone here burns incense, even in the shopping center. The main difference from other crowded cities in developing countries I have been in is that the streets and structures look the same except the billboards are for platinum, life insurance, and blackberries- it is obvious that the poor here are just as poor in Mozambique but there is a wealthy part of the society that was missing from there. Also- driving around is much more chaotic and frightening!
As i got in late, I just went to bed at the YWCA guesthouse- very nice and clean, friendly people that work there.

Today I had a nice breakfast at the guesthouse, got up, and went shopping- mostly to get my bearings and buy a cell phone. I think I will wander around today, try to adjust to the new time zone, and then prepare for a short field trip tomorrow to the stone temples at Mamallapuram.

Getting on the plane

Hi All-

Tonight I leave for India. I'm flying through Taipei and Delhi before arriving in Chennai (the new/old name for Madras as you might know it) on Friday night. I'm planning on spending about 5 days in Chennai, meeting physicians and staff from MGR Medical University before moving on to Namakkal, a small town in the NE corner of the state of Tamil-Nadu, where I'll spend 8 weeks.

I'll try to report to this blog on a relatively frequent basis, so keep checking for updates and pictures! I appreciate everyone's support and interest in my trip!