life is a series of pictures

I have completed 3 weeks of Tamil class. So far so good. This coming week is my last, and on March 13 I will leave Chennai to continue my journey southward.

2 of my good friends here have left last week. Though we only knew each other for 2 weeks, and our communication consisted more of body language, common sense than actual verbal language, it was a sad parting for me. Neither of them spoke Tamil (one was from Kerala, the other from Orissa), and English was limited. They both left on the same day, Tuesday, and I applied for absence from class just to spend more time with them. In the morning Ajith sat down with for an extended time during breakfast as we talked about his upcoming exam in Kerala and his ambitions. The night before I had dinner with Pramod. He talked less after his elder brother came to D.C., wonder why. I got a call from Pramod on Wednesday afternoon telling me that he has arrived in Orissa. He began with his usual question "What are you doing there?" though he seldom understood my answer hahaha.

my brothers in Chennai. You can easily tell who are north Indians and who are south Indians based on moustache :)

Sanjay was supposed to leave today too, but his friend couldn't come to replace him at his stall so he is forced to stay on until end of March. As a result, he will miss his best friend's wedding in Orissa (I have a group of Orissa friends here!). I told him that's disappointing, but I have been through many such experiences, having spent 8 years overseas.

I have trouble forgetting and letting go. Even these guys whom I have met only for two weeks--I miss them. Last night ChinJiat called me and it's not exaggerated to say that talking to her gave colours to the four white-washed walls of my room.

Here, every night and day, I have quite some free time, particularly at night when my friends have gone home and I am alone in my adobe. The occassional bat gives me something to do by having to lure him outdoors, otherwise I stare at four walls and .......think. Thinking too much for my own good. I began to remember things that I thought I have forgotten, I began to imagine, to conjure up dreams only to stop short of the walls and be reminded of the oft cruel reality.

Solitude can be a scary thing, especially for someone like me.
Yet I have always enjoyed a certain degree of loneliness. Being alone has its merits. I wrote quite a good number of poems, short stories, essays and even a skit! Some of them were played out in my mind under the tree where I have my lunch every weekday during class break. Many more were born as my mind try to lock out the incessant horns of Chennai (India) traffic.

Today I went to the Government Museum in Chennai. Took me two hours to get there...changing buses, walking around, overshooting it then turning back etc. If I had gone straight to it, it would have taken 1hour 30 minutes I think. Yet as a tourist in a new place, even getting lost is fun because EVERYTHING is new.
My main reason for going to the Govt. Museum is to see the world-famous Nataraja bronze statue. I first learned of this statue in high school history (ChongHwa's history subject is just awesome), and have loved it ever since. My involvement with bharatanatyam grew from this high school fascination also. Today I finally completed this pilgrimage of mine, and I must say it was worth every effort of my getting here.

Having seen this, the rest of the bronze exhibition seemed worthless to my layman eyes.

There are many things that I can say, but I am in no mood to write a post. Let's end with a happy note?
This afternoon after the museum visit I went for lunch at Masthya, a famous veg. restaurant in Chennai. Family-run, several generations already. THE FOOD WAS AWESOME! So awesome that I had to suppress my urge to order more and more and more....I will try to come again tomorrow, though that means it will take me another 1.5 hours to get to lunch hahahaha....