Yelläks /ˈyæl•eks/

Ok, I have to admit that I did not know a lot about India. Exceptions: I knew where it was, the name of the capital, and the fact that India is the country of spices, tea, elephants, fakirs and flying carpets. In December I decided to go abroad again and I went to Tharamani in Chennai to do a project for my graduation at the University of Applied Sciences in Aachen. The project work lasted for 6 months starting on the 2nd of April 2005.

The first days after my arrival were really interesting. First of all it was really hot. In April the temperatur in Germany is around 10 to 12 degrees Celcius. This is quite cold compared to 35°C at 6 am at Chennai Airport. All the auto drivers (rickshaw, etc.) blocked the exit and only a barrier could hold them back. There I was. Sweaty and exhausted in long pants, jacket, pullover, with 2 heavy bags in a country, where people shout at you when they offer a service. Because of the barrier everybody got a glance and I felt like being on stage of a fashion show.
Fortunately a driver from the institute picked me up and skillfully drove the car through the traffic jam while whisteling and singing songs. I sat in the front passenger’s seat and was not able to understand, how my driver could stay so relaxed while I was overstrained by just looking calm.

Somehow no accident happened and we reached the institute, where I had my room. After two hours of sleep and a change of clothes, I started to check out the environment of Chennai. It was for the first time that I got in contact with people from south India and it seemed to me, that they were very curious. They stared at me as I was a pink elephant or a rare animal in a zoo behind glases. Even if they do not speak English, they are able to ask at least 3 questions: “Name?”, “Country?” and “Single?” If I answered “I am from Germany”, there was a high chance that they knew someone in Frankfurt or other German city. After a few hours of walking and getting lost I reached Elliot’s beach and it was about time to get the first serious cultural shock: It was Saturday and a few people were already at the beach. Then I saw two young boys of round about 16 or 17 years old walking hand in hand along the beach like a couple. Well, I am quite liberal and I just thought by myself: “Uh, they are most likely gay. Interesting even in Germany I have not seen that before. I did not know that Indians are so open minded!” After a while I saw a few other male “couples” and I though that there are lots of gay people in this city, where I have to stay for the next 6 months. I was quite unhappy with that situation. It took around a week and a few embarrasing moments till I figured out, what it actually means. It is just a sign of friendship. The emotions are often expressed by a physical contact especially among friends and when I came back to my home country 6 months later, I figured out, how much distance is between the people. Everyone carries an imaginary fence around themselves, which is not supposed to be crossed (only for the boy-/girlfriend and family members).

The food is quite spicy and nothing for a sensitive digestion. But that is not the only difference: Usually it is eaten by hand (but only the right one, since the left one is used for something else). For someone who is used to eat with fork, spoon and knife, it might be a little bit strange. Well, there is even a technique (a combined thumb-pushing and throwing one) so that you do not spoil so much. Be prepared that the waiters in a restaurant might think it is strange, if you ask for cutlery.

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