Keane Came As Strangers, Left As Friends

Positivus festival, Salacgrīva, Latvia

June 20th 2012

As long as Positivus festival has existed (6 years), there has been a wish to have Keane playing amidst these woods of pine trees in Salacgrīva. Finally, that wish of organizers has come true and the long anticipated and well known English alternative rock band Keane honored Positivus audience as the main headliners on June 20th.

Just like their last album Strangeland, starts their show – with the song You Are Young. Fearful child have faith in brighter days/Stay until this darkness fades away. For a moment it seems that also the lead singer Tom Chaplin takes the role of his created ‘fearful child’ that has arrived in this ‘strangeland’ – an unknown audience yet to discover. They continue with Bend and Break from their first album Hopes and Fears, and then again a song from the last album follows. Though some music reviews have criticized Strangeland as a way back in their music career, Keane are very proud to present the album songs constantly intertwining them between such well known hits as Nothing In My Way, Perfect Symmetry, Everybody’s Changing. 

Moreover, Strangeland, the title song of the last album, is presented in a special intimate atmosphere turning off the lights, illuminating the title Strangeland on their back, switching off the guitar and showing Keane in its classical element – with piano played by Tom Chaplin. ‘This is our first visit in Latvia ever,’ the lead singer reveals after the song and further on confirms it with the next song We Might As Well Be Strangers – strangers in this new land which the band seems to start to like as Tom praises ‘the beautiful festival’ and expresses regret for not having known about it earlier. 

Perhaps, there are moments when the songs from the album Strangeland make the audience feel a bit like losing connection persistently demanding and waiting for the band’s greatest hits. And they get them right after the song Disconnected! This Is The Last Time, Somewhere Only We Know, Is It Any Wonder and finally Bedshaped as a dedication to the magical Positivus festival as they call it. But what do I know? What do I know? I know! The lyrics of the song say, and they fit so perfectly with the concept of a strange land the band has now discovered on their way from being a ‘fearful child’ in their first song. And yes! Now they know they need to come for encore! They perform Sea Fog creating a very intimate moment with piano as the only background instrument. Then it’s time for Sovereign Light Café, and with truly admitting they have enjoyed every moment in the festival calling it an ‘incredible experience’ they perform the very last song Crystal Ball as if passing it to this ‘magic festival’ with its magic crowd. Yes, what do they know? They know! Now they know this strangeland Latvia. 

Contrasting Goa: Five-star banana leaves

Banana trees

He was from North; she was from South. He lived in a luxurious apartment with a fabulous view overlooking beach; she stayed with her family who lived in a hut made of banana leaves with a view overlooking a patch of trees. Perhaps Kunwar and Sheena would never meet each other, but a group of three friends met them both as they both invited them for a meal, they both welcomed them to their homes in Goa, they both introduced them to their small worlds they were living in, they both shared their time and stories with the foreign travellers coming from Mexico, Bulgaria and Latvia.

Having decided to avoid crowds and increased prices in the peak season (December, January), the friends chose November for their visit to the smallest (in area) and richest state of India. Goa is a special place. Located on the coast of Arabian sea it offers a great variety of everything: Indian temples, European style architecture influenced from Portuguese times in Goa, Old town with churches, sunny beaches, parties, luxurious hotels and delicious food. It’s a paradise for different kind of travellers who keep coming here throughout the whole year to enjoy the lively spirit of Goa.

The friends arrived at Vasco da Gama station by train from Hyderabad. Indian trains are an adventure itself, therefore, no surprise, that it wasn’t a regular trip. They met Sheena on the train, a 25-year-old Indian girl who was going home to her parents’ place. It seemed Goa had welcomed the friends already in the train as Sheena kindly invited them for lunch at her place. Why not? The foreigners exchanged the phone numbers with the girl and arranged to meet later in the days to come. Not yet. They had to meet their Couchsurfing host from Panaji first. 

After arriving at the train station, the friends took a bus to Panaji, the capital of Goa, to meet Kunwar who picked them up by car to take his guests to his apartment. He was a 30-year-old guy and worked as an engineer for a company. On the very evening they became good friends and together visited Miramare beach where they enjoyed sea food, loose sand and merry dance rhythms. The next day they went on with sightseeing and finally relaxed at Arambol beach where they swam and took lots of pictures at the sunset. As the evening came, they saluted it with a pleasant fatigue and hunger. 

„I know a good place for dinner,” said their host Kunwar enthusiastically. The friends trusted him since the moment they had entered his car and obediently followed his idea. Kunwar was a good guy, helpful, friendly and not only well off, but very generous to his guests. But nobody expected him to be that generous! 

When the three friends entered Taj Mahal Hotel, they couldn’t believe Kunwar had chosen such a luxurious place for dinner. Can we afford it? The first thought came to friends’ mind as they didn’t realize yet that their host is inviting them. The friends were recently graduated youngsters. Therefore, the luxury their host offered them was perceived with a great astonishment that slowly turned into a pleasant wealthy savor. Mountains of food were awaiting to be consumed: chicken, fish, vegetables, cheese, mushrooms, rice, Western, Chinese, Indian cuisines, and more and more, and more....and then cakes, ice-cream, sweets for dessert. They easily yielded themselves to the different foods and tastes and could not be more stuffed after leaving the restaurant with its obliging servants here and there: around your table offering more food, on the way to your car taking excellent five-star care of you. Sir? Madam? Would you like...? The friends had been spoiled with those extremely polite but most probably fake phrases. 

On the next day morning Kunwar went for work while the three friends decided to go to South Goa and visit Sheena, their ‘friend from the train’. They didn’t know at the time that just like there is North and South, yin and yang, day and night, there is an extremely opposite life waiting for them at Sheena’s place. Kunwar’s car always ready to pick them up had now been replaced by the local bus running between Panaji and a small town in South Goa. But, no worries as to finding a place. Sheena had kindly come to Panaji to show them the way to her home. It seemed to be an important day for her and the whole family.

„I can’t talk right now... yes, yes... I am busy today... I have these foreign guests coming,” unobtrusively proud she was when announced it a couple of times on her mobile phone while they were in the bus. Her family is welcoming foreigners. Their friends got the message.

As they arrived at the bus station (actually they had taken two buses to reach the final destination), there was no one this time to pick them up. No car waiting for them as in the case with Kunwar. No luxury. They started walking to Sheena’s house.

„Here? Here?” like kids impatient to finally see the many-times-mentioned house the friends were asking to Sheena as they passed by many houses.

„Soon, soon,” she happily replied feeding their curiosity.

Perhaps each of the friends had visualized the place in his/her mind before they arrived there but by no means nobody had expected to see something like that. As they approached a patch of banana trees with their eyes searching for a decent, big house they never imagined that it’s that small hut right there among the trees.

„This is my home,” Sheena said with the same pride as previously talking on phone and telling her friends that she is busy with foreign guests. „And this is my mother and sister, my father is at work,” she introduced her family who had shyly come out to meet the foreigners. It was a short span of time given to the friends to recover from the posh experience in North Goa and what they were facing right now here in South Goa. But by no means was it a problem or inconvenience. They took it as an extremely opposite experience knocking on their doors of open-mindedness. The family was sincere and sweat and after all, it’s not about the house, food or car, it’s about people who welcome you with their warm hearts and great hospitality. 

Further on, Sheena invited the foreigners to see the small hut. It had two rooms, very cramped but seemed to have everything necessary in them: TV, beds, closet, shelves, electricity. There was even an aquarium with fish just beside the bed. The family loved pets. They also had lots of colorful birds and parrots kept in the cages in the small hut and outside the house. Sometimes they happened to welcome unwanted and dangerous „pets” too. Sheena remembered how she had once found a snake hiding behind the TV. The whole family had got scared and gone to their neighbors to ask for help. Luckily, it hadn’t been poisonous snake and they had managed to take it out.

„Do you want some refreshments now or ... lunch?” after some shared stories Sheena asked. Though the friends didn’t insist on any treatment, the family had prepared everything and wanted to show their best hospitality.

„No, no, it’s ok. All is fine,” the friends answered politely while Sheena was nervously talking to her mother planning how to proceed with those aliens. Not every day the family went through such an experience. 

„We will bring you refreshments now,” Sheena decided and brought 3 small packs of orange juice. 

„Please have some,” she invited. The friends thanked and each took the juice. 

„What about you? You are not drinking?” one of the three friends wondered.

„No, no, I don’t really like this type of juice,” Sheena answered. Was it really the matter of taste or perhaps the limited number of juice they had bought leaving themselves with water...

The same happened at the lunch table. After similar nervous discussions about where to eat - inside or outside (as it was related to the arrangements of lunch table and fans, a problem which seemed so meaningless to the guests but not to the family who wanted everything to be as perfect as possible) - the friends were invited to have a meal outside. Their plate was banana leaf taken from one of the trees besides and their meal was plain rice with curry and a fish. Though there were four small fishes prepared for three friends and Sheena, the host refused to eat hers. 

„I don’t really like fish, so you can eat mine,” she said with a confidence and the friends again thought it’s not a matter of fish but her sweat heart and the impression she wants to leave. Moreover, it was only them four eating and when friends asked why her mother and sister are not joining, Sheena answered they are not hungry yet and would have their lunch later...

Lunch on banana leaves

The three felt they were treated undeservedly special, but couldn’t do anything about it and just started eating. They couldn’t believe the extreme feelings they were going through. Some hours ago they had been spoiled with five-star dinner at a fancy hotel while now they were sitting among banana trees, each with his/her banana leaf eating rice and fish with their hands (Indian way). The perfect and impersonal servants with fake smiles on their lips had now been replaced with a sincere and genuine family, truly happy for being able to host foreign guests and treat them the best way they could...

One starts to think: there is nothing like choosing which way is better or which way is right. You can’t just sort or judge these kinds of experiences. The three friends were thankful to both. They enjoyed the company and the small worlds of both their hosts. Both of them wanted to make them feel welcome. Both of them shared their friendliness and hospitality, their good hearts and souls... Even though the lives of Kunwar and Sheena are completely different, the three friends learned from both experiences, both contrasts that are so common in Goa and the whole India as the rich and the poor coexists next to each other in the same harmony as there is a day and night, yin and yang, South and North. 

Arambol beach in Goa

Sonu is my Favourite Teacher

Usha: What is your favourite colour?
- Purple.
Usha: Mine too. Your favourite day?
- Monday.
Usha: Yes! The same for me. Your favourite ‘dress’?
- Hmmm...I don’t know. What about you?
Usha: Jeans and a top. Just like you have now.
- Oh, thank you. And who is your favourite teacher?
Usha: Sonu Christensen!

Usha, a 12 years old Indian girl, is just one of around 80 street children in Delhi who would point at Sonu Christensen as her favourite teacher. And most probably their first and only teacher. There she is – a calm and peaceful lady dressed in a green sari, with her black hair neatly arranged on her back, sitting on the ground in the middle at the small but decent classroom surrounded by a bunch of kids – you might not even notice her when entering the small room. Curious faces, raised hands, loud voices, deep and inquisitive eyes of children aged from 5 to 18 are Sonu’s everyday life. Teaching them is Sonu’s passion. She is a teacher at the school she has opened herself. A school for street children.

Sonu is Nepalese and she moved to India after getting married to an Indian. She used to work at a private school, but after giving birth to her own child and being asked by her husband what she would like to do next, Sonu knew she didn’t want to go back to her old school. She also knew she was not going to sit at home like many other women in India do. Sonu recalled a memory from the days when she was a school girl: many street kids curiously peering through the windows and wondering what the other kids in those nice school uniforms were doing, what it was like to be at a school, to study. ‘I would have let them in’, Sonu thought at that time. ‘But I couldn’t, as it wasn’t my school.’ Sonu saved this picture in her mind and hoped to open her own school for street children. One day...

That day came, and Sonu has now been living her dream for six years. With the support from her husband and financial help from a private donor she has managed to arrange two rooms for her passion to flourish. Once you enter the first floor, you see a room with a clean floor where children are sitting with their notebooks on their laps. They are listening to Sonu as she teaches science, math, Hindi, English. She wants the kids to be able to compete with those who study in private schools. She wants them to continue their education when they graduate from her school. She wants them to be able to pass the exams just like the other kids.

Especially Sonu wants to empower the girls. Women empowerment is her other passion along with educating street children. And very often these two challenges are closely related. The children study till noon, then they go home, but Sonu’s school starts living the afternoon life. And that is reserved for women. She empowers women and encourages them to take up leadership and initiative. She has bought several sewing machines and once the women come to Sonu’s afternoon workshops they carry out different handicraft tasks, share problems they have at home (for example, husbands who are alcoholics) and encourage each other to be strong, to strive for their lives and dreams. 

Sonu also makes sure her work is sustainable. She wants her older students who come from small villages and have graduated from her school to go back to their village and educate kids there. She also gives them responsibilities in her classes and asks them to assist in teaching younger kids. 

It’s evening when Sonu leaves her school to go home to her family. Her husband and son are waiting for her in the cramped and modest two bedroom apartment they have. It’s smaller than Sonu’s school. It has a tiny kitchen and two rooms with almost no furniture, just mattresses to fit themselves and foreign guests they often have as Sonu wants them to experience Indian hospitality. She doesn’t want luxury. As simple as possible, she said to her husband when they moved in. Her fulfilled dream gives her space, luxury and richness. It gives her energy for the next morning when the 12 years old Usha and many other street children wake up to go to school. Because now they have a school!

Brainstorm/Prāta Vētra new single "Lantern"

Fresh and brave, and catchy! "Lantern", the new single from Latvian band Brainstorm. I am looking forward to the new album and the tour in summer.

Lizzy, Pigeons and Other Inhabitants in Hyderabad

With my short-term flat-mate Maria from Brazil in my room

Perhaps, subconsciously I miss them. She used to greet me every morning when I turned on the light at 6 o’clock and fearfully looked around searching: where will she be this time? From where will she creep out? How will she shock me? That was her. Mischievous and completely unpredictable. But then there were some other guys. They used to sing and dance and make wild parties in the bathroom which we had reserved for them (sort of given away). They used to chat in their annoying hollow voices. I remember them as a sort of monotonous radio which you cannot turn off as it turns on whenever it wants..... Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, may I introduce you to my ex-roommates? Our lizard Lizzy and pigeons. Yes, that was our ex-family. Probably, they are still there – in our Lakdikapool flat where we used to live before we moved to Secundarabad, RTC Colony and changed our living place from busy and crowded to peaceful and calm. Did they actually notice that we moved out? I wonder.

Cautiously happy

View from our Lakdikapool apartment

Accommodation has been my major problem since the day I moved to India. On my first day here in Hyderabad I was allocated in one of the 3 AIESEC flats in Lakdikapool and faced the first problems: no electricity, no hot water, sharing a room (no, no, even A BED) with a guy whom you have just met, no internet...and on the top of that – no certainty about when, how and if those problems are going to be fixed. Don’t get me wrong! I am not here to complain. Imagine, this topic would never find me if all the things had been perfect.

Ok, let’s live and see. That became our motive. Or so to say – let’s live day by day. Let’s be happy that today we have light, but let’s not forget that tomorrow it can get down again. Let’s be cautiously happy.....The same to internet, water...In short, let’s appreciate the moment as it’s given to us. Let’s be thankful for what we have.

Finding an apartment: mission impossible!

When I found out that my school is 2 hours ride away from Lakdikapool, I knew I am going to look for another place and move out soon. Luckily, my Mexican friend had the same opinion, so we started searching for an apartment.

Initially, it seemed like a normal thing to do: find an ad, go and see the flat, then agree on the rent fee and move in. That’s what you would do in Europe, but not in India. We forgot many things: even when we find an ad, call up the person who rents out the flat and arrange to see the apartment, it’s not at all that simple. Problems start here:

First, if you are a foreigner, it’s not actually that easy to get to the place where the flat is located. Equipped with many addresses and the hope to visit as many flats as possible on a fine rainy (completely inappropriate for that) day, we got into auto and moved on. Needless to say that the auto drivers would supposedly take you in their vehicle even if they don’t know the address (everyone wants to live and EARN), but pretend they know it perfectly. Surely, that is not the way you can reach the place. Moreover, you cannot reach it on the agreed time. Furthermore, you get lost in the new city you have just arrived at and in our case of a rainy August day – you get wet and feel cold.

Second, even if you reach the apartment (after spending long hours on looking for it and most probably involving random Indians from the street to finally help you find the place), you realize that it’s most probably not in the condition to start living there. Most probably it will be unfurnished or semi-furnished and without kitchen utensils (if you are looking for something that costs below 5000 rupees a month per person). Basically, what they offer are empty rooms which you can rent. But that means investing extra time to find all the necessary utensils and spending a lot more money for it. Perhaps, it would pay off if you plan to stay in Hyderabad for a long time, but a few months stay wouldn’t make sense to waste your efforts knowing that in India things don’t move fast, however you need a place as soon as possible.

Third, roommates. In India, many landlords would not allow girls live together with guys. So, if you are only two girls looking for a flat and want to share a room to reduce costs you would need to find more girls to place in a 3-bedroom or 2-bedoom flat or you need to find a landlord who allows boys and girls stay in a shared apartment. 

As a result, we realized that we don’t want to waste our time and energy looking for an apartment. So, we decided to stay at AIESEC flats provided to us even if that brought a lot of problems too. 

‘We will remove your beds’

The most adventurous times we experienced were in our Lakdikapool flat. In total AIESEC has/used to have 3 apartments there. As I already mentioned, the funniest part was our „roommates” (Lizzy and pigeons) who always kept surprising us. Apart from that there was time when we used to say „the only organized thing about India is electricity cuts” as electricity used to cut every day exactly at 6 in the morning (time when I had to wake up and face Lizzy in the dark corners where she was hiding). Of course, electricity cuts were sometimes „unorganized” and occurred during day time and evening too. The final step that made us move out of the Lakdikapool flat was different kind of people that kept coming and saying that „you haven’t paid the electricity bill”, „you haven’t paid the internet” (though we never had one in our flat), „you haven’t paid this and that”. So we realized the rent money we pay doesn’t necessarily go to the people who are supposed to get it. Lastly, we got to know that even our furniture that we had in our flat is leased. „We will remove your bed if you don’t pay the rent,” one man came and announced. We were always the „you” ones, the ones who didn’t pay though we had always paid our rent and it was AIESEC who didn’t deliver the money further. And that continued for many months...

Happy up there!

Living room in Secundarabad apartment

When we found out that the debt for our apartment had reached an astronomical number, there was no way than moving out. Luckily, those were AIESECers who had in mind another flat in Secundarabad. Finally, the conditions improved. The flat itself was much better furnished, it had internet connection, I could have my OWN room as it was too small to share it with others, the neighborhood was nicer and more private, and our landlord (the direct contact person) was living just downstairs, so if anything happened we didn’t need to contact AIESECers and wait until they come and solve the problem. The landlord was a very nice lady who cared for us and wanted to help when something went wrong.

That is how I started my life in Secundarabad. It was also more convenient for the school as now it took just 1 hour in a bus to get there. Apart from the fact that we were actually located in Secundarabad which is quite far from Hyderabad, I didn’t have any more complaints. Moreover, I would say I liked Secundarabad more as it somehow looked healthier place to stay. On the main street you could find everything you need, and all the shops were walking distance from my apartment. Of course, things sometimes went wrong there as well, like we had electricity cuts and internet cuts, but we took it in a more moderate way as you could easier find a solution. No, no, I don’t miss Lizzy and pigeons after all.

Let’s celebrate it Indian way!

It seemed to be a usual school day, however it wasn’t. The school buses were picking up spider men, witches, butterflies, princesses and many other characters. What??? Am I going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry today? I was thinking. No. It’s 31st of October. Halloween. No wonder why children from younger classes were enjoying this day with their special customs. „Happy Halloween!” wished their school’s Principal in the morning assembly. Indians like to celebrate! And if there seems to be no reason, they will find it! Isn’t it nice to get sweets every day?

Light a candle for Diwali!

From one celebration to another. Sometimes I get an impression. Though I didn’t join the pupils of elementary school for Halloween performances (I was working with junior and senior classes), I don’t miss the celebration and festival mood here. Some days ago (from 24th to 28th of October) Indians were celebrating Diwali (Deepavali), probably the most meaningful festival or so called the festival of Lights. Though the duration of the celebration is five days filled with lots of traditions and legends, the actual holidays are two. Diwali sweets, little lights called Diyas lit in all houses, fire crackers, rockets, sparklers. Sounds like New Year’s Eve? Indeed, for Indians this festival is like a New Years Eve, however, it’s important to celebrate it in families and enjoying Indian hospitality. So, did we. My Mexican friend and I had just come back from a trip to Goa when we got an invitation from our Indian friend to join her family’s Diwali celebration. As we were asked we put on Indian clothes (for Indians you should always wear new clothes at this celebration) and took a rickshaw to our friend’s house. Surrounded by lights and explosions of the firecrackers we were moving towards our destination and feeling like in a war. You couldn’t know where the cracker will explode. It was a bit scary despite hiding in a rickshaw, our shelter, and also the sound was quite annoying.

Once arrived, we waited for the other guests and then started the celebration with lots of nice food -  snacks, rice, sauces, sweets. „You must eat until you feel uncomfortable,” the host was telling us. And indeed, food is very important part for Indians, especially, in celebrations. No wonder, why you feel stuffed after Diwali dinner. But, of course, it’s not only about eating. During dinner we learned about the importance of Diwali. It’s indeed a special festival marking the time when the monsoons are over, the harvest has been collected and the family can come together to prepare for the next season. Also school’s term is over by that time and a new one starts right after Diwali. As it’s said in one of the children books „it signifies the triumph of good over evil”. It also signifies hope and reminds us of that despite the evil that exists in this world.

Traditionally also the firecrackers have a meaning and explanation, however, nowadays it has become commercial and people seem to enjoy turning the whole place into a battleground and making it even more polluted. Though Diwali dinner is a one day event (out of 5 celebrated days), it’s not the same with the crackers – you can hear the ‘bombing’ also in the next Diwali days.

Worshipping for Ganesha

I had hardly settled down in India (beginning of September, 2011) when I noticed strange looking elephant faces all around Hyderabad – bigger and smaller sizes, on streets, in markets. Everywhere. What’s this? Ganesha Charatarthi or simply Ganesha is another festival that is celebrated quite visibly, widely and loudly.

It’s quite important to know the legend of this elephant and human body that is being worshipped. In short, there was a goddess Parvati (wife of Lord Shiva) who created a statue and made it her son. One day she asked the boy to guard the house while she was taking a bath. After a while Lord Shiva returned home and sadly the boy didn’t recognize him and stopped the Lord. It made Shiva angry and he cut the boy’s head. After finding out it was Parvati’s son, the Lord felt bad and asked his servants to put on him any creature’s head they find as first. The servants found an elephant and put on his head. Then the Lord made him Ganesha which means „Lord of the attendants” and said he shall be praised as a Lord of Power and Wisdom.

Therefore, the idol of Ganesha is worshipped in families and also in public places where large statues are installed under huge tents. The period of worshipping lasts for 10 days, though the statues are being made months before. On the 11th day which is a national holiday the big statues are taken through the streets in a procession with crowds of people gathering and cheering and, believe me, making a big mess. People are transporting the huge Ganesha statues in the trucks and their cheering is sometimes really wild both inside the trucks and on streets where crowds are gathering, dancing, screaming. Moreover, after seeing some foreigners they get around them and involve in their dances and take loads of pictures – well, it’s nice and spiritual and you can really feel the atmosphere, however, might be dangerous as some of people are drunk.  what happens After the procession (you won’t want to believe!) these beautiful creatures are simply immersed into the water (in the case of Hyderabad it was lake). Of course, also this procedure is accompanied with rituals and traditions. However, it’s sad to see so much work and beauty to just disappear into the water....

Celebrating two laptops

Religion has an important roles when it comes to different festivals and celebrations. The majority of Indians belong to Hinduism. However, there are also Muslims and Christians and other religions. Especially, here in Hyderabad, Muslim population is the highest one in India. Therefore, naturally, you get to experience Ramadan and Eid (for Muslims) and Christmas and probably many other festivals and celebrations which I don’t even know about yet. For example, today (7th of November) it’s again holiday because Muslims are celebrating Eid.

And sometimes you really don’t need to know who is celebrating what and for what reason. You just notice it when somebody gives you a sweet. It happens very often in my school. A birthday kid wears special and new clothes, not the school uniform and gives sweets to all teachers. When it was my birthday I also brought some Indian sweets to school. This is interesting that it’s more common for Indians to wish ‘Many Happy Returns of the day!’ than ‘Happy Birthday’ (at least I got such an impression)..

And the private celebrations don’t finish with birthdays. Someone can treat you with sweets because he/she celebrates a newborn or even finding his/her laptop after thinking it was lost and having bought a new one. Why not? Let’s celebrate! Let’s have some sweets!

Hello from Hyderabad!

It has been more than three weeks since I am in India for the internship at Oakridge International School. Incredible India! I must agree! I am speechless and in the same time feel like every day spent here writes its own chapter. Every day is a box of surprises, we tend to say. It’s me and my Mexican friend who has become my closest friend here. We arrived at about the same time, realized how  much common we have and now are sharing the room and have more or less settled down. Yes, it was only yesterday when I finally moved into a certain place (after moving from one temporary room to another) and could pack out my stuff. 

I am not really willing to tell you how everything happened from the beginning till now as I think it’s quite impossible to put in words everything I have felt, noticed, experienced and seen in the past days. However, be patient! By time, these tiny details of every day life will come out as nice stories. Here are some highlights I would like to share as the first impressions of my first days in India.

Arrival in Hyderabad

I arrived at Delhi airport at night and had some hours to wait till my plane to Hyderabad. I was trying to sleep on my luggage and in the same time capturing the new, undiscovered, excited and noisy world around me. Once the time came, I checked in for my flight to Hyderabad. „I wish you a pleasant stay here!” said a random Indian guy (currently living in America) who sat next to me in the plane. And actually only now the real excitement started. Hyderabad, the city where I was going to spend at least half a year, was in my arms now.

I wasn’t picked up at the airport, nor I was picked up on time in the bus stop where I was asked to get off from the airport bus. I could have started to get worried and become angry and blame the local committee, but somehow I realized it’s the way I chose: unorganized, surprising, unexpected and so much intriguing. I rather asked for the help to some local people to call the local AIESEC committee responsible and after that was done, I could finally meet my pick-up person and be put in a rickshaw (for the first time) to go to my residency.  I was enjoying the rickshaw ride as some kid trying a strange vehicle in amusement park. Indeed, if amusement park is about to surprise you and give extraordinary emotions, that is how I would describe the traffic in Hyderabad. Full of spirit, surprises, beggars asking for money, dogs, people sleeping or peeing on streets. You can find there anything and let your emotional carousel go up and down. 

‘Pleasant’ chaos

Once we reached our residency, I was excited to meet other interns and slowly start settling down. You wish!  Confusion about where to stay as the room that was offered to us was really dirty, double beds while we are put two people in one bed (male and female), no electricity, no internet, no hot water, general confusion about who is staying where (as there were a few interns arriving at this time), no understanding of the situation. That’s what we found in our welcome package. My laptop breaking down. Though it might sound like a full container of complains, I am saying it just because of reporting. Actually, because we were around four of us in the same situation, plus there were interns who were already living in the building (just in different flats), the general mood was not that pessimistic as it might sound. We lived hour by hour, minute by minute and enjoyed getting to know each other, taking the rickshaws and going to the city centre and having our first dinner in McDonald’s. It was four of us – two Tunisian guys, Mexican girl and me.

Movies and parties

And that is why I love India. As deep as it might drown you, as high it can lift you up. Extreme feelings is the regular lifestyle here. It’s something you can and cannot get used to in the same time. Already on my first arrival day after some exploration of the city centre, we went off to a party with other interns. It was supposedly Ladies night and we enjoyed disco rhythms at a full spirit. 

While the other interns had to go to work next days, we were still resting and waiting for information about our schools and works. Unexpectedly, an opportunity for earning money came to us. One message and we as foreigners were invited to take part in a movie shooting. The shooting took place at the Hyderabad airport and we were picked up from our residency and brought there. It started with Indian breakfast when the whole crew was eating Indian food. I couldn’t eat anything as it didn’t look attractive at all. Afterwards, me and a polish girl had to go and change our clothes. We were wearing blue uniforms to act as flight attendants from British Airways and they even fixed our hair accordingly. There was nothing much we had to do except for walking with suitcases on a background while main heroes were engaging in dialogues. However, we were not forgotten in neither of scenes shot that day (around 5-6). The so called „feeling like celebrity” work finished at around six when we were taken back to our residency with 1200 rupees (12 ls) for each in our pockets. Nice job! It was Saturday, so another party to put on your dance shoes and forget about things you are still lacking....maybe it’s all about feelings and day to day situations which you just take as they come...