India, Day 1

We just finished our first day in India. I'm going to try to write daily from now on to make sure everything is fresh in my memory, and to keep from getting backlogged like I did with the South Africa post (which is still underway, and will be posted eventually).
So, finally, India.
It hit me last night as I sat in the logistical pre-port presentation. I was actually going to be in India. The country and culture have been such a huge part of my whole life (because of my mom's connection through her studies of Indian music), and the excitement just built and built last night when I realized that I was going to finally experience it. It's funny...I know way more about India than I thought. During the presentation I kept making connections in my mind, little cultural things I knew I should do, bits of Hindi slang, memories of music and religion and interactions that are actually a part of me, but just beneath the surface, underused.
I can't explain this, but as the boat slowed down in our approach to Chennai, I felt like I was going home.
In the morning, I was just thrown right in to an organized trip to SRM University, which is an engineering school, to see a performance by MICE (Mobile Interactive Computer Ensemble). MICE is a class that is taught on the ship, that fuses computer and human interaction to create experimental music, which often incorporates environmental data and electronic instruments. The bus ride to the university lasted about an hour, and as we drove through Chennai, I got to see firsthand a lot of the things I've heard about for so long. Cows in the street, three-wheeled rickshaws, homeless children and beggars, goofy billboards, daring traffic...but all from a distance. The drive just whet my appetite to go and explore the city by foot, which I'll get the chance to do tomorrow.
The concert's music and accompanying lecture were very interesting (definitely check out www.burtner.net/MICE.html for info about the group), but the most valuable part of the trip was the chance to interact with the university students. There were at least a couple hundred students there for the performance, and afterwards I got the chance to talk to a few, and exchange info to keep in touch.
Indian people are cool. This probably isn't news to anyone reading this. But it still surprises me and inspires me just how laid back and friendly this culture is. I felt like I fit right in in that group (maybe because the crowd was mostly made up of computer geeks). It was a great first firsthand impression of India.
We returned to the ship for a quick dinner and then left again to attend a welcome reception in the city. It was basically a meet-and-greet with Indian university students, over Indian food, and with a Bharatanatyam dance performance. It was one of the most fun experiences of the trip so far. Along with a small group of Semester at Sea students, I sat down with three young Indian guys and we talked for a couple of hours about...a lot of things. We compared our respective culture's views on politics, relationships, art and anything else that came to mind. It was really valuable for me because I've always had the adult perspective on Indian culture, but I've never had the chance to talk to someone my age about it all. Some things make a lot more sense to me now. We had a long conversation about arranged marriages, and the guys brought up some points that made me think about it in a new way. First, they explained that the bride-and-groom-to-be do have a lot of choice in the matter. It's not just the parents to put people together, it's really a joint decision between the entire families of both parties. The students also tried to explain the reason why arranged marriages have such a high “success rate”when compared to the high divorce rate in the US. They explained that, in the US, the husband and wife often try to fix every issue on their own, and when they are unable to, they give up on the marriage. The guys told us that in India, the families of the husband and wife are very involved in the marriage, and the mother and father will step in and provide support. After that conversation, I have a deeper respect for that aspect of the culture.
       What else did we talk about...it's blurring together a little bit. Elections are about to happen in India, and we talked about the levels of excitement surrounding that. We recounted what it was like to follow the presidential election in the US. They suggested some Bollywood musicals that we'll hopefully get a chance to see before we leave. They dispelled some myths about Indian culture, and tried to explain the meaning of the head-bob (the subtle bobblehead movement that's somewhere between a nod and a shrug). I still don't quite understand it.
       So that was my first day in India. I'm looking forward to exploring more and taking the next step of immersion. So far, it's magical, intriguing, refreshing, and moving. I'm finally here.
       I'll post again soon. I know that I'm on the verge of a very special experience.