The day before India

Wednesday 4th March.

We passed the southern tip of Sri Lanka last night and I emailed a greeting to cousins Jeff, Janneke and Findlay Tattersall in Gaulle; we even saw a haze of lights on the distant horizon. This morning eating breakfast on the deck behind the dining room, (we eat all our meals outside now) we watched dolphins, their black shiny bodies curving through the air before disappearing under the sea, what a joyful way to start the day! The Indian ocean has been wonderfully benevolent to us and today is no exception. It is calm and blue, with a hint of breeze to temper the heat of the sun. I gather Chennai is very hot, humid, full of traffic and fumes and crazy drivers! We shall be spending the first day there and while George is accompanying his student to a "resourcing centre" I am doing the city orientation tour to have a quick look at, the place of my parent's last posting in India. I shall ask where the National Bank of India stood (where my father worked) and hope to have an idea from that and from photographs which hotel they lived in. It was the only place during all their years abroad where they didn't have a home and I have never understood why.

They were only in Madras for two or three years as my father took early retirement because of ill health and returned to Scotland. After over 30 years in India and Africa he found it hard to settle down to life in the cold rather dismal climate of his homeland....so did I! My stoic mother never complained but spoke often and with huge affection of both countries....especially Zanzibar as my daughters will remember with some horror! We knew all her stories off by heart and it only took a few introductory words from mum to realise where we were heading !! Today I am wishing I had listened more attentively to the details.

Iam awaiting replies from the one or two Pondicherry hotels I have written to asking for rates and availability of a double room. So far nothing. So I am reminding myself that in warmer climes the sense of urgency and rush we feel and act upon in Europe and north America is rarely felt in either Africa or India. It's a healthier attitude on the whole I think but hard to adopt when one has become accustomed to the pace of life in the northern hemisphere. I have accepted that we may never hear and might have to arrange things on the spot...which is fine.

Off to Global Studies and more cultural talk on India and also the Languages of India given by...guess who....that's right a slightly nervous George as he has never been there and there are so many 'experts'on board! I find it difficult to sit through because I am more nervous than he is..it's like watching one's best friends act on opening night!

Wish us luck....