I have said my own name more times in the last few weeks than I have done in the last year compiled. That’s because it’s the first question anyone asks me- even if I’m buying something from a shop, or travelling by rickshaw, or ordering at a restaurant. The second question is which country I’m from, we can all imagine that, and then I’m asked if I’m married. Typically these questions have been asked when I have been by myself (so most of the time) but for the last couple of days I have been with a few other westerners and it’s not so much (and neither is the staring, thank goodness).
The other day I was on the train from Chennai to Pondicherry trying to doze when I sensed something close to me. I opened my eyes and threw myself back in surprise when I found a toddler’s face inches from mine just looking at me. Now, we all know I’m not much of a fan of children anyway but to suddenly find a face so close was a bit much. But the toddler was elevated in order to reach my face- she was actually dangling off her mother’s side and she was stood next to me, leaning in to allow her child to get a closer look. As I recomposed myself, we started talking a little and ran through the first lot of questions and started talking about where we both were heading. She pointed at her daughter and asked “You children?”
“Nooo. no children.”
“Huh. You married?”
“Nooo. Not married.”
“Huh. You how old?”
“24”
“24?” Silence. “Huh.” And with that, she swivelled on her feet and turned her back to me. She stood there for the rest of the journey but didn’t turn around, and when her daughter swivelled around to look at me, she directed her daughters face away so she couldn’t see me. For any Mighty Boosh fans, it was a turningmybackonyou sort of moment and I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or feel ashamed of my disgraceful self.
Auroville is a 70’s style galaxy near Pondicherry where people live from all over the world with the common bond of acceptance of humanity. Aurovillians must denounce all politics and religion when entering and spend lots of time meditating, growing as individuals and gain absolute awareness of the Divine Consciousness. I’ve decided to include the link because, with all due respect, many of you would think I had simply been smoking too much and I’d just made it up. Oh no, it’s really there. And about as mamby-pamby as you may imagine, although slightly less love than I would have expected.
We (myself, an Australian guy named Joel who I’m with today and a Swedish couple) had been walking in the midday heat for ages to the restaurant ony to discover that we couldn’t have any food because they do not use money in Auroville (the idea is that you work and help others in exchange for food and accommodation…nice idea but they actually do get money, a little amount though it may be, and it’s put into an Auroville account which will only ever allow you to withdraw half of your wages). We were told we would have to walk back to the visitor centre which was 4 km away in order to eat with the rest of the tourists. There is a bit of a contradiction in their view of tourists. They charge for you to enter, they talk about their fabulous crystal, they say all humanity is equal and accepted and then they treat you like an unwanted refugee when you get there. Very Animal Farm. We will accept everyone on earth, but only if you’re in our club. And if you want to get into our club you’re going to have to join the queue and prove your worth and then maybe we’ll think about adding you to the list of wannabees.
This is all said with the bitter taste the experience has left. I don’t mean to be disrespectful- each to their own- and some people that we talked to were very friendly. There was one guy in particular that gave me a ride on his push bike for about an hour when I had lost my friends, it was very hot, I was heavy and I felt very grateful to him for doing this. It was a very surreal experience and have brought brochures away with me because people wouldn’t believe me if I told them about this in the UK.
Aaaanyway, that’s all I have time for folks. Home time is approaching, I’m heading back to Chennai.
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