// One week has gone by since I moved to Puducherry, India. I’m going to study peace and conflict studies with Kulturstudier. South Asia is the perfect location for these studies! The region’s history is rich with both violent conflicts and huge peace movements, I can’t wait to learn more about it. We will also be doing fieldwork in NGOs. All students live together in the centre of Puducherry. I’m already enjoying the former French colony, it feels safe and not too busy. But you can’t escape the fact that it’s an Indian city, it can get quite chaotic and intense at times! That’s something I love about it as well. So full of culture and beautiful people.
The study centre is located peacefully outside on Kailash Beach Resort. We’re taken there by bus each morning. We are served breakfast before the first lecture; delicious Indian and international food, fruits and fresh juice. The first day we were also welcomed with a special puja, a hindu ceremony to remove obstacles in our way. The Indian ladies working there painted our foreheads with the characteristic red dot, and put flowers in our hair, before making sacrifices to Ganesh. Definitely a useful tool for the busy exams coming up in the end of the semester!
The laid back atmosphere creates a good vibe among a group of top motivated students. People from all sorts of backgrounds are gathered because of shared interests and ambitions. We discuss world issues, small talk about the food, and laugh. We laugh A LOT. After the last lecture, we are served warm lunch. If we don’t want to go home just yet, we can read in the library, use the pool, or take a nap in a hammock. The beach beneath is also a perfect place to hang out. Breath in the salty ocean breeze while gazing at the horizon. The waves are hitting the shore with great force, tempting a an aspiring surfer girl to go jump right in. The only rule is to wear a t-shirt, following local dress codes is crucial!
The last bus takes us home at half past four. As soon as it makes a turn onto the main road, we are back in the colorful, loud, chaotic, and amazing India one associates the name with. Holy cows walking around in the streets, the smell of curry, colorful saris and religious temples are only a fraction of it. India is so incredibly diverse. Several peoples, languages, religions and cultures live side by side in this unique pool of diversity. Some are deeply conflicted, others are peaceful neighbors. Some are all mixed up and go across each other. I hope you will follow my journey as I get to know Puducherry and the Indian culture during the next months!
Helene