Greetings from Bangalore

Blog update 7-7

Today now marks 2 weeks since I first began my travels to India. It is thus fitting that I woke up this morning in a new town, in a new state in India. Last night I took a night bus from Chennai to Bangalore. I originally had arranged to have a chair in a bus, but for just 2 dollars more, I upgraded to a sleeper. These are really fantastic inventions. In the place of chairs, the bus has bunks installed. I was in the very last one, so with every bump the bus hit, I went flying. I was a bit worried taking this bus, as what was a relatively minor case of Traveler's gut went operation iraq on me, and left me deeply concerned about an 8 hr bus ride! Thank god for modern medicine.

Bangalore is noticeably colder than Chennai, as it has a higher elevation, and it is in monsoon season. I will be here for a week visiting an Christian Art Ashram, and attending a formal interreligious dialogue session. Chennai was a beautiful place, but I am happy to leave behind some of the travelers anxiety that I had accrued there, and to start fresh in a new town. While I found loyola college to be idyllic, with great access to conversation partners over meals, books, and quite space for reflection, the comfort had almost been crippling. I had greater anxiety at times about moving out and about, mostly because apart from a few prime sites to visit, the city lacks a center distinguishable to the traveler. Were I to live in Chennai, and organize my life around this city, i can imagine that this decenteredness would almost be ideal, for wherever you go, you can find a little of something, be it electronic shops, internet, cafes, hardware stores, local shrines, etc. Instead, diving into that unfamiliar traffic laden city, with no guide or friend employed, is always a tiring effort. I had anticipated my trip to Bangalore where I will be centrally located and forced beyond the confines of easy geographic comfort to fulfill all my needs. At the last moment, a beautiful housing opportunity opened up to stay at one of the jesuit institutions. Seems comfort may win out once more. My research, however, will take me further afield, and will thus be the vehicle of my adventuring!

Michael Le Chevallier
MDiv candidate 2011
University of Chicago
mike.lechevallier@gmail.com
www.mikeintranslation.blogspot.com