Tirunelvelli Travels and St Thomas

Today being Sunday is a quiet day-ish. the dog which appears to have got itself into an empty house across the road continues to howl for the third day and no-one can find anyone with a key. India can be very hard at times. The birds continue to variously chirp, sing and caw loudly. The dogs bark at anything they see and the cars, buses, autos, motorbikes and lorries toot their horns constantly to make sure that they are still working... I presume. Most of the cars buses and lorries have reversing beepers except they don't beep, they play tunes, make loud sounds and sometimes even play birdsong!!!? You don't come to India for peace and quiet. The one blessing is that the airhorns which many will remember form 1997 have largely been outlawed.
I spent yesterday morning catching up with the paperwork which had built up while Maggie was here, over 50% caught up now which I am pleased about. My pupil records are nearly finished, monthly report up to half way and accounts done. I only have 3 weeks left here as I leave Tirunelvelli on Sunday 27th. My flight back to the UK (travelling internally Heathrow to Edinburgh via terminal 5 HELP!)is on the 29th. Before I go I have so much to do and social events will also begin. I'm meant to be visiting a Tea plantation this week as somehow I have never done that when in India. It's all good practice for Metilda though to run things while I am still around. I'm going to a wedding on Monday evening in a house across the road. here they have multiple celebrations, engagement party, wedding, after wedding reception ... sometimes two if bride and groom are from different places.
Yesterday afternoon, I went shopping with Raja , my English speaking auto driver. I was playing catch up again and booked him for 2 hours and by the time we had completed all on my list, it had been 4 hours. he was quite happy, got a good tip and to practise his English. I went to buy a new suitcase as I came out with one less than I am entitled to. I also went to pick up my glasses which had been repaired, picked up glasses cleaner for Colin and Maggie, dropped in thank you letters at a college where Maggie and I had spoken at morning prayers and at Bell School where I was the main speaker at Christmas and who had sent me a copy of their year book. I then went to a tailor who was recommended by Caroline Basker to have some blouses made up based on two I had brought out with me. We then stopped for a much needed cup of coffee before going to pick up the laundry Maggie had dropped in for me on Wednesday before leaving. One thing I am really looking forward to when I come home is my washing machine. I have washed almost everything by hand since coming here 6 months ago from undies to sheets and towels. as I had 2 lots of sheets to wash after Maggie left, I sent them to the laundry as there was nowhere to dry so much stuff. I prefer washing things myself though, I've never been able to adjust to the idea of someone else hand washing my smalls. Mostly washing dries quickly though.

I thought you might like to see the three drivers I am driven around by most often. Balagi is the driver of Nancy's tourist car and takes me for long distance trips. He and his wife have two boys in their late teens and his wife hitched a ride with me one day to go to Kovalum as she had never seen the sea before. We live less than 40 miles from the east coast of India here, although Kovalum, on the west coast, is 4 hours drive away.
Ignesh, has an amazing growly voice and has taken on board the duty of getting me to school every morning. He turns up punctually 5 minutes before I have to leave and is really helpful and obliging. He laughs at me a lot and shakes his finger at me if he thinks I have been disloyal and used other autos. Once he actually pulled in to the side of the road and lectured me then gave me a missed call on my mobile to check (again) that I had his number! He has about 2 words of English and I spend ages making sure he understands when I have a day off or need to go to somewhere different. He has twice gone to my destination to pick me up as I have not been clear about pick up point. That just makes me feel guilty so I have learned not to say where I am going to but only where I am until I can see him face to face to explain. He has 2 children 14 and 10, I think. That was fun getting that information right in pigeon Tamil and no English! He charmingly said his daughter was a lady child.
Raja, speaks great English which is really unusual in an auto-driver and very helpful as he helps me out if I am having difficulty making myself understood in shops. He is unmarried and currently looking for a wife. He was hoping to get married in May but has put it back to January as he wants to get both of his brothers settled into college before taking on more responsibility. I have no doubt he will achieve that as he is so efficient and responsible. He was born in Bombay, his father died when he was in College and they moved South to Chennai to his married older brother who lived there. The family then came back to his mum's native town which is here,Tirunelvelli. Here he gave up college and took on the family responsibility and worked as an auto driver for someone else for 4 years. He saved till he could buy his own auto which he has been driving for 3 years and has been supporting his mother and family all along. He is now 30 and one of the most organised people I have met here. He and Ignesh amaze all those who are with me when I phone for an auto... 'How did you find someone who comes on time Sally?' they ask me. Raja yesterday told me the secret. He said he 'liked very much' that when I said a certain time I would be there and ready. Raja is picking me up to take me to Church this evening and then I have been invited to visit his mother and family which is a real compliment. People tend to keep their private lives to themselves here, I am looking forward to meeting them.
I spent last night trying to sort out what is coming back to the UK and what is staying here when I leave. Two suitcases are full already and the house doesn't look any emptier... oops! Maybe I'll just have to leave all the pressies folks! Mind you if I trust them to terminal 5 they may never turn up anyway!

Did I mention that last Sunday we went to St Thome in Chennai? It was at the end of our day at Mahaballapuram and we were very hot and tired. Last time we were in Chennai in 2003, we visited the church of St thomas, but failed to find this place. St Thomas the apostle came to India in 52AD and established Christianity here. He was killed by a spear on a hillside in 72 AD and this is a shrine at that spot. It is a beautiful quiet space over looking the whole enormous town of Chennai, population 43 lakh (43,00,000 in Indian numbering, 4.3 million in western numbering. There is a very peaceful shrine with the reserved sacrament. There is also a church built in 1523 by the Portugese, which has various articles of interest including medieval pictures of all the apostles,  and a picture of the Madonna and child painted by St Luke and brought to India by St Thomas. The cross over the altar is reputed to have been carved by St Thomas and is very venerable. There is a relic of St Thomas too. The whole place is a real oasis of calm and faith and I am so glad that I went there. It was particularly moving to be there in the still of the evening, with a beautiful sunset . It was special to be there the week after Easter and to see pictures of Thomas' meeting with Jesus, which took place after the resurrection. I've always felt great affinity with Thomas and am sure I would probably have needed as much convincing if not more.

The picture of the cross is from Wikipedia as I did not want to take pics in  the church. Here is the link if you want to have a look in more detail. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Thomas_Mount

Post script,added at 2pm. the owner of the house has been and released the dog, it appeared to have a snare around its neck tied to a long stick. Poor thing must have been miserable.
The house owner was very nice and asked if I wanted to buy his house or knew of anyone else who did! I explained I would be leaving soon.