This day we left at 6:00 in the morning and drove all the way from Chennai to Tiruchirappalli (otherwise known as Trichy). It was about a 5-hour drive. We left early because we were only going to be in Trichy just for the day then planned to return to Chennai later that night.
I had no idea that later that day I would eventually be wrapped in a sari while I was there. It was a pleasant surprise. As a girl who loves clothes, I was all for it. I never realized how much material was involved and how complex a sari could be. It was gorgeous. And after she finally got me into it properly, we topped it off with a bindi on my forehead.
She was sweet to give me the sari as a gift. I totally did not expect that.
I loved meeting the family and I got to eat some proper home cooked Indian food—which I absolutely loved! Afterwards, we went upstairs to take a long nap. I think all the food and all the driving got to us.
I was also given a tour around the entire house—which was also being remodeled. How lovely it was. I was also fascinated by the stove top in the kitchen used for cooking. This was not a full stove with an oven like we have in America. There was just the top part of a stove sitting on a tabletop with, what looked like, a gas can underneath on the floor that was attached to it. I wasn’t that surprised by it since I know the living conditions in India—but I think I was just a little amazed that in the year we are living in that the government cannot seem to modernize the country any more than this. This being just one example of many different things I saw throughout India that could be more modernized.
I definitely loved chatting with everyone, including the dog. The grandma was so cute and at some point she asked me to sing to her. I just sang whatever came to the top of my head—I mean, I’m not a singer by a long shot but I just gave it a go. (Singing to grandma is here on my Instagram should you be so inclined.)
We left Trichy later that night and got back to Chennai sometime after midnight. It was a super long day but well worth it. I loved seeing another part of India tho it pretty much resembled Chennai to a certain extent—from what I saw anyway.
On to another day, we had Italian food for dinner at Bella Ciao. The outdoor seating was amazing. The restaurant played romantic American R&B slow music all night which gave it a vibe. The only thing I was worried about was if those big lizard type animals were going to make an appearance. They seem to be everywhere in India and freaked me out when I first saw one. I was definitely not prepared for these dragons. Yikes!
Of course I can never decide what I want to eat at a new place I try for the first time—so we ended up ordering all kinds of things. It’s no different from what I do at home in the States. I figure there’s no point in not staying true to myself. I mean—there were 6 or more pages to the menu. How’s a girl to decide? But since we shared food all the time, I was able to try many things anyway.
The next day after we came back from Trichy, we ate Indian food for lunch at the Murugan Idli Shop. I immersed myself into the culture by eating with my hands instead of utensils and having food on banana leaves instead of in bowls. People in India eat with their hands a lot and I’m not a big fan of getting my hands sticky and messy. But I tried to eat in the least messy way that I possibly could with my hands. I think this was my first time ever eating on a banana leaf, too, rather than a plate.
Of course it’s not like this everywhere you eat—but at this particular Indian restaurant, that’s how it was and I loved trying new experiences. The food was delish—though I did like some of the sauces more than others.
And later that night was a fun time at a restobar called Plan B. Restobars are kind of a combination between a restaurant, a bar, and a nightclub all in one. The music is super loud just like in a night club and makes you want to dance. I grooved a little to some Fetty Wap and whatnot. As for food, we had a waffle burger that was so amazing I almost ordered another one! Food usually has to be involved in anything I do anywhere. I try to incorporate it into my life as much as possible—as you may or may not know.
So many things stood out to me in India, but one of them was all the beautiful colors everywhere. India is saturated with so much color in the dresses and fashion in general everywhere (just like in my sari)—and even in some of the food like the fruit stands on the beach. Despite it being a poor country and not very modern, there is so much color and beauty there for the eyes to take in everywhere. Love!