from the blog: LIR in Pondicherry
Text written when waiting for car from Pondicherry to Chennai Airport.
Now I am home in Goteborg again, back in the grinder.
Thanx everyone, it was really a great trip.
So. The short trip India introduction is soon over. Im waiting for the car for the airport. The hotell plays Huey Lewis and the news and outside the ocean crashes onto the sea border.
The week has been dense with trips, meetings, student work, food, late nights and traffic. Even on slow days due to sudden changes of plans like a strike, a late announced holiday and weather the amount of impressions have been tremendious.
Overwealming?
No, but intense.
And beautiful.
The colonial grid city plan and architecture gives a perculiar backdrop to the indian elastic flow. On one hand there is the Riviera style boardwalk on the coastline with ocean view and the statue of Gandhi, on the other is the two blocks away gritty of two wheelers, food stands, thousands of small shops, markets, beggars, trash and tempels.
The streets have french names and the tourists enjoy the colonial heritage, shop in boutiques, eat steak (perhaps holy roadkill?) at Le Orient and sip mocca latte at le Café.
At Auroville the Mother rules and access to the golden globe has to be booked in advance. Nice tour and meeting with some Aurovillians.
Tho I cant shake the thought it feels like an all-inclusive all year summer camp for the spiritually seaking western upper class. Maybe if I spent more time there it be different.
On the other side of town, behind the airport, is the Gypsi-community.
Again another world.
Hunters living of the poor land and NGOs.
A design-students project revolving around play the spirit of play is forming and the first workshops have opened for new possible ways to explore learning thru play.
I am looking forward to see where it goes.
For me personally, this has been a great experience, and the support system of teachers, students, Pondicherry University and locals has been extraordinary.
I really want to thank you all, it has been super duper fine!
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Pieces from notebook:
In cab, trying to find adress to guest house.
Hot like hell.
We stopped on the road, had chai and pissed on the garbage dump by the dogs.
Thrash everywhere.
Evening.
Dinner.
The chilli kisses my tounge but kicks my ass.
At KBS we have coffee with tons of sugar. We need it.
Traffic.
Is.
Insane.
7% of population part of the formal economy.
The waves drag me, along the sea bed.
The sand.
Its power overwealming. It pulls me.
Back out.
Close my eyes
I am forever lost.
About design thinking:
When your eyes gets to reach the horizon, where the vision is blurred, everything becomes possible. That is where it happens.
It is all slower and more intense at the same time.
Culture consumtion.
Global cynism
I am forced to see myself
-—--------------------------------------------------
//Mattias Gunnarsson
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