Fieldbreaks; Pondicherry and Sri Lanka

Even though I never quite “get enough” of the area that I am staying in and the people here, it is very good to get away for a while to gather your thoughts, and also get new perspectives on the things one has already discovered.

I am lucky to have already been in India two times before, and both times I have stayed in the wonderful town of Pondicherry on the east coast in Tamil Nadu. There is an Norwegian school there (www.kulturstudier.no) which have classes in anthropology, history of religion, and peace and conflict studies. When I arrived to India this time I spent some time in Pondy to relax after a long summer of work, and I got to know some of the students there. So it was natural to go back for a fieldbreak, party a little, speak Norwegian, and talk to the anthropologists who work for the school.

When December came, I decided to go to Sri Lanka to get my visa extended and to finally travel on this magnificent island to the east, something I definitely should have done before, because Sri Lanka is truly amazing; from the steep tea hills in the mountains to the white beaches of the south, it really was like going to a green and lush paradise. But then again, the war is still visible, and the presence of military forces everywhere was a bit disturbing, but fortunately it did not overshadow the good things Sri Lanka has to offer.

Waiting for the field

When I first went out to do my fieldwork, I expected a new world of impressions and activities that would have me panting along, not having a minute to spare due to the well of information that would be presented to me at all times.

Well, it was not quite so. Indian time differs strongly from European time, to say the least. And I found myself waiting. All the time. Waiting for my driver, waiting for my translator, waiting for people to show up in general, waiting for the rain to stop (during rain NOTHING happens), waiting for people to get off work (overtime every day is not uncommon), waiting waiting waiting.

But I guess this is something many researchers discover when doing work in India, so I just have to make the best of it, and fortunately, when things finally happen, they are worth the wait☺

The first breakthrough

Going from the textbooks and the safe environment of the university to suddenly finding yourself on your own in the field can be quite overwhelming. And this also happened to me. Coming to Bommasandra/Electronic City on the outskirts of Bangalore (still considered the Urban part though) was to say the least confusing. I was looking for the impact of economic development, and I found it everywhere...and nowhere. And for the specific people I was looking for, the Dalits, I really had no means of picking them out of a crowd, event though I had been told that there was a vast population of them in this area. Well, then maybe one just has to rely on serendipity to get the study started? And well, so it happened.

I was going to Electronic City by bus, when I was pushed aside by a frantic crowd that was trying to get on the same bus (usually 50% on the bus stand will get on the bus, the rest will have to wait for the next one) So I found myself standing alone in the intersection by the highway, and I thought I might just get myself a banana while waiting for the next bus. And that is when I saw it. An auto rickshaw on the other side of the road, in front of a whole cluster of other of its kind, yellow and black as theyr are in this area. But this one had a strangely familiar image on its windshield: a sticker of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, the most famous spokesman for the Dalit community in India, as well as the author of the Indian constitution.

And then the aspiring anthropologist leaped into action. I asked a couple of the drivers about the sticker, and then they pointed to the sign in the intersection above the auto rickshaws, it also had a painting of Dr. Ambedkar on it. I asked what the text on the sign said, and they replied: Dr. Ambedkar Auto Stand/Sanga Bommasandra. 30 auto rickshaws working together in a group (sanga), and the drivers were all Dalits.

Further on I got to know more and more of the drivers, a couple of them very fluent in English, and I found myself with a great starting point of my study as the drivers were from different villages around the area, and presented a way for me to enter into them.

And the field goes on...

So, this weeked I am in Bangalore city, yesterday I went to see INXS play at Palace Grounds. It was a good show, but not the same as it would have been with Michael Hutchence I think...after I met up with the brother of one of my indian friends and we went to a club called Spinn, it was loud and flashy, but quite good. After we went to a private party, all in all a good evening!

In the field things are moving, I am desperately looking for a new translator, but for now I have made friends with a Dalit auto driver who speaks reasonably good english, and also gets me around in the area which is pretty vast. I have made some interesting discoveries here, and the days pretty much go by with interviews, driving around in autos, visiting offices, and writing notes at home before relaxing in front of the tv.

Underneath you can see some pictures, of my house and some other things that are a part of my life nowadays.

J.

In the field - way out

This will be a short post, as I am not connected with my Mac. I have settled in my house outside Electronics City, and the carpenters and painters have finally finished their work. Things are going well, the only problem is that I need to find a good translater and driver (in one person). Which is hard to find... People speak a variety of languages here, mostly kannada and telugu, but also hindi and a strange type of Tamil...

Well, that will be all for now, please drop me a line if you have the time!

Joakim

Some pictures (if it works this time)

Here are some odd pictures, safe to say I will not regret getting a new camera for this trip!

Bangalore - shiny and dirty

So, yesterday I arrived in Bangalore.

The first thing I saw when we hit the city was a big sign that read INFOSYS and behind it two GIGANTIC glass houses, designed in a futuristic style I have never seen before...and a 100 m down the road we hit the slums of the suburbs. Contrasts. Today I watched one of the city streets for about an hour, and the India I know from before seems far away. Here couples are holding hands (YOUNG couples even) Saris and Ambassador cars are a seldom sight. But I can't help the feeling that this town is clinging to modernity as well as it can, when the infrastructure carrying it is forever deteriating around it.

I am still in a hotel awaiting my house to get finished, so I have spent my days in Pondicherry working out questions and strategies for my fieldwork. It is time to let theories be theories, and to open up the anthropologist's mind. Let't hope it works:)

It has occured to me now that 5,5 months away from Norway is the longest period since I spent a year in the US almost 10 years ago. But I am lucky to have a quite strong safety net here; the surging modern city of Bangalore just 15 km away from my house, and a bunch of norwegians just a night busride from here:) It makes it easier to concentrate on my work, at least for me.

I hope you are all well wherever you are, drop me a line if you can!

Joakim

Back in Pondicherry

So, here I am back again, and it has been a great experience coming back for a third time. Handshakes all around, people recognizing me on the streets; all in all it has been almost like coming home. The weather is hot, but bearable, a couple of showers and the seabreeze keeps us cool at night.

Today I am moving to Auroville to stay with the field chief Selva for a couple of days before I leave for Bangalore, it's going to be nice to get out of the city for a couple of days. But it also means no internet, så this will be the last post for a while.

Hope you are all safe and well, and if you should pass this way anytime soon, I have two bedrooms free in my Bangalore HOUSE:) Come visit!

All the best,

Joakim

So...here we go again:)

It has not been much more than half a year since I left India, and now I am going back again, finally to do my fieldwork for my MA in Social Anthropology. You can read more about my project here (in norwegian): http://ugle.svf.uib.no/antro/?Kategori=854&strID=4862 and here (in english): http://www.uib.no/povertypolitics/research.htm (scroll down a bit)

So...for the next 5 months I will be living in Electronics City outside Bangalore in Karnataka. Definately a challenge, but this is also what I have been looking forward to ever since I started studying anthropology. And fortunately I have a great contact in Bangalore who has provided me both shelter and further contacts which will help start my fieldwork.

Before I go to Bangalore, I am taking a week off in Pondicherry, to see some friends, and just relax for a bit. This summer I have been working as a chef, something that is quite exhausting, especially during the tourist season...

I am also planning to do a lot mor photography this time around, as I have finally bought myself a digital SLR camera. So visit my blog now and then for more anecdotes, and pictures!

All the best,

Joakim

Hakekors, heimreise og ein nest siste post

Overalt i sør-India ser ein hakekors. På veggar, på dørkarmane, på lastebilane. Det er berre det at dei ikkje er hakekors; dei er solkors. Eit sør-asiatisk symbol som har eksistert i mange hundreår før Tyskland som land var påtenkt i det heile tatt. Solkorset var ein måte å teikne sola på før ein hadde reiskap til å teikne heilt runde sirklar. Ein teikna "hakekorset" og så sirkelen rundt. Til slutt vart berre sjølve solkorset att, og brukt akkurat som ein hestesko over døråpninga, for å bringe lykke over huset og alle som besøkte det.

At eit slik symbol har blitt så og sei einsbetydande med nazismen er synd, og eg syns det er bra at indarane har holdt på sin meining med symbolet. Når alt kjem til alt, så er det jo deira symbol, ikkje Hitlers.

Når eg i sommar fekk mi andre tatovering, måtte eg også tenkje meg om. I 5 år gjekk eg rundt og tenkte på å få den norrøne bokstaven for J - Jera tatovert på armen. Men eg var, sidan alt norrønt no har til ein viss grad blitt assosiert med satanisme og nynazisme, redd for at det skulle bli oppfatta feil. Men så tenkte eg på solkorset. Om ikkje indarane hadde fortsatt å bruke solkorset med si originale meining, så hadde Hitler vunne. Han hadde for alltid blitt hugsa for nazismen, og dets symbol: hakekorset. At solkorset skal få tilbake si opprinnelige meining i Europa er kanskje drømmetenkning, men eg håpar inderlig at det ein gong i framtida vil igjen bli eit symbol på lykke, og ikkje grusomheiter.

Den norrøne bokstaven Jera - J, står for god avling og god innhøsting. Det står også for fruktbarheit og godt arbeid, at ein skal høste fruktene av godt arbeid fram i tid. Som med solkorset så håpar eg at runebokstavane kan få behalde si opprinnelige meining, og ikkje bli symbol for nynazisme og det som verre er. Derfor valgte eg å ta tatoveringa. For om ingen brukar symbola på den måten som dei opprinnelig var brukt, så vil dei som brukar dei til å spre sinne og ondskap få kontroll over dei. Eg bryr meg ikkje om at nokon kanskje vil tru at eg er satanist eller nynazist når dei ser tatoveringa, om dei virkelig trur det, så får dei ta kontakt med meg, så skal eg heller fortelje dei kva symbolet egentlig betyr. At det er ei kjærleiksrune, og har ikkje noko med nazisme, onde makter eller satanisme å gjere.

No er eg inne i den siste veka mi i Pondicherry. Dei fleste andre er reist heim igjen, og det regnar nesten konstant og det er fuktig i lufta. Eg har fått meg flybillett heim kommande fredag, og kjem vel heim igjen til Førde litt over 11 om kvelden fredag. Tida her nede har gått fort, og eg er glad for at eg har muligheita til å komme ned igjen her neste år under feltarbeidet mitt. Dette blir kanskje siste posten min her, om eg ikkje skriv ein til når eg kjem heim igjen, vi får sjå. Uansett håpar eg at det har vore artig å lese det eg har skreve:)

Joakim