Market Madness

Sensory overload is the best way to describe an Indian market. Today after breakfast Suresh led our class on our first trip to the town market. When we reached the gate at MCC we met our first challenge... A four lane highway with Indian traffic. As we dodged our way across traffic I couldn't help but think about the classic video game Frogger, except this time you only get one life. On the other side we began the short but intense trek to the market. The street was filled with people hustling to the market and beggars on the side with their hands out. Many of these beggars had only nubs for fingers, which I later found out was because they were lepers. The sun was beating down on us as we reached the train station that market the edge of the market. It took us under ground in a tunnel underneath the tracks and resurfaced in the market. As I came to the opening in the tunnel the chaos began. My senses began to overwhelm me as we began our follow the leader, Suresh, tour through the heart of the market. My ears were ringing with the different merchants calling out trying to get your attention, people haggling, and the incessant beeping of cabs that plague all of India. Spices, the original reason for trade with the Western world filled the air as we pushed deeper and deeper into the chaos. This sent was soon overtaken by a not so pleasant smell...fish. Suresh had turned down the fish street leaving us no choice but to follow. The street had tarps overhead to keep out the burning sun from spoiling the fish, but the tarps were made for Indians at about 5 feet 8 inches max height. Bending over to keep my head from destroying the relatively unstable tarp set up, the smell kicked in. It was so strong fish, fish, and more fish filled my nostrils and almost made me gag. I realized that the smell wasn't going to go away any time soon so I began to look around to take my mind off of the smell. There were all types of fish long, fat, skinny, speckled...it was like Dr. Seuss's book had come to life. As we emerged from the fish street I took a deep breath of somewhat fresh air as we turned the corner and into a small quite square. Suresh gathered us and began to tell us that the buildings around us in the square was his middle school. As we were leaving the school Tori noticed two really cool murals that were on the wall of the school that were encouraging people to help save the planet, a sort of eco-graffiti. After leaving the school we began to weave our way back through the crowds toward MCC. By this point I was beginning to feel more at ease within the chaos and made it back to campus without incident. When we arrived at the gate Suresh saw a street vendor with coconuts and bought each one of us one for 50 cents a pop. I can't wait to head back into the market this time with fewer people and a little more time, but this was am amazing first day out and about.

Location:Chennai, India