A Journalism Project in Madurai, southern India

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Jennifer Byres spent a month as an intern journalist with the Madurai Messenger in the Tamil Nadu region of southern India. Her placement was arranged with Projects Abroad. She gained valuable experience on her placement as a journalist and not just about journalism. But she also learned much about the people and customs of India not least from her host family.

Nurturing curiosities...

I took part in the journalism placement at the Madurai Messenger magazine in July 2011 for one month. This was organised through Projects Abroad. My decision to choose India was based on my curiosities after visiting Sri Lanka the year before. I wanted to explore this giant country that floated above my head the previous summer. I chose Journalism because I've always enjoyed writing - whether it was creative or informative.

As I'm studying for a history degree at university I thought writing, first-hand, about the history of a culture completely different to my own would be a once in a lifetime experience. As somebody seriously contemplating a future career in journalism, I knew this would help my CV tremendously as well as heighten my own cultural awareness.

My placement - to ‘bee' a writer

As somebody who has had little professional journalism experience apart from the school newspaper, I was daunted at first. However, the best part of this placement was that I was completely thrown in at the deep end as I was asked to do the cover story! As my stay was a relatively short one this allowed me to get the most out of my placement and I appreciate a good challenge!

I learnt many new skills that I know will be useful in the future. As well as improving my general communication skills, interviews were a great help to me as I need them for my university dissertation next year! Interviewing also gave me the opportunity to meet new people, unearth amazing aspects of their life and explore small, rural villages that I would never have seen otherwise.

For example, my story was about the owners of a successful beekeeping business in Tamil Nadu. I learnt a lot about what drove the owner to start out the business, and uncovered interesting but also sad truths about her family. And when else would I have the opportunity to eat honey straight from the comb and be surrounded by thousands of bees! I also developed skills I didn't think I would be good at, such as photography and creating titles, photo-captions and lead-ins to articles!

‘Madam!' - My first impressions of the people and places

It is hard to find the words to sum up my first impressions of India - chaotic, intoxicating, enriching and sensuous are to name but a few. Amid the hustle bustle of the streets, and the many stares you get as a foreigner, I found there to be a peaceful slowness to the Indian people. At times this can be frustrating as we are used to working strictly by the clock in the West, but I soon adapted to the so-called ‘Indian Time', and I soon found I quite liked it!

In particular, I found the tailor market and the streets in and around the Meenakshi Temple to be the most fascinating of places. Muggy smells, teamed with soft aromas of the jasmine flowers sold by the street stalls and decorations in the women's hair, sift through the air, as well as the sweet smell of cooking at surrounding vendors.

Yes, you will get hassled, and cries of ‘Madam! Madam!' will become common sounds as people will try their best to sell you ankle bracelets, jasmine flowers, bindis, scarves, toys, and anything else you can imagine in a vast array of vibrant colours. I found it at first to be overwhelming and at times exasperating as you tried to weave your way through the crowds. But after a while, you embrace it and remaining calm, cool and relaxed is the best way to ensure that you enjoy it.

My host family

My host family was one of the most welcoming and patient families I have ever met. I arrived with some other volunteers around ten o'clock at night and our host mother, Jeba, was standing at the front door ready to greet us with a giant smile. The family had two young children - Jesnitha who is five and Jeniss who is nine. I have fond memories of trying to teach Jeniss the board game, ‘Cluedo', yet none of us had any idea and we just made the game up as we went along! I hope that he will learn the real rules one day - I'm sorry Jeniss!

Jesnitha was our own personal wake-up call every morning, I found it amazing how much energy she had and how happy she was all the time. The father of the household, Kani, was a patient and kind man, who always made humorous remarks if we did something silly or he thought was funny. For example, one morning we had slept in slightly late and Jeba came to wake us up and I got such a fright I screamed really loudly!

Although, I only stayed a month, I really felt like part of the family after only a few days. I still laugh now, when I remember taking ‘language lessons' with my French roommates, and I kept saying very stupid sentences in French that would make no sense but it kept us laughing all night.

The family had a dog named Lucky, who I regret not taking for a walk. I love dogs, and he was the happiest dog I've ever met, I swear he was always smiling! His barking also made a good alarm, and also made for some sleepless nights, but I always knew I was safe with Lucky barking away at any dangerous chickens that happened to be wandering by!

Weekend explorations!

During my stay I had three weekends to explore my new surroundings. The first weekend I travelled with other volunteers to Munnar - a trip organised by Projects Abroad. Munnar is a beautiful hill station in Kerala, most famous for its sprawling tea plantations. I had never seen anything like it - the view at the top of the mountain was breathtaking, especially with the eerie mistiness that made the landscape look like part of a dream. However, riding an elephant through the jungle was definitely my highlight!

The following weekend, my housemates and I arranged our own trip to Pondicherry - an ex-French colony in the North of Tamil Nadu. As we arrived disheveled, tired and grumpy at 5am from the sleeper bus , but we decided to watch the sunrise from the sea-front promenade. It was absolutely spectacular and cheered up a lot of sleepy faces!

Happy memories

One of my most treasured memories was myself and my housemates being invited to dinner by a lovely lady who worked at one of the stalls at the tailor market. We bought so many beautiful scarfs from her almost every day and then on my last night we ate a delicious meal at her home. We sat on the floor in front of big banana leaves loaded with food. The amount seemed to be endless as we kept being topped up! I still have the red nail varnish on my toes that her mother insisted on painting! The warm hospitality and generosity I will honestly never forget.

On my last day it was also my host mother's birthday. We ordered a birthday cake with all our names on it and sang happy birthday whilst waiting for the taxi to arrive. These are my final memories of India, and I am so grateful to have met and lived amongst so many amazing people.

Gone but never forgotten...

Now that I am back in the UK, not a day passes where I don't think about all the memories and friends I made. I will definitely be returning - this time to the north, as my curiosity has only increased. I still have rupees jingling around in my purse with my pound sterling - maybe it's a sign me being disorganised but I think it's more a sign of me not wanting to let go of India...

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