Chennai
During the 6 hour drive from Chennai to Bangalore, I find some time to look back at the past few days. It’s not easy to type…our car bounces up and down and from right to left in the crazy Indian traffic. Not that I’m complaining; this is the only stretch that we do by car, all the other trips we have done comfortably by air.
On Thursday (the day after we visited the blind school) we arrive at Fisherman’s Cove, a luxurious resort at the seaside not far from Chennai. Friday night we play an open air concert at the beach. But first we go into town and visit a school for deprived children. The two events are a good example of my experience here in India: a big contrast between rich and poor. 
When we arrive everything is set up; a nice tent has been set up to make a nice shady place for the kids. From the stage we overview the muddy fields. It’s great to play for the children and we explain them about our music, about our instruments and play some musical games with them. After the show they come up to us and can’t stop asking us all kind of questions.
The next day we arrive at the well prepared stage on the beach. Around 45 (!) men are running around to prepare everything for the night. The place looks stunning; from the stage we look over palm trees, the beach and of course the sea. But we wonder how it will sound. There is a lot of wind, so it is hard to turn our sheet music and we literally have to play against the wind. Because of security reasons this concert is not as open as we would have liked, and it turns out that a lot of guests have come more for each other (and the food and drinks) then for the music. Despite the ongoing talking in the background there is a small crowd enjoying and responding loud to the music.
It is the moving in and out of these different worlds that makes this trip not only a musical but also an emotional experience. India is a country that is developing fast and a lot of people have become wealthy in a short time. The majority though doesn’t seem to profit. I’m glad we have performed for this group. I’m sad about their predicament. Ivar