I meant to say a lot more to finish this blog off, but after five months back in the UK, I can’t really justify keeping it going any longer! Hope it’s been useful.

It made it into print pretty much how I filed it, but unfortunately, the links I’d included did not appear on the online version. So I’ve put them in this post.

You can find out about the placement I did in India here. There are work experience opportunities in Ghana, China, and New Zealand through other volunteering agencies.

I also briefly mentioned that you could set up placements directly with a newspaper. Obviously, if languages aren’t your strong point, then you’ll need to approach an English language newspaper. You can find a list of English language newspapers here*.

Well, not much more to add to this blog. However, watch out for a couple more posts in the next few days with my final thoughts. Believe me, they will be worth a read!

*I did not include this link in the Press Gazette article because I did not know about this website at the time.

I found some of Andrew Liddle’s observations to be quite pertinent to some of my own experiences of India, though I think I was luckier when it came to my homestay. (Incidentally, I considered Sri Lanka as a possible destination – but after reading that post, I am glad I didn’t!).

He mentions his longing for a sirloin steak with blue cheese sauce and a bottle of red (Steak and wine? When I was that age, it was chips and cider!). As it happens, red meat and alcohol were the things that I missed the most in India and my first meal back involved steak and red wine. So I’m with him on that one.

His other complaint is less familiar to me. He describes how the family he  stayed with gathered round to watch him eat – alone. Thankfully, this was not the case at my homestay where we generally talked or watched TV during our meals. Much like home really.

This may be my last post for a while, although I am keeping the blog going until my article for Press Gazette is published. Looks like it’s going to appear later in the month…

On the New India Express, they would syndicate articles from the Daily Telegraph. A lot of the front page leads for Education Express were originally published in the Daily Telegraph – in fact, I must have saved them loads in syndication fees when I wrote for Education Express during my internship!

The Hindu’s favourite UK title is The Guardian, from which they source a lot of their comment and features. This is fine when it’s for your international news section. However, blogger Krish Ashok, is less happy with the fact that The Hindu also buys crossword puzzles from the Guardian.

In a post on his blog, he outlines his vision for a more Chennai-centric crossword.

Sadly, the 19-year-old blogger’s account of hitting the road in his skinny jeans did not impress the notorious tribes of the blogosphere. And 475 comments later, he has apparently decided to give the blogging a rest.

I hope at some point, young Mr Gogarty will relent and give blogging another go. If he does, he might be wise to try blogging away from the lions’ pit that is Comment is Free – at least until he’s developed “his voice” a little more. I’m sure any blog he does attempt will generate lots of hits now! I for one think travel blogs are a much a more useful resource for planning travels than glossy travel supplements because anyone’s experiences can be valuable to someone else. That was one of my motivations in starting this blog. Though, I will admit that it’s not as well written as I would like it to be!Before I left for India, I looked at many different blogs to find out about living there. I found that there are many decent bloggers in Chennai, many with insights that you find amazingly accurate if you’ve lived there for any length of time.

One of the first things you notice about Chennai is how chaotic the roads are. I found several blogs bemoaning the state of the roads in Chennai. One blogger noted how some locals are turning to YouTube to highlight the state of their roads.

A common sight on the streets of Chennai is motorbikes with three, four or even five passengers (for example two adults and three children). One blogger laments this trend and how it is putting children at risk. Riding an auto in Chennai is less risky, but only just. In fact this guy’s given up autos and bought a bike!

A local radio presenter’s blog highlighted some of the old fashioned attitudes of men towards women that prevail in Indian society. Thankfully attitudes are changing, but unmarried couples who want some time together will still get grief from busy bodies with nothing better to do. Blogger Krish Ashok helpfully provides some tips on places where those with romantic intentions can get some peace.

There are also posts on topical issues, including the launch of Tata’s nano car and the latest woes of tennis player Sania Mirza, that are worth reading.

I’m also hoping to write something on blogging in Chennai, so watch out for that. In the meantime, have a look at my pictures from my stay. You can access it through any of the pictures in the blog posts or via the flickr link on the side bar.

Originally uploaded by littlesaint_uk

I’ve been back for a week and during that time I’ve been reflecting on my experiences in India. Here are some of the best things about India:

1. Friendly people: People are genuinely curious and interested in hearing about your life, so it’s easy to find someone to talk to. Unlike some nationalities, they are happy to talk about sensitive things like religion and politics, which suits me fine! It’s led to some really enlightening conversations.
2. The colour: Someone told me before I went out there that India is a really colourful place. They were spot on. It’s like a walking, talking, singing, dancing rainbow. Instead of seeing billboard ads, you have advertisements painted onto walls in primary colours. Ladies’ saris cover the whole spectrum, though I doubt a white sari would survive the dust for long!
3. The diversity of the people: In Chennai, I’ve met all sorts. There are people from all parts of India living in the city. In our office alone there were four people from Kerala, a girl from Uttar Pradesh and someone who was from a part of India that borders on Burma. The religious diversity is also refreshing: Hindus, Christians and Muslims like to celebrate their identity, but at the end of the day most people seem to get on.
4. The food: From the buffet at the five star hotel I dined at on my final night in India, to the sugar cane and coconut water I sampled in the streets and on the beach, there was always something to whet your palette. I also enjoyed the juice bars and cool bars where you could find tasty alternatives to alcohol.
5. The prices: £1.80 for a pedicure, £1.20 for a dress, 60p for a four hour coach trip… You could probably save the price of your airfare if you stayed long enough.

And some less positive things…

1. The pavements: Or lack of them. Chennai is not a walkable city. The pavements are virtually non existent and where you have them, they are often blockaded by a peddler, some dumped rubbish or even someone sleeping!
2. The traffic: It takes absolutely ages to cross a road. There are no rules – I’ve seen drivers driving on the wrong side of the road, people driving the wrong way down a one way street. You name it!
3. Auto drivers: They’re not all bad, just the vast majority of them. Hiking the price for foreigners is one thing. Hiking the price and dropping you off in completely the wrong place is another. It saddens me that they can do that to a lone female in an unfamiliar city.
4. Aggressive salesman: The guy with necklaces who hovered for about ten minutes (no joke) over me on Auroville beach, despite my obvious lack of interest in his wares, was the worst.
5. Poverty: The Indian economy may be booming, but some people fall further and further behind.

Elsewhere, BBC online contains a story on the growing incidence of rape and sexual assaults in India and the poor response of some elements of the authorities there. The story is based on the experiences of a British woman living in Goa.  

Luckily, the weather is pretty mild at the moment, much to my relief. I can’t think of anything worse than arriving back to a freezing cold Britain.

On Saturday night, I enjoyed my first glass of red wine in a month and some beef – yum! It’s going to be strange getting used to washing dishes and clothes again after being looked after for a month. 

I won’t miss the crazy commute to work. Those crowded bone-shaker buses make the Northern Line seem like first class travel by Eurostar. I will miss my hosts in Chennai and also the people at NIE – I hope to stay in touch if I can.