In Chennai we had our first real Couchsurfing experience. Barath, a 27-year-old architect, lets backpackers stay in a room in his office. He was even kind enough to pick us up from the train station in his car. We had no problems with the 6-hour train ride in first class.
Once we arrived at the office, we spent a few more hours talking with him before going to sleep. The next day started with a temple visit. We took off our shoes, covered our shoulders and knees, and off we went. This temple impressed us with its colorful decor and the many statues that tell different stories. Afterwards, we took a walk to the second longest beach in the world, or so they told us. At first glance, we saw a long, white sandy beach with a few fishing boats. Unfortunately, on closer inspection, it was extremely polluted and cute, hungry stray dogs came running towards us. In the afternoon, Barath and his best friend picked us up and we went to a bar. We talked and since his best friend is getting married in two weeks, that was a big topic of conversation. For the wedding, they only invite the close circle (200-300 people). For the big party, they invite 2000-3000 guests. Definitely a few numbers bigger than a German wedding. However, we noticed that in this upcoming phase of life, they mainly see restrictions and annoying obligations rather than happiness and joy. This may be because in their circles, marriages are arranged by the parents. They told us that some couples only see each other twice before the wedding and have no opportunity to get to know each other better. However, they would never resist it, as family is above everything else and they would never disappoint their parents.
