Where's in Tamil Nadu is Hanson Kanagaraj?

Just in front of the airport, I found a taxi and two very kind gentlemen who gladly charged me 3 times the normal price of a taxi to take me where I needed to go. I knew that it wasn't the proper price, but they were very helpful and even searching for the nearest internet cafe. In the Computer shop I was able to catch up with Hanson as well as hear from Santosh in Bagalore. Hanson and I decided to meet together in an hour at the Egmond train station--this would require a bit of travel on my part.

I left the Computer Shop and entered into dusty, bustling streets of urban Tamil Nadu. Walking to the train station I found myself immersed into an eclectic mix of modern and traditional, east and west. I encountered elaborately dressed women in silk saris, sikhs wearing turban and beard, beggars, Indian Businessmen in very western looking suits, holy men wearing loin cloths and sandals, and small herds of schoolchildren walking home after school--and all of this was just outside the Computer shop! I didn’t entirely know where I was going, but I did have a strong feeling that the train was somewhere down the road that I was traveling. I asked a shopkeeper if I was going in the right direction. By the confused and wide-eyed look that I received, I judged that my lacking in the Tamil language was going to be a small problem. I went for plan “B”.

“Subway?” I asked.

Nothing.

“Metro?” I tried again.

Also nothing.

“Rail road... Railway?”

“RAILWAY!” the man responded and quickly pointed the way down the road that I had been traveling. With a slight bow and a “thank you” I continued along my way. A few turns, a flight of stairs, a bridge, and another flight of stairs later, I found myself in front of a ticketing window and in the midst of several trains.

The “metro” was not exactly what I had pictured, but it was nonetheless very useful and did the job of getting me where I needed to go. The trains were large and simple, with doors that permanently remained open. The lack of doors actually turned out to be a nice feature, as it cooled the train quite well. Many passengers would stand in the doorway or even hang out of the train, allowing the moving air to cool them down. This looked so enjoyable that I tried it myself, and I would personally suggest that all tropical metropolitan cities follow suit.

Following my train adventure, I met with Hans just as he arrived at the station. We talked for a while at a small restaurant across near Compassion International where Hanson works. We talked about how APNTS has changed and the various ministries that he has been involved in since he graduated. I described Step-up, which is a project that our school has begun in order to help to fight human trafficking through training out-of-school youth in marketable computer skills. As I described the program, and asked if it was something that he might be able to use in his ministry, his face seemed to go limp and he simply responded, "talk about divine appointments...”

After lunch we continued to his office and discussed plans about meeting with his Father, Dr. JJ Kanagaraj. Apparently his father, who was the president of a small rural missionary training school, was hoping that I would be able to spend a full week at his school in a small village called, “Danishpet.” We decided that my onward journey would be simple if I continued from Danishpet and I could still adequately make the connections that I needed to in Bangalore and back in Chennai before I had to leave on the 22nd. So, I booked my train tickets and my tentative schedule was set... at least for the next few days.

That brings me to now....this evening at 10:40 I will board a sleeper train and try to get some rest (finally) as I make the 6.5 hour journey into Danishpet. Hope for a shower before then and some toothpaste.