Anna Malai University

Down in Chidambram, the university has been a part of the landscape for as long as anyone can remember. Working at Anna Malai University means being part of the daily rhythm of this town. You see the students walking down the streets early in the morning, and the bells ringing out across the campus. Our offices are in the older buildings where the ceilings are high and the walls are thick. It stays a bit cooler inside, which is a relief when the Chidambram sun is beating down on the bricks outside. There is always a stack of papers to be signed or files to be moved from one department to another. We spend a lot of time walking between the different blocks, past the big trees and the parked bicycles. It is not a fast-paced place, but there is always something that needs to be taken care of. Sometimes the power goes out and we just have to sit and wait or talk to the colleagues until the fans start spinning again. We have a small canteen where we get our tiffin and talk about the local news. It’s a very grounded environment, far away from the rush of the bigger cities. Most of us have lived here for a long time and the university is just like a second home for the staff. We just show up, do our tasks, and watch the seasons change over the old college grounds every year.