Gated park in Chennai!

They say if you are counting the months then things are tough. I am counting the months but only because they are moving rather slowly. It is a more challenging place to live in considering what I had in KL. You do take the convenience for granted. Retail therapy is unlike what we are use too though if you do head north to Delhi, things do become better but the traffic is just a killer. The traffic at the toll plaza is out of this world. Seriously. Bumper to bumper, never experienced before and sorry, no pictures to illustrate this. Was in shock. No time to take camera out as was fuming. Seriously fuming. You sit there and you don't move. Anyway, still in Chennai, Sundays are the toughest since I run out places to get to, so I head to the same cafe. The Amethyst, a cafe housed in a colonial bungalow, just beautiful and calming, armed though with a good book. For fitness, especially with Chennai's Idli/Dosas, I have started my fitness and I run around this school yard very close to where I live. Fitness centre are a handful and no where in walking distance to where I live. The parks here, well, thats a funny tale. You know how we have gated communities? Well, here they have gated parks for the obvious reasons.

So what else have done, seriously nothing much. Rainy season has arrived. Water all over. Hanoi, all over again. Ankle high and Chennaites walk through it as they need to get going despite the downpour. Car owners though do not splash pedestrians here as they try to avoid water puddles so that they don't splash their car. I thought that was very refreshing after KL. There aren't any extent for you to get into trouble in Chennai, no chance of debauchery, alas!

So I sign off with a picture that I had taken whilst in Delhi. This hotel, will remain nameless as I would not want to give any airtime whatsoever as they do not deserve it! Those black things, they are pigeons. Funnily enough, there are plenty of them here. One started a nest in my kitchen which was cleaned by housekeeping team from the apartment building. I remember to always keep my kitchen door closed otherwise, imagine, The Birds......

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going....

Delhi, what a mess. Traffic, dust, smog. My shoes are getting a beating. I am using shoe polish like they are going out of fashion. Delhi is like another country, in fact I think it is as my mobile coverage was far more superior than when in Chennai and I got Internet which meant, I could upload my status on FB. This picture here is just a wee taste of what Delhi had to offer. We had to got to West Delhi, Janakpuri to check out the Hilton there and the ride there was long but very interesting. Traffic was heavy both ways as we left at peak hour. But some of the scenes are just so interesting. Reckon the picture here clearly illustrates the ability of these folks . I don't think this was the Suzuki Maruti but am sure it will something which has a wheel which I spot and a fender. Never mind that this looks like a fender bender of a situation.

We then from there headed to Gurgaon which is near the city. High rise building, modern types housing most of the blue chip companies but again, the mad traffic did not disappoint! Obviously as you can see from the attached, someone has decided on a mattress of their choice and will be getting it soon. Reckon the chap is still cycling! Probably see him the next time I am in Delhi.

Chennai has not disappointed, been getting a bit of culture. Saw a stand up comedy show which featured 3 comedians, 2 Indians who were just too funny and the main act, someone by the name of Dan Nainan from the US, who was, sad to say, mediocre. After the 2 chaps introduced him, he was just pathetic. And to think that Peter Russell gave his name to recommend him, was lets say, was shocking. Also saw an Indian take on Reservoir Dogs, it was bloody and I am sure they used plenty of tomato sauce as my friend had mentioned. The gun going off in the regal Egmore Museum Hall was deafening but the hall itself which was built sometime in the late 1800s was amazing. As I drive through Chennai, you do get a full on how the lives are lived on the streets. Be it this chap who is perched on a cement pillar and for a moment, I thought this chap was physically challenged, but he was not on closer observation. He was just very comfortable, in that contorted stance and having a wee chat and pondering about the day. I have had many more opportunities but quite often than not, my camera is not where is was suppose to be! Bugger.
Last weekend, made a KL run since an opportunity presented itself. Needed a haircut and a facial desperately, off I went. Of course in all the stops, checking KL's vibrant restaurant scene certainly did whet my appetite for food and free flowing wines and the latter is something that I am still whinging about now that I back in Chennai. Did get a bottle from duty free and also have stock in the fridge as I discover that I have friends in low places! Picture above is with the gals....in Bangsar after we raided the bootleg DVD store. So am covered for moment, had acquired some great series and have me wines, I am happy! Have now been here close to months, I am trying to settle on the home front and making it more cozy and I think I have achieved it though an now maneuvering my ways into acquiring an air con unit for the living with the company and I am getting lip service...they say patience is a virtue, I am possessing some of that just now. Watch this space as the next blog will contain thoughts pondered during my early extended weekend to Colombo and thereafter, getting acquainted with my running shoes and hitting the streets of Halls road and heading to the Don Bosco school to run around their cricket field! Plus, watch out for the news of Pondicherry......

The Acquisition and the move to support it!

Back in 2007, when I signed off the papers and had to write that check for more than 100K, I had to write it twice cause I got my numbers wrong. Rightly so, considering that I have never written a check for that amount before. There was a also multitude of payments that had to be made and I was not quite ready to part with my savings. But everything fell into place and since it did, it must me have meant to be, right? Right!

Yesterday, when I picked up the keys, I am glad I stuck to it, cause the place is brilliant. I can't wait to dress it up. I don't want to leave now but I must cause I need to make the payments on the place!

I stopped typing at that line sometime in May I think and since then, to make the payments, I now find myself in India, Chennai in particular.

I have been here 3 weeks. The first week was certainly dotted with some challenges in a form of power cuts and water cuts but things cleared up by the 2nd week and since then I have discovered where the better supermarkets are, have made a couple of batches muffins, cooked pasta with pork sausages, had a glass of wine at home! The last note is close to a miracle since in Chennai, you don't have regular wine shops as we know them at home nor can you purchase wine in supermarkets except de alcoholed (is there such a word?) grub which you would not even use for cooking! They have these TASMAC shop (acronym for TN State Marketing Corporation by the government) and sells cheap grub and those that hangout there you don't want to fraternise with. You know what they say about the Indian, Drink, Drunk, Drama? Well it happens at the TASMAC!

I have settled in. Even went for a show/exhibit yesterday about "What the British left behind" and bumped into an old friend who was showcased the event and that was indeed pleasant. Spent a lovely day and had a scrumptious lunch in a place called "Ante Keralam" which means Truly Yours in Malayalam which is the language of the state of Kerala. Anyone visiting, lunch or dinner is there, on me provided you bring me a bottle of good Sauvignon Blanc! If you ask what label then, please a Villa Maria will do very much thank you!

Any, am ensconced in this nice apartment, it is NO The Pav as some of you who have since the the pavilion unit, but hey, I don't pay a dime, so no sweat! This is the temp. site till the hotel opens.

The baking and just a wee bit of cooking is taking place and you can see from the picture, the kitchen is intact

My next blog might have more pictures, I promise. Chennai is a city bustling with sight, sound and smell.....I could have done alot worse.

So, from the land of IDs, I say, meendum santhepom..(see you again in Tamil)