wheels on the bottom of my feet

The many beautiful people of Arambol

2012-01-16T04:33:00.000-08:00

Here's a guest post from Mal (you may recognize her from my adventures in Singapore).

Arambol. Land of long sandy beaches, of great Italian pizza and cheap beer, the legendary paradise beach from the days of the hippie trail. The scene is alive and well, and full of fabulous Burning Man types, hot yoga bodies, and flower children. But there are a few other groups that you may not have expected. Here's a short introduction to the creatures you will find, roaming the beaches and sand bars of Goa.

7. Indian holiday-goers.

People normally talk about all of the expats and foreigners in Goa, but in reality tourism from within India is growing too. Many were on beach vacations, and many dudes were seen swimming in underwear. I guess swimwear isn't a trend there yet for single men? They seemed to be very amused by the hippie ladies and many fantastic photos were taken with groups of young Indian guys and a dreadlocked, leather bikini girl. Score! But really glad to see it's not just an enclave of foreigners.

6. Old Hippies.

These guys are the real deal. Some of them came to Goa for the first time in the 60's, back when there were no formal places to eat and the only place to stay was a tent on the beach. It was a legendary end destination for the hippie trail overland from Europe, through Turkey, Afghanistan, and Iran to India. Some of them have stayed since then, but many come only for the Winters and return home when their six month visas are up. It appeared that many were bringing their adult daughters back to Arambol as a coming of age trip. I wish could have lived in a time when it was politically possible to make that amazing journey, or at least wish my parents were that cool!

5. Israeli backpackers with dreadlocks.

After completing compulsory military service, Israeli youth are set free and paid a few thousand dollars. So what to do? Travel around India and hang out in Goa for a few months? Why not! Arambol is full of young Israelis, trying to have a good time after a few years of strict military life. The restaurants even cater specifically to them and normally have an Israeli section on their menus. That said, I did have some delicious hummus and falafel.

4. Drum circle enthusiasts.

Every evening at sunset there is a drum circle down the beach. At least ten to fifteen people get together and play music, while people dance, and vendors sell jewelry. There was also a cookie girl, and her chocolate chip was pretty awesome. Everyone dances together - from families with children, to hula hoop girls, to poi swingers and 60 year old women flapping their arms. Pretty dang glorious. And on my last day, I couldn't stand it any longer, so I bought a drum! A little late, but oh well, Munich summers will never be the same.

3. Russians in speedos.

Another surprise group is Russians. And not just fancy tourist Russians from Moscow, but young and middle aged budget tourists. Apparently there are many cheap flights from smaller towns all over Russia, flying direct to Goa and giving some people their first taste of the beach. (And escaping Winter!) I'd never really met young Russians backpacking before so it was very cool to meet some in Arambol. They can be identified by pale complexions, gold accessories, and large bald men in speedos.

2. Hula hoop professionals.

San Franciscans will know the hula hoop types. You know, those girls who can dance around with hoops gliding all over their body and you want to try too, but it just falls down and you look awkward? They are also in Arambol, often spotted near the daily sunset drum circle. Seems that it works wonders for abs too. And even children are into it. We saw an ad posted for hula hoop lessons with…a ten year old. They can also be seen practicing in the sand before sunset, wearing iPods, exposing their midriffs, and getting their picture taken with many large groups of Indian male tourists. Nice! (Example here)

1. Kashmiri salesmen/ masters of the party schedule.

So where did we look to find out about parties? Online, posters, flyers? Nope. Since the police aren't very fond of parties in the area, they usually seem to be quite subtle in their marketing techniques. Which is why, when we wanted to know where the party was, we just stopped on the main road and asked the Kashmiri dudes who hung out on their motorcycles and ran shops. Two for one, if you need to know where a party is AND purchase a leather pouch.

We had an awesome time in Arambol, and although we had thought about taking the train to Kerala and seeing more of South India, it just happened that we stayed in the same place for 12 nights. The more Pooj, the better! I must note that the one group I sadly did not identify in Arambol is Ravers. Ok ok, I know the 90s are over and all, but I thought at least a few would remain, glowsticking away in a remote corner of the world. I guess the Goan cops have done an excellent job of turning down the bass and the rave. Oh well, someday I will bring rave back and it will be epic. Just wait!

Until then, adieu and thanks Goa for helping me get over my fear of riding on motorcycles!

Mal

p.s. Thanks, Mal! Like Mal says, Arambol is full of um, interesting people...! Some of my favorites are: Samurai Suzuki the Bob-Marley-singing/guitaring musician from Japan, Space Baba the staff-fire-dancing-hippie from Ecuador & Tony, the 7-year-old-DJ from England. You gotta see it to believe it.

3 things I miss about the Chenz

2011-12-29T11:01:00.000-08:00

3. Filter Coffee. (I.hate.Nescafé.)

2. Besant Nagar. (It was like IFMR college)

1. IDLY! (Obvi.)

***

Hello from Goa!

I've been living in this bamboo hut+ (complete with a bathroom, electricity and wifi!) and will probably stay through February (or until I get bored, super famous or run out of money).

I'll be blogging regularly (again!). My long (and romba pathetic) absence can be attributed to laziness, summer wedding(s) and being, well, jobless (it's funny how the more time you have, the less you actually have!)

As 2011 comes quickly to a close (ahh! can you believe it?) I look back on this year of transition. Although I did not spend nearly enough time with family and friends back in the US, my year in India has been wonderful and full of amazing new and dear friends, newly developed hobbies like cooking (does mint chutney count?) and DJing (say hello to Arambol's only Bollywood & Bhangra DJ, DJ Rani!), and many many many adventures (and just as many misadventures) in navigating Chennai's dating scene, planning the future (including maintaining a positive bank balance), throwing crazy theme parties, experimenting in randomness (5 am yoga, composting, GMATing, OCI mishaps, avoiding Indo police & life sans Facebook) and of course, exploring my inner hippy.

Here's to wishing on a star (wahhh wahhh) for an even more exciting 2012!

Must-knows before visiting/living/talking about Chennai...

2011-03-03T14:28:00.000-08:00

My cousin, Bunty, recently came to visit from Delhi and I realized then how important it was to prep someone coming to Chennai for the first time. Every city has its nuances and cultural mores, completely agreed. But, for some reason (and possibly for the same reason why many times I am forced to justify why I still live here and if actually do like it), Chennai has its quirks that it just need to be explained.

So, for future visitors (including mama and papa bhatia who are descending upon Chennai next week), here are some things to keep in mind...some of the weirdest things about Chennai are what make it such an interesting/crazy/romba weird place to be.

5. Lungis are the new pants.
Once you learn how to correctly tie a lungi (it's not quite as easy as it looks), they are really comfortable, really cheap and come in a variety of really cool colors (making them ideal for theme parties across the globe, FYI).

4. Add 'aa' to any word to um, be understood.

Seriously. Straightaa, Rightaa and Leftaa are part of my daily vocabulary. Try it – you'll never get lost again – that is, unless you're looking for street signs.

3. Address Rajini as Rajini Sir.
Rajinikanth, the iconic symbol of Kollywood cinema for the past thirty years, is worshipped across theatre halls across the South. Never dare utter a negative word... or for that matter, even something slightly neutral if you plan to make Chennai home. Oh, and don't forget to bring the milk for the ritual 'Pujas' that are performed for him during and soon after the release of a new blockbuster hit.

(By the way, check out a music video, Kilmanjaro, from his latest hit, Robo. Trust me, this is not to be missed. A friend of mine describes it as an anthropologist's nightmare... but for sake of identity protection, I will not quote him directly.)

2. It's all about rice.
Rice is a staple of the Tamil diet. Whether breakfast, lunch or dinner (or, even dessert, like payasam), rice is on every menu, always. Many dishes are made from ground rice batter like the ever-popular idli, dosai, idiyappam, utthapam, and appam varieties, while other dishes are undeniably just rice-looking, like pongal. It's all about the rice. White rice. Brown rice (ok, let's be honest, not so much). Red Rice. Sambar and rice. Tamarind rice. Lemon rice. Mint rice. Curd rice. In attempt to not sound like Bubba Gump... I'll stop there. (Fortunately, Shruti's wonderful food blog offers suggestions and tips to find and enjoy 'non-rice' eats).

1. Romba is the only Tamil word you'll ever need to know.
Learning Tamil is romba hard so it's better to learn one word romba well so you can be romba informed when you need to romba impress someone or are trying to romba fit in. Romba thorough list? I'd say so.

*Addendum: I'd suggest you'd read about the Chennai auto-wallahs here.

Most (over)played songs in Chennai clubs...

2011-02-05T02:40:00.000-08:00

Please note I use the term 'clubs' very loosely. We all know that Chennai isn't quite known for it's party scene (just wait till DJ Rani starts playing!) but to be fair, there are a few places that I frequent to just dance. The DJs are pretty good and while we don't dance through the night, by 1:30 am my knees and feet hate me (Ughhh, I'm getting old).

Generally I am a Bollywood and Top 40/Hip Hop snob (who knew there could be such a thing?) so my dancing is limited to Wednesday and Saturday nights (at Pasha and Dublin, respectively). While the scene is pretty updated on the new songs Stateside, there are some staples of every dance night in Chennai, and perhaps some would say of any dance party anywhere in the world (see #5 & #2).

5. Thriller. RIP MJ. But never fret, your legacy lives on, especially in India.

4. Sheila Ki Jawani. This song is not such a surprise considering it's romba catchy and from a recent Bollywood flick. What's actually more surprising is the average number of times this song is played in a given night. Last Wednesday's count: 3.

3. Rise Up. Doesn't this song sound like it's from the 80's? I like it a lot.

2. Time of My Life. Yes, it is from the 80's. Aside from hearing it almost every time I go out (sometimes even in restaurants), I also was lucky enough to hear a group of early-20-somethings singing it on a train in Sri Lanka. I'm not sure they were even born when it was released... but I must admit they weren't so bad.

1. Any Tamil Song.* Actually, let me rephrase that... 'Any song that has even the slightest Tamil beat.' I'm not sure why it is, but clubs don't play Tamil music, even in Tamil Nadu. So, if you're lucky, you get to hear one Tamil song a night and sometimes, it sounds like it's Tamil and then 6 months later you'll discover it actually is a Bollywood song borrowing some Tamil beats. Oh, India.

*This is a link to my favoritest Tamil song.ever.

Addendum: How could I forget to mention You Spin Me Round (which is also from the 80's but a regular these days)!

Why I am already planning my 3rd Sri Lankan vacation...

2011-01-31T12:27:00.000-08:00

Yes, yes, this was my second trip to the island nation of Sri Lanka in less than one year. While the first time I made the mistake of spending only three days exploring the southwestern coast of the island, I quickly made another mistake this trip by spending my five day vacation along the same coastline, without exploring any of the other sites.

What can I say?

The short 1.5 hour flight from Chennai to Colombo is the perfect escape allowing just enough time to enjoy all of the wonderful beachy things like delicious grilled jumbo prawns, clear blue-green water, and crazy dance parties. The amazing breakfast buffet at the Galle Face Hotel and the locally brewed ever-so-popular beverage, Arrack, are not too bad either.

The five reasons below are why I am already planning my 3rd Sri Lankan vacay... maybe for 8 days... Who's in?

5. The Milky Way (no, not the candy bar).
I'm not 100% convinced that it was the Milky Way we saw in the night sky, but regardless, it was one of the most gorgeous starry skies I've seen in a long time.

Coupled with the sound of crashing waves, the starry sky at Unawatuna beach was a not-so-subtle reminder of the beauty, serenity and power of nature.

The tequilla shots probably played a role, as well.

4. The People (yes, still).
From the tuk tuk drivers to the newly published young poet we met on the train back to Colombo and from the Czech scuba divers to the guest house owners, everyone we met was super friendly, helpful and romba interesting.

Also, SL is the one place where being from India is actually an advantage – as soon as we said 'India' every Sri Lankan beamed and exclaimed, 'We're neighbors!' and then promptly offered us pillows for our beach chairs and a discount on the room tariff (amounting to precisely half of what the Brits next door paid).

Holla slash sorry.

3. The DJ (I'm not sure he felt the same about me).
The super nice (and gullible) DJ welcomed me onto stage with open arms when he heard I was Chennai's #1 DJ (blame/applaud Namrata for that one).

The club could definitely not handle me on Friday night.

After awkwardly figuring out how to use the mix CD's with the mixers and turntables, I played some of my fav hip hop songs (ok, fine, with the help of my DJ friend).

I'm pretty much an international DJ though... right?!

2. The Double Rainbow (yes, it was just like the youtube vid).
On our last evening in Lanka, Namrata calls me to the window to show me what she thinks is an amazing single rainbow. At closer glance (and freakout session) we realized it was a double rainbow.

A DOUBLE RAINBOW.

What does this mean?

1. The Turtle (no, not of the awkward kind).
After the ocean ate my purse (and everything inside it, including my camera) we all began the search for my lost memories. (Btw, apparently you're not supposed to keep your purse on the sand during high tide. Who knew?)

Unfortunately, we were unable to find them... my memories (or the camera).
Fortunately, we found something even more amazing... a huuuuge sea turtle (like 3 feet in diameter) walking out of the ocean in search for a safe place to lay her eggs.

Unfortunately, she did not find an adequate place and returned to the ocean some 10 minutes later.
Fortunately, I did not make a youtube vid (see #2) because my reaction was eerily similar sounding.

Maybe it was an awkward turtle?

Why Chennai monsoons are an acceptable nuisance....sometimes.

2010-12-10T23:46:00.000-08:00

Situated on the eastern coast 700 km from the southern tip of India, Chennai's tropical climate is very different from many of the other parts of the country, or I would even dare to say, many other parts of the world. The city lies on the "thermal equator" which, according to Wikipedia, 'is a belt encircling the Earth, defined by the set of locations having the highest mean annual temperature at each longitude around the globe.'

Source: http://www.panasianbiz.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/chennai.jpg

So basically Chennai is hot and humid all year round (ick) except during the monsoons (yay)... which for Chennai-ites happen twice a year – one from June to August and the second from October-December. While the monsoon offer a much- needed respite from the heat, it often comes with its own unique challenges... buuut, I would still argue that sometimes the nuisance offers an acceptable alternative... it just depends on how willing you are to get your feet wet. Literally.

6. Rainy sunday birthdays = Perfect excuse for a 12-hour bash?
No one wants to go outside when it's raining continuously so why not just stay indoors and extend what was planned to be a 4-hour brunch into my.longest.birthday.party.ever. (in a good way). We avoided the rain AND danced till December 6th. Thanks to all who made my birthday romba fun :)

5. 48 hours of continuous rain = Dominos home delivery?
Wait, is this the second time I've referred to Dominos delivery and that too in consecutive posts? Awkward. No, but seriously, it rained for 48-hours straight putting any U.S. rainstorm to shame (except for lack of thunder and lightening). While never a fan of Dominos in the States, there's something about the pizza here... maybe it's the wheat thin crust option or maybe it's because they deliver in 20 minutes. Ah-mazing.

4. Pothole Nagar = A neighborhood obstacle course?
Just west of Besant Nagar is an area I now refer to as 'Pothole Nagar.' As the name indicates, it's literally a street full of potholes, which become even worse during the monsoons, filling with dirty rain water and turning the road into an obstacle course for pedestrians, 2-wheelers and cars alike. In addition to being gross and slightly dangerous, I shake my head in pity for its residents every time I pass it. I guess a neighborhood obstacle course makes my commute a daily adventure and is a good practical test of my scooter skills. I guess?

3. Water highs = Temperature lows?
When this north-east monsoon hits, Chennai receives most of its seasonal rainfall which means cooler than normal weather (ya-hoo!). For the first time since I've lived in Chennai, I actually opened my winter clothes box because of the weather outside and not just blaring AC in office (and to my delight found a sweatshirt that didn't reek of mothballs). I went to sleep wearing 3 layers + a blanket + fans only to protect me from the mosquitoes... because it was... 70°F! Romba romba cold. Most of us figured this was the coldest temperature ever recorded in Chennai but were surprised to find the coldest was actually a whopping 60.4°F

2. No place to hang laundry = Don't have to do laundry?
This one is pretty self-explanatory... but along those same lines... if you don't have clean underwear left = wear your swimsuit to work day. While it does make it feel like a beach party could begin at any moment, it also is just, um, slightly uncomfortable.

1. Water logging = Rain day!
Water logging is a result of poorly designed sewer systems to drain rain water. In a place like Chennai, where monsoons are part of life, it seems pretty weird that they haven't solved the problem yet. So, as a result, after crazy rains, the streets look like rivers and lakes with water up to 1.5 feet deep. No joke. It's like a dengue breeding ground not to mention impossible for pedestrians and motorists to travel. While it usually motivates me to take a taxi, stay in or just suck it up and pray rat urine disease is not a real thing, it also was just cause for an official work 'rain day' last week (aka we didn't have to go to work!). Aside from being the best post birthday present ever, it made me feel like a kid again and allowed me to re-live the joy of snow days. Why be sad there's no snow when you have rain? Rain, rain don't go away... I'm hoping for another rain day :)

Why life with Suresh is neatly-pressed, extra-friendly, convenient and sans (too many) scooter problems...

2010-11-24T22:02:00.000-08:00

Most of my favorite memories over the last 2+ years are directly related to the dynamic, diverse people I have met. India's greatness has nothing to do with its infamously corrupt politicians, prolific water-borne diseases or wide-spread child labour practices (nor with the initiatives that are attempting to fight these problems, either). The people of India are actually what make India Incredible.

People say that in India, neighbors and families are much more co-dependent, relationships are stronger and that our lives are all inextricably linked with those around us. Well, it's true. I haven't quite figured out why this is... One explanation could be that there are limited resources so people are forced to share, work together and depend on one another for basic, everyday functions. Another could be that, well, if 1 billion people didn't get along, India would be a scary place.

My favorite mutually beneficial relationship in Chennai is with Suresh, my iron-wallah-cum-day-watchman-cum-water-motor-switcher-oner-cum-scooter-mechanic. Hands down he is one of my favorite people in Chennai. My flatmates and I let him set-up his ironing station outside our front gate providing a place for him to store clothes during the day, take breaks while drinking chai, and stay dry from the Chennai monsoons, while Suresh makes sure my life is neatly-pressed, extra-friendly, convenient, and ensures that I get to work on, um, time without mechanical scooter issues (I suppose I can't really blame him for running out of gas on the way to work a few days back).

A closer look at why this 4-in-1 guy is romba cool...

4. Iron-Wallah. Suresh charges me 3 Rs. per item to iron my clothes and delivers them back to my door. He also helps me practice my counting in Tamil and even irons Saris...! While his presence is not always consistent, his turnaround time for emergency ironing of clothes is timely and much appreciated. There is also a mutual understanding between him and another iron wallah (whose name I do not know) for the spot in front of our house: when Suresh is not there, the other man takes the spot and for all intents and purposes, replaces Suresh. What can I say, we're popular.

3. Watchman. Suresh is our pseudo watchman. As he normally begins his day bright 'n early around 8 am and does not close up shop till about 8 pm, Suresh is there to greet me when I leave for work, when I come home, and even when the pizza deliveryman comes at noon on Saturday to bring me brunch :) He opens the gate for me to help me park my scooter and greets me with a friendly "Vanakam!" day in and day out. He also helps direct any young or foreign-looking person on our street to my house, saying, "Yes, yes, college girls house." But, let's ignore that one.

2. Water Motor Switcher Oner. Suresh is our official water motor switcher oner. As with many houses in India, the water motor needs to be "turned on" to allow the water motor underneath the house to fill up the water tank that sits on the rooftop. This tank is what we use for our daily water needs (of course, except for drinking). To refill the tank, we need to flip a switch on the ground floor. As the water tends to run out an inopportune times (say during the middle of a shower), sometimes it just is annoying to have to run downstairs and turn it on. So, we just call down to Suresh... "Anna! Thani!" (meaning: Sir, water!) and he (happily) switches the motor on and off for us. I know, we're pretty lazy.

1. Scooter Mechanic. Suresh is also a 2-wheeler mechanic. Although this still baffles me, (one would think a mechanic would make more than an iron-wallah) it really rids my life of most scooter problems. I discovered this one day when I was having trouble starting my scooter after heavy rains; Suresh helped me and then told me that he could fix my scooter if I ever had any problems. A few weeks ago before heading to Delhi, I was running late and didn't have time to drop off my scooter to a mechanic shop so I decided to give him my keys, a small advance and entrusted him to fix a few minor issues I had with my scooter. To my surprise (and delight), I came home to a scooter that looked brand new. I swear it looked like it had the make-over of its life with a new front panel, working lights and of course, a nice scrub down. You can't beat free delivery for mechanic services, can you? You really can't!

Suresh is a gem. Now if only he could cook...

Addendum: I just found out that the "other" iron-wallah is actually Suresh's maternal Uncle and that the woman who accompanies him daily is his mother (not wife). Also, apparently Suresh's brother, Kartik, is the broker that helped my flatmates find our house. Maybe the whole family deserves a post?

A few* things India can learn from Singapore...

2010-11-09T12:01:00.000-08:00

* I tried to limit the list to be polite :) By the way, the purpose of this list does not imply India is lame. In fact, it just means that if Singapore can go from a third world country to a romba developed and modern nation, then, well, why can't we hope/expect/wish/demand the same for India? Anyway, read on... and if you find yourself heading to Singapore, feel free to get in touch for some reccos!

8. Smile. I've never seen so many helpful, kind and happy people in one place. If it wasn't the kind lady who taught me how to break through the fancy lids on plastic cups or the hawker stall owner who gave Mal a free drink when hers fell on the floor, people were so nice and always smiling.

India, don't be afraid to smile... it's contagious!

7. Language equality. In Singapore, or the Lion City as it is commonly referred to, all students must learn English in addition to one "mother-tongue" language. For instance, if you are Malay, you must learn English and Malay. This means everyone in Singapore speaks awesome English and all the sign boards have at least two languages on them, most had four (English, Tamil, Malay and Cantonese/Mandarin). India, on the other hand, does not have a national language and while the primary official language is Hindi and secondary primary language is English, Tamilians still love their Tamil. Okay, I get it Tamil Nadu. You do not want to speak Hindi, but for God's sake, learn English! India, pick a language medium!

6. Ownership + Pride is cool. Singaporeans seem to take responsibility of themselves and their surroundings. No one leaves trash around, no one spits, and no one needs to be constantly chastised, either. Take the MRT train for instance...it's nice to offer your seat to an old lady, it's nice to let people get off before you get on the train, and it's nice to stand on the left of the walkway so people can pass you on the right. Singapore works because Singaporeans have a lot of pride... and some of the cute signs help, too.  India, love your country!

5. Escalators that operate...faster.  I'm not gonna lie, escalators scare me (ever since a dear friend of mine, in attempts to run up the down escalator, stubbed her toe, was rushed to the ER by a kind ambulance driver who gave us his snicker's bar after a crazy college formal where we then proceeded to UofC hospital where the rest of the night was spent giggling inappropriately, eating crackers and ibuprofen and meeting the fine men of south side Chicago, I've always sorta dreaded getting on them). Buuuut the escalators in Singapore are actually faster than the average escalator...seriously...like they just operate at a faster speed to get you where you need to go. I mean, if you gotta use them, it might as well be as fast as possible right? Oh, and of course they always are functional and even have escalators that take you from the ground floor straight to the 4th floor of the Iluma mall so you can proceed directly to the food court. Ingenious.  India, use some technology!

4. A new national "flower."  As I headed towards the Singapore Changi airport, I noticed that there was nothing more ubiquitous than the site of construction cranes dotting the skyline. In fact, more than any flower or bird, I noticed cranes everywhere. While the Indian lotus (thank you, Wikipedia) is quite a pretty sight, there are other ways to beautify muddy water. Also, using construction cranes is actually faster, more efficient, and just plain more humane than making old men and women lug stones on their head any day.  India, don't be afraid of moving beyond manual labour!

3. Toilets toilets everywhere.  A recent study done by the Transparent Chennai team at Centre for Development Finance found that there are 715 public toilets in Chennai, a city with a population of over 4.6 million people. I think I saw more than that in my short, jam-packed 4-day visit to Singapore, a country with a similar population. I'm not only talking quantity here, the quality of the toilets was amazing. Regardless of the time of day (Clarke Quay's toilets at 4:30 am outside the delicious late night Mexican food joint were better than most of the movie theatre toilets I've been to in Chennai) they were usually immaculately clean. They also had so many different options – the squatter for indos, the child seat for little children and special handicapped toilets – to accommodate the diverse melting pot of cultures.  India, build more toilets!

2. Play more Hindi music. After a night at The Butter Factory, a club near the famous Merlion (yes, as mer-lion) statue, Mal and I decided we needed some Bhangra music in our lives. We found ourselves at the Rupee Room at midnight on Saturday trying to bargain with the bouncer to let us in. When Mal nudged me and reminded me I was in Singapore, I sadly acknowledged that my bargaining was useless here. We walked in and immediately ran to the dance floor, where we remained for the next 4 hours, dancing to every Bhangra hit from the last 15 years, every Bollywood hit from the last 5 years played at least twice and the ever-popular Black Eyed Peas...every Punjabi's dream. All of a sudden I realized that no night in Chennai was complete without my favorite Tamil song so I pleaded with the DJ to play it to which he replied, "Sorry M'am, only Hindi music." While I sulked and pouted for the next two minutes, I realized that even in India I could not go to a club and hear this amazing music since normally it would be mixed with house, electronic, or even worse, it would only be on "Desi Night" on a random weekday (mind you, while I don't mind, my boss probably does). India, "Desi Nights" are cool!

1. Hygienic and incredibly delicious street food. When I first heard the term "hawker centre" I was totally uninterested. Now, if you mention it to me, I'd probably freak out and hop on the next 4 hour and 5 minute flight to Singapore. Hawker centres, which are everywhere in Singapore, are the best way to eat. Still owned by individual families, the feeling is of an old-school mall food court where all types of cuisine are cooked fresh with unique home-cooked tastes. The food is romba delicious, romba cheap and romba sanitary. As in, I never feared for my small intestine when I drank fresh dragon fruit juice, ate heaps of malaysian food off of a banana leaf or stuffed my face with the ever famous chicken rice dish all for usually less than 120 Rs ($2-3). The hawker stalls were given a health code rating and many were improved by the Hawker Centre Upgrading Programme which promotes sanitation, modernization and well, eye-pleasing goodness. Imagine if all India's delicious street food was under a clean roof with toilets and sans fear of giardia, typhoid, random disgusting bacteria and mosquitos... ah! (Romba = super in Tamil, the official language of Tamil Nadu).  India, build hawker centers!

Thanks to Mal for an awesome weekend and some great photos :)

3 must-haves when moving into a new place...

2010-09-15T03:03:00.000-07:00

3. Internet. It's sorta sad but it's true. How are you gonna post on FB that you are back in the country?! (Btw, a special shout-out to Sebastian, the kind and romba competent Airtel fellow who came over for a house visit at the correct time AND fixed my internet in less than 5 minutes. He deserves an award.)

2. Keys. 4 days after moving in, I finally got my own set with two locks. Ya-hoo.
(In my housemate's defense, I was basically bed-ridden with this back "thing" for days.)

1. A bed. And by bed, I mean mattress. But seriously, a bed can change your whole perspective...on life. (Especially a double.)

...Here's to take 2 in Chennai!

I'm not sure what I can promise in the foreseeable future, but I will tell you all there's definitely gonna be more dancing (and possibly more DJing); more idly (and possibly more cooking); more blogging (and possibly more videos); more Tamil speaking (and possibly more Hindi reading), and more clean drinking water (and possibly more village time), in the future.

Top 10 Reasons to Visit Pooja in India!

2010-08-05T18:05:00.000-07:00

So this past May, 1 bean burrito (Megan Dorsey) and 2 Jews (Emily Farber and me, Lauren Kaplan) traveled half way around the world to visit one Pooja Rani Bhatia in southern India. Despite the occasional bout of food poisoning, heat stroke and auto rickshaw driver, we had a trip of a lifetime, and it’s all thanks to Pooja, the best tour guide, translator (even if it was in English) and bargainer a girl could ask for. Therefore I have created the top 10 reasons that everyone should visit Pooja in India:

10. She knows the best pools to sneak into…with peacocks and everything.

9. She knows how to order everything perfectly. DELISH!

8. She knows how to negotiate to get both the best deal AND the cutest trek guides

7. She knows where to get special tea! (aka kingfisher in the south)

6. She’ll teach you bhangra (aka turn the light bulb, I don’t know, I don’t know)

5. She’ll let you ride on the back of the scooty…even when you have no balance

4. She’ll surprise visit you in Delhi and invite you to her grandma/nanima’s house

3. She buys you ridiculously good looking hats to stay cool from 120 F temperatures

2. She is Hindu, which means she can get in anywhere and tell you what it’s like

1. And lastly, she is the best fabindia shopping companion a girl could ask for!

Okay in conclusion, for some of us, India is a crazy, overwhelming place, but experienced alongside a great group of friends, and a GREAT tour guide will ensure that you too have a trip of a lifetime!

Thanks Pooj!!!

Best thing about being back in the States...

2010-08-02T18:46:00.000-07:00

1. Bathrooms. Accessible bathrooms. Clean accessible bathrooms. Clean accessible bathrooms with toilet paper. Clean accessible bathrooms with toilet paper you can flush... I'll stop now.

(OH! and seeing so many of my fav peeps. Obvi.)

10 (pretty) good excuses as to why I have not blogged in over 3 months...

2010-07-29T13:04:00.000-07:00

10. Taco Bell, Bangalore consumed my thoughts for over a week. I'm not gonna lie, it wasn't as good as what they cook up in the good ol' USofA but it was definitely worth the 1000 Rs. transportation cost to get to and from the Tbell and 600 Rs. of deliciousness including (but definitely not limited to) chocolate quesadillas, crunchwrap tacos and FOUNTAIN DRINKS! By the way, yes there were auntys in saris there, too.

9. Meggie, Farber & Lauren did South India. They visited Chennai, it was hot. It was also so great to see them and take them around the 'Nad and Kerala! Look out for a guest post soon :)

8. One month in Rajasthan during the hottest time of the year! I spent one-month on a pilot study in Northeastern Rajasthan (May-June) studying consumer preference and household decision drivers to purchase (or not purchase) filtered drinking water, in partnership with Sarvajal, a social enterprise based out of Gujarat. Um, yeah. I also drank a lot of really bad water, went to the really gross Rat Temple outside Bikaner and wore a bindi everyday.

7. I'm really bad with directions. Much of my time spent on my scooter is spent asking for directions from random auto-wallahs or, more recently, paying auto-wallahs to follow them to my desired location with them continuously checking to see if the crazy person who owns her own vehicle is still paying to follow an empty auto. I am. That being said, I think getting lost took away from my blogging time. There, I said it.

Okay, actually Sunil is from Rajasthan, but I wanted to include this picture because he's like the sweetest.guy.ever and also, coincidentally has the best.mullet.ever.

6. My mean flatmate made me move out. Check my FB statuses from the month of July and you'll know what I'm talking about. That is all.

5. The World Cup! Even though games were at midnight and India, with its 1 billion+ population can't put together a team that can qualify (don't even get me started), the world cup was still a celebrated event in Chennai. We managed to watch at least a dozen games...favorite one hands down was watching Germany vs. Spain at the Indo German Cultural Centre when I was supporting Spain. Awkward turtle. Least favorite was when I had to leave the snowy TV with awful reception at the International Airport in Chennai to catch my International flight to Germany where I asked the first person I saw in the morning who had won the final and was given a deathly stare.

4. Karma Bar & Lounge. I'm not sure if they know this, but they have revolutionized Chennai's late night scene. Open until 4 (or 5) am, Karma offers bottle service for (1500 Rs.), has pleather booths, a stripper pole in the middle of the dance floor and plays awesome Bollywood & Hip Hop. Does it sound like I'm working for them? Cross your fingers and maybe I will be...DJ Rani? Also, it pays (literally) to have a friend who works for Chennai Live who gets free passes from Karma like all the time. Ah-mazing. Thanks, Pooja Cutiepie (that's her name err email address).

3. The triple jump. Worst.decision.ever was my ticket home from Chennai through Frankfurt AND Washington DC. Aside from the 4 hour wait on the tarmac in Frankfurt (due to broken AC, missing part, low fuel, lack of snacks/water, no terminal available to park, etc. etc.), I was sitting on a flight that was like from the middle ages without a working reading light and a video screen that only showed 4 movies that had to be rewound every 3 hours. WTF?!

2. Chennai Round two. Yep, believe the hype. I'm going back to Chennai and continuing my stint with IFMR. Bring on the Rhapsody happy hours...and clean drinking water projects and fresh fruit and design work and scootyin and, and more!

1. Pooja Does America. In the words of Ahicks, I am doing America. Toledo to DC to NYC back to Toledo to Las Vegas (tonight!) Catch me if you can...! :)

Amazing bus trip from DC to NYC...almost like many of bus rides in India. Um, not. Wifi, free water and bathrooms on board = heaven.

The #1 best way to learn to make curd!

2010-04-28T02:49:00.000-07:00

This might be considered by some to be a shameless plug. It is.

It might be considered by others to be a lazy post. It is.

It also may be on its way to becoming a viral hit. Cross your fingers and enjoy the video.

mmm Curd!

Do it yourself: Curd in the Kitchen from Kirsten Anderson on Vimeo.

3 of my favorite things slash blogs about my job...

2010-04-22T05:52:00.000-07:00

Below are a few recent blog posts I've written that describe what I've been up to in the past 3.5 months...(btw, all come with the right amount of gloss, positivity and importance that any "professional" blog entry ought to convey).

Blog entry #3. Using fancy Apple software and new media to put a communications spin on unresolved (and slightly boring) issues that have been at the forefront of health and environmental issues in the developing world.

Blog entry #2. Conducting "Design for Social Impact" workshops at a design school and IIT conference in South India.

Blog Entry #1. Writing (and ranting) about Indian culture, development issues and some things in between.

I know, I know. I don't talk about work often (or usually, at all), but I figured I should (probably) try and change that. Also, I thought this might be a perfect time for a shameless plug for my recently completed project and newly written blog entry (see #3).

As a research consultant for the Rural Market Insight team at the Centre for Development Finance my work is to look at renewable energy sources and access to clean drinking water through products and services that are being developed for those living at the "bottom-of-the-pyramid" aka the BoP* in rural India. I tend to come at this from the point-of-view of the user – emphasizing the importance of understanding user-behavior and pushing user-centered design to help socially oriented businesses, investors and NGO's serve this population more effectively and treat them as consumers should be treated.

*In general, I feel the term, "BoP" is fairly derogatory and basically pretty offensive while at the same time describing a really really large percent of the global population. Regardless, I use it here to exemplify the "lingo" that many market-based solution advocates are taking (RIP CKP) and to connect what I do with how many international social entrepreneurs and investors talk about and refer to this cross-section between business and development.

Reasons why Sri Lanka is India 2.0

2010-04-18T04:39:00.000-07:00

4. Smiling faces... everyone was so incredibly friendly, always smiling and eager to help. From the kind uncle who provided shelter from the rain to the motorcycle guy who followed us to the Galle fort to make sure we didn't get lost – it wasn't just that weather that was super warm.

3. Gorgeous beaches... a 630 am barefoot stroll along the beach was the best time to see early am surfers catching the waves and the beautiful, trash-free coastline.

2. Casinos! ...after losing 4000 Sri Lanka Rupees (roughly 2000 Indian Rupees) in about 10 minutes, a few "complimentary drinks" later and 4+ hours later, I managed to come out ahead...winning a total of...wait for it...300 Indian Rupees. Believe it or not.

1. Stuffed Rotis! ...I could probably eat a stuffed, fried roti everyday for the rest of my life. Veg or non veg, these rotis were the staple diet of our 3-day mini vacay from reality.

3 household appliances most people can live without...

2010-04-17T03:23:00.000-07:00

but I obviously could not.

3. mixey! ...to make lassis + papaya cardamom shakes.

2. speaker system! ...to listen to shitty hip hop really loud in my room + practice my (lack of) DJ skills...sorry, housemate!

1. toaster! ...to eat wheat toast with my hard boiled eggs for bfast...mmm!

But don't worry, I have yet to invest in other less important things like a sandwich maker, living room furniture or a proper maid.

Reasons why Mumbai 6 vs. Chennai 2 (and no, I'm not talking about IPL*)

2010-03-27T03:57:00.000-07:00

6. Vada Pav: Delicious, incredibly unhealthy Mumbai carbohydrate speciality. Only was tempted by this recently when helping a friend research for a project about heart disease in India (Thanks, Michi!) Well done, Mumbai.

5. No men peeing on streets: Okay, "no" is probably an overstatement. But, it's quite amazing not having to watch where you step 24/7 slash not having to feel guilty after verbally abusing those who do pee on the streets. Well done, Mumbai.

4. Local trains: Yes, they're as packed as in the movies, even the "Ladies only" cars. I actually found that riding in the regular compartments that I was able to have more inches of personal space due to men not wanting to get yelled at for "crossing the line." Incredibly cheap and pretty good way to travel through Mumbai...NOT during rush hour, that is. Well done, Mumbai.

3. Dharavi Slum Tour: I was hesitant at first, but upon recommendations from friends, I realized it was not only raising money for a good cause but a way to restore my faith in development work. The largest slum in Asia has roughly 650 million USD turnover per year, is a recycling hub for international plastics and exports leather and other goods all over the world. It was really an eye opener. Well done, Mumbai.

2. Totos: An amazing "mechanic garage" themed bar seemingly run by a group of Uncles (one of whom walks around with sunglasses on). Draught beers, young good-looking crowd and servers in bright orange overalls. Well done, Mumbai.

1. Metered Autos: Probably the best thing about Mumbai. No bargaining, no hassle, no problem. Auto-wallahs are willing to go anywhere, whenever and are even super helpful when you don't know the exact location of the destination (take that, Chennai). Well done, Mumbai.

Everytime I go Mumbai, I like it more and more...it's definitely a city that grows on you!

(Chennai's 2 points come from– 1. Manageable street traffic and 2. Bhangra/Bollywood night @ Pasha, a dance club in the Park Hotel).

*IPL = Indian Premiere League, which is India's 3-year old national cricket league. My first cricket match is next Wednesday...go Chennai Super Kings!

Most ridiculous mama & papa bhatia quotes from our recent vacay in Kerala*

2010-03-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

7. "I didn't assume, I overheard."- papa bhatia referring to a couple (who have been married for 4 years) on our tea plantation walking tour in Munnar as "newlyweds" without having ever spoken to them. "4 years of marriage is still considered newlyweds; you are newly married until you have been married for 5 years," my father, clearly a marriage expert, further explained to the couple.

6. "South Indians must really like gold."- papa bhatia commenting on the sheer number of roadside billboard advertisements for gold jewelry.

5. "It's not that we don't like your current flatmate, but if you had a ring on your finger, we'd like him a lot more." - mama bhatia's response to my concern they don't like my current (male) flatmate, even though they have never met him.

4. "Did you bring any oil?" - papa bhatia trying to be funny in conversation with a Saudi Arabian medical resident on a boat tour of Periyar Tiger Reserve after finding out where he was from. "What? It's a very funny question," he rebuked after a look of terror swept over my face (no pun intended).

3. "The food here [in Kerala] is much better than the food in Telugu."- papa bhatia on comparing Keralan food to the food they ate on their tour of Tamil Nadu last year (yes, papa did mean Tamil Nadu and btw, Telugu is a language spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh).

2. "Sorry, we meant 'Tamilian food.' It's just that we consider everything south of Delhi to be 'south India.'" - mama bhatia trying (hard) to justify papa bhatia's earlier comment.

1. "We're SO happy right now."- mama & papa bhatia exclaiming between bites of fresh tandoori roti at our last lunch after 5 days of Keralan parotha, Appam and Phulka (which was apparently too long for my Punjabi parents).

p.s. Mama B- thanks for all the goodies you brought me from the USofA :)

*Kerala is beautiful! In addition to the 24 hr. mama & papa bhatia entertainment, the greenery, abundance of coconuts at every corner, delicious seafood curries and variety of boating trips available, Kerala made for good photo taking opps and a welcomed diversion from city-livin.

Quanitfiiable reasons why auto rickshaws in Chennai = worst in India

2010-03-04T22:03:00.000-08:00

8. Number of Times Auto-Wallah Spits While Vehicle is in Motion × Number of Times Auto-Wallah Stops Auto-Rickshaw to Pee on Roadside While Passengers Wait Inside > Grossness of Accidentally Stepping in Cow Shit in Sandals While Leaving Your House En Route to Hip-Hop Night at a Dance Club

7. 4 Passengers in Auto-Rickshaw = 3 People Squished in Back Seat + 1 Brave Soul Sitting Next to Auto-Wallah × Number of Times Required For Front Passenger to Physically Exit Auto-Rickshaw So Driver Can Restart Engine

6. Confusion of Name & Exact Location of My Flat + Drop-Off in Front of My Door ≠ Permission to Request Additional Rupees At Time of Payment and Freedom to Dole Out Insults for "Well-Educated People Complaining About 10 Rupees"

5. Semi-English Speaking Auto-Wallah + Look of Semi-Understanding About Requested Location= High Bargaining Power and Ability To Charge Up To 2X Accepted Amount

4. No Patrol + 5 minute Unannounced Stop at Gas Station = Guaranteed Tardiness at Any & All Important Events

3. Cost in Rupees for a Ride ÷ n Number of Kilometres Actually Traveled (where n= ∞) ≥ Actively Throwing Money Out of The Side of Said Auto-Rickshaw

2. Nightime Charge × (Number of One-way streets + Number of Flyovers + Possibility of Traffic + Road Construction) – Acceptance for Drop-Off On Opposite Side of Street = 5X Price in All Other Major Metros in India

1. No English + No Hindi + No Idea Where Requested Passenger Drop-Off is Located = Excuse To Stop Random White People on Road at IIT To Make Passenger Awkwardly Try and Escape Said Situation

These are just off the top of my head...maybe this guy is different...although, probably not :)

Impending purchases that will (most probably) increase my quality of life threefold

2010-02-21T10:51:00.000-08:00

3. A scooter (to make it possible/economical/enjoyable to run more than one errand per day)

2. A mixey (blender) for papita shakes (to bring variety to my papaya "habit")

1. A mosquito zapper racket (to protect me from dengue and malaria AND simultaneously improve my tennis game)

...March is looking crazyyy!

People that have restored my faith in humanity despite me spending all day at work reading about poverty, corruption & social development failures

2010-02-18T03:46:00.000-08:00

4. The random guy on a Mac. After a rough Wednesday night, I was having trouble concentrating in the unusually quiet and extremely birghtly lit office. I escaped to a coffee shop so I could sit comfortably on a couch to finish reading and indulge in free wifi and delicious coffee (Kleio beats Coffee Central because they have a restroom!). A colleague of mine immediately connected to the wifi (on her PC) and for some reason, I was having too much trouble on my Mac. Disgruntled, hungover and really wanting to check my email, I was uber frustrated at my many failed attempts. Having seeing a random guy on a Mac when I entered the café, I figured it might be worth my while to go and check with him to see if he was able to connect online. He said he was and told me to bring my computer over and motioned for me to have a seat. After a few quick minutes of configuring this and that and opening and closing windows, he quickly fixed the problem and connected me to the Internets.

The random guy on a Mac restored my faith in humanity and introduced me to a whole new world of amazing coffee shops with fast (and free) wifi.

3. The observant European floater.* For Valentine's day, a group of us went to Ideal beach, a small "resort" about an hour south of Chennai. The beach is one of the cleanest beaches I've seen in India and the water is, well, decently clean (or so it seems). We all ran in (after some drinks and apps), excited to be in the ocean on a beautiful day in real swimsuits. After a bit of wave catching and floating, the group headed back to shore (safety) but I decided to stay out a bit longer to increase my chances of getting a good suntan. All of a sudden, I realized I was really far away from shore and the waves were actually pushing me further out instead of back to the sandy beach. Despite my efforts of trying to swim back, I could not. My feet could not touch the ground and I started to panic. My breathing became short and I had flashbacks to an awful kayaking trip in Laos where I thought I was going to drown (we were kayaking in water that was actually better suited for white-water rafting, which we found out mid-trip). I saw a guy floating with a blow up raft about 20 feet away from me and quickly waved my hand. Scared he would think I was just trying to be flirtatious, I was not afraid to hide the look of panic that had taken over me. He immediately started swimming over, passed me the blow up raft and told me to hold onto it. I used it to propel me away from the dangerous abyss and toward safety.

The observant European floater restored my faith in humanity and introduced me to my second chance at life.

2. The kind Tamilian neighbor. My roomie is out of town for the week and generously agreed to let me use his scooter while he was gone (if and only if I promised to wear my helmet). He warned me about the battery as it probably needed to be replaced soon but said it would probably be fine. Out of fear of getting stuck in some random corner of the city, I didn't go near the scooter for days. Last weekend, being slightly overwhelmed by the number of errands I had to run on my Saturday morning (I now realize the value of wfhing) and decided to take the scooter out for a spin. I rolled it out of the gate and tried to start it. Failed. I tried to kickstart it. I didn't know how to do it; failed. I looked over at a neighbor who I had never met before or even seen for that matter. He saw my look of desperation/intense stare at him through my helmet and came over to my scooter immediately after parking his car. Without an exchange of words (only head bobs and smiles), we spent 3 (very silent) minutes of him trying and then successfully jump starting the scooter...he rolled it over to me and I proceeded to explore the streets of Chennai.

The kind Tamilian neighbor restored my faith in humanity and introduced me to a new world of auto-rickshaw free life in Chennai.

1. The three old Tamilian aunties. After work last Friday, I found myself hungry and with some time to kill before movie night at a friend's place. I went to my usual lunch spot, Hotel Ananda, for "snacktime" and ordered a plate of idly. As I was ordering, three old Tamilian aunties sat down at my table (apparently this is a common practice in South India) and proceeded to order something delicious-looking that I had never seen before. After I finished my idly, I was left a bit unsatisfied and looked to the waiter with a look of confusion and sadness on my face. He looked to the three aunties and one motioned to her plate and said "Try it, it's made of speeces (spices with an Indo accent)." I shook my head politely and motioned that I'd pass. "No, no, you should try it. Many speeces (spices) and onions and made of lentils." I reluctantly tore a tiny piece of said dish and was about to try it when she motioned to the bowl of saabji that had accompanied the dish. "Deep (dip) it in that, go ahead, deep (dip) it." I semi-dipped the tiny piece into the saabji and experienced the amazingness of an undiscovered South Indo cuisine...daal dosa. It's amazing. It has no simple carbs and it apparently is only served on special days at special times, so it'll be a trick to track down. Not only did this discovery change my view of South Indo food in a matter of minutes, I also have never felt so welcome by random strangers (who were so vested in my next snacking decision).

The three old Tamilian aunties restored my faith in humanity and introduced me to a new world of complex-carb deliciousness.

Despite my depressing reading on corruption, poverty and social development failures, I have been warmed by kindness and introduced to a whole new world right under my nose.

To the kind people in Chennai, thank you. Just like Professor Morrison said, it's the small things that matter in life...and alas, the whole has become greater than the sum of its parts. I now have a restored faith in humanity!

*btw, I know the observant European floater is not South Indian but he lives in Chennai...so ya know, same same.

Why I will never go to a fortune teller on (Elliot) beach (again)...

2010-02-14T08:20:00.000-08:00

fyi...I understand my incredible superstition/belief in bad omens is completely embarrassing and totally ridiculous but, it's well-founded...trust me! I should have learned from my experience in Bhilai, but obviously did not. It has taken 2 months + to come to terms with my fortune teller run-in and now (I think) I'm ready to share it with it you.

This post is dedicated to my roomie and my boss, who both would have not lived with me/hired me if they had known about this "incident" earlier...that I'm sure of...because they told me.

5. The fortune teller and his words (from over two months ago, mind you) come into my head almost once a day...almost.

4. The fortune teller did not speak English or Hindi (or even English with an Indo accent) and unfortunately we do not speak Tamil, so he quickly interrupted an unassuming group of college students and made one (very kind, I might add) guy come sit next to us and agree to translate the entire "reading" before we could change our minds. I now understand, yet another situation, in which the phrase, "don't kill the messenger" actually applies and well, saved this said translator's life.

3. The fortune teller "works" with a parrot who lives in a (very small) cage pulling a card from the stack of cards on command in exchange for a small piece of a (probably old and stale) cracker. The fortune teller's parrot picked a "cobra card" out of the card pile for me. Apparently very bad.

2. The fortune teller told me not to make any important decisions for "some" time (this was during my "job hunting" job trip in December), that I'm the Bhatia family scapegoat for any problems (thanks, guys) and then, upon me picking what I was left to assume was the same "cobra card" from the pile that the parrot had previously picked, that I was under a bad omen for unintentionally hurting someone very deeply. This curse could only be removed by doing a Puja with snakes/meeting a snake charmer/very unclear exactly what would or would not qualify.

(Actually, he told me that I had accidentally knocked over a South Indian widow's special fruit offering to God in mourning of her husband...but after minutes of trying to figure out how I could have done this having been in Chennai for less than 48 hours, I was told to interpret it "figuratively").

The scariest part of the entire situation happened when I offered to pay him to "perform" this said ceremony/Puja/offering and he said he couldn't. I asked him to recommend someone (assuming he would recommend his brother or friend) and he said he didn't know. WTF?

1. The fortune teller was in my mind. I let a few days pass, but still could not shake his words, literally staying awake thinking of what would happen to me if I did not remove this said curse. After being shat on by a bird on my way down to Pondicherry, I realized that was the last straw. I forced myself to make a detour at the Crocodile Park cum Snake Milking Station and see what I could do about this situation I had "unintentionally" found myself in. After visiting (and being fascinated by) the milking station, I asked one of the men working there if I could go to the village and meet the snake catchers (catchers = charmers = bad omen breakers, right? right.) He explained the village was very close. I thought about it, but before I departed for my journey into the village, I decided it was worth my while to explain my story to this guy (mama bhatia flipped out at this part of the story...naturally).

Before the words were even completely out of my mouth, he motioned me to follow him, yelled out to a fellow snake milking station colleague and led me to a small, hidden temple next to the milking station. I covered my head with my shawl, followed his colleague and watched as he lit the diya, mumbled a prayer, placed a tikka on my head and placed the small offering I had given into the temple filled with 11 cobras that identically matched my 2 "cobra cards."

I was saved. This was it (talk about a case where 1+1=11) This was the end of my curse (knock on wood) and I promised myself never to visit a fortune teller on (Elliot) beach (again). I'm never having my fortune read, unless...the fortune teller looks really really convincing/legit and speaks my language, that is.

How To: Do laundry with a semi-automatic (and really complicated) washing machine.

2010-02-04T05:24:00.000-08:00

*This is a reverse list...bear with me. Also, the pictures are intentionally small to avoid judgment on dirty brown water...see below.

1. Carefully (or regret later) separate clothes by country in which they were manufactured (specifically referring to India & Thailand, and for the latter, namely Thai fishing pants, which are also on my love/hate list) as to avoid tinting all your clothes light green (for a random example). Even Fab India clothing should be kept far away...until it's faded enough (aka after a few washes) to not pose a big risk.

2. Power "on" and then put clothes into left side of "manual" washing machine. Turn knob to "wash" (seemingly minor point, but many minutes and too much water has been wasted because the the drain was open and I was trying to fill the machine.) Turn on the water from the faucet nearby. Add mysterious blue powder soap, that, according to my new roomie, Kunal, "Gets out stains that I had given up on after more than a dozen washes in the States."

3. Turn off faucet. Add pre-selected clothes. Wash cycle. 15 minutes of freedom until the buzzer (which cannot be silenced goes off) aka don't take freedom too far. Buzzzzzz! Open lid, see dirty brown water. Freak out.

4. Cringe. Quickly turn knob to "drain." Drain. Turn knob to "wash." Add water from faucet for next "rinse" cycle (no soap). Rinse. 9ish minutes. Buzzzzz! Open lid, see dirty brown water. Freak out. Repeat 5x.

5. Disgruntled, decide that this is clean enough and move clothes to the right side of the machine into the centrifuge. Load up the heavy, soaking wet clothes in an even fashion as to avoid the loud sound that comes when the machine is unbalanced.

6. Wait 5 minutes (check out yourself in the nearby mirror or dance around to Desi Girl). Remove the clothes which have become almost completely dry (it's actually amazing). Load into a bucket. Walk upstairs to the roof!

7. Hang clothes on line. Hum a tune (probably Desi Girl which you've just danced to a few minutes earlier during previous step).

8. In the morning, go upstairs and take clothes off the line, experiencing nice smelling and very wrinkly clothing (my favorite step in the process).

7. Walk down the street to the iron wala who charges 4 Rs. per item (1.5 Rs. more than in Delhi, 2.5 Rs. more than in Bhilai) to turn the heap of clothes into a neat, compressed pile of wearable laundry...My friend, I'm now ready to move and shake in Chennai...!

Maybe, instead, a smarter investment is in one of these? It would cut out steps #2-5 and is better for the environment...

100% confirmed and undeniable euphemistically described verbose South Indian stereotypes...

2010-01-31T05:38:00.000-08:00

3. Intense right hand displays of mixing and shoveling in a blender-like manner occasionally multiple spoon surgery performing-like consumers of rice in combination with any other type of super-refined carbohydrate and sambar eaters.

2. Conservative, unusually quiet and stoic, religious tikka on forehead displaying, imported alcohol-hating, seemingly vegetarian eaters of deliciously spicy seafood and unnamed red meat.

1. Jasmin flower adorning, frizzy braided hair having, elegant silk sari wearing women accompanying the checkered lungi-sporting, barefoot, mustache-clad scooter driving men who non-subtly urinate in an unassuming squat just about anywhere.

disclaimer: I did just read Chetan Bhagat's book, 2 States, on recommendation from my cousin...so maybe these "stereotypes" are more in my head than on the streets...maybe. Oh, and I apologize for the poor grammar...I just let the "creative" juices flow on this one.

Amazing (unexpected) benefits of living on the southeastern coast of India...

2010-01-25T05:11:00.000-08:00

Chennai offers direct (and cheap) flights to:

3. Andaman & Nicobar Islands

2. Kerala

1. Sri Lanka

*I know I know, more on my new city experiences...soon!