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Day 9:

I cannot believe I have only been in Chennai for nine days. The experiences, information, tastes, smells and sights have been incessant. I find myself exhausted by 10 o’clock. The first part of this entry I am going to dedicate to the Election Day Abroad and a typical Chennai day.

At 6:30 on November 5^th I crawled out of my sleep sack to greet the day and catch my first glimpse of election results. I showered up and had one of the Tamil boys that run the guest house take me down to arrange my first solo rickshaw ride. For 50 rupees he carted me to Taj Coromandel where the US Consulate was hosting an election party. The five star amenities immediately appeased my over stimulated senses.

Moments after entering the lobby an Indian man kindly asked “Did you get your vote in?” My reply as I had delivered many times since arriving in India was “I would not have got on the plane had I not.” Rabi was a political science professor at one of the local universities and was kind enough to escort me into convention room. To my surprise the room was packed with Indians, mainly high school aged taking in the voting and election atmosphere. I found my way over the projection of CNN results coming in and spotted one of the other Americans from my office. Spencer graduated in 2007 from MIT and is working in the guarantee company for IFMR. We watched the results roll in over coffee and cakes (and chicken sandwiches-weird huh?). Interspersed with results were speeches from academics and members of the consulate.

When Ohio went to Obama a cheer rose in the room and a premature ease settled. You could tell the vast majority of the room had democratic hopes at that moment. I left around this point with an Indian American woman, Bhati, who offered to have her driver drop, me at work rather than find a rickshaw. After my morning meeting I immediately caught Obama’s acceptance speech on CNN.com. Tears welled in my eyes as his words invigorated the world over and reminded me what America stands for. I could not have felt more proud to be an American.

A Day in the life.

Currently I am staying at Ahtithi guest house in the Egmore district of Chennai. A guest house in India is an interesting concept. To compare it to the dorms would be a loose connection. I have not been so looked after in years. There are four or so Tamil boys that are constantly looking after our needs whether it be tea, breakfast, newspaper, or TV. Note: Chennai is the capital of the Indian state Tamil Nadu. So when I say Tamil boys they are local boys that run the guest house. They sleep in the living room on the floor and in return for caring for us receive room and board. Their warm smiles and eager dispositions are always a light in my day. I share a room with Princy a 26 year old from Kerala. She has a degree in veterinary and pursuing a MBA at IRMA and doing a two month internship with IFMR.

I usually rise around 7:30 to shower before work. I then use my make shift hair dryer (the A/C unit in out room) to finagle my hair. Princy rises shortly after me and we take our breakfast in the dining room around 8:30.

Breakfast has proved to be quite the adjustment for me. Along with my chai I have had a range of vada(savory lentil donuts), chutneys, idli(fermented rice cakes that resemble sand dollars), dosas( savory crepes) and sambra( a spicy gravy for dipping or slurping)!! All of this at 8am! Princy and I have taken to watching BBC news or reading the wonderful selection of books the house has (i.e. How to Win Friends and Influence People and Body Language- I always enjoy a good laugh at the cost of these publications over my chai) then we proceed down to the 3^rd floor where some of Princys classmates are staying. We wait patiently as the boys scramble to get ready as they are normally not ready when we arrive. Now comes the fun part of the day. RICKSHAWS. Depending on the day there are 4-5 of us heading toward IFMR so we have made it a mission to find a driver who will take all of us for 80 rupee. This proves to be quite difficult most days especially with me;) Vikram a north Indian boy who is studying at IRMA with Princy. He tells me we would be better off if I were to hide during the negotiations. The ride through morning rush hour always has me eyes wide open. The manner in which the rickshaw drivers navigate the madness is amazing. Lanes are not a concept Chennai has come to accept AT ALL. Incessant honks fill the air as motorbikes with men and women (sitting side saddle) whiz by.

Work starts at 9:30 and the office could be anywhere in the world. The coffee room and water cooler are popular places to migrate to as always. Our growing office is crowded but always buzzing with a positive energy. Lunch is taken around 1 and I either go with Princy and the other interns or my boss Suyash to one of the local eateries. The closest establishment is a south Indian vegetarian place with lime green walls. Meals are quick and served on banana leaves but full of delicious treats such as roti(bread cooked in a tandoori oven), dahl( a lentil soup), masala dosas(pancakes filled with potato curry), paneer palak( spinach with cheese), and a wide variety of other options. The meal is polished of with a lassi(sweet milk drink) or sweet lime soda. Then everyone ques up to wash their hands as most of the eating is done with your right hand and then back to the office. Office time like any other is filled with meetings, emails and research. Work wraps up around 6:30 where we play the same game with the rickshaw drivers. I must say the rides home are always a bit more heart stopping. I am not sure if it is the night time or the dust that has been kicked up throughout the day but I always find myself tenser on the evening ride. Back in the guest house we wash up, change and either order dinner from the boys or venture out in the neighborhood. I take this gap of time to walk the stairs in our building for a bit of exercise. I sorely miss the ability to take a jog so despite Princy looking at me like I have lost my mind I walk up and down the concrete stairs and take in the view of Chennai. After dinner which consists of a mixture of lunch and breakfast items we retire to our room. Princy no doubt returns to her school work and I do some leisurely reading at least until 10:30 when my body gives in to the exhaustion of the day.

That in a nutshell is my Indian life. Things are shaping up to change as I am moved into my VP’s flats for three weeks to watch his cats and enjoy the conviences of a affluent settled American couples home. I will dearly miss hanging out with Princy and the other students from IRMA on a regular basis.