Here are a few of my recent observations about this lovely, crazy city the locals call Madras:
1. Every tool from shovels to brooms don't have long handles. This seems strange to think about, but the shovels workers use to dig holes alongside the roads are about two-feet long. Also, the actual shovel part is at a 45 degree angle from the short holder. This gives a whole new meaning to back-breaking labor. The brooms are bundles of sticks also about two-feet long. Men and women everywhere are bending in half simply because they don't extend the handle of their household tools! Again, I just don't ask questions.

2. Diwali was lots of fun at the O. The kids had a ball shooting off crackers and enjoying a "special lunch." Each child received a new outfit, too. Diwali is the one day where the toddlers wear diapers so they don't dirty their new clothes. Well, one for the whole day was probably very uncomfortable. I picked up one diaper-clad girl and sat her on my lap. When I put her down, she had left a wet circle where her bum was. I believe super-saturation is the correct term. Finally the bangs and booms of the crackers have stopped. It seemed for the whole week before Diwali (and a few days after), the loud sounds would wake me up long before my alarm clock would.

3. I ate street food. I paid for it.



On Monday and Tuesday, I took a short trip South. Monday morning, I ventured to Asia's largest bus station which is only about 4 km from the apartment. Thankfully, the police don't just stand there, they are actually willing to help people who ask. So, I found my gate with ease and jumped the crowded government bus to Mahabilapuram, aka Mamallapuram. I was lucky enough to get a seat of my own after having to move once. I accidentally sat in the ticket-collector's seat and received some harsh words in Tamil for doing so. Luckily though, I didn't have to stand for the two-hour trip.
On the way down, I caught myself staring at the other whities on the bus, wondering the usual questions I am asked (Where are they from? How long have they been in India? How do they like it?). I looked away and out the window to the coast. Mamallapuram is a "traveler's enclave" says my Lonely Planet guide. It is less than 100 km south on East Coast Road, the A1A for the Bay of Bengal. This road is lined with beach resorts, tourist attractions, and restaurants with neon signs big enough for Times Square.
Mamallapuram is right on the beach, so the local specialty is fresh fish. I passed though all the sights: the Five Rathas which are huge stone- carved temples from thousands of years ago, the monkey temple teeming with the smelly mammals, the haggling store-owners, and back to the bus station where I jumped the late-afternoon trip to Pondicherry aka Puducherry.
I have read all Pondy's French flavor, but wondered if I was in the right spot when I arrived. The bus stand is in the Tamil part of town. There is a French quarter, but it is closer to the beach. Most of Pondy is just like any other Indian town: loud, dirty, and overly crowded. The French Quarter, though, is exceedingly pleasant. There are Mediterranean restaurants and hotels in old colonial homes. I stayed at one of these places and loved every minute of it. From tea in the courtyard to my large, airy room, I didn't want to leave! Pondy also has great shopping, so I made sure to enjoy that aspect, as well. The main tourist sight is the large Sri Aurobindo Ashram where visitors can practice yoga or meditation. I am planning to visit it on my next trip to the city.
I spent Tuesday morning in Auroville, the utopian community just outside Pondy. Auroville is as hippie as hippie gets. It was founded on idealistic principles of work for subsistence and relationships for love, not selfish desires. The visitor's center is very informative and it seemed like they are always willing to take new believers. It is a community where anyone can live and work in return for room and board, I believe. There is no presence of money amongst the residents. The mini-villages within the community have original names like "harmony," "peace," and "serenity." Auroville rakes in the cash from people who still think money is necessary by selling beautiful handicrafts, clothing, shoes, paperwork, and jewelry. There is also a working organic farm, and a bakery on the grounds. The visitor's center is near a small shopping area with three different boutiques and a cafeteria. There are also Auroville boutiques elsewhere in Tamil Nadu (the one in Chennai is not nearly as good as the one in Pondy). It is possible to more than just shop and eat here: There is a huge, gold, Epcot-like orb for gatherings of Aurovilleans called Matrimandir. Tourists aren't even allowed inside, but it is bright, bold, and fun to see.

That was my short trip South. Pondy is only about 4 hours away, so I was back to Chennai by the evening. In other news, it is the rain season and I am desperately seeking an umbrella. My raincoat just isn't going to cut it in these monsoons.