India Journal: Outings in Chennai

I went to Spencer mall by an auto rickshaw the other day. The auto-rickshaws that I see here are in much better condition than those of Jaipur – even the yellow paint seems brighter and less tarnished. The ride of about 2 km from the hotel to the mall cost me about Rs.50.

The mall is a beehive of small shops. Only a couple of businesses deserve to be called stores. One store is a two-level book and supply called Lansing’s in which the books are at least organized by topic, although not alphabetically by author or title. Among the shops, I think there were an equal number of hawkers working the halls as there were shoppers walking those halls. Hawkers seem to be especially common for the small clothing and craft shops. I suspect they’re told to target those of us with whiter complexions; i.e., tourists. I’ve learned the quick and easy head shake for “no” to back them off quickly without having to break my stride. Part of my purpose of going to the mall was to do some mall walking, not engage in hawker talking.

I did find a store that had electrical plug converters that I had long sought. Sometimes finding the simplest items in India can mimic the challenges of a scavenger hunt. However, before I could buy the converters that I wanted, I had to endure the salesman attempting to sell me a type that would not have worked with my American plugs. He tried to convince me that I was wrong, but to my good fortune, I saw exactly what I needed next to the ones that he’d tried to foist upon me.Those, I bought.

I walked for a short ways outside, but as in virtually every Indian city I’ve been in, the walk was not very pleasant. Noisy traffic, fumes, and poorly kept (if existent) sidewalks do not invite casual strolls. With enough exercise under my belt to satisfy myself, I grabbed a return ride for Rs.100 (the return trip is longer because of detours). The initial ask was Rs.150. Bargaining is a way of life here.

In the evening, I joined the Iowa Guru on her quest for some colored card-stock paper, note cards, and foam pieces. She had been directed by her students to a bazaar of paper wallas. The areas proved a long trip from the hotel, even in the car she’s provided. When we arrived around 6 p.m., we found the area crowded, with paper store after paper store after paper store in several directions. An initial inquiry at one store pointed the shop across the street, where the next inquiry pointed us upstairs, where the next inquiry pointed us to a different shop again. In the second store, I saw one hallway so crowded with paper boxes and other paraphernalia that we could hardly squeeze through. At that point, I had more fear of fire than the Scarecrow of Oz. We had to take an elevator to the fifth floor (complete with elevator operator). Fortunately, it was a quick trip, as the small elevator and cramped conditions in the building quickly instilled a sense of claustrophobia in me. But for all our hunting and adventuring in that shop, we turned away empty-handed. In the fourth or fifth shop (one loses count quickly), the Guru found what she needed amongst the stacks of 2014 diaries located inside and just outside of the shop. While I waited just outside (to avoid the stifling heat in the store that remained despite the overhead fans twirling at top speed), the Guru sat patiently beside the shopkeeper waiting for the goods that she’d requested to inspect. The shopkeeper remained glued to the chair next to his till. (He had no cash register, just a cash drawer.) From this perch, he would bark orders to his many minions like a John Barrymore movie character. The Guru suspects the stock boys hid in the storage area across the way just to avoid the old man’s constant barking of directions. Finally, the stock boys returned with the requested goods that met with the Guru's approval. The Guru, by the way, remained serene and composed throughout all of the delay,while I'd feared she might have simply wilted in her seat or to have gone postal in response to the chaos.

We celebrated her small victory with the dinner at the second most highly rated restaurant in Chennai (according to some travel guide). We were glad that it was well known because it seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, located on a narrow, darkly lit street. In fact, although the street was dimly lit, it did seem to be home to a number of high-end shops and maybe some high-end hotels. Because streets are almost uniformly poor here, they don’t readily suggest their occupants.

We tried the Italian cuisine, pizzas to be precise, which proved indifferent. On most occasions, it is a mistake to try to order foreign cuisine in India. Only on rare occasions has the venture proved anything more than passable.

My next venture will be to find a working ATM and a pair of AA batteries. Good luck to me.

The Abba Interview

Recently, on the eve of her departure from India, I had an opportunity to sit down with Abba to discuss her experiences and observations about India. Looking fit and relaxed as I met her in her spacious Jaipur apartment, with suitcases readied for her imminent departure, Abba was forthcoming about her what she’d experienced in her time here. 

As an experienced traveler, she reported that she immediately took note of the Delhi’s Indira Gandhi airport, which made a favorable impression on her with its “cool buildings”. Upon existing and beginning her travels, she found that the scenes reminded her of South Africa. The level of development that she saw, however, was greater than West Africa, where she resided for over two years. While noting that India lies north of the equator, she found it “typical of the global south with its food stands, open air vendors, and hotels”. Some unpaved or ill-kept roads also confirmed her sense of the global south. She was “impressed by the train” that she took from Delhi to Jaipur, comparing it to the train in Cameroon that was incredibly unreliable. 

Asked to comment for those who have not experienced India first hand, she noted how much there is to see here and how much more she could see if she had the time. She remarked on the contrast between the southwestern state of Kerala, which provided a tropical setting, and the more arid climate of Jaipur. She regretted that she had not fully experienced the Indian megacities of Mumbai (although she made a very brief sojourn out of the airport there to explore) and Delhi, which has served (and will serve) only as an entry and exit point. Of Jaipur, she reported that she would not want to live here, “it’s pretty built up”, she observed. “Walking the old city, which is quite touristy, isn’t something that I enjoyed that much”. In general, she found Jaipur “too big and hard to get around”. In contrast, “I enjoyed the hiking and touring in the rural areas, and I would have liked to have done more of that.” She noted that she, along with her entourage, hiked in a rural area outside of the south-central Rajasthan city of Udaipur. “It reminded me a lot of the ‘Roon.” (The ‘Roon' is her slang for the West Central African nation of Cameroon.) Another aspect of India that she noted was the number events and festivals throughout the land. Asked to list a favorite, she did not hesitate: “The JLF [Jaipur Literature Festival] was awesome. It was like Christmas and SSR all in one.” (By “SSR”, Abba refers to her Lincoln Elementary School practice of “sustained silent reading”, also known by the participants as “sit down, shut-up and read”.) Abba greatly enjoyed introductions to new authors and the “great, engaging interviews” that she heard. 

I asked her about how she might advise someone coming to India about how to prepare and what to anticipate. Abba noted the “lack of personal space” as a major difference that one could expect coming from the U.S or from Cameroon. In addition, she noted, “India could overwhelm someone who has not traveled before. There’s a lot of stimulus, and you could go crazy if you can’t filter out some of that stimulus.” As example, she remarked on the traffic in India. In sum, “it’s a bold move if you come here first in your travels!”

As to dislikes or disappointments, in addition to less rural touring that she would have liked, or the flip side, less time to explore the great cities, Abba noted her regret that she could not communicate in the local language, as she did in Cameroon. “I miss a lot being unable to speak Hindi, and I fear that creates a more superficial experience.” (This interviewer remained mute about that shortcoming.) Abba noted that she did not like polo, finding it “boring”. Finally, echoing sentiments held by her mother, the Iowa Guru, she noted, “I don’t like the cold weather.” (The reader should note that the temperature here did not get down below freezing, only into the 30’s (F), but with unheated rooms, Abba and her entourage would find it hard to warm up the extremities.)

On the positive side, Abba gathered a number of mementos from her time here, most notably the wood block cloth prints that she created, as well as some items that she purchased retail. As she noted, “India is great for fabric, and I’m really into it”. In addition, she noted that she’ll be returning to the States with some new bangles and a number of new books. 

To end our conversation, I asked Abba to reflect on a professional level about the quality of social services and public infrastructure that she observed here in India. “I’d give Cameroon a ‘D’ or an ‘E’; East Africa a ‘C’, and India a ‘B’” she reported. “I saw some great organizations, like Disha [an institution for disabled children where she volunteered], but I feel that I just skimmed the surface”. She went on to qualify her grade by remarking that she “still had a lot to learn” in order the get a complete picture of India. She noted that within Jaipur she saw a lot of building going on, including an elevated mass transit system. 

By this point, Abba was looking tired, and I knew that she needed to complete her packing for her journey to Nepal and then back to the states. I thanked her for the generous donation of her time to this interview. 

Jaipur has seen its share of rich and famous through the years, maharajas, royalty like Prince Charles and Princess Di, the Clintons, stars from Bollywood and Hollywood, as well the incomparable Oprah. Now it can add Abba to its list.