Chennai

Chennai

This is Jake and Lesley’s home base. I saw the sights in and around Chennai when I was previously here, so this trip I’ll enjoy doing what they do in their daily life. Lesley cooks their meals at home achieving appealing results with limited tools. I’m a big fan of the falafel with homemade flat bread, (Lesley makes the dough, Jake rolls it out, I watch). There are guests for dinner one night, both new at FLSmidth, one from Salt Lake the other from Denmark. They are grateful for a homemade meal. Beef Bourgeon is served.

Although they could have someone do their cooking and cleaning they’ve opted out in favor of privacy and being alone in their home. They live in a three bedroom, three-bath apartment in a gated and guarded community. India is a safe place, but the guard house monitors who comes and goes which provides peace of mind. 

Food prep in the Culley kitchen is a bit more complicated than what I am accustomed to. Every fruit and vegetable is washed in a vinegar and water mix and then rinsed in fresh water. (Of course this is good practice in the US nowadays too). They do not use the tap water for cooking or for brushing their teeth. The tap water is filtered, but not to a degree that is consumable by Westerners. Fresh water is provided in large jugs similar to our Culligan system. Jake’s company provides the fresh water and Jake comes home from work with replacement jugs when needed. They wash and rinse dishes by hand and then dip everything in a Clorox and water combination. Dry food is kept in sealed jars. Power cuts are a daily occurrence. A generator clicks on, but even so, the power comes through at a lower intensity.

Akshaya Homes

We spend one afternoon doing the grocery shopping. There are three stops. First the Fresh and Frozen meat market. Yes, meat of all kinds is available in India, but there is no guarantee that you will find what you are looking for on any particular day. When Lesley finds something she knows she will use she buys it and freezes it. Today there is a chicken bonanza. Next stop is the fruit and vegetable market. The displays are beautiful and abundant. Some of our most familiar choices are not available here; however papaya and mango, pineapple, melons and bananas are plentiful and cheaper than at home. Last stop is the grocer for staples. There are long aisles of lentils and rice. This particular store caters to the ex­­pat community so the selections are expanding. Three stores, each in a different part of the city makes hunting and gathering a multi-hour affair.

When Claire goes out, her car seat is protected by mosquito netting as a safety precaution. She has not had a mosquito bite since she arrived in October. Knock on wood.

Under the Net

Lesley has made many friends through the Overseas Women’s Club, the OWC. I’m fortunate to be here for their once a year garden tea. The tea is held in the outdoor courtyard of a lovely home. When we arrive, the lane in front of the house is a jumble of cars and drivers dropping off their charges. In Indian tradition, an elaborate colored chalk design has been drawn on the sidewalk in front of the gate to welcome the guests and add to the festive nature of the occasion. We walk down a shaded pathway to a cluster of tables dressed in bright linen set in a brickwork courtyard.

Welcome Design

 It’s super interesting to talk with these women who are here mostly because of their husband’s job. They are from all over the world but they all speak English. Jean is an American married to a Scot. She hasn’t lived in the US for ten years. She recently gave birth to twins in a Chennai hospital. Brave, in my estimation. Hao is Chinese and is married to an American; Lei is also Chinese married to a Frenchmen. There are numerous nationalities and combinations. Lesley’s favorite friend is from the UK and is married to a Malaysian. He owns a tech company. Others are here to work on the construction of the Chennai metro, or for Xerox, or in finance and on and on.

Party Girls

Party Shoes

All in all this gathering is much like a ladies group in the US. They hold a raffle for an elephant quilt. They award door prizes (Lesley wins one). There is a charity booth selling woven bags.  They chatter and mingle and enjoy the afternoon. Coffee and tea are served, of course, but also a cold green minty concoction. The food is set up buffet style with white coated servers dishing out miniature fajitas, a baby corn nest, (don't know for sure, but it was good), tomato cucumber and chicken sandwiches, (crustless, naturally). I meet an Indian woman who is proud to tell me she is the niece of the Indian ambassador to the US, who served in the 1990’s.

Fajita Grill

One day we make a foray into Chennai proper to check out a department store that’s been recommended to Lesley. Saravana has 8 floors of merchandise. It’s in a part of the city we haven’t yet ventured into. The street vendors are displaying ready- to-wear clothing and shoes; an attempt to entice customers who’ve come to shop Saravana for similar items. Each floor is vast and filled with stock, racks and racks of stuff. Inadvertently, we stumble upon the shoe department. Really, it’s the sandal department, and there is a large assortment with prices varying from $4-$5. Mother lode. The only deterrent is the shoes are mostly in small sizes. Apparently we have really large feet compared to the Indian population, but fortunately, although our choices are limited, there are still choices.  So we choose.

Each floor has a separate check out. We stand in line. The first clerk itemizes our purchases and places them in a basket. A second clerk takes our rupees and issues a receipt. A third clerk takes the items out of the basket and checks each one against the receipt, stamps it then puts the items in a bag. If you wish to shop on another floor you must check your bags at a counter where you are given a token for redemption. On the jewelry floor purchases are heat sealed into a plastic bag. 

As I wait with Claire while Lesley redeems our bags (shoes) a woman attempts to wrest Claire from my arms. We compete in a tug-of-war. Literally. I win.

On Sunday we go to mass at Saint Louis Church. The building is open air; white-washed inside and out with glass lined shutters flung open leaving decorative grate work in the window frames. Ceiling fans are spinning, creating a cool current of air. Pictures of saints are lit with borders of red or blue neon bulbs, movie marquee style. Nuns in full habit are intermingled with the laity. Some wear a white veil with blue robe others a black veil with white or medium blue. 

The Indian priest seems to love tradition and enters enveloped in copious incense. Soon we are all feeling a little high. The music is upbeat, provided by an electric piano and guitar and a small choir. Their rendition of the Our Father could be in the top 40. A movie screen hangs from the ceiling where words to the hymns and prayers are projected. A nifty idea, doing away with printed missals. At first, the congregation is sparse but people drift in and by mid-sermon the church is full. The bells are small brass jingle bells. Our priest intends the service will be heard for blocks. The loudspeaker dial has been spun all the way to the right.

St Louis Church

Here, the ritual of the sign of peace is not a hand shake; instead people fold their hands over their hearts and bow to one another with a murmured “Namaste”, a perfect salutation of respect. Mass ends with a holy water shower dispensed up and down the aisles. 

After church another adventure waits…

I’d never experienced a fish spa; don’t even know if they exist in the US. PETA would probably object. First your feet are washed by an attendant, then sitting on a long padded bench you lower your feet to about mid-calf into what amounts to a long rectangular aquarium populated by small black energetic fishes. The moment your feet break the surface the fish converge like a pack of benign piranha and begin nibbling, scouring away roughness like an animated pumice stone. The preliminary sensation is tickly and wriggly and just a little disturbing. I’m not sure what the fish gain from all of this, but after the initial strangeness wears off the sensation becomes pleasantly odd. The attendant massages back, shoulder and neck muscles while the fish nibble. The whole experience results in smooth feet and a dash of serenity. Nice.

Fish Spa

Lunch at the Mainland China restaurant. If you’re ever in Chennai and you like Chinese food, come here. They feature a buffet of veg and non-veg (cracked crab claws, sauteed shrimp, chunks of tender marinated lamb, one yummy dish after another), plus they come around with trays of dim sum appetizers. Really good.

That's Entertainment

We're tempted to have Claire's portrait sketched by an artist who's set up in the mall. She's a moving target and try as he might he doesn't really capture the essence of Claire. We are astounded by the crowd this little vignette draws. People line up with their cell phones to watch and record the whole process.

FYI the shows we pay a premium for on HBO and Showtime are available here on basic cable. For example, the current season of Dexter has already aired. On Saturday, a Dexter marathon played, rolling out the entire season 6 in one day. Yes, I did.