Chennai Post - Part 2

Part 2:

The Story till this juncture:

1. First time in chennai for me, absolutely clueless about local language and city's geography
2. Carrying huge luggage, need to get to the guest house in an obscure part of the town
3. Guide: Vivekanand Subbaraman, pseduo Tam, my gracious host

I am now thinking.. "yaar he Subbu bhi na.. kabhi nahi sudhrega...how can he be so callous..."... just thinking.. not aloud... ;)

I think I and Subbu get along well.. because,somehow I manage to demonstrate extreme levels of patience with him

we stroll to the car park, his 800 appears sturdy.. looks like Subbu's father took good care of it before handing it to the (prodigal?) son

I remember Pheobe trying to break open a car lock in a FRIEND's episode.. so I and subbu... get down to trying out the same..

15 minutes into this effort and I am already sweating...take a glance at my watch...its almost past midnight..I have to be in office..first day reporting in a few hours.....aarrghh...again..not aloud... :D

We approach a taxi driver nearby and Subbu demonstrates his first useful skill.. his command of Tamil...and the driver demonstrates the general atitude of chennai people....polite and helpful...

The driver manages to get a thin long strip of metal and slides it between the glass and door..and then..click...and smiles all around...all this while I and subbu are holding our mobiles and ourselves at weird angles to shed mobile light on the car lock...

The driver refuses the tip for his kind (and timely) help.. and finally I and Subbu are on our way....


We take a left from the airport and onto the main road..we drive for about 10-15 minutes and then Subbu asks..hey show me the maps that your company hr sent as directions

I had mailed Subbu those diections and asked him to look up in google maps for more detailed instructions... I thought Subbu would have studied the way from airport to pallikaranai (my guest house), we would just need to ask a few directions and we would be home soon... ..............I was so WRONG!

I had got a printout of the directions.. and handed them to Subbu...who takes a look at it..(very likely for the first time) and cannot locate one familiar thing on the map...he says.."Arey yeh toh sirf Pallikaranai ka directions hai..what about the directions from airport...."

10 days after I had mailed him the directions...10 DAYS...Subbu asks me this question now...!!!

I manage to access my "patience back up no. 1" and smile beningly...and we decide to ask around for directions...a petrol pump guys tells him something in Tamil and Subbu turns back.. all that 15 min drive was in the wrong direction.....

So we continue on the road...its chennai..shops have shut hours before and there are hardly people on the road....and I have no idea if I am gonna make it soon to the guest house...

The weather seems to be pleasant.. and roads are wide and good.. and we seem to be making good progress...when.. the red light on the dash board glares at us...I had forgotten the cooling mechanism conking off part...

We pull over to a dark corner on an abandoned road...no sight of people or buses or cabs around... I am stuck with Subbu!

End of Part 2-------------