Chennai #3

When I was interning with Microsoft last summer, my friend had said that we should see most of Chennai else destiny might send us back again to cover the remaining parts. Well I don't know about her but I had either failed to show enough enthusiasm for this city or maybe I went overboard blogging about this place and hence have earned a return to one of the toughest cities to survive, not for 1 or 2 but a total of 6 months! 

 

While most of my friends are laughing at my fate (and this has been a true test of which of my friends truly care for me), I have only a couple of points to make me somewhat happy:

• 4 of us 5 new recruits have been exiled to Chennai
• I am the only one assigned to a glitzy office filled with eateries in several floors
• No field trips (hope so, touchwood!)
• Of the 4 cities on the list of probable locations, Chennai was the only one with an assured and familiar accommodation, thanks to my stay last year

So here I am, realigning my senses to the latest developments and with no better events happening in my life, I can only blog about the story of Chennai and me. 

I am actually surprised, pleasantly, to hear smatterings of Hindi here and there. My new company is filled with north indians and people from my old company as well, so I don't feel that alien-like.

I have also learnt a few survival tips from my previous stay:

• Learn the bus no. along with the addresses, because auto-wallahs drain people both financially and emotionally

• If looking for food, walk in the streets with eyes wide open. Chennai happens to have some delightful eateries hidden in random nooks and corners. (Discovered Eatalica in RA Puram with good italian food at relatively low price. It also has quite, cosy interiors and the TV during the IPL season gives it a sporty feel. Very good for bachelors like me :). Last time had bumped into Sparky's - an American styled diner at Egmore, White Pepper - famous for their dimsums at Thiruvanmiyur, and a street shop serving awesome chicken biryani again at Thiruvanmiyur )
  
• Ignore the looks and start talking to the security on a regular basis. They can come in handy. Last time, the security guard had offered to get my shoe mended when the bloody heel had broken off.
  
• Network as much as possible. Start reaching out to friends, friends of friends, friends of friends of friends and so on. Actually it gets easier because outsiders take to outsiders like fish to water and there's no shortage of topics to discuss. Bitching and cursing about a common target are after all the strongest of human instincts.
  
• Last but not the least, keep minimum expectations from the city and the smallest of incidents would delight you. Talk about the smaller joys in life!