Friday, December 15, 2006

12.15.06, 2:20pm – CTS Offices, Chennai, India.

Just got back from lunch. Senthil took me to a vegetarian place down the street. It was about a 10 minute walk. That’s the most I’ve walked around Chennai to this point. It’s just crazy interesting. Busy, loud, people everywhere, some dude pushing a covered cart selling something dark, looked like rice, out of a cast iron bowl that he would hit with an iron spoon and make a sound like a bell. A small little food stand next to a guy ironing clothes at a roadside table next to a shop selling LCD Sony Wega TVs. I really wish there was a way to capture the environment here. I have a feeling I’m going to get back with a bunch of pictures of street scenes that will all look the same to everyone. If I ever take any pictures, that is. I’m so bad at that. However, Girish has informed me that there is no social taboo around taking people’s pictures, so now I have no excuse. Time for whitey to bust out the camera.

Shops near the office.


Goods on display at a hardware store.

The restaurant was good. Easily the best food I’ve had since I got here. Mmm…channa masala. But, no fork and none even offered, so time to eat with my hands. Or, I should say, hand, since they only eat with their right hand here in India. I’m fine with that, but have you ever tried to tear a piece of naan into smaller pieces with just one hand? Try it sometime. I made a gallant effort but didn’t succeed too well. It didn’t help that the food came out on a misshapen plastic plate that spun around when I pushed against it. I would occasionally sneak my left hand up to stop the plate from spinning, but I managed to avoid using my left hand on my food.

As I was in the elevator coming back up I realized that Kevin and Scott would have a hard time here. That elevator makes ME feel tall. I swear there’s maybe 8-10 inches of clearance between my head and the ceiling. The offices, too, have low ceilings. I can reach up and touch the ceiling with my arm still bent. In fact, I just did so. I’m guessing 7 ft ceilings?

The trim piece on my desk is about a quarter-inch too wide for the table top. This results in an edge that sticks up all the way around the border of the desk. Mother lover but that sucks to rest my wrists on. I’m totally going to come back with nerve damage.

---Eric

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