case of the mondays

This might sound harsh, but I have to say it. I don't really like Chennai all that much at this moment in time. Most people would attribute this to the pollution and dirty streets but I attribute it to auto drivers. I have had so many bad experiences with auto drivers in the last three weeks that they have really left a bad taste in my mouth. This morning my auto driver agreed to a rate of 40 rupees from Nungumbakkam to Fountain Plaza in Egmore. After we arrived, I asked him if he knew the address and he responded "we don't know things like addresses." Then he proceeded to tell me that I should give him 50 rupees because he had to come around the overpass to drop me off on the other side, to which I responded in Tamil "I didn't plan the traffic, we agreed to 40 rupees, take it or leave it." He asked if I was threatening to not give him any wages. He asked in Tamil again, "oh so you won't give me any money at all?" I responded "you can take it or leave it, this is what we agreed." I walked out of the taxi after shoving the money in his hand and said something along the lines of "You know I am not a complete idiot." He gave me a really dirty look and I glared at him right back. This irritation was exacerbated by the fact that I had a bad run-in with another auto driver, who gave me the fake 10 rupee note the day before. In addition, I was late to work and had absolutely no clue where I was.

I ended up walking up and down Pantheon Road for almost thirty minutes not knowing how to get to the Egmore office. (I had the address, but street numbers, street names and other such "conveniences" don't often exist in extremely urban parts of India.) I eventually bumped into Chitra, an intern at CDF and we again walked up and down, confused as to where this supposed 8 story building could be. Turns out the building isn't directly on Pantheon Road, and since there are no building numbers its almost impossible to know how to get places.

Eventually, I called Sybill and she had Jessica and John Paul help us figure out where to go. John Paul was so sweet, he came down from the office and met us at the children's museum right across from the office. I eventually cooled down, and after an hour or so around the other CMF interns in our very raucous conference room, I had forgotten about the incident.

The best part of the day was during lunchtime when a group of us went downstairs to the juice guy, and I got a fresh banana mango juice, squeezed fresh on the spot. The taste was fantastic, and the price, 20 rupees was definitely unbeatable. I proceeded to drink some version of a mango shake for the rest of the week.