oh boy! did get "ripped-off" big-time this afternoon....decided to take an auto to Indira Nagar for 15 rupees, thinking I could somehow convince the auto-wallies that they would budge, but in vain.....they increased their asking rate to 50 rupees, and I somehow managed to get it down to 20 rupees. If only, I knew that a simple nod of the head does not mean the auto-wallies know their destination - instead of taking me to Indira Nagar, I was taken to Shastri Nagar, and the auto driver refused to budge from the spot, because it would cost him an "additional" 10 rupees....Since I was already running late for my appointment, I quickly jumped off the auto, made a passer-by call the place of my destination to get directions...., and handed him a 100 rupee-note, hoping to get some quick change. Like a hard-headed "goon", the auto-wallie went to some stores, asking for change, and even went to the extent of complaining about my not willing to shell out the "extra" money! Since I was already 5 minutes late, I followed him into a "protein" shop..if only god knew what that meant.....only to be enveloped in a pungent, nasty odor, that grated on my nerves. I gave him a piece of my mind, grabbed the change from his hands, and told him to get a "life" of his own....
I then hurried along to my destination, and about a couple of minutes later, I was shocked to find the passer-by who helped make the call for me, perched atop his two-wheeler, pretending to check his mobile, but checking me out of the corner of his eye......Still, I plodded along, at a quicker pace, and lo! the passerby over-took me, then slowed down to point out the place of my destination..he could have saved me some walking trouble by giving me a ride on his two-wheeler!
Makes me wonder why he was wasting fuel over nothing!
The appointment was yet another disaster - the person I met with only wanted to promote her business and nothing else, and did not even turn on the a/c for me, saying there was a power cut, but when I requested it to be turned on, she promptly turned it on...what does a power cut have to do with an a/c? Am pretty sure there was a back-up generator handy! All she offered me was a glass of water, which I politely refused. Even before I could settle down into my chair, the appointment was over, as soon as it began:) So much for "appointments, eh?!
The return journey was equally eventful...since I was completely broke with hardly any money left, what with having to fix my broken slipper this morning and hitching an auto-ride to work....hence, I decided to walk back to work....since it was the "power-cut" hour...meaning, there is usually no current at work during that hour...but to me, "current" reminds me of a flowing river...and not "power" in that sense...In any case, I got drenched in sweat from head-to-toe, and happened to pass Coffee Day, where two very young girls were puffing away to glory! So much for "staid" Chennai...(er!) would rather go by Madras....since I basically grew up on Mowbrays Road, which is now known as TTK Road (Madras rhymes with Mowbrays, right?). Further down the road, I came across a board that said "Srijatha Fashion Institute of Technology" - that got me excited, and with great anticipation, I took three flights of stairs to the institute, huffing and panting along the way, only to find a massive aquarium blocking my entrance, and a rather rude lady who asked me what I was doing there....as if I was an intruder..and she replied in a very haughty tone that it doesn't (to my enquiries if her institute taught jewelry-making courses!)
So, that was the end of my "dream quest", and I continued on with my sweltering walk...only to have another auto-wallie clapping at me loudly, to get my attention and asking me if he could give me a ride, and I told him "for free, only!", scoffed at him...and continued on...only to find that the bottom sole of my slipper came off...
Too bad, the 50 bucks I paid to have my slipper "threaded (er!) fixed" this morning by the cobbler went down the drain..but at least, the upper sole of my slipper was intact, and I hobbled back to work....borrowing a plastic cover from Grand Sweets on the way, to keep the bottom sole of my slipper...
The afternoon culminated with my washing my feet in muddy water, courtesy the hand-pump at work...reminds me, that I could have gone in for a "mud treatment" in a spa!
Does that mean that Chennai is only made for "temporary" fixes and nothing else?
And the rant continues.......
I then hurried along to my destination, and about a couple of minutes later, I was shocked to find the passer-by who helped make the call for me, perched atop his two-wheeler, pretending to check his mobile, but checking me out of the corner of his eye......Still, I plodded along, at a quicker pace, and lo! the passerby over-took me, then slowed down to point out the place of my destination..he could have saved me some walking trouble by giving me a ride on his two-wheeler!
Makes me wonder why he was wasting fuel over nothing!
The appointment was yet another disaster - the person I met with only wanted to promote her business and nothing else, and did not even turn on the a/c for me, saying there was a power cut, but when I requested it to be turned on, she promptly turned it on...what does a power cut have to do with an a/c? Am pretty sure there was a back-up generator handy! All she offered me was a glass of water, which I politely refused. Even before I could settle down into my chair, the appointment was over, as soon as it began:) So much for "appointments, eh?!
The return journey was equally eventful...since I was completely broke with hardly any money left, what with having to fix my broken slipper this morning and hitching an auto-ride to work....hence, I decided to walk back to work....since it was the "power-cut" hour...meaning, there is usually no current at work during that hour...but to me, "current" reminds me of a flowing river...and not "power" in that sense...In any case, I got drenched in sweat from head-to-toe, and happened to pass Coffee Day, where two very young girls were puffing away to glory! So much for "staid" Chennai...(er!) would rather go by Madras....since I basically grew up on Mowbrays Road, which is now known as TTK Road (Madras rhymes with Mowbrays, right?). Further down the road, I came across a board that said "Srijatha Fashion Institute of Technology" - that got me excited, and with great anticipation, I took three flights of stairs to the institute, huffing and panting along the way, only to find a massive aquarium blocking my entrance, and a rather rude lady who asked me what I was doing there....as if I was an intruder..and she replied in a very haughty tone that it doesn't (to my enquiries if her institute taught jewelry-making courses!)
So, that was the end of my "dream quest", and I continued on with my sweltering walk...only to have another auto-wallie clapping at me loudly, to get my attention and asking me if he could give me a ride, and I told him "for free, only!", scoffed at him...and continued on...only to find that the bottom sole of my slipper came off...
Too bad, the 50 bucks I paid to have my slipper "threaded (er!) fixed" this morning by the cobbler went down the drain..but at least, the upper sole of my slipper was intact, and I hobbled back to work....borrowing a plastic cover from Grand Sweets on the way, to keep the bottom sole of my slipper...
The afternoon culminated with my washing my feet in muddy water, courtesy the hand-pump at work...reminds me, that I could have gone in for a "mud treatment" in a spa!
Does that mean that Chennai is only made for "temporary" fixes and nothing else?
And the rant continues.......
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