All Advertising is Local

Triplicane is one of the older neighborhoods in Chennai, with a wide variety of businesses. Double click to enlarge this photo to see what you can purchase just on this one street corner.



There are advertisements for embroidery, engraving, cell phones and ... oh my!



After a wonderful day of hiking in Wayanad (a hill station in Kerala), I was really thirsty. A big bottle of water would be perfect. What luck to find this one.



After several hours in an airplane, I was grateful to spend a little time walking around the Brussels International Airport. I was thirsty too. Ah, a Coke machine, just what I want. Oh ... maybe I don't want a Coke anymore.

Sunday Night at Marina Beach

On Sunday night March 28, 2010, I visited Marina Beach with a friend. It's a huge and popular public space with cool ocean breezes. Families go there for picnics, kids fly kites, young lovers take long romantic walks by the waves, and friends just hang out and have fun.

We met some guys doing some acrobatic moves and I got some of them on video. (Sorry for the quality - the image on the camera was much better, but after using iMovie as my video editor, I lost a lot of brightness and detail. Judging by the user forums, this is a problem with iMovie. Once I figure out a better way, I'll post better video.)



One of the guys in the group I talked with is mcrico, a rapper from Malaysia who's working in Chennai. He and his friends are amazing! We've exchanged emails and once I get more information on their music, I'll add it to this post.



You never know who you'll meet at Marina Beach, and that's what makes it great.

Indian Roads - a Field Guide

Indians drive on the left side of the road, mostly. Leaving the office at 4:00 AM one night, my driver decided to take a short cut. He drove slowly up the right hand side of the (mostly empty) road towards a gap in the median that would allow him to cross to the left side. As he started, I heard him say quietly to himself "Can I go this way? Yes. Because it's India."

The following is a subjective field guide to the roads, vehicles and behaviors I've seen over the past months. All photos are from Chennai, unless otherwise noted.

Roads

Cities that have been built over hundreds of years have everything from narrow residential side streets to multi-lane divided highways. Traffic has grown along with India's burgeoning middle class, and municipal leaders have taken a variety of approaches to keep everyone moving. In the densely built core, road-widening is often not practical. "Flyovers" are an alternative. These elevated highways allow motorists to bypass busy, criss-crossing streets to travel more quickly between major thoroughfares. In the T. Nagar shopping district in Chennai, the flyover relieves some of the pressure from already crowded streets.



"Subways" are underground tunnels that allow pedestrians to safely cross streets with heavy traffic, and motorists above to speed along without having to brake for pedestrians. Some of them are empty and plain.



Photo credit R. Ravindran in http://www.thehindu.com/2009/07/02/images/2009070258740301.jpg

Others can be a hub of commerce, like this subway to Marina Beach.



Traffic police are a fixture at busy intersections. They direct traffic and have the access and discretion to manually control traffic signals as they see fit. They also enforce traffic laws.



Monsoon rains can create havoc on poorly drained roads.



Vehicles

Many different vehicles of varying size and speed compete for space on the roads. City buses are crowded during rush hour. Most have open doors, making it easier for people to hop on or off (or for the brave to hang on for dear life).



Trucks are often painted in exuberant colours and designs. The state of Rajasthan is renowned throughout India for it's wildly decorated trucks and tractors. This one is my favorite. I photographed it just east of Jaipur.



The newest addition to the roads is the Nano, a four passenger car manufactured by India's own Tata Motors. It retails new for as low as 100,000 rupees, or around $2250 Canadian. Tata does not expect to be able to keep up with demand until its new factory in Gujarat becomes operational.



One vehicle that has been on Indian roads for over 60 years, mostly unchanged, is the Ambassador. It is manufactured by Hindustan Motors of India at their Uttarpara plant near Kolkata. It is built to last on rough Indian roads and its consistent design over the years makes it easy to find mechanics who know how to repair it.



Like in Canada, car marketing in India appeals to our emotions: we're attracted to fast, powerful, sporty cars, like the ... Verna?



Verna is one of the models sold in India by Hyundai. It is also my mother's name. If you know my mother, you can't overestimate the mileage I've been able to get out of this photo at family gatherings.

Chennai has a love-hate relationship with its autorickshaws, or three wheelers. They can be conveniently found along any busy street and are cheaper than a regular taxi. However, none have working meters, so the cost of every ride must be negotiated between driver and passengers before the trip starts. I've heard complaints about some drivers wanting to increase the fare after the trip has begun, due to detours or slow traffic, but that has never happened to me.



Sales of two wheelers are keeping pace with India's growing middle class. Most bikes have engines of around 100 cc, and can retail for less than half the cost of a Nano, with lower fuel costs. Motorbikes are most popular, but scooters can offer a more comfortable ride, especially for a driver wearing traditional Indian woman's clothing.



One often sees a family of three or four on a bike, but rarely more. The father will drive with a small child sitting in front, and the mother riding side saddle on the back, holding an infant. A third child can be squeezed between the father and mother. Although helmet use is mandatory for drivers (not passengers), the hot climate can make the experience unbearable for many. There will be a fortune in it for anyone who can invent a safe, cheap and cool helmet.



My co-worker and I spotted this family of five on a bike in Chennai on a Sunday evening and she was determined to get this shot. She rolled down the window of our car and gestured to them that she wanted to take their picture. They graciously obliged.



Adult passengers are responsible for carrying cargo. I've seen computers, home appliances and full-length framed mirrors carried on bikes. This rider is carrying a step ladder.



Non-motorized transportation also has its place. Bullock carts and bicycle rickshaws are often used to transport raw materials or other goods. I photographed this bullock cart and driver in Chennai on the "IT Expressway," a four lane highway along which are situated offices for many of India's largest information technology corporations. If you double click to enlarge this photo, you can see the yellow sign to the right encouraging drivers to "Go Slow."



I took this photo in Agra.



A side street in the Purasavakkam district of Chennai:



In the state of Rajasthan, elephants and camels also compete for space on the roads.





Behaviors

Indians have described their country's driving culture to me as being governed by the "law of the jungle." Whoever is biggest usually wins, although alertness, agility and daring also count. In Chennai, buses rule the roads - there are lots of them, and drivers of the aging fleet have less to lose in a minor side swipe than the drivers of the smaller vehicles around them. Trucks are next in line, then SUVs, smaller cars, and autorickshaws. Motorized two wheelers like motorbikes and scooters are further down, but their maneuverability can allow them to squeeze through traffic faster than anything else on the roads. Bullock carts and bicycle rickshaws tend to avoid the busier streets. Cyclists pedal in a constant state of mortal danger. A lack of sufficiently wide and contiguous sidewalks forces pedestrians onto the street along with everyone else.

The intersection of Brindavan Street and South Usman Road, in the T. Nagar district of Chennai:



There's a saying here that one needs three things to drive safely: good brakes, a good horn and good luck. Drivers also rely to varying degrees on three other things: traffic laws, local custom and common sense. People generally drive slower in India than Canada, I think mainly because buses, trucks and motorbikes slow traffic on the already crowded streets. Indians also use their horns much more liberally than Canadians, primarily to signal their approach to other drivers. Late at night on a quiet road, they will flash their high beam lights for the same purpose. Many trucks and cars have alarms to alert everyone nearby when the vehicle is moving in reverse. Some of these alarms play a tune, with much the same tone and style as a musical greeting card, only louder. Someone in Chennai chose for his reverse alarm the melody from ... Silent Night!

Daily Life

Followers of this blog may come to believe that all I do here is travel and eat, but that would be an exaggeration. Some of you are probably wondering "Is he actually doing any work over there?" Well, yes. I go to the office Monday through Friday, meet with people, talk on the phone, read and write emails, prepare reports and do dozens of other things to keep the wheels of industry turning. Now, I like my work and the people I work with, but it can be a challenge at times to turn the raw material into interesting copy.

So, in a departure from previous topics, today's post will be about the routines of my daily life. If you're already getting that feeling of MEGO (My Eyes Glaze Over) then turn back now.

The Schedule

I work outsourcing hours, which means that I am at the office between 8:30 AM and 5:30 PM, Eastern Time. This translates into 7:00 PM to 4:00 AM, India Time. Here's how the hours of the day fill up, on India Time:

Midday - Wake up
Afternoon - Eat, work out or swim, relax, run errands, work from the hotel
6:00 PM - Commute to work
7:00 PM - Work
10:30 PM - Eat some more
11:00 PM - Work some more
4:00 AM - Commute to the hotel
4:30 AM - Snack
5:00 AM - Sleep
Repeat


Photo credit: http://scienceblogs.com/clock/hamster%20wheel.jpg

Winter Wonderland

I returned to Canada for the Christmas holidays, spending time in Toronto, Saskatoon, Edmonton, and my mom's farm just outside of Westlock, Alberta.

Westlock decorates its main streets.



Many people in my home town like to decorate their homes with lights for Christmas.



Fortunately, Mother Nature decorated our farm with hoarfrost while I was out there.





This is a playhouse that my brother Gary built for his children when they were younger.



This is our driveway. I especially like the spruce tree. I can remember my father planting that tree many years ago, when it was only about six feet tall.



This is the view from my bedroom window.



The temperature stayed between -20 and -10 Celsius while I was out there. After months in the plus 30 temperatures of Chennai, I feel that I adapted reasonably well to the change: I had plenty of sweaters, socks and long underwear to keep me warm. One thing that I'll have fun explaining to friends back in Chennai is the northern luxury of heated car seats. I'm sure I can describe the technology, but I have no idea how I'll be able to convey how much we appreciate it.

A Stay in the Desert

I stayed at Manvar Desert Resort and Camp from December 12 - 14, 2009. It's located about a 90 minute drive from Jodhpur, on the road to Jaisalmer.

For my first night I stayed in a tent at the camp. For most Canadians, the words "tent" and "camp" are synonymous with "roughing it." Manvar was the exact opposite.

My tent included a private three-piece bathroom with hot and cold running water, and to keep me warm during the cold desert nights, resort staff turned on an electric heater and put a hot water bottle in my bed.

Some of my Canadian camping friends may wonder if I've now been spoiled for anything else. Relax! I love camping in Canada. However, I admit that the hot water bottle is a luxury that I may just permit myself the next time I'm in a tent.

The camp is about 7 kilometres from the resort and highway; it was one of the most quiet and relaxing places I visited in all of India. The location has a mix of small farms and natural areas. Just outside the camp I saw my first peacock in the wild.

In the early evening, people from the area entertained us with music and dancing, which I really enjoyed. Towards the end they invited us to join in the dancing too; sorry, there is no video of me.



In the morning I went for a camel ride for a couple hours with my guide.

I saw the sunrise over the desert.

We were able to get really close to an eagle.

The camel was very calm. He only seemed to assert himself when he wanted to stop for a bite to eat.

Later that morning, I went for a ride in a jeep.

We stopped to visit a few places. This is the local blacksmith. In front of his forge, you can see some axe heads, and a tray with smaller items like pipes, spoons and bells, which tourists such as me are more likely to purchase. The bicycle wheel in the background is used to power bellows for the forge.

We also stopped at a farm. These small structures are for chickens. The building material is cow dung mixed with straw. In the arid desert, it is simple and cheap to make and maintain.

Goats are also well-adapted to a desert environment. This young guy reminded me of when I was growing up on our farm, with goats of our own.

Farmers also raise sheep.

Some people keeps dogs too. They can help protect the livestock from foxes. And a litter of puppies is always entertaining.

These are some of the different types of food grown in the area. The white cob-like vegetable is millet. I can't remember what the other ones are.

We also saw many of these deer-like wild animals in the desert.

I moved from the camp to the resort for the second part of my stay. The resort was very comfortable too, and although it was just off the highway, it was still fairly quiet.

Irrigation plays a big role in the lushness one sees here.

Bird life was abundant.

The cat kept a close eye on the comings and goings of the birds.