Adventures continued

Story so far: On my way to Chennai, I stop over in Kuala Lumpur and do all the touristy things; KL tower, Petronas, Bukit Bintang, Imbi Plaza and Masjid India. Read on… the adventure has just begun

Landed to 35 degrees in Chennai (and it was 8:30 PM). You see, I had not informed my folks I was arriving on the 6th. I had created a full-length drama to impress that I was arriving on the 8th. In fact even the phone call from KL was to prevent the disaster of my parents calling up my office and one of my fellow grad students blabbering that I had already left. Told scores of half-truths (I do not lie), claiming for instance that I will be roaming around all day and may not be at my desk to pick up their call, which was true, only that I was roaming in Kuala Lumpur and not in Canberra.

Already, to cushion the blow of my early arrival, I had forewarned them that a friend of mine was landing with some of my stuff (I had excess baggage) and though they didn’t have to go to the airport (stressed strongly), could they stay home and be ready to get it off her (she would drop it off and take a Volvo bus to Bangalore and she was taking the bus to B’lore because she didn’t get a flight that late in the night and she was flying to Chennai instead of B’lore direct because Malaysian Airlines to B’lore was costlier and unavailable, blah blah). There was also an ulterior motive. I wanted them home. Didn’t want to arrive to a locked house, you see. But mainly, I didn't want to give anyone a heart-attack.

Chennai Airport was just the same (was of the notion that it was now revamped to be of international standards. Hell! NO). Got down singing “Mera Desh ki dardi” to be greeted by a strong, pungent odour of phenyl. We like our airports to look and smell clean. Yeh! Took a prepaid Taxi and reached home to a dumbfounded family – my sister was halfway into her dinner and she was so stunned she forgot to eat; my mum n dad took it well (was afraid they were going to go ballistic). Only grievance they griped about (for the next 3 days) was that they had plans to welcome me in the airport (and that I took a prepaid taxi when my dad bought the car for the sole purpose of receiving me at the airport). Consoled them by offering to go to the airport on the 8th so that they could drive in their new car to re-receive me.

I am not the one to be satisfied by just ambushing my parents, am I? Certainly not! Next morning, just when I was hatching a plan to bamboozle (Wow! Feels so good to use the word bamboozle) my paati*, she arrived home and got mildly surprised (the problem with grandmas is that they are so senile they even forget to be surprised). Now that grandma was ruled out and given that my grandma has franchise to AP, Reuters, BBC, CNN, etc etc. I was forced to settle for less ‘bolts from the blue’. Poor Athai*, she became my bakra.

Our phone, dead when I arrived from Australia, became the phoenix and returned to life (a fact that wasn’t known to our relatives, esp Athai). I called my Athai and took my high-pitched ISD voice and informed her (read yelled) that I would arrive as planned on the 8th but my flight was arriving an hour early. Implored her to immediately inform my parents (by ringing their mobile) and tell them that I have been trying to get in touch with them. Overenthused, my Athai rang my dad in his office to break the good news. My dad, being my dad, played along and told her he was delighted to know that and begged her to call my mom as well.

My mom, who was visiting a friend, also received a call right away with the flight information. Though a bit confused as to why Athai was calling her to update on my itinerary when I was sitting home watching TV, my mom had the presence of mind to thank her and not let the cat out of the bag. And I would have got away with it but for a chance phone call from my periamma* which I had to pick (no one else at home). My periamma who is head of all AP, Reuters franchisees immediately called Athai to announce my arrival adding to much confusion and later confession.

Thus began my holiday in Chennai. Well! I admit there were no whales-mistaken-for-islands or pythons that guard treasures in my adventure… but it was an adventure nevertheless. And it isn't quite over. Yet.

* paati - grandma

athai-aunt
periamma- literally, big mother. wife of big-father / elder sister of mother

Adventures

My expedition to Chennai was nothing short of an adventure á la Sindbad. Sydney airport was hospitable and my excess baggage was condoned, all thanks to my ‘milk dripping’ face. The flight, well! any emptier and it would be classified private jet. Had a splendid window seat by the wings, luxuriously for myself. Stretched my legs, watched a movie (whose name or plot I can’t recall), had a decent piece of dinner and snored away to Kuala Lumpur. KL airport was empty, clean and brilliantly confusing. The signs were anything but clear and it took me three rounds and six people to find the transfer lounge which ended being of no use whatsoever as I had to find immigration for my transit visa. Transit visa wasn’t a problem and I found myself taking the KLIA Ekspress to Sentral instead of a Teksi (Taxi). Malaysians, as you may have already guessed have a humour bone too many as evident from their unique way of spelling English words. The city was just waking up when I reached Sentral and I took a monorail to Bukit Bintang, as instructed by my Malay friend back in Canberra.

Bukit Bintang was the shopping district where I was to burn a lot of my hard-earned money but early as it was and lazy as they were it wasn’t to be open until 10 in the morning (it wasn’t even 8 at that time). Of course I forgot to mention a friend I made on the KLIA Ekspress, a Sydney guy who was also in transit on his way to Dhaka. The two of us decided to walk to Petronas or Menara Kuala Lumpur but he was such a sluggish character that he made me look positively SuperMan like. A few hundred pit stops later we reached Menara KL, more simply KL tower. Even that wasn’t open until 9 but we decided to while time nearby. The sun was up by now and it was soooo humid I was dripping (not milk… jus sweat). I stripped to my shorts and T-shirt relinquishing my jacket and trousers (C’berra has got me accustomed to a sweat-free living).

As soon as they opened, we were in, climbing the tower at the rate of about 50 metres a second to the observation deck and the view was simply breathtaking. A 360 degree view of the city with an audio tour chipped in to explain what is what. It was totally worth it. Due to the compulsion of UnsuperMan, we took a Teksi back to BB where we had our breakfast (and I called home). I did not find BB very shoppable considering my grad student scholarship. I did buy ‘Friends’ DVDs – season 1 and season 5 (and I believe I got a good deal).

I was looking for some Tamil DVDs (I was taking home a DVD player and not buying DVDs for them is like giving a bow without any arrows) and was directed to go to Masjid India. I should point out here that the traffic in KL was a let down for me. After Singapore and Australia, I was hoping for something more in that line and was disappointed to see traffic violations everywhere (foremost of which is sccoters on the pedestrian walkway). I had an almost impossible time crossing the road (even in a Pedestrian crossing). No ‘Why did the chicken cross the road’ jokes people, but I think if anything I guess to become Chicken Tikka Masala.

I took a bus to go to Masjid India and I requested the conductor to kindly inform me when my stop arrived. I must have been very tired for I dozed off and some time later, I found myself getting down in a place far far away from Masjid India. The conductor apparently forgot all about me. (What is it with me! Am I invisible or something?) I had to take a Teksi to get to Masjid India, something which I could have done in the first place and saved half an hour. Anywayz, Masjid India was everything you would expect of it. There were a lot of stalls, a lot of hawkers selling their wares and a lot of people buying it and a lot of noise. I roamed around and found some good DVDs (surprisingly, DVDs aren’t as popular in KL yet… I really had to look far and wide to find any). Needless to add, I abandoned my Sydney friend in a plaza in Bukit Bintang (intended to catch up with him as soon as I bought my DVDs). (If he is reading this, I swear I did not desert you with vile intent… it just happened)

I was directed to Imby Plaza for all my computer needs and I had quite a need given the ‘impression’ that Malaysia is the place for inexpensive computer accessories. In the end all I bought was a USB drive. I did not find anything dirt cheap (and I was running low on cash).

It was almost time to leave and I still hadn’t seen the Petronas tower up close. I made up my mind to walk to the Petronas (“Walk! You must be crazy”, told the Malay locals, “Take the Teksi la. Nobody in KL walks la!”), to click a few good snaps of it (consummate my KL sojourn) and then head back to the airport. But as luck would have it I got to go up to the skybridge (the lady at the service desk assured me that it would take less than half-an-hour) and I was back on the road (actually rail) to KLIA. Boarded the plane (again, any emptier and it would be a private jet) without any hassles about my newly heavier cabin baggage (milk-dripping face to the rescue again??). And then I landed in Chennai… but more of it later.

P.S. Sorry for the late blogpost... too unbusy in Chennai

In Chennai

Am in Chennai, gud old Chennai after almost 2 years (that felt positively like a few lifetimes). Soooo totally surprised my family(more on this later). Chennai looks the same to me. Nothings changed much. Ofcourse haven't been roaming around; been pretty much at home all day. Been getting a steady stream of visitors. Navarathri is grand as usual but seriously not my cup of tea. I'll be going out with frenz n stuff soon and that should be fun.

And surprisingly I actually miss Canberra.