Last Weekend in Mahabs

Last weekend I went about an hour south of Chennai to the only touristy beach area in all of Tamil Nadu, despite the state having a huge amount of shoreline. It’s called either Mahabalipuram or Mamallapuram depending who you ask, but most people just call it Mahabs. It’s got it all there- a laid back beachie feel, great food, incredible temples and it is world-renowned for its rock carvings. You can see people on just about every street chiseling away making statues and trinkets, it was quite a world away from the crowds and pollution of Chennai. I even saw my first hippies in India here! Another thing that struck me about Mahabs was that the temples and rock carvings were almost all done in the 7^th Century and it really puts into perspective how ancient of a civilization India is. Here are some pics from the trip, I hope to go back soon!

The Bay of Bengal (More an ocean than a bay as in SF or Chesapeake- gnarly waves and the like)

Fisherman starting their day

Krishna’s Butterball

No one knows exactly how it got here but it’s sitting very precariously on a rock hill.

Arjuna’s Penance- Life size carvings of Hindu deities, real people and animals- this was probably my favorite.

It tells a story of Arjuna (standing to the left of the separation in the rock on one leg on the ground and the other up) who is getting props from Shiva and several other gods and people while fighting the Mahabharata war.

Temples here are not all about gods and grand deeds, also about regular life- this one shows someone milking a cow.

I think this lion has a moustache.

The Five Rathas- This whole complex was buried in the sand but discovered and excavated by the British 200 years ago

Haming it up with an Elephant at the Five Rathas- thanks Clémence!

Schoolchildren showed up while I was there, they are playing on Nandi, who is Shiva’s bull.

A fisherman’s boat and the Shore Temple

Life-size cows surround the Shore Temple

The temple itself is quite striking and I am impressed it has withstood 1,300 years of beating from the wind, sand, ocean, and most recently, the tsunami of 2004.

Goodbye, Chennai

I’m feeling kinda sad to leave Chennai, it’s been a great two months there. It has taken a lot of effort but I’ve met so many cool people here from all over the world and feel like I kinda/sorta established myself there. It is frustrating to have to start all over again but there are several positives involved.

I’m moving to Coimbatore for the month to start a project for work and welcome the new opportunity- after all, this is why I’m here. Plus, there are beautiful mountains and weather and cleaner air in my new city and won’t miss the pollution and humidity of Chennai. Plus, I’m back in Chennai in September so it’s not like I’m even gone for that long. I guess I’m just whining a little but it was difficult and took a while to get to know the city and the people and now I have to start all over again from square one. At the same time, that’s part of the fun of my trip, constantly getting new experiences and new challenges. I’ll keep everyone posted on how it goes!

The Safe Streets of Chennai...

So, I’ve complained about how scary the traffic is over here but I think other than that, I am safer here than I ever was living in DC. For the first couple weeks here I was a little scared to be out at night, especially after midnight. The streets are all poorly lit, most areas look really run-down and there are groups of men huddled in circles here and there. These are all signs to get moving- quickly- if I was back in any city in the US. However, I’ve learned that’s not how things are over here. Muggings and violent crime have lower rates than about anywhere in the world, especially for foreigners. I have kept my wits and street smarts about me but I do find it incredible how safe Chennai is, especially with how many disenfranchised people and how much poverty there is here. I’ve asked everyone what the make of it, both locals and foreigners and no one has a good answer, although everyone seems to agree it’s true. It makes me think it's a cultural thing on some level but, as many things here in India, I have no clue. It’s really nice though; it’s one of the best parts of being here and a way that Chennai is way better than any major city in the US. One local put it to me like this “Here in Chennai, there are a lot of mosquitoes, but not many snakes. In the US, there aren’t many mosquitoes but there are more snakes”. What he meant is that when it comes to people, there are a lot of minor annoyances here- I could name a bunch- but they are relatively harmless at the end of the day. In the US there are less minor annoyances but there are more dangerous people. I kinda like the analogy. OK, don’t worry, I’m not getting cocky or anything- I’m still staying smart and safe, just an observation, that’s all.

Music Videos

9XM is the MTV-ish channel I get here. It’s all in Hindi and all the songs are from Bollywood movies. There is a separate channel that plays some Kollywood music vids but 9XM is 24/7 music. Some observations:

The channel doesn’t have VJ’s at all- in between songs there are little computer animated skits by one of three sets of characters: The Betel Nuts, who are obviously the Beetles, this rat that is always singing the blues and having bad things happen to him, and my personal faves, Bade and Chote. Bade is the three-eyed guy and is the straight man while Chote is always joking and jonein on him and he cracks me up. I’m picking up a little Hindi by watching, especially with the help of my roommate.

I think it’s really interesting that EVERY SINGLE SONG played on this channel is from a movie, it shows how big and far-reaching the movie industry is here. On top of this, you never see any of the musicians that actually sing or play, it is always the actors from the movie dancing and lip synching. These two things are the biggest difference between the pop music industry here in India and back home. The music, however, is pretty danm similar to what you’d see on MTV. A lot of love ballads, dance tunes, and soft rock. Kinda like what’s on TRL all the time or something, that’s the best analogy I can make. This by far isn’t the only kind of music found here in India, the traditional Indian music is fascinating and there is lots of rock and hip hop going on, unfortunately of this makes its way to the TV though.

The Autotune- you all know what this awful piece of technology is- Cher has used it in the past and then Kanye West brought it back this year on his new album. I hate it- it makes my ears bleed but unfortunately it is now all the rage here- arrghh! No. More. Autotune!!

Here is my favorite vid they play on 9XM, it’s only two minutes so check it out, it’s from the Delhi 6 movie. I love the mix of traditional music with the breakbeat and the grandma dancing is adorable, she has actually been a famous Bollywood actor for years now. Enjoy- I did!

Delhi 6

This song is from the Bollywood movie Delhi 6 and it’s the titular song ;) My friend Ravi at work turned me on to it and I really like it- it rocks and it’s got some hip hop in there. I hope you dig it! The video is nothing to watch, just movie posters so you can ignore the actual images, just check out the jam if you like!

Vehicle Hierarchy

In a place as densely populated as India- 1.16 billion in an area 1/3 the size of the US, space on roadways is at a premium. Because of this, a clear hierarchy has emerged to me. I still am trying to grasp many other aspects of traffic over here but this is one that I am confident on. It can often be reduced to sheer size, speed and weight, but as you’ll see this is not always the case. The lowliest of all is the pedestrian, being the lightest and slowest moving thing on the road. Next are motorcycles, being faster and heavier than peds. Rickshaws are often slower than motorcycles, but, being that they are slightly heavier and more stable, they are higher in the order.

This is followed by passenger cars and then by SUVs. The only exception to this is the Hindustan Ambassador car, which I think is higher than an SUV (see pic). They have been making these things since 1957 and their style has not changed- AT ALL! It looks like something straight out of the 50’s doesn’t it? Apparently, they are often are used by VIPs and I see them all over the city, especially since Chennai is the capitol of TN. The reason for their higher status has to do with who is inside but also that these things are like tanks from what I understand- super heavy and designed old-school- forget wimpy crumple zones or other energy absorbing features- these things would take on a modern SUV no problem.

On top of passenger vehicles are the biggest guys on the road- the heavy trucks (often called lorries over here) and busses. Being the largest and heaviest would make you think they are tops, but there is one thing above them- the cow. It is not an exaggeration to say that they are everywhere. I thought they would mainly be a rural phenomenon but I was wrong, you can see them all around the city, eating what they can, wandering around and pulling carts full of goods. They gain their status because they are seen as holy and you would be in BIG trouble if you were to hit one. I salute you cows, for you are the top of the traffic pecking order!