Way to Take One for the Team!

Jenna has been visiting Chennai this past week to visit me and help out with the next phase of Equip's latest venture. I didn't see her much during the week, but since I didn't have to work Friday (Republic Day), we had plenty of time to catch up over the weekend. The one thing that everyone here knows about Jenna is that she has a mad crush on the Indian cricket player Dhoni: This weekend, Chennai hosted the World Cup ODI (One Day Internationals) between India and the West Indies (I think-I'm so up on my cricket!). In between her training sessions, Jenna began plotting a strategy to meet Dhoni here in Chennai (previous attempts in both Delhi & Mumbai had already proved unsuccessful). It seemed fated to be when she met a cricket commentator in The Leather Bar Friday night who offered to leave us passes to the next day's match.

Which is how I found myself, approximately 10 minutes before the match was about to end, standing outside of the gate of the cricket stadium-the smell of urine and horse poop wafting through in the air-waiting and waiting and waiting. Surprise, surprise-no passes! Sigh. Jenna frantically calls the commentator guy-I mean we are so close to Dhoni, she feels that tonight will be the night she finally gets to meet him! Especially since he isn't playing tonight: he will be in the stands just watching the game-what a perfect time to chat him up!! As we are waiting for the commentator to come down and get us in, she points out to me that I need to be the one who has the mad crush on Dhoni. She can't, because she's been flirting with the commentator to get us in in the first place! You know me-I'm sooo good at faking hero worship. :) But, I don't have long to prepare for my role (I'm just hoping that there will be no follow-up questions!) as he comes down and gets us in. Jenna wastes no time-in the elevator to the VIP boxes, she tells the commentator all about my "crush". I try to play it off like I'm embarrassed that she's telling him all this; though I'm not sure if it came out that way! He did smile indulgently at me and suggested I stake out the hotel where the players are staying.

But the whole charade was all for nothing!!!! Sigh. The commentator dumps us in an empty VIP booth, on the opposite side from where the players were sitting and tells us that he has to go for a studio shoot. So, dejectedly, we sit and watch India loose the last few minutes of the match, knowing we have no hope of meeting Dhoni. We can't even see him across the field from us!

Why Chennai will never become a tourist mecca...

Actually, I could probably write several posts relating to this topic; however, I want to deal specifically with one thing that made the front page here in Chennai recently:

Tamil Nadu hikes auto rickshaw rates
Chennai, Jan 10: Tamil Nadu government today announced an upward revision of auto rickshaw fares in the state from January 26, 2007. The minimum fare, which was fixed at Rs seven in 1996, now has been revised to Rs.14. This would be valid for the first two kms, state Transport Minister K N Nehru told reporters here.The fare for further distances has also been hiked to Rs six per km from the present Rs.3.50, he said.He said the autorickshaws should be fitted with electronic metres within the next six months failing of which, stern action would be taken.The last revision was made in 1996 and the prices of petrol and diesel have increased many times since then, he said.

Ok. This may seem like a generally fair thing, right? Raising the fares to a more reasonable price to take into account the hikes in petrol prices? Let's examine a bit closer:

1.) The current auto rates in Bangalore, where the cost of living is generally higher than Chennai, the auto rates are set at Rs. 12 for the first 2 km and Rs. 6 for each additional km.

2.) Generally, in Chennai, it is actually impossible to get an auto driver to take you anywhere less than 2 km for less than Rs. 20...

3.) ...Not that this is verifiable because the auto drivers in Chennai do not use a meter-EVER. In fact, most drivers have completely disconnected their meter and I have even been in an auto where there wasn't even a meter. So what does this mean? You have to know the area well enough to be able to bargain the correct price with the auto driver. What does that mean if you are a tourist, first time in Chennai? That you should expect that you will be cheated if you take an auto. Because, the fact is, if you are white, they generally assume you are a tourist and will raise their rates even more.

Case in point: Liz & I had brunch at the Courtyard Marriott the day she left. When we left, we came out to negotiate for an auto to go back home. Right outside the hotel, the drivers all started their bargaining at Rs. 150, telling us, "Long distance madam. At least 25 km [its actually around 9!]" When we crossed the street, to get away from them and to head in the right direction, the negotiations started out at Rs. 100. Imagine: a Rs. 50 difference just by crossing the street! But how would I know that if I was a first-time tourist?

Why is it like this?, one might ask. This brings me to point #4.

4.)I have heard, though not verified, that it is because the cops own most of the autos here in Chennai. Of course they are not going to enforce the meter laws (which were in existence all along), if they get more money by letting their drivers negotiate for fares. That's why I have my doubts about the "Stern action would be taken" phrase in the report. This phrase is already the Indian equivalent of "There is no punishment defined, so we won't bother to enforce this law." And who is going to enforce the laws anyway if the cops are implicit in the problem?

Now, knowing this (most of which you can find in any tourist publication), would you want to visit Chennai as a tourist? Chennai is the fourth largest metro in India, with several noteworthy tourist spots. It could use the influx of tourist dollars to develop even more. Unlike the heat and humidity (another tourist deterrent) this is something that could easily be fixed to turn Chennai into a viable tourist destination. But, does anyone care?

Happy (Belated) New Year!

I know, I know, I haven't been keeping you updated...and, if I were one of those people that actually tried to make & keep new year's resolutions then mine would be to blog more frequently...but I don't really believe in making new year's resolutions, so I guess you will just have to randomly keep checking back for updates. :)

Anyway, as many of you know, Liz came to visit me for Christmas and we have been having a great time celebrating the holidays together. Here are some pictures to show what we have been up to:

Christmas Day:

A wedding reception for one of my former trainees (that I believe Liz actually failed in his final assessment!) Good thing he didn't hold a grudge... :)

New Year's Party:

Now we are off for another traveling adventure... :)