LTTE: Left To Tamil Eelam (All alone!)

Two weeks in Chennai and I still haven't got a word out on this blog of mine. Great. So before I begin, let me advise any of the rare readers that might stumble by this page... "PUT IT ON PAPER AS SOON AS YOU THINK OF IT!!!" Sadly to say, the excitement fizzles out in time. Anyway, here goes...

First thing that struck me on reaching the Chennai station... "Does NO one understand anything other than Tamil here?" Found a rickshaw fellow who was taking a 100 bucks to drop me to my place, thought it was too high. Tried to bargain with him. This is what it went like:

Me: {location}
Rickshaw-waala: 100 {gibberish}
Me: mmm... 100 too high...
Rickshaw-waala: {blah blah} 100aaa {something something}
Me: 80
Rickshaw-waala: 80 ille... {something about petrol and stuff}
Me: Naa {start walking}
Rickshaw-waala: Saar... 95 rupiz {still more of the lingo}
Me: Ok... {Too tired to bargain more or even speak in English} Chalo...

This was the first time I had ever bargained in a language I don't understand. This was NOT the first time I got fleeced by a rickshaw waala. Turned out I could have got to the Guesthouse in 50 bucks.

The Guest House caretaker is a Nepali. Thank God for small mercies...