Sticky in Chennai

Happy New Year to Everyone!  We are looking forward to our one-night layover in Bangkok on our way back to Chennai.  Have lots of Myanmar stories to tell, from the little girl nuns who haggled over how much $ their photo would cost, to the owl that Esmerelda freed to gain extra Buddha credit, to telling you all about the town that lives IN a lake, to the food so over-the-top stinky a person from a table across the room demanded we send it back to the kitchen.  Yes, lots to tell about.

 

Our visit to Myanmar has so far been a very complex and fascinating experience.  One slightly scary tidbit:  all access to google, yahoo and g-mail is denied.  I guess that is seen as a bit too, shall we say, democratic for the powers that be here in Myanmar. 

We will have lots to say when we return but for now let me say that Myanmarians sure do love the Buddha!  Every which way you look there is another massive Buddha shrine with a lovely image of the Buddha.  It is really quite amazing.  Many of the Buddha temples and pagodas and stupas and shrines are stunning - a few of the sites we have seen truly rival in pure wonder anything we have seen on the during all of our travels around the globe.  

More in a few days... 

We hope to post interesting stories about Myanmar when we return. Given that internet access is not widely or easily available there we will not be posting for a week. Hopefully we will have lots of fun photos, and not just images of Buddhas, to display. Happy new year!

Near our home there is a man with a coconut cart on Sterling Road. I make regular stops here for my coconut water fix. The other day I noticed that the seller of coconuts or someone else, has nailed in a few religious pictures on the tree by the coconut cart. We have noticed this particular image before along a busy road side but have always been unable to stop there to photograph it but I thought this smaller and faded color version would get the point across. In a cycnical approach one may think of it as the "Can't we all get along" response of Rodney King during the L.A. riots after the cops who beat him were acquitted. In a non-cynical way, it is just nice since religion is so often divisive.What seem to be the three main religions of this area.

The top of the sign reads: GREAT EAGLE PLASTIC - Rain or Shine We Must Perform

Outside of Spencer's Plaze, our main shopping mall and romping ground to hordes of young men and women with nothing else to do but walk around a mall,  there is a peculiar sight of a Nazi who seems to be earning a humble living as a plastic sign maker.  It is more than a tad strange to see a Nazi who is not pure white Aryan in his own genetic make up, but, no doubt, he is quite vocal in his support of Adolf Hitler.  I am sure there is a great story here but the Nazi was unable to speak to me in English.   He did happily pose for a few photos and even flashed me a winning smile when we parted.   Anyone know the story behind this character?

One minute it is carrying bananas, the next it is protecting one's head in the rain. I have enjoyed seeing the many kinds of plastic bags worn creatively on many heads in the streets during this heavy monsoon season. So what if one's hair smells like bananas later? One can say it's a new natural banana aromatherapy shampoo.

After so many delicious meals at our favorite Chennai restaurant Saravana Bhavan, here we saw for the first time where the early preparations begin, at least at the Anna Nagar branch of this popular restaurant chain. There is no close-up but basically there is a high heap of onions on the floor and they are being peeled. Needless to say, it doesn't look appetising but...it is not for the faint of heart. One can relax and remember that everything one eats there, at least on our part, is cooked. So many of the germs are hopefully killed during the heating process. Many of our readers from pasteurised places may retch, feel free to retch. One makes peace with many things. I told a friend on the phone last night about a fresh beautiful cauliflower I bought the other day. When I came home and cut it, two giant caterpillars wiggled out. Obviously it is just different. Who is to say what is in the "meat" at fast food chains anywhere? Just thought the basement photo was blog-worthy.

Our recent post of an advertisement with a pug dog has inspired a series of conversations about pugs in Chennai. Our sources tell us (Denzil, the driver) that pug dogs, because of their smushed faces, are often mistaken for dangerous bull dogs.

In fact we hear there is a prominent Chennai family that has 3 pug dogs that are housed in a special air conditioned room with their own doggie door. Their owners have employed two dedicated servants to provide care 24 hours a day to their beloved pugs. While the pugs primary service staff are aware of their timidity and naturally amiable ways, apparently the rest of the home’s service staff lives in a state of constant fear, terrified that they might suffer the painful wrath of a vicious flesh eating pug.

Christmas at Spencers sponsored by Kit Kat. It was pretty glum. The Santa was sitting in the sleigh earlier with barely any energy on his face. Then he moved over to hang out and chat with the information help desk people, shook some hands with some kids who strolled over with their moms, and then just shuffled his feet. He didn't notice me lurking around waiting for a good shot. I don't know what his cane is for.

UPDATE: We have been researching why Santa in India has a cane, especially after another Santa was sighted with a similar walking stick.  What we uncovered was a little disturbing.  It turns out that Santa, surprise surprise, is popular with the kids.  Actually sometimes he is a bit too popular with the kids, at which time Santa must rely on his trusty cane with which to beat an escape path through hordes of demanding toddlers.