New Year's Day

Sunday turned out to be not only Tamil New Year, but a work day, and also celebrity day.
It started with three Turner celebs came trouping out from the greater world to visit the job site and catch up on the ground realities.We were having coffee in the hotel before heading out to the job site, when it was noted that sitting at the next table was a starlet of the Tamil film industry. She very kindly agreed to pose for a picture with us. She was so sweet. So that's Kaushik and Dan Hsu (from NY), and Namia, Nick Billotti (Pres Turner Int), Jimmy (my boss) and me.

So Sunday night I was invited to a fashion show. It was for the launching of a new LCD Television line in the Indian market. The place was full of Indian TV Salesmen. Not sure that they were interested in the fashion....
The celebrity of the night was a TV heartthrob named Suriya and everyone went gaga over him when he showed up. Talk about your bedroom eyes! Obviously a soap opera star...

Spent the evening shaking hands, making contacts. Wrong industry, but you never know...

Oh, did I mention the see through saris and the bare-chested men in feather boas at the fashion show? Happy New Year

I'm Getting Married in the Morning

With all the progress in technology, the Hindu traditions get brought along too. There are still ox carts in the streets, as well as the beautifully carved wooden temp-le chariots, but some of the traditions even borrow a little from Bollywood (or Tamilwood).

There is a tradition that when a man comes to town for his wedding. He is paraded through the streets so everyone may have a look at him and see who's clan the bride is joining. It's also a double check for the parents so anyone can 'speak now or forever hold thy peace'. As pointed out to me, someone can step up and say 'I know that man and he already has 3 wives....or owes a lot of money....or whatever.'

This groom, in an electrified oculus, accompanied by a couple small cousins, was at the center of a huge parade. With a band and marchers, his float was on top of some vehicle which was so completely covered by the float I couldn't see if it was car, or truck, or what.

The parade took up the entire street. I had to plaster myself against the wall of the building to let it pass into the dark night and onto many years of wedded happiness.

Gratuitous OFC Photos (Oh Fer Cute)

no one will be surpirsed that I will stoop to a little crowd pleasing schmaltz, especially when trying to back myself out of not having posted for a while.

There are bunches of wild dogs all over India and of course all over my jobsite. A friend theorizes that they don't bark because they're not tied up. Some do bark at me at times - I'm still not sure if I smell wierd or if they can see me that well to know I'm a different color.

Anyway, there's one (shown right) who will follow me all around the site because I'll give her a big rubdown - and then go wash my hands - quick! I call her Lakshmi after the goddess of wealth, cause she's gold. But she whines like an out of control space ship in a bad Sci Fi movie. Stillshe's very sweet.

This guy on the left isn't tame enough to come to me, but I think he's a handsome fellow. He was much more interested in the rest of his pack than he was in me. They were cavorting and jumping and chasing after some others making inCURsions (sorry)

...And it's spring, so now there are more dogs on the site. These guys were trying hard to find a shady spot to nap. Damn sun kept moving!!

Commute

Apologies for not updating sooner, there was a trip to Ireland for Patty's day, and Stonehenge for the equinox and St Paul's for Good Friday. The Turner folks got all funny about it, so there's been that to deal with back here. But between yoga and gym and the 2 hour commute each way to the job site, the blog has suffered. Sorry.

So yoga and the gym are great, and the commute may get better starting today. There's one big road in Chennai, the Anna Salai, named for an old politician. Apparently he built a major road in every major city in India. It is anywhere from 2 to 6 lanes wide and up to 10 lanes of traffic will hurtle, or creep down it.
There are very few traffic lights, and even when there are, traffic snarls terribly with people turning right from the left lane and all that (We're on the other side of the road here thanks to the British) So to fix the problem, the Chennai Corporation (city) builds 'fly-overs'. I called it a viaduct and they all looked at me funny.

The Gundy flyover, presently under construction is at a bend in the Anna Salai and two branch roads that lead to major sections of town. Navigating through the intersection with buses and bull carts and crowds of pedestrians and cockroach like pedicabs, and the changing construction lanes and what not is a nightly circus. One night it took 90 minutes just to get through that intersection.

So the thing has been under construction for 7 years and is far from complete, but they are opening the main span today (we think). As we came by it yesterday it was all lit up. Yes that picture is not of a shopping center canopy, but of the concrete road bridge festooned with lights. What's more, the little line of lights at the top: run! Talk about your distraction!

They like to celebrate here. (Especially the politicians!)