Arrival, Melissa's apartment in Chennai

Today is now my second day in Chennai. I arrived yesterday morning - EARLY morning, about 2 am. Temperature: 82°F (28°C) and humid. When my two bags finally appeared on the conveyor belt, I noticed that my blue suitcase was taped up, since it too now had its zipper broken. Alas, another victim of baggage handlers. An hour later, I was greeted by a school staff member and he led me past the eager taxi drivers to where the school van was parked. After being given a mini-tour of the apartment and a few tips (i.e. to make an outlet work, you need to turn on a "light switch" next to it), I unpacked a few things and went to bed. I wanted to catch a few hours of sleep before the bus picked us up the next morning at 7:30 for a day trip to a beach resort. (See tomorrow's posting of the Ideal Beach Resort.)

Below are some photos of the interior of my apartment. I was planing to take some photos of the outside, but it decided to rain and then it got dark at about 6:15 (day and night are fairly equal, since Chennai is only about 15° above the equator). My apartment is in the section of Chennai called Adyar, further broken down as Gandhi Nagar. This area is more residential and slightly quieter than other parts. Palm trees line the edge of the wall surround the apartment building. Curved balconies, many with plants, accent each level of the newish building. The ground level is mostly exposed, serving as a protected parking area for cars and mopeds. An elevator is useful for those heavier loads in the 5 story building.

My apartment is on the 2nd floor (2 floors above ground floor) and the entryway opens out to three apartments, each with different doors. My apartment has 3 bedrooms, one of which is empty and will be my art studio. There are three bathrooms, each with Western toilets, a sink, and a recessed tiled area for the shower (no curtains). Each bedroom and the living room have an air conditioner, as well as a celing fan (which I prefer to run). The matress definitely is not Western quality, but I will have to get used to it. The kitchen has a new gas stove/oven, a fairly new refrigerator, a new microwave, and a drinking water dispenser. A door leads to a smaller balcony where the washing machine and clothesline (suspended from the ceiling) are. A larger balcony with French doors opens out from the living room. From here I have a nice view of the apartment building next to me. Knowing how important the Internet is for teachers, they already had DSL up and running - very nice since I could immediately email family letting them know I arrived safely. The school also thoughtfully had some fruit, bread, Corn Flakes, a few place settings, and some other food necessities purchased, carrying me through a few days until I can go to the store.

Since my shipment hasn't arrived, the apartment is rather bare, void of most personal items including my paintings. I have already met one of the neighbor ladies on my level, an Indian who spends part of the year in Chennai and the other in San Francisco with her grown children who work for IT companies. I also met the two fellows who are the "gatekeepers," as well as a young cleaning lady who was sweeping the grounds with a wisk broom. She spoke now English but one of the gatekeepers could speak a few words. I ca't wait until my shipment comes so I can bake them some chocolate chip cookies.

Hopefully tomorrow afternoon when we get done with school obligations I can take a little walk around the neighborhood. The neighbor lady offered to show me where a few stores are. Stay tuned!

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