Back again, for the fourth year. And, once more, the sometimes absurd ways India has to surprise me forced me to write about it.
This is about Vodafone, how telephone numbers can be so easily deactivated without notice and awkwardly re-activated. And an overall reflection on how a telephone company can be more strict about immigration regulations than the Government itself. Maybe someone forgot to tell Vodafone that India is the biggest democracy!
24/06/12
I was given the wonderful opportunity to insert the TRANSLATOR gadget.
Now, being a translator myself I consider automatic translation something aberrant, and if you just know a little English and want to try out this gadget you'll see that "quotidiano", meaning "daily", becomes "newspaper", and that will be enough to judge the whole thing.
But, there it is.
Have fun. And if you don't understand, just email me and you will get the REAL translation! Deal.
12/04/12 Allarme tsunami!
Yesterday, as a consequence of the earthquake in Indonesia, there was a tsunami alert on the coasts of Tamil Nadu. The drive to the American School, our meeting point for emergencies, was slowed down by incredible traffic, even more so because not only cars were causing the jam but also cows, pedestrians and motorbikes driving in the opposite direction of our lane.
21/02/12 Kolam
Originally in rice flour, these beautiful drawings decorate the entrance of every hindu house. The drawing itself is swept away and redone afresh every morning at dawn to represent the never ending life cycle. In villages, the floor used to be spread with water and cow dung (!) to create a greenish background for the white intricate lines. Rice flour used to be food for ants, so that they didn't enter the home. Nowadays it's chalk powder, and there are tools that make it easier for today's busy women to keep the tradition alive.
31/01/12 Il mitico Times of India
My favorite newspaper in town, it's always very strict with its comments on the governments deeds, and offers a modern viewpoint on India. This Sunday's special report criticizes the excessive reaction of indian gov to jokes about India around the world. It offer a solution, too: give every family a toilet, to shut up the foreigners' talking!
14/01/12 In giro con mamma
Visit to a couple of sites in Chennai, attracting lot of attention from "guides" at the temple because we very obviously look like tourists.
19/12/11 Brrr che freddo, siamo in Italia!
Here we are, back home, back to things we didn't know we missed, especially peace and quiet and ... supermarkets! Where to find what when you go grocery shopping in Chennai! Poultry is not in the same shop as beef, nor tomato sauce is in the same shop as pasta. And remember to wash your vegetables properly if you want to eat them raw!
15/12/11 Santa Claus is coming!
On the 13th of December the Middle School Choir performance at Hyatt Regency Hotel was cheerful and happy, and even more so after Father Christmas made his appearance from the roof!
9/12/11 Yoga
I find it different to follow an Indian instructor compared to my Italian one. Looks like lessons are more structured the italian way. Maybe it's because Yoga has been set aside for quite a few years in India, while it was gaining popularity abroad: there are more foreign teachers than Indian ones and here - strangely enough - Yoga is a relatively young activity.
3/12/11 Il driver supplente
A day with the new driver. Apparently he doesn't trust my instructions and prefers to stop the car and give a call to the regular driver in order to double check what I'm telling him. Especially when there is a change in plans and it looks like I'm forcing him not to follow the standard route!
30/11/11 Cose così
Shower cubicles are an option here, some bathrooms have it, some don't, so while you wash yourself your bathroom get washed, too.
And the fridge has a security lock we are not very familiar to.
25/11/11 Una mattina
Started with mopping the floors because of the monsoon rain during the night. Continued putting milk in a proper container and ended up reading the news and finding out that it's wintertime and, therefore, very cold!
16/11/11 Vi presento la casa!
So these are pics of the house. Looks like a maraja mansion, but it's not. What we were shown were either small apartments with cracking walls and no A/C, or luxury villas very indian style. This one falls somewhere in between. We chose it because it has the basic for survival: a generator for power back up and a good water pump. Broadband internet connection is still a dream, though.
Ah, about the pool: looks terrific, I know, but it's only 80 cm deep! No fear of drowning in there!
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