A few Tamil lessons under my belt and I'm dangerous...who is this crazy person? Chennai as home.
Woken up the past week or so and this city feels like home--routine, rhythms, known in my new neighborhood (the people at the grocery store asked if I lived at the serviced apartments down the street--the owner of the apartments also owns the grocery store). I don't feel like a visitor--I can cross the street like a local (for anyone who visits, this is an act of courage, faith and sheer attitude). I finally secured Tamil lessons so I can communicate better here, and this helps feel more at home; however there was an incident to make sure I don't get a big head about this. More about that below. Suffice it to say I wish someone had caught it on video.
If you read the guide books, they warn you about the autorickshaws. I've been taking the autorickshaws since I arrived and feel pretty comfortable with the negotiations--I've walked away from plenty, I've been followed by plenty "Saar, saar--70 rupee...saar, saar--60 rupee). I usually get a good deal judging by my friends' negotiations, but I'm probably still getting fleeced. The whole not getting a good deal used to really get under my skin at times--felt like if I were a true Chennaite I should be able to haggle with ease and get the driver down to the lowest possible price (the iron law of autorickshaws tariffs?). I've softened since I drove past where many of the auto drivers lived on my way to the airport. I don't sweat the 10 rupee here or there. I'm sorry if I'm making it harder for people who live here permanently but my pale complexion makes me an automatic target for a rip-off. This isn't the typical Westerner position--I have much, therefore I can lose some here or there. It's more of the human-hearted compassion thing. Instead of seeing the drivers as the scourge of the city--rats with wheels--I try to see the man and empathize (not pity or sympathize--these are value-laden). I smile more when I approach a driver and talk with them, pay attention to the scenery, try to laugh a bit. It's dumb but why make the world a harder place? My experience here by-and-large has shown that a smile and laugh opens more doors and lightens my world as well.
So back to the incident--what exactly happened? I had one Tamil lesson under my belt and I was ready to use it. In class we went over how to negotiate with a taxi driver and I went home and memorized the dialogue. I was on my way to my gym and then to work. I had my bags slung over my shoulders, Sambas, sunglasses, Adidas basketball shorts--all I needed was a hamburger and an American flag draped around my shoulders to be more of a stereotype. I made a bee-line for a driver outside the Park Sheraton (posh Western hotel here) and upon making eye-contact I fire off "auto veruma?" and he looks at me and says "do you need a ride?" Not to be deterred I keep plunging ahead with my Tamil "Isha Life, Nageswara Park ponum." He continues "Mylapore? By Nageswara Park?" I come back with "evallavu?" and he says "150 rupees" with a broad grin (an outrageous price for a 2.5 km ride--its about a 30 minute walk). "Jastee--40 rupees" I say and he comes back with "No, it's a very long way and I have very good service..." The two of us were going to use the languages we needed to practice and neither one of us would be deterred. I'm sure the people around us were getting a laugh out of all of it--the American persisting in Tamil, the driver continuing in English. I was the first to break--I had run off my map--and I lost it. "I go this way everyday it's 2 km, the rate is 14 rupees per km!"--then I storm off and find another driver. Yeah, I'm the lunatic yelling guy on TTK Road. Kind of a bad couple of days with the autorickshaw--the following day I was going to the Krishnamutri Foundation for a seminar. I got an auto and had an agreed on price. As we were getting up to speed, the driver looks over his shoulder, smiles and ups the price by 20 rupees. I grab my bag, mutter that I'm outta here, and make to jump out of the taxi. The driver freaks and says "okokokokok, I'm not in this for the money. When do you want me to pick you up?" What have I become? Life is weird but fun sometimes if you just stop and look around.
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