Conversations with an auto ric driver
Tamil Keywords to help you get around in Chennai in an auto ricshaw
AevaLo (How much?):Â The L has a harsher ring to it but then you can still get it right pronouncing it otherwise.
Hand gesture: Close your fist and raise your thumb in a thumbs up sign and wiggle it up and down.
Aeppadi (How?)
Enge (where?)
Ponum (go?)
A typical conversation with an auto driver will go like this:
Auto driver: Enge ponum?
You: Mount road ponum.
You can judge the OK or NO just by the expression. Sometimes, the driver will shake his head and just go away. You know what that means. If yes, he will ask you to sit inside (Vukkaranga: Sit down). That is the trickiest part. You should not sit inside without discussing the fare. Here it goes
You: Evalo?
Auto driver: 100 Rs
You: Too much! Just say your price in Rs. For example, 60 Rs. Don’t add Tamil to it. Money knows no language.
You can get your bargain after some haggling.
Chennai’s Schools
Chennai has some of the best schools in India. However the drawback of educating your kid in Chennai is that they will be brought up in a culture that is devoid of diversity. They will miss the festivals and celebrations that mark other cities in India. Most of their friends will be mono-linguistic, and that is not a very healthy thing.
Chennai is the hotbed of dravidian culture, and your kid might just be taught how villainous his brahminical ancestors were and end up feeling like scum.
Despite that, if you are still looking for options for your kids in Chennai, the ones listed in this website. However, do a check before admitting your little one. My nephew studies at St Michaels, Adyar, and from what I know that is a good place to be.
It is better to start your plans to move out of Chennai before your kiddo enters College. With the kind of reservation system in Tamil Nadu, chances of the poor kid making it to a decent college are few and far between.
Sports in Chennai
Sports and Chennai are a strange combination. Most locals prefer education to sports, and it is mostly people form outside that make up Chennai’s best sporting culture. Being fit is definitely not high on an average Chennaiite’s agenda. Also, all that bucketfuls of rice and idlis do little to promote sports. Watching cricket is more like Chennais cup of kaapi.
As in the rest of India, Chennai loves cricket. The M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, popularly known as the MAC, is one of the oldest cricket stadiums in India built in 1916. The stadium is famous for its list of records including the first ever test match victory that India recorded in 1951-52 when they defeated England and the second tied tests that was India v/s Australia in 1986. The Chemplast Cricket Ground in the IIT Madras campus is another important cricket venue.
Although footbal is rarely played, Chennai has the The Madras Gymkhana Club, one of the oldest football clubs in Chennai founded by the British in 1884.
Chennai hosts the only ATP tournament in India. There are as many as fifteen coaching centers in Chennai, not taking into account the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association’s coaching scheme.
Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium is the venue for hockey matches and features a seating capacity of 4,000. The Chennai Veerans, a premiere hockey league team is based in Chennai. The stadium has hosted the Champions Trophy twice, recently in 2005.
The Velachery Aquatic Complex seats 4,000 audiences and hosts different kinds of water sports.
The Guindy Race Course for horse racing was set up in 1777. Motor racing events are held at the Sriperumbudur track for cars.
The Madras Boat Club was established in 1867 and it hosts rowing races. The city features two 18-hole golf courses — the Cosmopolitan Club and the Gymkhana Club golf course, both were established in the late 19th century.
