The Curious Case Of Crazy Chennai Characters!!

The Curious Case Of Crazy Chennai Characters!!
Part 2: Aiyo Madam!!!

Right, morning of 29th July. Wednesday, 7.20 am. Summit 1. Taj Mount Road, Chennai.
A dutiful Meghna walks into the banquet hall. She is a good 15 minutes late. No body cares. Ouch that hurt!!!

I walk over to my sweethearts, Kavitha (Kavz) and Gracie and ask how I can be of assistance. I am given the difficult task of sorting thru some files, into alphabetic manner. But, I protest, I am new. How can I do that? Oh dear. Is there someone out there, to hear my prayer, and help me here. What, whats that I hear? Is that the sound… yes, that is the sound of my white knight in shining armour coming.

Well, white knight is kinda dusky. And shining armour is Taj’s black, unflattering, gay uniform! Still. He asks if he can help me. Of course, said a flabbergasted me. I was too out of my element to play the damsel in distress. Especially when he asked how do I put them in alphabetical order. And I pointed to the name tags at the bottom of the files!!! Ahh, one criteria still STAYS!! The guy was dumb!!! Hallelujah.

The next guy person I saw was Karthi. Came over said “Hi” and all of that. Charmer that guy was, is, always will be!!! Some of his lines made my day (all of them are in a non-pick up way. He is 46 years old and has a 13 year old daughter!!!). Top five are:

1. Meghna. Nice name. don’t hear it much in Malaysia. Such a sweet sounding name. Meghna!!!
2. I saw this tamil movie recently. The female protagonists name was Meghna. She was a really sweet character. As I am sure you are too. *Meghna blushes to no end*
3. Intelligent girl she is (was said to people other than me. DUH!!) Words like ingenuity used for me, which honestly have never been used to describe me!!
4. Little puppy looks, puupy face, puppy eyes. PUP!!
5. You were a joy to have to come to know. *awww*

Anyway, moving onto the proceedings of the day. Me sitting there with wide eyes, blank stare, trying to absorb what the frick was happening around me. Took me a day or two to come terms with my surroundings. There were briefings after briefings by my boss, my other boss, May and Grace, and Kavitha. Was so lost. The obvious things weren’t so obvious here. Like, why the kinda cute manager person, who was a Punjabi and ergo-WHITE, wasn’t a hit with the girls here. Delhi gals would be flirting with him and getting their way with him. Instead here, he and we were logger heads. OHHH-KAAYYY!!! Interesting. And then, kavz’s best friend seemed to be her boss. OHHH-KAAYYY. Why the malls were crowded every day, sale or no sale, weekday or weekend, 9 pm or am!!! OHHH- KAAYYY. Or why the taj boys knew more about the program, my program than me!! NO-KAAYYY!!!

Anyway, soon enough, the deer-in-the-headlight look faded away. And I started to show the real me!! Ah yes. The silly, self deprecating, witty, very amorous Meghna Singh. And of course, weirdly enough as always, people liked it. Who cares, they love me, they really do love me. Smirks*

I don’t know when, but soon enough a bond was created between me and the girls, which helped through the seemingly ling 18 days. But actually, the days went off so quickly, that I want to relive them now. Taking in every second slowly and savoring it. Savoring every sad joked we cracked at the devil, screaming Stella, stealing-NO, scratch that- borrowing without asking cookies, rasam, trays and God knows what not!!

Soon enough the realities of these girls also started unfolding. Like how May’s petite frame is just a cover up for that glutton gremlin!! How if you ask Kavitha one question, you will get answers for around 25 questions that you may or may not have. And that during the answering she doesn’t really stop to breathe, so that you can snuggle your way back into the convo.

(What babes, thot I was going to spare you!!!! Reminds me of your quote, “pay her for rs.10 worth, she will act worth rs. 100” Hee hee. Come on, take it in the right spirit Mrs. Devil)

• And Grace, don’t know where to start and end. The accountant turned training consultant turned photographer turned wants-to-be Indian bride to but-i-wanted-that-bag-so-i-didn’t-know-what-to-do: as kavithas and my jaw hits the ground!!!

Soon enough the taj guys also started shedding their polite, there to serve you, good old boys of taj training bit. And the polite taj boys turned into normal boys.

• Mani: all the smiles get double if you take someone’s case in front of him. And the next time he will join in to pull their leg. Not to forget his threatening the telephone fixer dude, when our Miranda Priestly was going to bang on our heads for screwing her meeting via a telephone related mishap. He tired his best to not let us get screwed too much. Alas, his efforts went vain. We still needed the ciggie at the end of that!!

• Karthik: My god this boy!! Here is an actual conversation that took place between our gal and this guy.
Its 9.15 at night. Kavz is still stuck in the banquet hall, sending emails. (talk about the devil wears prada, tamil version. Aiyo, Devil Amma wears Pothys)

Karthik walks in, smiles at kavz.
Kavitha (all earnesty on face, apologises): Sorry aa, Karthik, two more minutes ma!
Karthik (as translated into English by kavz to me): Yeah yeah, that’s what I was wondering.
Kavitha (almost happy at his un-taj-liness!!): gigles!!

• Sugu: Damn good observer, doing his MBA in HR. once I was standing holding a damn tray, as per my KPI, to be Chennai’s answer to Mansi. Sugu walks by, looks at me holding the tray in his direction, smiles and says, “No thanks”!!!

• Thiru: too sweet. Only taj dude to get us cappuccino without having to order. Also, doesn’t eat chocolates.

• Arun: Chennai’s answer to Shewwwwww!! Didn’t feel like saying anything Meghna-ism to him. Was scared that I will ruin his innocence.

• And not to forget the devil himself, with that sorry look on his face which hides the smirk, “please Kavitha, how long will it take” Idiot. He was stupid enough to bribe the wrong people!! Khi khi… Instead of appeasing people who would actually take a decision whether we come back to his hotel and his services for our future programs ( ORRRR at least would play SOME part in that decision making process.), the idiot was appeasing the consultants and the like. My god, I cant say it enough, IDIOT!!!

And I guess, thanks to these character, the 18 days went off so quickly that I was still left asking myself, what just happened.

They truly did become my family. We had mummy and the stupid sister and the best friend and the uncle that no one likes and the sasu maa!!! within the few of us.

The night before I was to leave Chennai, in fact, I had coached myself thoroughly, not to do a tearful bye-bye. But I did do a very tight bear hug goodbye ceremony. :D itna toh chalta hai!!! And when I got kavz and mummy’s message on the way to the airport, I almost had my cab turned around!!
The only respite was, when I was boarding the plane to Delhi (beside the fact that I was going home to my family!!!), was that I will see some of them again in a months time.

I guess the city was/ is as important a part of this as the people. My first real corporate job, this was my first city of functioning. It was surprisingly quite, sweet and accepting. And I guess, somewhere during the 18 days here, it was quite evident that it was one of the cities I could actually settle in.

Rehna tu, hai jaise tu, Chennai!!! :)

A Meghna Singh extra!!!

More Chennai masala in the same price!!!



Figure 1. "Meghna in Gracies' room, with Gracies' sunflower", in reference to Points 1 and 5.
31st July, 2009, Taj Mount Road, Chennai


Top 5 SUPER reasons why I like Chennai over Delhi now:

1. Everyone there thinks I am super pretty. “Meghna, you have the face of a model” “meg you should seriously consider modelling” etc.


2. Everyone there thinks I have super nice singing voice. Yeah!! Even I don’t believe that one. Had them repeat what they said, told them the ‘north Indian’ reaction to my voice: *Slap* Shut up!!


3. Things are super cheap there. So more things: read items of clothing nature: can be bought in the same amount.


4. Certain characters. *female Chennai readers don’t get excited. These characters are those characters from whom I prefer to get hugs from* Especially since these characters fall in the TDH category.


5. And am not always the most dark skinned girl in the room. No body gives me any grief over my slightly dusky skin. Cheers to that!!!

Crazy Chennai Characters Part II, coming soon to a blog near you!!!

The Curious Case Of Crazy Chennai Characters

The Curious Case Of Crazy Chennai Characters!!
Part 1: The wobbly beginnings.

Back after an 18 day work trip to Chennai. I know it sounds worthy of a lot of blank looks, so here's’ a little on what’s happened:
Got a call from my company around the 23rd July stating they need someone in Chennai from Monday. Okay sure said I, interviews happened, and I got selected… blah blah… within 1.5 days. Friday, 4 o clock I got my offer letter. Tuesday morning I joined!! (In the middle days I went on a shopping spree for my new job, plus a trip to god knows where.)

The entry into the office was not-so-auspicious. Got stuck in the office elevator for 20 minutes. “Speed” movie’s opening sequence flashing thru in my head. And, I thot to meself to message my new office people I will be late. Either late time-wise, or late Meghna Singh!!!! Okay bad time to think of jokes, I thot to myself. Oh and btw, I was the only girl in the lift. So all the men were staring at me, waiting me to crumble under the pressure and break into tears. I didn’t. I was having a hard time hiding my smirk. Well done God! Got me fooled into that I got the company of my dreams and that I had made it! Okay, finally the gates opened. Alas! No Keanu Reaves. Anywhoooo, proceeded to my office, with very shaky knees now!!

Couple of hours into the day, I reminded them that they might need me in Chennai. I thot, and here is where I faltered, I thot they mite need me to fly out the next morning or something. Wrong. They need me to fly out in 3 hours. Frantic calls made to mum. Start packing. Not knowing where I would be made to stay, if I would have a laundry facility etc, mum packed me ready for a war. Everything a person might need for 3 weeks, were pushed into my bag.

3 weeks!!! Seemed enormous at the time. 3 weeks away from my family, at a place so far away where I cant guilt them into coming for a visit. Sad faces would be in order, but didn’t have time to do that. Had a flight to catch. Finally boarded the flight. Damn small aircrafts. They shake and whimper like a kitten during the takeoff. Bad weather, turbulence all the way, and bad reminisces of the fact that its all an elaborate plan of God to give it all to me and then in an instance take it away by- yes- killing me. Sneaky fellow, HIM!! Finally. 2 hours 35 minutes over. Landed in Chennai. Still alive. Yes, praise the lord.

It was around 8.30 pm, when I had finally overcome the language barrier and told the driver who had come to get me how to find me. Sitting in the car, I confirmed with him, “bhaiya, hotel pride?” the hotel that my company had made reservations for me at. Allegedly!!!

Bhaiya, rather, anna replied, “No madam, Hotel Taj Connemara”. Nahh, they wont put me up there, would they. They wouldn’t and they didn’t. I was to have dinner there and go. Oh, maybe there are more people from HR team there that I am supposed to meet. Little did I know. There was our COO, my boss, international guests, and around 50 odd employees!! All senior people!!

This I got to know only after I entered the conference hall dressed in a lycra kurta, jeans, sports shoes, bad, messy bed-hair and a big laptop bag. Oh damn. Yeah. But at this point of time I was so above such humanly emotions! I had been thrown into the deep end of the ocean long before. I was just realising that the ocean was made of quick sand, and there were meteors falling near my quick sand, and there were little blood sucking Egyptian cockroaches on my neck… You get the idea right!

Anyway. I sat motionless thru whatever presentations that were going on so as to ensure least bit of attention onto me. The presentations ended. Met my boss, met my team. Apologised profusely for my attire, ate the most uncomfortable dinner I have ever could have imagined. And then excused myself for the night and headed for my hotel. Ps. thank God, my boss is a nice lady!!!

Oh here the alleged reservation part comes in. I asked the reception desk person, “reservations for Meghna Singh?” No. Gave my company’s name, city. Nope, nothing on the system. Irritated, frustrated, on the brink of screaming my lungs out, called my saviour, Herbert sir. Apparently, as soon as I said, hello Herbert sir, the hotel desk guy was like, yeah yeah I know now! Idiot.

Then I proceeded to a pretty lavish room, considering my post, and tenure with the company. But I guess it pays to be a girl. You are taken care of. Called my parents. Was on the brink of breaking down over the phone. They sensed it too. Couldn’t help it. Was damn tired, in a foreign city. So far away from them. Didn’t know what the heck was going on. Had no free wi-fi thing. Just a very very expensive LAN connection. Did connect to it. Spoke to my other saviour. AD. Who convinced me not to cry my eyes out that night. But I still did. That is Meghna Singh at her best!!!
Next morning had to wake up at around 5.45 am (YEAH, I know!!!) to reach Taj at around 7. Little did I know that for the next 18 days I was the only person to be anywhere on time, and will be the first one to reach anything/where. Arrgh!!!

> End Of Part 1 <

To be continued…

Special mention to my Chennai sweethearts here. Kavitha: She didn’t know me much, but didn’t rag me at all. Me being a newbie and all. She was all like, you can come a little late. We all are coming around 7.30. come aaram se!! And all of that.
Taj boys: made our live easier, funner, and most importantly filled with choclate cookies. Cant wait to yell out my version of STELLA again. The boys were sugu, Arun,Thiru, M.O.N.E.Y, Karthik among others. And then there was the devil!!!

The IBM squirrels: I don’t know where to start!!! May and Grace. Truly international, but contributed to some good unadulterated Indian fun for the last 3 weeks!!
More on these characters to come later on!!! Actually am sure rest of the blog will be mostly about them, their antics, and the fact that they became my family in Chennai. Yep, we had mummy, my twin sister, my friends, my buddies, my crushes, and of course the- guy-that-we-all-liked-but-no-one-owned-up-to-it!!