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What’s new pussycat?

Welcome to April in Chennai folks, where the temperatures are reaching a refreshing and comfortable 36 degrees…centigrade. Fahrenheit just doesn’t exist in these parts- I’m pretty sure the U.S.A is still the only one abiding by this system- in Southern India I can only dream of 36 degrees actually feeling cool. Each time that I’ve commented on the heat since arriving in India someone has responded with a “oh just you wait” comment or “the worst is yet to come!” Reassuring advice, indeed.
Alas, these words of discouragement have indeed rung true. As the start of April is among us, so too is the beginning of what looks to be a brutally hot Chennai summer. From morning till night, Chennai is hot. While there is little in the way of providing respite from the heat, there are a few different “heat aids” I’ve discovered. See the following:
A/C: Good old fashioned, high-quality air conditioning. The a/c in my apartment has been broken since I moved in, but the box physically exists, meaning if I stare at it long enough it begins to artificially enhance a cold sensation.
Gym: Did somebody say gym? For those who know me well, I’ve always prided myself on being anti-gym. Some may even recall me uttering such declarations as “I don’t do gyms” or “gyms are l-a-m-e.” Now, while I still partially agree with these sentiments, I do not have such a black and white opinion of fitness facilities as I had in the past. I have, quite regularly, been frequenting the gym on the basement floor of Meera’s apartment complex. This “gym” is about the size of my parent’s kitchen and is complete with the following:
-two treadmills
-one elliptical machine
-one stationary bike
-various weights
Fairly standard equipment, you may say, for your average hole in the fall gym facility. However, two things which I have not yet mentioned, which I find to be the most alluring are:
-A/C: Have I already talked about a/c? This air-conditioning turns the place DAMN COLD. Colder than your bare feet in snow. Colder than a freezer-burned Ben and Jerrys. COLDER THAN THE ICEBOX IN LITTLE GIANTS. You get the idea. This place is a haven of cold energy and I’m obsessed with it.
-Boom box: This extra-loud, bass-heavy machine pumps out some of India’s best beats. Everything from Bombay’s “Jei Ho” to Tamil Nad’s very own “Girlfriend,” the radio keeps ‘em coming. And just in case we get bored with the Hindi/Tamil music, there’s a station that plays pure frat party+booty grindin+U.S.A trash. Phew…just in case.

In other news, I’m busy planning my next move. My internship was scheduled to end this Thursday (crazy! three months down), but I have agreed to stay on board till the end of the month. Afterwards, I’m thinking of heading to the Himalayas to do a group trek with approximately 30 other people from this area. Travel is calling my name, and I’m anxious to see more of India. I’ll be leaving this Thursday night for a work/pleasure trip to Bangalore, a city renowned for (among other things) its IT boom and young, urban hipsters. I’m really looking forward to checking out Bangalore, as it’s supposed to be much greener and “cooler” (temp wise as well as young hipster wise) than Chennai.
All for now, pussycats.