2011 – A great start…

After a fantabulous time in Dubai we get back to Chennai very optimistic about the new year. Fresh starts and all that. Of course we were a bit too optimistic. We land expecting to get home quick to a hot shower and dreamy cup of chamomile. Instead, we have to wait an hour and half for our bags, and until we actually saw them rolling over towards us, we thought they might have been stolen (I speak from previous experience…). They arrive wet and dirty, and we realise it’s a bit rainy outside…

We manoeuvre our way out and then get stuck in a taxi queue miles long, in said rain which was pretty heavy, so we’re nicely drenched and very, very grumpy stood there in a massive puddle. What’s worse is that everyone else seems even grumpier than us (maybe they didn’t have a good new years), and so we have to be extra polite in case one of the Angry McGrumperson’s decide to beat us up. After a lot of shouting, pushing and fighting with the taxi drivers, we finally get our taxi. I shall add that this was a pre-paid one, which means there should have been taxis waiting for us anyway, but no, the grumpy folk fought to the front and took whatever they could get (and the taxi people lied about there being taxis). This was pretty stupid too, since the drivers then got mad, and this just caused everyone to argue which delayed us even further. The things people do in the rain.

Once in the taxi, the smelly taxi driver drives like a maniac (expected), and sneezes like a monster (also expected but very unnecessary). Since I was in the back, and the windows were open, everytime he sneezed, I got it in the face. Thanks. I now am convinced I could have the plague. Stay away for your own safety. The generous doses of snot plus the rain coming in through the windows and the suspiciously dark and disgustingly smelly taxi did not make for a very good start to 2011 in Chennai. But I shall end this rant with a hopeful “here’s to 2011 – may it get better”. It can’t get much worse eh?