Tandoori Summer: Chennai

Sunday we caught an early morning flight to Chennai so I could attend Medicall, an Indian medical tradeshow where our licensing partner was working a booth. The booth was weak, to say the least, but I wandered around the show as an interested NGO and was able to get pricing and sales numbers for all of our competitors.

Took a rickshaw from the show to pick up Booth's suits, which look decent, but it's hard to tell since the tailor put the jacket on me to test the size... ?? I then walked to a giant fabric store, where I met Jo, an Indian seamstress who helped me pick out silks, cottons, and combos for various clothing items we planned on making. In the store, she measured me in about 10 places, scribbled them all down on a piece of paper, and told me she'd have my (innumerable) items ready by Saturday. Love her! Well, I guess I should wait to see how they turn out, first ...

Met the roomies for a late dinner at Hip Asia, a fancy restaurant inside the Taj Connemara. We celebrated Ben's last night, and the start of Abby's vacation. Kerry and I celebrated the fact that we got to sleep in the same place for more than four nights (a first since arriving in India six weeks ago!).

Monday through Friday were long working days - 9a to midnight. Combined with a stomach bug, it was a rough week, despite not having to travel. After throwing up on my fourth morning of being sick, and finding my symptoms were eerily similar to the headlining Indian superbug, I found a doctor on the American Embassy website who could see me that afternoon. I struggled to keep my crackers down on the long, rough rickshaw ride, and arrived at the private hospital shaking.

The director of the hospital, Maria, had given me her cell number, and after walking through the metal detector with about 100 Indians - the place was packed - I gave her a ring to figure out where to go. After a few missed turns I arrived at the Emergency Room, where people lying on stretchers were surrounded by shouting family members. It was pure chaos. Maria led me down a hallway to a young doctor who had never heard of the superbug, despite it's international debut in the papers that morning. He diagnosed me as having a parasite, and loaded me up with a hefty prescription of 4g of some Indian drug/day. The pharmacy looked like the floor of the stock exchange, with people waving slips and shouting to each other, so I was extremely grateful when the Maria had her assistant fill my prescription. The doctor charged me nothing, and my medicine (without insurance) was a whopping $5. I felt better already.

Friday I was able to make it out for dinner, and Kerry and I found a great Italian place by the beach with a hidden courtyard, and lots of expats. Felt right at home. Saturday we toured the cricket stadium, Marina Beach (second largest beach in the world), and our old neighborhood, Nungambakkam. I was asked to star in a Bollywood movie that was shooting on Monday - would have been hilarious if it had worked out. Got $30 Thai massages, and grabbed a late dinner at a fancy restaurant at the Sheraton. Our last night in India together, after spending every waking moment together for the past month. I packed late into the night for my flight to Delhi the next day. Only two more days until I get to go home!! I can almost taste the salad now ...