Feels great to back in India!
I don’t know what I think, but I love to observe things. First it was It happens only in Chennai…, then Things that I noticed in Dubai and now how things that’ve changed in the 12-13 months of my absense.
Many people asked me this question - parents, friends or office colleagues out of curiosity as how a non resident might notice the changes.
1. Hip and cool people of Chennai. So many cute girls that demand one second of my attention. 
I feel people have become modern.
2. Cell phone users are high! So many people with mobile. The call rates are the still the cheapest in the World. I would say, we don’t even pay 10% of what UAE telecom operators charge.
3. Bottleneck Traffic…. as bad as in Dubai. Do you know what people start as early as 6:15 AM from Sharjah to reach Dubai by 8 AM (a 15 Km drive). Chennai seems to head in that direction.
4. BMWs, Pajeros, Audis and likes fighting for space. You might guessed why the traffic is bad. 
Not so good roads, costlier gas, higher tax doesn’t seems to stop people smiling all the way to the motor showroom.
5. Volvo Buses. I’ve been to almost all the major cities in India and none have cheap & good public transport as Chennai. It was a surprise to see A/C buses, automatic door buses zoom in the roads.
6. Keeping things in mouth and firing it. Dubai is flooded with cheap branded cigarettes and ‘lonely’ people - making it a smoker’s haven. You won’t believe me that in the 2-3 days, I’ve not even seen a single smoker! Is smoking in public places banned?
Things that didn’t change
No construction boom, better infrastructure or roads. Or maybe I should hike around and see. I expected these changes but maybe Chennai is not Dubai where they add a floor a week to their skyscrapers (Burj Dubai - under construction and the larger building in the world).
What other changes that I might have missed other than the escalating land costs?
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25 comments ↓
1)humm chicks looking
2)cell phones users high thats good-cheap rates & see the market zooming -why can’t ISP do such similar (instead they introducing 8Mbit with 8 GB cap ,sigh)
smoker’s haven or heaven ?
Well welcome back to India… Now that you are back to Chennai I guess you will start squeezing your BSNL connection once again.
Even I am missing Chennai a lot as I am stuck in Mumbai…. I am wishing that I be back to Chennai soon.
rahul -
I’m not sure if the chicks were looking at their curious onlooker (myself).
Good thought about Internet. ISP’s mantra: Make hay when sun shines.
It’s Smoker’s Haven and not Smoker’s Heaven.
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=haven
Shivaranjan -
No, stuck with Home 250. Requested for change to UL 900 but that might take some time.
Try to like Mumbai.
Initially I didn’t like Dubai. Then Dubai became my second home. When I landed in India, for 2 days I really thought - “did I make a mistake?” I wanted to go back to Dubai! Enjoy the place where stay. That time won’t come again. 
Welcome Back Home!
Welcome back home ashwin.
Even now a days I liked chennai a lot.
I still remmeber that 18th Dec 2006 an that January and Feb 2007 daily i thinks why why why me here in chennai.
Now adays it changed and i m liking it too…
And ya there are a lot of hot chicks now in town even a lot of north indian chicks you can see at Thrivyanmayur beach
Gary -
Thanks.
Piyush -
Hehe…looking for a Chennai Bride?
hmm…..
nopes buddy…
i thinks we was discussing only hot chics not bride
hey hey…when r u marrying
^^
Not so fast!
go to OMR,velachery,thiruvanmiyur,GST road to see the infrastructure boom
Hmm..let’s see. Not gone to thos place till now, after I’ve come here.
Welcome back!
BTW howz ur CAT preperation going on?
Welcome back buddy. Hey, where do you put up in chennai…i’m also in chennai in adyar.
Do tell me….lets catchup some time.,
huumm not only chennai most of cities n towns are like that only ;P
Nirmal -
Preparations are going on to some extend. Hopefully something positive should happen..
TipsoSaurus -
You’re from Chennai? Didn’t know that. Sure, we’ll catch up sometime soon.
Welcome home dude! Seems like more chennaiites are around here! Add me to the list!
Where you live, Vijay? We’ll have a meet.. looking forward to meet fellow bloggers..
I am at Kotturpuram, pretty close to adyar! How about you?
Hey ashwin…what’s ur email address. use the email address which I’ve mentioned in this comment.
Do send me your phone number too
Lets catch up…and Vijay what’s ur email ?
Guys-
I will be coming to chennai during Diwali if you can plan something on the Diwali Weekend then I can also join you guys.
I think we can meet during the Deepavali weekend (Saturday) at any place. I prefer Beaches. Let’s continue this is Gmail as the threaded replies would be great. My ID is thenewspaperblog(at)gmail.com.
My email ID would be vijay.scorpio [at] yahoo dot com
Do send me your details as well, guys!
Hmmm….
here is a planning of a chennai meet….
include me too guyzzz
but i will not be in chennai from 1st nov to 11th nov
i m going to my home town this diwali….
my mail id is….
whoispiyush@gmail.com
Haha.. one is available during Deepavali and one is not. The same situation happens everytime.
Ashwin yarr rarely we got approved holidays to go to home.
we can met after that…
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