Day Two

So, we started out lazy today however we made it to the temple! I woke up at 6 am (for no aparent reason) and just lazed around playing Guild Wars and reading until someone else woke up at 8 am. :) Evidently I am still a morning person.
The first place we went was to the local store. Hena and I walked there. Crossing the crazy traffic was an adventure! But we both made it safely obviously. So I bought eggs and cheese to make scrambled eggs with cheese for everyone for breakfast. :) And some other random stuff. Hena laughed at me because I said "My first Indian store purchase!"
My first auto-rickshaw ride was back from the store. :)
So, I made breakfast for the three of us, Hena, Muchu, and me. Adventures in cooking on a little gas stove. :) Everything turned out palatable and afterward we sent out for the Kapleshwar Temple in Nylapore (an area within Chennai) by train (Don't freak Dad and Goo!). These school girls in the train kept trying to get one of the others to pose for me because they saw my camera in my lap. Eventually the when the group was standing still I snapped one of all of them. I put the camera on review and offered to let them see it and one girl came over then all of them did. After that they started calling me "Aunt" because that's what kids call elders that they don't know. One of them yelled "Bye" and waved to me as the train left from the staion she got off at.


The temple was amazing. It is a temple complex to many Hindu Gods and Goddesses but mainly for Karthik, the second son of Shiva. Featured prominently also are also Shiva, Shiva Lingam, Ganesh, Parvati, and one for a miracle that happened three hundred years ago, to name the ones I can remember. There was also and area for the planets of the solar system which shows how Hinduism has elements of astrology. Did I mention you have to pay to take pictures- 25 rupees for all the pictures you can take (so it's a deal). There was a guide who showed us around and told us about things (amazingly didn't rip me off really badly). There is no brochure with all this information, you guys only get what I can remember. :) He was very kind, if slightly impatient, and informed about the different areas of the temple complex. He also anointed me with sacred ash (from offerings in the temple complex) and vermillion (the stripe, if you can see it just above the bindi [dot]). The two temples I particularly liked were the ones for the miracle and Parvati. The miracle was a girl that had died by snake bite, been cremated, and held in a pottery jar for a week was ressurected when a saint sang eleven songs of faith inside the temple. Pavarti's temple was at the location where Pavarti was transfored back into a human after she'd done her pennace to Shiva. She'd been transformed into a peacock because she'd been distracted admiring a dancing peacock when when Shiva was trying to tell her something important. After her reverse transformation she worshiped beneath a tree that is still there. It is held that your deepest desire will be granted if you pray while you touch the tree. People tie cradles to the tree for marriage and desires for children. People write notes with their desires and pin them to the tree. They also continue to anoint the tree with sacred ash and vermillion.
Next, we took a auto-rickshaw to the mall in Chennai. I bought a silver ring with a garnet for about four US dollars- I was amazed at how cheap it was. We also had dinner- I experimented again. The only thing I didn't like was that the chicken had lots of bones (little bone slivers too- grrrr) and I didn't eat the boiled egg (gross). I almost snorted rice though with my nose when one to my companions said something funny- I have no idea what. :) Then we bought sweets to bring home from from mall.
From the mall we took an auto-rickshaw, with a hostile driver, to the beach. He was offended at something I said or asked and then he and Hena got into an argument I completly couldn't understand because they were switching between three languaes. I wanted to sink into the floor for causing a problem. However, I think I cought the smell of alcohol on him so maybe it wasn't all my fault- he might just be a mean drunk.
It was dark so pictures at the beach wern't really possible. Hena and I think we may go back tomorrow to take pictures and really see the water but maybe not. We took the bus all the way back to the flat and I got many, many wierd looks from the other passengers. I was evidently looking slightly wierded out because Hena leaned over and told me it was because most Indians picture all Americans as RICH. They would be very confused by me taking the bus which is a "cheap" transportation within the city.
So, once again safely at the flat I have told you about my day.

P.S.- This is the room Hena and I are sharing for now. She lets me use the bed and she uses the rolled pallet in the floor. :S

Deep Announcer voice says: "Tune in next time for further adventures of the boisterous duo!"