June 16

Heat is just driving Chennaiites nuts. Southwest monsoon has arrived and west coast of India is getting some good amount of rainfall. It is quite toasty out here. We are done with the peak summer, yet the mercury refuses to come down below 40 deg C.

We had power outage couple of days back, imagine 40 deg C temperature and nights without electricity. Yet life goes on and there is no excuse to step on the brakes..... Heat is taking a toll on patience. Sunrise brings light, fresh energy and people get irkesome.

A trip on the local "Pallavan" bus will expose the impact of summer. The conductor shoves you to the middle of the bus and showers a few abuses if u stare back at him, we have college kids travelling on footboard. Poor school kids were waiting in the hot sun at 7.45am adorned in thick cotton school uniforms, 5 kg backpack, well oiled hair and clean canvas shoes.

The mango season is halfway through. Alphonso and other yummy varieties were avialable in plenty this year we've been able to get them at an affordable price.

Chennai traffic has been bulging and we can feel the long wait and one ways now in the city. But the city is not as bad as Bangalore, but guess the Government should start to put plans to ease the situation. I guess this is what happens when work from Silicon Valley gets moved overseas. Affordability has gone up and more people drive around in cars and hence infrastructure needs a relook.

Tamilnadu government is planning for a tube rail that runs in the downtown (T'nagar, Mount Road, Nandanam). It would be a welcome for the commuters.

I am planning to walk to the local Shiva temple in the evening, today is Thursday and time to propitiate Jupiter. Let me pray for rain, shine, patience, better infrastructure and lighter backpacks.