Where's Waldo? Finding Americans in Chennai.

Sitting in a coffee shop owned by a woman from Brooklyn in the French quarter of a South Indian city I found myself conversing with an Englishman and a man from Washington, D.C. who lives in Chennai. Mildly bizarre I guess. But I suppose foreigners have a way of finding each other, no matter where they may be.

I think back to Chicago and little India, little Vietnam, Chinatown, Ukranian village, Greek town, Pilsen, and the literally dozens of other ethnic communities that have sprung up all over the city. Foreigners have a way of finding each other. It is sort of important so that they (we) may have a sense of normalcy in the face of a new place, a new time, and often a radically different culture.

My new American friend from Chennai has been here a few years and most of the time consults with American companies so is pulling in something very close to an American salary. Let me be clear. If I made an American salary here, I might never want to leave. Sure the culture shock would be intense, but I'd never have to worry about buying anything I'd like. I could hire servants to do anything around the house, cook for me, be on call 24/7 etc. Finding a way to bring good quality fresh foods from around the world would be mildly more challenging, but American money can afford that here. Let's put it this way: I haven't even spent my month's salary of ~$300 since I've been here, and an American consultant can charge a company with international intentions that much PER HOUR! This guy at times can make my monthly salary in ONE HOUR! It's certainly not the norm, but to say the least he can live richly here.

Now, since he has the means to afford anything he damn well pleases here I asked him about stuff in Chennai. He told me at the consulate there is an American Club. It only requires an American passport to enter. Hey, I have one of those! Almost all the American (especially those earning American salaries) hang out there from time to time. After a while one figures out how to buy off the correct authorities to get the things one wants. Again, on American salaries, those payoffs probably don't hurt very much. It's hard to say for sure, I don't have enough money to buy off anyone for any reason (sadly). Well, I'm told (TOLD) that these crazy americans who aren't fond of turning in on saturday night at 10:30PM have "after parties." To my ears that sounds like, "having a normal party." So my goal is to go find these said americans. I'm willing to bet the wealthier ones know the wealthier europeans engaging in nearly identical activities and they have the in.

I am sort of the anomaly here. I'm an American living in India on an Indian salary. It makes my experience much difference. My guess, is that none of these americans will get to sit in a slum hut at a random invitation or play cricket with kids who have nothing but one set of clothing. I guess I'd like to have the sense of normalcy afforded by being an American, but am more than willing to break out into real Indian society. That's why I came here. It has become my new project (socially) to be able to exist in both worlds simultaneously (makes one think about my academic problems concerning quantum coherence, or maybe not).