Chennai-bound?

girlone

I have an opportunity to relocate to Chennai from Delhi. Having read loads of previous threads on IM, I have a few specific questions remaining - okay, maybe more than a few!

Any help will be gratefully received.

1. Is there a nightlife?! Or afternoon life? Or anything...

2. Sporting clubs - I am looking specifically for triathlon stuff, running, cycling, swimming... Any suggestions?

3. I'd like to study photography at some point. Does anyone know of any short accredited courses through a university, art school or community college?

4. Anyone aware of any writer's groups? Or book clubs? Should I check local libraries/bookshops for such a thing?

5. I am terrified of snakes, yep, even if they are not poisonous/in baskets/only a rat snake/behind glass/dead! How likely am I to encounter a snake whilst living in Chennai?

I know its quite an odd bunch of questions, but I'd like to be prepared (more prepared than I was when I moved to Delhi, which wasn't prepared at all!).

Thanks Chennai people (is Chennaites a word?!) and others with local knowledge.

Cheers,
G1

capt_mahajan

My knowledge is limited on Chennai.

Except that there is no nightlife to speak of. Plenty of bookshops, though.

The only snakes you are likely to meet are the two legged ones.
You better not go near the snake park in Chennai, though.

sebin

before Nick jumping into this thread with his answers, here is mine ha ha.. Yes nick is the correct source for your questions. ) and sure he will be answering you.

1)no night life in chennai(or in my knowledge, we believe night is for sleeping ha ha.)
afternoon life: it all depends on the company you have. if you like standing in the beach. chennai have a nice beach(yes without a sunset in the sea-unfortunate eastern people). you can join us to stand in the water.

2)there are lot of swimming pools. you have to find a good clean one in near you locality.
running club: hash is here in chennai. i think this is there site(http://www.madrashash.com)

3)i have seen advertisements in the media. But i am not sure of any schools.( i have seen one gvnt. approved one-small scale industries, but i am not sure are they good). But i suggest and hope you can find some good photographer as a guru *giggles*.

4)hmm.. idon't know this too.. but if you visit the british library or cannemara library sure you can find some people.

5)i never see any snakes in chennai other than the snakes park. May be i did not looked for them ha ha..

ColinT

As far as a book club is concerned, there is the Madras Book Club, which seems to meet each month. I went once and about 200 people were there to listen to people introduce and talk about new releases. At the time they were meeting in the plush Connemara Hotel. Keep a look out in the press for meetings.

Some writings on Chennai here here and here

pooch

Actually there is nightlife in Chennai, beats Bangalore for now (11 pm curfew)

Nick-H

After Sebin's kind comments, I guess I just have to post!

But quite apart from the fact that there are native Chennai IMers who know a heap more than I do (I found this forum when I was in the process of moving here and it was invaluable), I actually can't answer your questions! My idea of nightlife is a classical concert (plenty of those)*, I avoid all sports and have never looked for a bookclub

Oh, apart from the snakes, I can answer that... Very, very unlikely.

*Actually, as Pooch says, I believe there is 'nightlife' here, but that it goes on in that 'other economy' known as five-star hotels!!!

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ddevadatta

Why a curfew in Bangalore?

By the way it is Madras not Chennai...

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Nick-H

depends on how you define 'it'

mrincredible

Chennai is not so good-its crowded, no alcohol or nightlife, v.conservative and dull. A mate of mine tried to live there and lasted a few months. I stayed with him and had to concur that compared with other Indian cities such as Delhi, Bangalore and Calcutta it was not much fun. People aren't as friendly as in aother places as well.

ColinT

Obviously we all develop are own personal views of places. I think the Tamil people and Chennai-ites are quite genteel and affable - much more so than many other places. OK it's crowded, but what Indian city isn't? I spent getting on for two years there over a period of some years and really liked the city. Its my favourite city in India.

girlone

Wow, thanks people!

I have heard mixed comments about Chennai before now - some love it, some hate it, so I might be guilty of courting a little conflict here!

Nothing wrong with healthy debate! Its interesting to know why people like it and why people don't.

With regard to the specific questions, ta for the link to the hash site sebin - looks like good fun.

The book club sounds like a nice little networking tool - 200 people! Impressive. Thanks CT for that one, I will look them up.

And pooch! Do spill the beans about this elusive nightlife you've discovered!

Also, just to clarify: Are there really no snakes? None in baskets in the market? None carried about in sacks at tourist spots? At temples? Or is that just a north indian thing?

G1

Merchant

Chennai gets fewer package tourists than the Delhi-Agra-Jaipur circuit; hence, fewer snake charmers. The Tamil countryside is thick with snakes. It probably provides most of the snakes you've seen in people's hands in India. Those snakes are also harvested and sold abroad. There are particular communities that do the snake capturing and selling. BUT you won't see snakes in the middle of Chennai. I've seen snakes in the wild in Tamil Nadu but never in a city or at a temple.

Nick-H

If what you want is beer and nightlife yes, I don't think this city would be first choice.

However apart from certain places at certain times it really is not overcrowded at all. I'd rather go shopping here than in London's West End --- but I'd avoid T Nagar at Divali even more than I would Oxford Street just before Christmas.

Today I had to go to T Nagar and to Spencer Plaza --- two of Chennai's most popular shopping spots. Absolutely no crowds and no hassle at all.

cyberhippie

In my limited experience of Tamil Nadu I found the local people just that "gentle" a flowing, easiness about them, which I liked. They were quite "stand offish" I thought but in a positive way, in fact you wouldnt call it "stand offish" anywhere else but in the context of India.
Make conversation and the apparent wall melted away!!

Sama

the bottom line is that we find whatever we are looking for....wherever we go in the world.....

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