The Indian Odyssey continues

Since my last post on January 31, the team has returned to our base in Chennai from the hill resort of Coorg.

This so-called 'mid-term break' was refreshing and myself, Anna, Zoe and Paul are now back into a busy programme of vocational visits and Rotary club meetings.

Yesterday, following our return from Coorg, we attended a meeting of the Rotary Club of Madras, the oldest club in the city. Chartered in 1929, the club meets at 12.45pm on Tuesdays at the Taj Connemara, a hotel dating from the period of the British Raj.

At this meeting, we were introduced to members while Paul gave a brief(ish) speech about District 1260.  We were also each given a bone china mug bearing the slogan 'Rotary Club of Madras' as a memento.

Following the meeting, which concluded at around 2.45pm, we were collected from the hotel by our new hosts, with whom we will stay until the early part of next week.

Fortunately for me, my new host is an ex-journalist so we are getting on like a house on fire!

Today, I enjoyed a vocational visit to the Mylapore Times, a free newspaper that circulates 30,000 copies a week to residents of Mylapore, a suburb of Chennai.

I met the editor of the paper, a gentleman by the name of Vincent D'Souza, and enjoyed a healthy discussion about the state of the print media in both India and the UK.

This afternoon I have a few minutes to myself - hence the update to this blog! - before heading off to the Madras Cricket Club this evening to meet former Test match umpire Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan, better known as Venkat.

As a big cricket fan this is sure to be an enjoyable experience for me - I am also told he enjoys a drink or two so you'll hear no complaints from me on that score!

I will now sign off, but before I do I would like to extend my best wishes to everybody at home in the UK.

Bye for now!

By Chris Richards