Amma Naana and Spencer's Plaza

On a positive note - things on the shopping front are definitely looking up. Penri told me about a supermarket called ‘Amma Naana’ which is near to the hotel he was staying in when he first came to Chennai. My mum and I went there the other day and I thought – ‘this is more like it’. It is still no Asda or Tesco, not even a Tesco Express, but it’s a darn site better than the other supermarkets I have been to. We managed to buy things like olives and nice pasta sauces and proper cheddar cheese. These things all sound so basic – but trust me – they’re the things you miss the most! Still no salt’n’vinegar crisps though (so if you come to visit, please bring us some nice Walkers salt’n’vinegar or Kettle Chips, the Balsamic Vinegar ones). Mmmmm.

Also talking about shops – there is a shopping mall called ‘Spencer’s Plaza’. I’ve been there a few times now and they have a few good shops. Again, nothing like the normal high street shops, but at least I was able to buy things like ‘Thank you’ cards, a dinner service, a toaster etc. There are clothes shops as well, but I haven’t really made the effort to have a look around them. The thing is when you go shopping in India; you get bombarded with people who want you to look around their shop and then when you do go in they follow you around showing you things you don’t want or need. It drives me crazy! So, it’s easier to know what you’re shopping for, go in and get it and leave straight away (basically shop like a man). The other thing that really, really annoys me is the way everyone here tries to rip you off! Whether it’s taxi drivers, rick drivers or just in the shops, they see a white face and can’t resist pushing the prices right up. There is also a shopping mall that has just been built and apparently it is the place to go if you want to just spend a day shopping. I’ll save the experience for a rainy day (we seem to have plenty of them at the moment).