Photo Post Five: Chennai

Some people have shown interest in Uncle and Aunty's house, and what it's like to live in India. I will tell you, I haven't been in many houses here...okay, one. And I've only been in 5 star hotels, which are very fancy, like fancy hotels in the U.S.

Aunty and Uncle live in a very nice flat. A lot of people live in these flats. I don't know about all of them, but these flats are like condos, not apartments, because the people own them instead of renting. This flat is quite luxurious for two people, as it has three bedrooms and (I checked) three bathrooms, as well. I would guess that the people who live in these flats are mostly middle class people with good jobs.

Some of the differences between this house and my place in the U.S. that I have noticed are;

1. None of the rooms in this place have carpets. There are small rugs on the floor, but the floors are smooth tile. This makes them easy to sweep and mop. Also, I think that the humidity here might cause carpets to get mold and mildew, which not only ruins the carpets (and floors) but can make people sick.

2. The kitchen does not have a range (stove/oven combination) like we have in the U.S. It has a small stove top and a "convection oven" which is a regular oven, but it sits on the counter, and it's the size of a large microwave. They also have a small microwave. Aunty and Uncle also have three (count them, three) refrigerators! Everything gets hot here, and hot things spoil more easily. I even put my gum in the fridge because it started to melt. Oh, and there's no dishwasher. Aunty and her domestic helpers wash everything by hand. I'd help, but she won't let me. Someday, when I live in India, she'll have to let me wait on her.

3. Almost all of the dishes are made of metal. Aunty has some dishes like the ones we're used to, but we eat off stainless steel plates and bowls, and drink from stainless steel cups. They are easy to clean, and won't break or wear out easily. They even use them in restaurants. Also, if they ever do wear out, they are recyclable! I think they make good sense.

4. There is a washing machine, but it isn't in the flat. The ladies who do our laundry sometimes hang it in the little nook next to the open window to dry in the breeze. A lot of people hang their laundry outside on their roofs, as you've seen in my other photos and videos.

5. I already posted about the toilets and the buckets (for baths) in the bathrooms. You can see photos in my first photo post.

So, here is the flat. I think it's lovely.

This is a view of the dining area. That cabinet to the right is the prayer area. When the cabinet is open, you can see all the statues and pictures of god and all of the other things Aunty and Uncle use when they pray. All the way in the back is the kitchen. Aunty wouldn't let me take picures of it until it was clean. If you look close, you can see a Monkey eating Cocoa Puffs.

This is the living area. They have a T.V. and a blu-ray player. That door is the front door and leads out into the hallway. They live on the 6th floor, and there is an elevator immediately to the left of the flat. 

Cabinets for dry food.

Here you can see two of the three refrigerators. You can also see where the three bedrooms are. One right by the refrigerator, one with the red towel, and one with the yellow curtains. Each bedroom has its own bathroom. When I was growing up there were eight people in my family and only two bathrooms!

Here is the toilet. It looks pretty much like a regular toilet, but the bowl is more shallow, and the hole is deeper. 

Here's a picture of the bucket bath. I really like this method of bathing. It's amazing how little water you need to really get clean. I use about 4/5 of a bucket, but I could probably get clean with 2/3 of a bucket.

The kitchen. This is the stove top where frying and boiling is done.

Here's where the ladies wash the dishes.

That small black box is the convection oven. 

And, just because, here is a picture of me after my facial. Don't I look 10 years younger?

That's it for now. Be good!