In Chennai waiting for business cards

8/9/11

   Got the 6 month visa and very happy about it, now on to India hehe. My flight left at 13:00 and got to Chennai about 14:30, where I mucked around a bit getting money and smaller change before catching a taxi to the hotel.

   Went for a walk to find the tourist information center but failed. When I got back to the hotel there was a man there who was wandering if I wanted to be in a movie as an American soldier. Yes that is right I may end up in a Bollywood action film hahahaaa. As you get free room and food as well as $30US a day, plus the fact that I can meet expats there and hopefully get some information about motorbikes.

The hotel car park provides a reasonable feed it seems lol.

9/9/11

   Have managed to talk to a few people and get some info about good places to go in India, plus got put in touch with a man in Pondicherry who has helped me narrow down the bike options to either the Bajaj Pulsar 220/200 or Honda Hero Karizma 223, now I just need to find some lol.

Turns out the agent who got me into this is selling his Karizma, mmmmm if only I could get the price down a bit I may consider it.

   The film set is very Indian done lol and if this is anything like USA movie making, I can understand why they cost so much in the states. You are all paid to sit and talk all day then do one hour of “training”. Which is making you do bits that will be in the movie, holding the gun right, falling right, dieing right lol.

Chennai Beach, 15km long i think.

10/9/11

   Another day of sitting around till afternoon when we did some more training, got to meet another Kiwi he is the shot firer for the movie.

11/9/11

  Sunday is a day of rest for this movie. So I rested, games, sleep, movies etc.

12/9/11

   Went to the movie set after a bit of stuffing around to be told most of us aren't good enough so go home, so that is the end of my movie experience lol.

   The agent man ask if I wanted to be in another movie so I said yes, free accommodation and food why not.

A tuk tuk man found some Karizmas for me to look at, they are OK but I had had some vodka so no test riding. The good part is this was the street I've been looking for, second hand bike street, and it's only 2 blocks from the hotel.

13/9/11

   Spent the morning in waiting for the people to come and get me for the movie but they never came. So I went for a walk to find a place that could make me some flags, this actually proved more difficult than I though, but I found a place in the end that prints signs and they are printing the material I just have to get it stitched up.

14/9/11

   Went to an amusement park for the filming of the other movie, yes they finally come to get me the next day lol. Definitely a different movie this one, did nothing most of the morning. till I got ask to walk across in the back ground, but it always got cut before I walked past. Then just before lunch we had to walk out of a tour bus, the best one I've seen in a long time lol. Then had to walk past the bus door into some photographers who where waiting for us to get off the bus, and it was funny watching the umbrella man run in when they said cut and shade the one guy out of all the photographers, I'm guessing he is one of the main stars over here.

   In the afternoon we did a bit on the beach, but they couldn't find a suit that would fit me, so I had to walk across in front of the camera holding a light on a photo shoot, looks like the movie is about some budding photographer and some older famous guy, keep an eye out for it you may see me lol. No I do not know the name of it, will try to find out.

The amusement park entry

The cool ride i played on at lunch

The beach scene was done here, and well bored i made a ....

15/9/11

   I went back to second hand bike street (bell st) today, and had a look in all the shops. I found 7 shops with 11 bikes I'm interested in, 7 Karizma and 4 Pulsar 200 or 220, nice.

Not as flash as your cow shed use to be dad lol, he just moved her into a side street to get his milk.

16/9/11

   Went for a test ride on the bike I'm most likely to buy, Karizma '09 model, but not wanting to seem to keen went to some of the other shops around. Also had a chat to a friend of Karl's who lives in Chennai and he said the Karizma is the best for touring, and also that he could come in tomorrow to look at the bikes with me heehee hopefully will have a bike soon.

   I want bore you with the little bits, but I eventually bought the '09 Karizma for a little under $1000US. I still have a little bit more to sort out but will probably do that in Pondicherry as I want to get out of Chennai.

Has been interesting here tho, what with being in the movies lol, sitting on the roof of the hotel when the call to prey starts up, watching TV, and walking on the beach and around town, I've enjoyed it.

 The new bike Hero Honda '09 Karizma 223, 28,652 on the clock, now serviced with new spark plug, air filter, oil, chain and sprockets, still need a new back tyre tho.

  I'm really going to have to stay aware on the roads here i had not even considered the idea of practicing safe sex well driving. And as you can see there is a reason for all the horn blowing, the trucks and buses ask you to sound your horn before passing. 

   Bugger just found out my business cards aren't ready so am going to have to stay till Monday probably end up going Tuesday as nothing opens here till 11am so I probably want get the cards till 6pm.

I like this one, one old guy reading the other a paper, just up from them there was four rubbish gatherers playing music with rubbish and singing.

25/9/11

   Rode up to Andhra Pradesh just to test the bike out, it is nice having quick response and being able to cruise at 80km is nice, able to get up to 120km even, unloaded. So I'm looking forward to getting her loaded and seeing how she goes.

  From the roof of the hotel, a nice breezy place to sit if there is a power cut, almost every day from 1600 to 1800 lol

26/9/11

  Watch TV, went for a walk, packed everything, got the wire for flags on the bike, and yes finally at 19.30 my business cards are ready. Hehehe I'm off tomorrow.