Madras
From Bangalore I moved on to Madras, the third largest city of India and a major port. Hotels were unusually full because; the New Zealand Test cricketers were there and I was unable to get an air-conditioned room. That night, after sweating until 1.0 a.m., I abandoned the hope of sleeping and wrote letters and reports until seven, finishing tired but with paper work up to date.
In Madras too, I encountered the engaging South Indian habit of shaking the head in token of affirmation, approval and strong agreement. It is not quite like the British shake of negation, though near enough to create confusion; it is more of a lateral rocking of the head, which I found captivating and am cultivating personally.
Here also, I met gentlemen with names like Ananthanarayanan, Balusubramanyam and Rajagopalachari - the longest names in my experience, though shortly to be eclipsed by a Mr. Soerjanatemihardja in Indonesia