It's been four years since I came to "vanthorai vaazhavaikkum Chennai" (loosely translated as sustains or lets live anyone who comes to this city, Chennai - the city of survival).
Through the scorching pressure cooker like conditions of summer and the swimming pool of a city during monsoons Chennai has now officially become home. I just cant think of moving away from here anymore.
I remember the time when one day during the monsoon (I forget the month) me getting back home in Kandanchavady (pronounced cannes - thon-cha-va-dy) to find it flooded. I could see fish inside my house without me even having a fish tank. What had happened was that the buckhingham canal (I kid you not - that's the name of the canal - now a large sized gutter) had filled to the brim and a tank bund somewhere close by had broken. We packed, moved to a really cheap hotel, drank really cheap liquor and had a rich sleep!!
Something that I love about Chennai is that a lot of streets retain the name that the British had given during their rule. So you have Pycrofts road, Armenian Street, Georgetown, Sterling road, Haddows road and so on. It's fun to hear local people pronounce some of these names - the names have been Chennaised - Haddows road became "adouse road" and so on.
The long drives on the ECR are unbeatable. The beautiful golden beaches and the blue waters (remains so only from a distance).
I had written all the above stuff a few months ago when I was back home in Chennai. Today I sit in a foreign land in a totally different situation and this is what I really miss about Singara Chennai!!!
1. The Biryani - my very soul aches for the tasted of spicy biryani, I get nightmares of dying without getting to taste my favorite Rainbow hotel biryani.
2. Tamil and Malayalam movies - Oh I miss them so much, to see the coulourful dance sequences and the fiery dialogues and stomach aching jokes - if only I had an unlimited internet connection, sigh!!
3. The shy girls of Chennai - Nothing can beat this. The population of women in this country is greater than men ( source - my cab driver, so any mistake finders will have to take it up with him), and they are the symbol of liberated women, well mannered and beautiful and charming - but nothing can beat the sly looks the Chennai girls give and the kick you get form it!!!
4. The beach - I took the beach for granted but after coming here I understand the value of it - I don't get raw mangoes or cotton candy or peanut vendors here..
5. My darling girl friend - I miss her so much. We were inseparable from Feb 2012. The minute I laid eyes on her I was madly in love. I had to entrust her in a friends hand before leaving her. I dream of riding her on the wide open African roads - ok stop your perverted thinking, I'm referring to my sexy Royal Enfield classic 350!! Sigh I miss you darling..
6. Chai dum on Pondy bazaar - Me and my buddies always found time every night to go grab a cup of chai in the Pondy bazaar junction with a cigarette. This signaled the end of a day on a nice comfortable note.
7. Week end booze sessions - I gotta hand it to Chennais spurious liqour, humid weather and a set of awesome buddies - our drinking sessions on the terrace - oh god were they fun!! The discussions ranging from gossip about this guy with that girl to world economic crisis. I miss the entire experience - the spurious Old monk, humid weather and awesome pals. On a simiar not I miss Old monk - the plastic smell, the un-openable bottle, the elephant trampling kick - all of it. And on yet another similar note - I miss going from tasmac to tasmac (average of 5 TASMACS every time) to find Old monk. In fact we had even made a best possible route that touched all TASMACS in the least possible time and fuel expense.
8. Mama machis - The British have left behind a culture if extreme good manners here and I miss the back slapping, gaali giving maamas and machis of Chennai.
9. Chennai rains - I miss the torrential rains that made Chennai such a fun place and yes I miss the feeling of yuckiness of riding while the bike tyres in front throwing muck on my face!!
10. ECR and OMR - I miss the ECR and OMR rides. Simply because of so many memories from there - the view of the Velachery marshes and Tidel from the elevated train ride, the highly skilled snaky rides through the vegicle jungle of Tidel signal, the beautiful women from Tidel waiting for the bus.
11. Andhra meals - Eating Andhra meals through teary eyes - unable to stop due to the yumminess but endangering the stomach in the process!
12. Shopping - A pair of trousers cost Rs 5000 here - heck I miss shopping, one thing though. The next time I'm in India I would find nothing at all expensive!!!
13. Morning hindi blasts - I used to hate hindi beats in the morning and used to curse my roomies under my breath. Strangely I miss them and yearn to hear them first thing in the morning these days - on TV with video I mean!!
14. Idlis and Dosas and Sambar and chutney and vada and kal dosa and etc etc etc etc.. my mouths watering already and all I have with me is an apple!! - grrrrrr
As I write this so many images of the city flashes my mind, so many incidents and so may people - I guess this is home sickness!! I cant wait to get back to Singara Chennai, the love of my life.
I remember the time when one day during the monsoon (I forget the month) me getting back home in Kandanchavady (pronounced cannes - thon-cha-va-dy) to find it flooded. I could see fish inside my house without me even having a fish tank. What had happened was that the buckhingham canal (I kid you not - that's the name of the canal - now a large sized gutter) had filled to the brim and a tank bund somewhere close by had broken. We packed, moved to a really cheap hotel, drank really cheap liquor and had a rich sleep!!
Something that I love about Chennai is that a lot of streets retain the name that the British had given during their rule. So you have Pycrofts road, Armenian Street, Georgetown, Sterling road, Haddows road and so on. It's fun to hear local people pronounce some of these names - the names have been Chennaised - Haddows road became "adouse road" and so on.
The long drives on the ECR are unbeatable. The beautiful golden beaches and the blue waters (remains so only from a distance).
I had written all the above stuff a few months ago when I was back home in Chennai. Today I sit in a foreign land in a totally different situation and this is what I really miss about Singara Chennai!!!
1. The Biryani - my very soul aches for the tasted of spicy biryani, I get nightmares of dying without getting to taste my favorite Rainbow hotel biryani.
2. Tamil and Malayalam movies - Oh I miss them so much, to see the coulourful dance sequences and the fiery dialogues and stomach aching jokes - if only I had an unlimited internet connection, sigh!!
3. The shy girls of Chennai - Nothing can beat this. The population of women in this country is greater than men ( source - my cab driver, so any mistake finders will have to take it up with him), and they are the symbol of liberated women, well mannered and beautiful and charming - but nothing can beat the sly looks the Chennai girls give and the kick you get form it!!!
4. The beach - I took the beach for granted but after coming here I understand the value of it - I don't get raw mangoes or cotton candy or peanut vendors here..
5. My darling girl friend - I miss her so much. We were inseparable from Feb 2012. The minute I laid eyes on her I was madly in love. I had to entrust her in a friends hand before leaving her. I dream of riding her on the wide open African roads - ok stop your perverted thinking, I'm referring to my sexy Royal Enfield classic 350!! Sigh I miss you darling..
6. Chai dum on Pondy bazaar - Me and my buddies always found time every night to go grab a cup of chai in the Pondy bazaar junction with a cigarette. This signaled the end of a day on a nice comfortable note.
7. Week end booze sessions - I gotta hand it to Chennais spurious liqour, humid weather and a set of awesome buddies - our drinking sessions on the terrace - oh god were they fun!! The discussions ranging from gossip about this guy with that girl to world economic crisis. I miss the entire experience - the spurious Old monk, humid weather and awesome pals. On a simiar not I miss Old monk - the plastic smell, the un-openable bottle, the elephant trampling kick - all of it. And on yet another similar note - I miss going from tasmac to tasmac (average of 5 TASMACS every time) to find Old monk. In fact we had even made a best possible route that touched all TASMACS in the least possible time and fuel expense.
8. Mama machis - The British have left behind a culture if extreme good manners here and I miss the back slapping, gaali giving maamas and machis of Chennai.
9. Chennai rains - I miss the torrential rains that made Chennai such a fun place and yes I miss the feeling of yuckiness of riding while the bike tyres in front throwing muck on my face!!
10. ECR and OMR - I miss the ECR and OMR rides. Simply because of so many memories from there - the view of the Velachery marshes and Tidel from the elevated train ride, the highly skilled snaky rides through the vegicle jungle of Tidel signal, the beautiful women from Tidel waiting for the bus.
11. Andhra meals - Eating Andhra meals through teary eyes - unable to stop due to the yumminess but endangering the stomach in the process!
12. Shopping - A pair of trousers cost Rs 5000 here - heck I miss shopping, one thing though. The next time I'm in India I would find nothing at all expensive!!!
13. Morning hindi blasts - I used to hate hindi beats in the morning and used to curse my roomies under my breath. Strangely I miss them and yearn to hear them first thing in the morning these days - on TV with video I mean!!
14. Idlis and Dosas and Sambar and chutney and vada and kal dosa and etc etc etc etc.. my mouths watering already and all I have with me is an apple!! - grrrrrr
As I write this so many images of the city flashes my mind, so many incidents and so may people - I guess this is home sickness!! I cant wait to get back to Singara Chennai, the love of my life.
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