Thursday, July 5, 2007
Morning raaga
Was on my way to office. Auto.. traffic.. crowd.... kept listening to some classical fusion music in my mobile. 'Entharo Mahanubavalu ' fusion. The rythm took me to a new world. Closed my eyes and started tapping my feet to the beautiful music. Forgot the traffic and the honking vehicles and the scorching sun outside. As the 'kirthana' was reaching its zenith (i dunno what is the technical term to use for that. WIsh i learned calssical music), something woke me up. My olfactory nerves told me its time to wake up to the pandemonium outside. Opening my eyes, i found the Corporation lorry parked next to the auto!! Welcome back...it told me. Neverthless, I did find my way back to the paradise later.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Cocos craft Store
Have been noticing this store by name 'cocos' nearby my hostel for sometime. Everything about it suggested it is my kind of a place.. that will stock everything natural and eco friendly. Was surprised when i was greeted by a foreigner who appeared following the door bell. His collection was pretty good and at reasonable prices to. Wish I could become rich one day and buy the entire merchandise from him.. handmade bags, terracotta curios, beed jewellery, terracottta wall hangings (awesome.. and i learned from him that it is supplied by a craft village in kerala), photo albums made of recycled paper and pressed flowers. May be I will start such kind of a store one day. Yes, if dreams are horses.....
Friday, June 29, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Life in Chennai, Of smiles & sighs & tears...
Finally it is happening. I am bidding bye to Chennai. I came to this hot city to join office on January 10th 2005. July 27th 2007 will be my last day at work here. Reason being I am going to get married before it s too late.Already it is kinda late according to my folks and sibblings and antys n uncles n neighbours ..... and all those for whom the highest accomplishement for a woman is to get married to a rich boy and sit at home like a kettilamma. May be i was never made as one of those and thanks to this fact i always had a slice of my life to myself the way i wanted it.
Thats not what i intend to talk about here. It is about how I have enjoyed my life in Namma Chennai the past 2 years and more. About how i realise I will miss chennai even though this trip back home is a much awaited, much planned for one.
I like chennai since it is one city that still has not lost its essence unlike any other Indian city. Chennai is so 'chenna-iish'. It embraces the ultra modern chick as well as the conservative naadan ponnu and not so modern yet not so naadan types like me too with the same love. Chennnai is really safe for girls unlike the capital city where rapes happen in the middle of the day.
It is in chennai where i learned to live life on my own. Its in chennai that i learned to live with my own money enjoying the pride of not having to ask achan for money. It is in chennai that i battled with heat, hostel food, late night work hours, gready autowalahs (I fondly recollect few of them who are really nice here. One of them even commented that i luk like one old actress by name radha. I just prayed that she is not any porn actress. Google told me later that she is not. The reason y i call him nice is not this) and came out in victory as a much evolved much stronger lady who is ready to shoulder responsibilities. Here i got my independence that matters most for the hard core aquarian in me.
I had the best of times here in Chennai. Picked up books from landmark and pavement shops and read them even with my mobile phone's light after the hostel warden ordered the lights to be turned off (its a good collection now), saw movies whenever i felt like, Travelled (now that includes some trekking trips to Nilgris and more) walked around in the streets, enjoyed street food and did many more of the crazy stuff. I will miss shopping in Chennai. We used to shop in cotton street (that s a raw of pavement shops for cotton materials) n malls alike.
To make the most of the rest of my days here i was on a chennai exploration spree recently. Old church that houses a large Pipe Organ, narrow streets (got hit by an auto once), the peace and serenity in Theosophical society grounds, the rythmic atmosphere of the Kalakshetra, the relaxed air in Dakshin Chitra, the thrilling catamaran ride in Taj Fishcove, the crowd and colors of Koyembedu market where we walked on carpets made of rotten fruits and vegetables , (yeah i visited it in the early morning hours managing to wake up with an alarm and all) i enjoyed all my 'chennai thendals'. I checked out some typical eatouts as well. The gujarathi mandal in Paris saw me n my colleague hogging on the hot rotis that kept on coming to our plates even before we could finish the previous one. The Karpagambal mess in Mylapore saw me sitting in wonder in front of the vazhayila full of traditional Tamil food. I picked up a packet of 'thaamara thandu kondaatam' from there which i have to take home and serve fried. Murugan Idli shop always had me ordering for one more sarakara pongal offcourse with the guilt about the ghee and sugar in it. Saw the superstar thalaivar rajnikanth for the first time on the big screen on the second day of the release of Sivaji. Again my alarm woke me up and i was on time at the theatre, at 7.30 am for the same. (Hope my amma and in-laws to- be never come across this. I am not a fan of his, But wanted to know what is this rajni phenomenon all about. And I am not disappointed about loosing my sleep) Two things i wanted to do and could not - Mylapore walk and the turtle walk in Besant Nagar Beach at midnight.
I dont want to list down the facts i dont like about this city. See, I am a positive soul.
As i bid bye, let me say, Enakkku Chennai Romba pudichirukku.
Thats not what i intend to talk about here. It is about how I have enjoyed my life in Namma Chennai the past 2 years and more. About how i realise I will miss chennai even though this trip back home is a much awaited, much planned for one.
I like chennai since it is one city that still has not lost its essence unlike any other Indian city. Chennai is so 'chenna-iish'. It embraces the ultra modern chick as well as the conservative naadan ponnu and not so modern yet not so naadan types like me too with the same love. Chennnai is really safe for girls unlike the capital city where rapes happen in the middle of the day.
It is in chennai where i learned to live life on my own. Its in chennai that i learned to live with my own money enjoying the pride of not having to ask achan for money. It is in chennai that i battled with heat, hostel food, late night work hours, gready autowalahs (I fondly recollect few of them who are really nice here. One of them even commented that i luk like one old actress by name radha. I just prayed that she is not any porn actress. Google told me later that she is not. The reason y i call him nice is not this) and came out in victory as a much evolved much stronger lady who is ready to shoulder responsibilities. Here i got my independence that matters most for the hard core aquarian in me.
I had the best of times here in Chennai. Picked up books from landmark and pavement shops and read them even with my mobile phone's light after the hostel warden ordered the lights to be turned off (its a good collection now), saw movies whenever i felt like, Travelled (now that includes some trekking trips to Nilgris and more) walked around in the streets, enjoyed street food and did many more of the crazy stuff. I will miss shopping in Chennai. We used to shop in cotton street (that s a raw of pavement shops for cotton materials) n malls alike.
To make the most of the rest of my days here i was on a chennai exploration spree recently. Old church that houses a large Pipe Organ, narrow streets (got hit by an auto once), the peace and serenity in Theosophical society grounds, the rythmic atmosphere of the Kalakshetra, the relaxed air in Dakshin Chitra, the thrilling catamaran ride in Taj Fishcove, the crowd and colors of Koyembedu market where we walked on carpets made of rotten fruits and vegetables , (yeah i visited it in the early morning hours managing to wake up with an alarm and all) i enjoyed all my 'chennai thendals'. I checked out some typical eatouts as well. The gujarathi mandal in Paris saw me n my colleague hogging on the hot rotis that kept on coming to our plates even before we could finish the previous one. The Karpagambal mess in Mylapore saw me sitting in wonder in front of the vazhayila full of traditional Tamil food. I picked up a packet of 'thaamara thandu kondaatam' from there which i have to take home and serve fried. Murugan Idli shop always had me ordering for one more sarakara pongal offcourse with the guilt about the ghee and sugar in it. Saw the superstar thalaivar rajnikanth for the first time on the big screen on the second day of the release of Sivaji. Again my alarm woke me up and i was on time at the theatre, at 7.30 am for the same. (Hope my amma and in-laws to- be never come across this. I am not a fan of his, But wanted to know what is this rajni phenomenon all about. And I am not disappointed about loosing my sleep) Two things i wanted to do and could not - Mylapore walk and the turtle walk in Besant Nagar Beach at midnight.
I dont want to list down the facts i dont like about this city. See, I am a positive soul.
As i bid bye, let me say, Enakkku Chennai Romba pudichirukku.
Rain and my cravings!
At last it rained in chennai. I am one rain freak. Rain always brings back lot of fond memories. I love to sit at the doorstep leading out from amma's kitchen at home and sip a hot cup of coffee watching the raindrops falling down from the roof. Sometimes i get into cooking and make hot hot banana fry (Thats my favorite when it rains) and me and my sis & brothers will sit on the doorstep biting on to them. I love the smell of damp earth (its is called puthumanam, My achan told me when as a i was kid surprised at this sudden fragrance) that accompanies the first drop of rain on earth.It reminds me of the wet navy blue school uniforms and umbrellas... of the numerous trips me n my cousins made to those weekend getaways near Kottayam like kuttikaanam, Wagamon, Thekkady and many more. During rains KK Road (Kottayam - Kumily Road) used to have a special charm and we were some 15 kids on a jolly ride from Kottayam to one of these hill stations. On the way we used to stop at the roadside 'chaayakada'. Rain now brings back the taste of the chaayakada special 'paripuvadas' and cups of hot coffee in KK Road.
Much to my amma's headache i used to get drenched standing on the terrace next to my bedroom at home. ( NO that never became a sexy number to neighbours thanks to the fact that this terrace is safely enclosed between walls on two sides and rubber plantation on the other ) But my amma has had to literally drag me out of my crazy rain dances couple of times. My house has one sit out on the first floor which is my favorite room since it brings the outdoors indoor like the interior designers say. If I am not in a drenching mood i will sit in this sit out and enjoy the many moods of rain.
As monsoon kisses the earth softly, it also reminds me also of some of the best ever times i have ever had with my dear and near ones. It reminds me of a feature by name 'kaattile mazha' (Rain in a forest' when translated) that appeared in the Malayala Manorama when I was a kid with bright photographs of Rain shots captured from Iravikulam national park. The rain lover in me treasured that feature and it is still there, a 4 page supplement which is a dull testimony to Silver fish. It reminds me of Sugathakumari's Raathrimazha, a famous poem which was a part of my syllabus in schoool. It reminds me of my trip to nelliyampathy once in monsoon. Suddenly it started raining and me and my friend sita, found ourselves standing inside thick fog which i would love to believe was cloud rather. That was one of the best experiences Nature ever gave me. Rain reminds me also of Shubha Mudgal's hit song, Ab ke sawan. I love the way the video shows life and its small frivolities in that album. A couple finding their much desired privacy as the whole world steps out to welcome rian, a milkman happily letting the rain get into his Bottles making additional profits, a campus romeo making the best of the opportunity by sharing the neighbourhood girl's umbrella... It is such a happy video.
I miss rain here in Chennai. The summer is harsh and unbearable. But this time i guess the clouds stopped on the way to kerala for a minute to shower their mercy on me in chennai for whom a rainy day is still 'one night trip in TVM mail' away. Anyway the clouds finally stopped over Chennai. And once again I am nostalgic. I get my usual cravings again. But banana fry will be too much of a luxory to ask for. The year before, there was a heavy rain in Chennai which made the city flooded and we were stuck in hostel. My tastebuds started calling & we set out to the chettinad hotel nearby (water was reaching till our knees ) and had some really hot n spicy stuff. Last year, me and my colleagues went out to the nearby Cafe Coffe Day (the rich man's chaayakada ) and i treaed myself to scoops of Sizzling chocolate brownies topped with icecream and chocolate sauce. Today I was craving for something hot n spicy. Braving the rains, me and jiby set off to a nearby Punjabi Dhaba. Tandoori chicken followed by Hot Jalebis were awesome along with rains. Thank you jiby!
I love rain. With all the dirty roads and potholes, I will never curse the rains. Let me wish myself many more rains and many such cravings.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Catamaran Ride
That was a long cherished dream coming true..A ride on the waves in a catamaran. when did i start chasing this dream?? i dont remember clearly.. i think it was when i saw the song in the movie Yuva which shows kareena kapoor (I hate her) n vivek oberoi (i hate him too ) having a good time with a jolly good ride.. after that it was kamal haasans turn in the movie vetrayadu vilayadudududu.. guess i iwll remember these movies only for those shots. forget the actors, lemme talk abt the adventure evening starring me and few friends.
welll, before i talk more, a lil hostory. I am one of those pravasi malayalees. Came to the land of thairu saadam n mallippoo. .. yes, you guessed it rite.. chennai .had my own apprehensions before coming here.. but now i am a huge fan of this city even though for a person who lands in chennai central for the first time, it will conjure up images of unclean streets n beggars n unbearble climate which only turns hot hotter n hottest.. and many more bad things like that. but hey any city will have all these.. Namma chennai is a lot better. Now I am a person who keep exploring the nooks n corners of every place i am in. Chennai offers many such amazing places.. for every chennaite who is bored of the same old stuff, there is always the ECR (East Coast Road which leads to pondy from Chennai) to go for a long drive away from the maddenning city. Catamaran ride is one of ECR's promises for you. Taj Fishcove is the resort whcih offers this facility and you need not avail of any other services of theirs to try this.
Our ride was on a saturday evening. 16/6/07. I called up Mr Patrik of Fishcove to check the condition of the sea. He cleared it and few sms was alll it took me for the rest of it. We were 4, myself, Jiby (One of my Best buddies ) Archana & Vikram. In fact i was fed up of asking ppl to join me for this. As expected, most of them dint have the guts for it. So we were the final adveterous lot who set out on the ECR one saturday evening in another colleagues car.
We reached fishcove right in time. Patrick was ready to welcome us. We were helped with our life jackets and we started towards the nearby fishermen settlement from where we have to start the ride. Now the catamaran is nothing but 6 logs put together. The fishermen got the catamaran ready with the motor and they pushed it towards the waves and we got into it. All 4 of us sat one by one on a line holding on to a rope that runs from one end to the other... and we started the trip. the catamaran gets rocked by the waves and we were screaming in excitement. saltwater splashed against our faces causing a lil burning sensation for our eyes.
once we reached the middle of the sea, the motor was turned off and it was time for us to take the plunge into the waters. I somehow have an additional gene that makes me kinda brave when it comes to forces of nature. So i was my brave self and took the first plunge. the fisherman 'anna' asked me to put my legs out first and plum... i was in the water.. floating.. for a few seconds i think i was trying to touch the grund with my feet and then it occurred to me that i am in the middle of the sea. then came all 3 of them.. we held on to the rope and was floating for sometime in the waves. intial jittery feeling over, we kept silent for sometime and the sole sound was that of the waves. it was divine.. it was awesome. One of those many moments in my life when i worshipped the great creator standing in awe of his creations. this time it was the mighty ocean and man's undying quest and courage to conquer it too. Next to us was the fisherman anna who dint even require the life jacket to manage it in 40 feet deep sea..
our stipualted time was 45 minutes and it went by very fast. Getting back to the catamarn is another funny thing. We have to turn our backs to it and stand still. and the anna will hold on to our jackets and lift us up and put us back (am i that light weight??) Padak.. we were back in the catamaran and within minutes back on the shore..
We were ready for the trip back after a quick shower & change. The fight with the waves had made all 4 of us hungry. We stopped at a dhaba on the way and had some hot spicy food. The evening turned out to be a real good break after such a long time.
i suggest this too all you guys who like watersports n adventure. The place is Taj Fish cove in ECR. CHarge is 500 bucks. but it is worth the money. Back home my amma hasnot yet stopped scolding me for having done it. paavam, according to her all these are because she dint get me married off before i started enjoying this new foud freedom. hihihi. In reply, I told her about this caption i found in an ad long back. it goes like this: " When is the last time you tried something for the first time?" I really believe in that kinda spirit. And I am a free bird with some self imposed strings.
So all u guys, When is the last time you did something for the first time??
welll, before i talk more, a lil hostory. I am one of those pravasi malayalees. Came to the land of thairu saadam n mallippoo. .. yes, you guessed it rite.. chennai .had my own apprehensions before coming here.. but now i am a huge fan of this city even though for a person who lands in chennai central for the first time, it will conjure up images of unclean streets n beggars n unbearble climate which only turns hot hotter n hottest.. and many more bad things like that. but hey any city will have all these.. Namma chennai is a lot better. Now I am a person who keep exploring the nooks n corners of every place i am in. Chennai offers many such amazing places.. for every chennaite who is bored of the same old stuff, there is always the ECR (East Coast Road which leads to pondy from Chennai) to go for a long drive away from the maddenning city. Catamaran ride is one of ECR's promises for you. Taj Fishcove is the resort whcih offers this facility and you need not avail of any other services of theirs to try this.
Our ride was on a saturday evening. 16/6/07. I called up Mr Patrik of Fishcove to check the condition of the sea. He cleared it and few sms was alll it took me for the rest of it. We were 4, myself, Jiby (One of my Best buddies ) Archana & Vikram. In fact i was fed up of asking ppl to join me for this. As expected, most of them dint have the guts for it. So we were the final adveterous lot who set out on the ECR one saturday evening in another colleagues car.
We reached fishcove right in time. Patrick was ready to welcome us. We were helped with our life jackets and we started towards the nearby fishermen settlement from where we have to start the ride. Now the catamaran is nothing but 6 logs put together. The fishermen got the catamaran ready with the motor and they pushed it towards the waves and we got into it. All 4 of us sat one by one on a line holding on to a rope that runs from one end to the other... and we started the trip. the catamaran gets rocked by the waves and we were screaming in excitement. saltwater splashed against our faces causing a lil burning sensation for our eyes.
once we reached the middle of the sea, the motor was turned off and it was time for us to take the plunge into the waters. I somehow have an additional gene that makes me kinda brave when it comes to forces of nature. So i was my brave self and took the first plunge. the fisherman 'anna' asked me to put my legs out first and plum... i was in the water.. floating.. for a few seconds i think i was trying to touch the grund with my feet and then it occurred to me that i am in the middle of the sea. then came all 3 of them.. we held on to the rope and was floating for sometime in the waves. intial jittery feeling over, we kept silent for sometime and the sole sound was that of the waves. it was divine.. it was awesome. One of those many moments in my life when i worshipped the great creator standing in awe of his creations. this time it was the mighty ocean and man's undying quest and courage to conquer it too. Next to us was the fisherman anna who dint even require the life jacket to manage it in 40 feet deep sea..
our stipualted time was 45 minutes and it went by very fast. Getting back to the catamarn is another funny thing. We have to turn our backs to it and stand still. and the anna will hold on to our jackets and lift us up and put us back (am i that light weight??) Padak.. we were back in the catamaran and within minutes back on the shore..
We were ready for the trip back after a quick shower & change. The fight with the waves had made all 4 of us hungry. We stopped at a dhaba on the way and had some hot spicy food. The evening turned out to be a real good break after such a long time.
i suggest this too all you guys who like watersports n adventure. The place is Taj Fish cove in ECR. CHarge is 500 bucks. but it is worth the money. Back home my amma hasnot yet stopped scolding me for having done it. paavam, according to her all these are because she dint get me married off before i started enjoying this new foud freedom. hihihi. In reply, I told her about this caption i found in an ad long back. it goes like this: " When is the last time you tried something for the first time?" I really believe in that kinda spirit. And I am a free bird with some self imposed strings.
So all u guys, When is the last time you did something for the first time??
My first steps in Blog space
Once upon a time in blogspace....
I am not a regular bloggger. .. but i regulary read blogs.. my friends' cookery blogs, some travel blogs etc mostly. Being in a Media company.. err, the largest of its kind (Now thats a lil boasting ) which always keep exlploring new revenue models, blogs always are a fancy to my colleagues.. and the same keeps on popping up in our meetings as well.. so one fine day i tried my hand in blogging... Only to end up feeling bad about my own writing skills .. i somehow dint like the way it sounded and deleted the post. that was about a trekking trip i had in Nilgris.. still i wish i cud immortalize those wonderful memories by writing abt it. .. but i dare not.
Today it is a relaxed evening here in office.. suddenly i had an urge to give new life to my extinct blog.. so here i am..
I am not a regular bloggger. .. but i regulary read blogs.. my friends' cookery blogs, some travel blogs etc mostly. Being in a Media company.. err, the largest of its kind (Now thats a lil boasting ) which always keep exlploring new revenue models, blogs always are a fancy to my colleagues.. and the same keeps on popping up in our meetings as well.. so one fine day i tried my hand in blogging... Only to end up feeling bad about my own writing skills .. i somehow dint like the way it sounded and deleted the post. that was about a trekking trip i had in Nilgris.. still i wish i cud immortalize those wonderful memories by writing abt it. .. but i dare not.
Today it is a relaxed evening here in office.. suddenly i had an urge to give new life to my extinct blog.. so here i am..
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