Yesterday, just as I started typing a post for Madras Day, there was a power cut. When it came back within 10 minutes, I started again when the current went off again! When the same thing happened for a third time ( :( ), my Dad said, ‘Power cuts, bad roads, traffic jam, crappy ‘Hindu’ newspaper, Cooum River. This is Madras. You might as well write a post on that.’ But, I said, ‘There are two sides to every coin. :P ’

A walk down the Boat Club Road, Greenways Road, IIT Campus or along the sea shore in Marina Beach, Elliots Beach. Watching the waves, getting drenched on the salty sea water in the beach. Driving in Kotturpuram Road during non-peak hours. Kapaleeswarar Kovil, Parthasarathy Swami Kovil, VaLLeeswarar, Marundheeswarar, Virupaaksheeswarar, Agastiyar Kovil, Kesava PerumaL, Madhava PerumaL temples (the list is endless). The ubiquitous Ganesha ‘temples’ at every other street in the city. The Gulmohar, pink-coloured flowers in Thoongumoonji maram (don’t know the English name), and the yellow flowers (again, don’t know the name) in full bloom in many parts of the city during Spring or whatever the season is.

Shopping at Nalli, Kumaran, RMKV, Pothys, Chennai Silks, Naidu Hall, Krishna Collections or Roshanlals, Her Choice, Moksha or Saravana Stores, Jeyachandran Textiles or the platform shops in Pondy Bazar or one of the many small shops in the ever-crowded Ranganathan Street. Eating out at Saravana Bhavan, Sangeetha, Woodlands, Mathura, Palimar, Eden, Gangotri. Ice creams at Freeze Zone, Snofield, Milky World. :D Sweets at Grand Sweets, Shree Mitai, Surya Sweets, Sri Krishna Sweets, Adyar Ananda Bhavan. Food World/Spencers Daily, Nilgiris. Flowers, fruits, vegetables in abundance at the Koyambedu market.

The fruits/vegetables/flowers vendors who take the money from you with a smile when you happen to be their first customer of the day. Fighting with Auto drivers and feeling triumphant when he agrees to the fare that you say. During concerts, hearing Mylapore Maamis boast about their son/daughter settled in US or discuss about what’s happening in Mega Serials. The bus conductor who refuses to give you 50 paisa change. The poor people missing bus after bus at the bus stop, hoping that at least the next bus doesn’t turn out to be a Super Deluxe or an Express bus. The shopkeepers in the platform shops with whom you can bargain endlessly though still he gets to win in the end most of the times. The road-side Romeos who stare and shamelessly sing loudly whenever a girl passes by. :| The traffic police who is never present when there’s a traffic jam.

The December Music Season. Kutcheris at Music Academy, Narada Gana Sabha, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Asthika Samajam, etc. Movies at Satyam, Udhayam, Melody, Mayajal, Devi. Travelling by PTC bus with friends, while bunking college, chatting with them and at the same time, having an eye on your purse lest it gets stolen. Hunting for projects, during college, in all the shops in Ritchie Street. Roaming around aimlessly at Spencers or Citi Centre with friends. Trains at Egmore, Central, Tambaram, Mambalam stations. School excursions to Guindy Park, Snake Park, Planetarium, Vandalur Zoo, Museum, VGP, Mahabalipuram.
And above all, my home sweet home! :)
This is Madras for me and I love this city very much. Sorgame endraalum adhu nammoora poala varumaa? ;)
Wishing all the Chennaiites a belated Happy Madras Day and a very Happy Madras Week! :)