Friday, August 22, 2008

Madras nalla Madras

It's not just the place. It's not just the human psyche, playing games, matching places with emotions. Its not purely rational either. Its a bit of everything, culminating at times, into pseudo masculine tears, wanting to break out, because the emotions causing is like the place itself, a myriad mixture of nostalgia, sadness and pride.

Madras, now Chennai, has turned 369. Not that I need a day, a certain "Madras Day", to yearn for such a heavenly place. Like every thing great, it has its own peaks and fissures, making it a naturally beautiful scoop of Arun Vanilla Ice cream. Imperfect, hence beautiful. Like the scars on the moon.

I miss, a million genuine brown faces; the world famous Kaapi; finite but uncountable number of pullayaar Koyil; extremely unhygienic road side kai yendhi bhavans, being partial and waiving off the diseases, to people who shall eat there with hunger and compassion, feeding the road side rabid dogs; shirtless young boys sweating out in sun, playing cricket with a plaster of paris bat and stone stumps; dames with malli poo on them, strolling around the sannidhi's, multi-tasking, sneak peaking at the sneak peaking vetti male youth oglers; egg puffs at bakeries; bicycle doubles and triples ride; foot boarding pallavan transport buses; vetti jay walking at the spencers; soccer and beach bathing on saturday mornings at the marina; 12 Rs bajji plates at bessie; mun vaasanai, sondha mun vaasanai after the first few rain drops; Slum side carrom board competition, standing all the while; 15 rupees bottomless juice shops; karumbu juice and elani during agni natchathiram; innovative auto drivers mocking the west; deadly kosus and omnipresent household disgusting pallee's and the non perishable karapaans/paatchaas.......

"I remember a place...a town, a house like a lot of other houses....a yard like a lot of other yards...a street like a lot of other streets. And the thing is....after all these years, I still look back...with wonder. " Wonder Years.

Happy B'day Chennai! I truely love you. I dearly miss you. I promise and pray with great hope, my last breath will be in your arms.
Your loving son,
Kaevy

P.S This post comes after a long hiatus. Not that I wasn't writing, but its just that I dint feel like posting them. I shall try to be more regular.

17 comments:

Migrating Thoughts - Ramblings of a Mind said...

Those pallees and karapaampochis have given me nightmares....:)

Rainman said...

Strong emotions being portrayed! How does Sunnyvale compare, my friend? ;-)

germinal dreamer said...

@migrating: nigttmares? lizards yes, but not the paatchas or the big flying karapaanpoochis. They just made me not bathe at times. grhhh

@brat: Chennai:Sunnyvale::tiramisu:crap
I think I cant put it better.

zudec said...

u should probably missed to mention the vetti bike rides performing unlimited traversals through the webby traffic..unlike the boring ol roads here in the US.

ArchFULLY said...

I have too many comments to give on ur post..

Loved the phrase 'pseudo masculine tears'
Shows how vain men are...and feels good to hear it from a Guy.. (hehe)(

I love Chennai, been the only place i have lived in....if you remove the years in usa...

Hey and the phrase from Wonder years...I have the same one in my orkut... I was able to connect to Chennai with that phrase too hence i put it up in my profile...

Man...if you were two years my senior..i may have fallen for u just for ur ode to Chennai...

Luckily you have escaped from my clutches brother...

germinal dreamer said...

@warm sea: yeah rht for a guy who doesn't know to ride a bike!

@arch: [blush]aawww[\blush] azhudhu kaadhali "anna" nu sonna take it easy policy!!!

Macadamia The Nut said...

:(( I wanna go home!!!
But know what I miss more than anything? The FOOD! Madras (I refuse to call it chennai) is a foodie paradise!

Cяystal said...

How strange no..
I hate Bombay being MUMBAI!
And the worst..Bangalore being Bangaluru..ew

DarkBlogger said...

All points in a nut shell...Good work.. I totally relate to everything anybody has to tell about Chennai. The warmth of that place grows on you. Miss chennai!!!

Rakesh Vanamali said...

Vijay

My first time here! I empathize with you when you say, you miss things from down South of India!

Isn't it so true that while your physical self tries to get adjusted to the ongoing around, you heart longs for that moment to get connected to the place that you belong to?

Also, thanks to your blog, I knew that Chennai is 369 years old!
Whew!

Cheers

Rakesh
http://almostsunday.blogspot.com

PS: Do visit my space when time permits!

Unknown said...

Dai enga da 15 Rs Juice bottom less ??? All I've got was one free refill for 15 :( but yes , nice entry and keep them coming ...

Maya said...

Beautifully carved. This post took me back home. I'm missing Chennai.
Why haven't you blogged? Can we see more of it? I have been reading your blogs & was keeping track of my comments to post.
Just a lot to say:-)

Keep writing:-)
Maya

Unknown said...

How about a chat sometime? maahyah@gmail :-)

Sriram said...

food man! road side kayendhi bhavan and the bread-omlette kadais is what i miss the most :( that and anjaneyar kovil prasadam :)

Anonymous said...

Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!

Unknown said...

Loved the way this was written. :-)

Anonymous said...

Hello. And Bye.