It would surprise most people if I were to tell them that I had never wanted to do an MBA, or stay in Chennai or work for a newspaper. The surprise lies in the fact that I have managed to do all those things despite not wanting to do it. Believe me pressure factor was nil when it came to choosing the above mentioned. In fact was ready to embrace my choices. I never did think of the positive side of these choices though.
Without a doubt it’s when you are done with a particular phase of life and ready to move on to the next that you stop for a moment and think “Wow! Those were some good times!”
Same is the case of 3.5 years in Chennai. This is a city that is hot, humid, dusty and reeks of everything you could possibly imagine and yet, not for a moment am I unhappy to call this city my second home. There is something about Chennai that grows on you. I cannot say that it is the epicenter of all things “awesome” and “happening”, yet its gentle lull will put anyone at ease. Setting foot in this city and hunting for PGs during my first year here did not go down well at all! A cramped little room with 5 beds is not exactly my cup of tea. And it is a wonder indeed that within a short span of time I have learnt to adjust better than I have ever had! (Not that I would dream of setting foot in that PG!)
My best and fondest memories here (and most would agree with me) would be the pigging out! Needless to say, my mother had many a sleepless night over this fact! Ask me about any restaurant, hotel, café or chaya kada in Chennai and I would know it of course for directions you would have to contact my trusty sidekick and roomie Jewel!
In fact, we have been so religious with food, that “Thanal” the mallu restaurant we order from most of the time knows which address to come to the moment we say Nandanam! It is quite an embarrassment actually! But what the hey! I am shameless that way!
The most embarrassing situation was when jewel and I ordered half the menu at Cream Centre and the waiter took one long look at us and asked us “Will more people be joining you?” Trust me that would not have been a funny moment if I were not in the right company!
As I leave this city for good, I am overwhelmed by a wave of emotions that all point me in one direction. Relationships.
This is the biggest factor that made me fall in love with Chennai. The amazing friends that I have made! I truly believe in keeping a short supply of friends because that in effect makes you value relationships more! I am glad to say that I have a set of friends who would make super midnight buddies and I for a fact know that they would be my friends for life!
Of course I start with Jewel Francis who’s been bearing the brunt of me for the past 5 years. We did our MBA at the same college and did not get to be pals until the end of our second year. Little did we know that we would end up fending for each other in a city that could be as cruel as it could be loving. Our final year together brought us closer and the one thing I would never forget are our binges! Be it food (mainly) or clothes or movies I have completely enjoyed our binge fests! Come home soon and we shall continue our binge fest in Cochin too! Cheers to my classmate, roommate, colleague and dear friend.
Do read “My Blooperific Buddy” http://mybathroommirror.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-blooperific-buddy.html my dedication to Jewel!)
Asmitha Ashok, is someone who I owe a lot to. Not too many people stand by you in your time of despair and the night I met Ash, we knew squat and about each other and I was in a broken state! For someone who didn’t even know my last name, she did a pretty good job of wiping away my bitter tears and setting me back on track. She made me feel so special every time we met and always, always had something to say that would light up my eyes and make me grin, giddy with happiness! You are a wonderful person, so full of life and so giving. I am so happy to have met you and would never want to give you up for the world! I know you for just 3 years Ash but I feel like I have known you all my life! Can’t give enough “LOU” to you!
(Do Read “Black Rain” http://mybathroommirror.blogspot.com/2011/04/black-rain.html for my ode to her gorgeous hair!)
Another person who had truly touched my life is Madhuri Arni. She was my boss in office and I must say more than an amazing boss, she is truly the definition of an amazing human being. She is the most genuine and loving person ever and I am so honored to have befriended her. What you want most will happen within the blink of an eye Madhuri, I assure you! The only word, as simple as it may sound describes you in totality is “GOOD” and in a sentence “a heart of gold”. Thank you Madhuri for taking me under your wing, for being my confidant and above all a wonderful advisor and friend.
Urmil Bhatt! What do I say about you? Because no matter what I say, I would definitely not do you justice! I think you are a fine person with astounding values and a sense of humor so splendid, it never fails to uplift my bad moods! I think and I take the liberty to say that I have found a brother in you and that for me is so reassuring. I know there is always someone keeping vigil and taking care of me and making sure that I stay happy always. Be it going to Blackberry services to repair my wreck of a phone or watching Transformers and on cheering Optimus or even getting a pastry at Ecstasy. You have given me so much strength and courage and made me fall in love with myself all over again! I could not ask for more from you Urmil because before I think it, you know it.
It’s always better to make a friend late in life than never make one at all. This holds true for Sethuraman Iyer! This is the only guy who’s managed to make me understand the basics of Cricket (which I assure you is no easy task!). I have never met someone with so much patience and respect for those around him. And he would make an amazing father! Just promise to not force your child into joining the Indian Cricket Team! Sethu has always been rock solid. I know that if I were to go wailing to him right now, he would make me feel better in a minute. Your love and care will be truly missed Sethu!
Do read: “Another Cricket Hating Femme Bites the Dust” http://mybathroommirror.blogspot.com/2011/04/another-cricket-hating-femme-bites-dust.html My dedication to sethu!)
If creativity is gold then Vijay Menon would be the richest guy around! He is one person I can spend long hours with jabbering about absolutely nothing at all! I will always remember him sprawling all over this office chair with a completely laid back look. The moment you knock on his cabin door, a lazy hand manages to come up and gesture toward a bean bag right by his desk. You sit down and the jabbering commences! Thank you Vijay for some of my most fun moments!
If I were seen heading to the scheduling department, you can be rest assured that I would be found in Sripriya Ramachandran’s cabin going blah! Blah! Blah! When I need advice, a lot of love and a shoulder to cry on, Priya has always been there. She has always been like a second mum to me (she looks too hot to be one though! ;)) and I thank you so much for the hours of reassurance when I sat shedding tears in your cabin. It’s too bad that I could not meet you before I left but I am definitely coming back for a visit. You owe me a nice lunch spread!
I am sure to end up bawling like a baby when I leave Chennai. But somehow I don’t think that sadness would engulf me as it should, because the friends I have made here would just not let me give up that part of me that belongs to this remarkable city.
Thank you Chennai for helping me rediscover myself, for making me go through hell so that I finally appreciate the goodness that’s coming for me and in every sense, making me a better person than what I was when I first embraced you as home.
Showing posts with label Chennai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chennai. Show all posts
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
AUTO-phobia
The word “AUTOPHOBIA” means the fear of being alone. But if you are someone residing in Chennai, the word takes on a completely different meaning!
AUTOPHOBIA in Chennai would be taken in its literal sense, roughly, it would just mean: Fear of AUTOS!
Now I have to admit that I actually love traveling by autos…imagine the wind messing up your hair…you get to think happy thoughts and idly glance around at everything around you!
It’s like in Cochin and I’m sure it would be this peaceful in Uganda even (If they had autos there!), the tune changes drastically when one arrives in Chennai and takes a rick. I bet anything that by the end of the ride, the traveler is bound to show the first symptoms of “AUTO”phobia!
They are just vehicles you say? Like giant motorized bees maybe? NO! They’re a bundle of chaos just waiting to happen! Scoff do you? Fine let me show it to you the tough way. I shall take you step by step.
The first step would be actually catching an auto to your destination. Now, autos in Chennai are dime a dozen except when you seem to want one! Most of the autos that rush past your desperately waving hand, have auto drivers sticking their heads out and exclaiming “Ange poga maten!” and you are left with a doubt as to whether you asked the auto guy to take you to Pondi Bazaar or Pondicherry!
So you finally have finally flagged down an auto guy who is willing to take you to your destination. Now comes the real infuriating part: The bargaining.
Auto Drivers in Chennai tend to think that ever single person who flags them down is a relative of either the Ambanis or maybe even Bill Gates, because even a lousy ride from Office to Home (which would be about 10 minutes) would be charged Rs. 70 at the least!
Some of the figures they quote will have you forget the math that you learnt in school and trust me its almost like we hand them a chunk of our property in writing in exchange for a ride to wherever!
The way they bargain is hilarious as well! Every street one wants to travel to would have a “one-way street” and it is because of this imaginary one way menace that the “poor” auto fellas have to charge such exorbitant rates. I do pity them! Grrrr!
This is how a typical conversation would go (Pardon my tamil!):
Me: “Anna, R.A.Puram Pono”
Auto fella: “Seri ma! Okaronge!”
Me: “Yevlo?”
AF: “oru 50 rupees kodungo!”
Me: “50 a? Illa Anna! Adhu varaykum 30 Rupees pothum!”
AF: “Illama ange one way iriku, pinne U-turn panni , angenu right cut panni, ingénue left vandu, pinnem U-turn panni straight pono.”
Me: “Eh?”
Turst me! These guys are as irritating as a box full of proposals!
So you get an auto guy who has agreed to give you a ride for a fare you are also ok with. Congratulations! The true test of a chennaite is of course surviving the auto ride! I really don’t know where these fellas get their driving license from because trust me I would not even let them take me in a bullock cart for the way they drive! It’s almost like you got into the auto with some milk and ice cream in hand and gave the fella a challenge saying “By the time I reach my stop, I dare you to turn this glass of milk and this bowl of ice cream into a lovely milkshake!”
These guys love every bump on the road. Incase they even miss one; don’t breathe a sigh of relief because they are sure to make it up with 2 extra bumps on the way! I can imagine a driver not being conscious of other people’s lives but hello! Auto drivers are probably the only people on earth who don’t care about their own lives as well! It’s like they are on a constant acid trip!
The auto travels more on the pavement than the road, the auto drivers tend to stare more at the passengers through the rear view mirror (esp more if it is a girl and even more if she is wearing a T-shirt! The jumping over bumps increases then!) than the road and of course their vocabulary when it comes to obscenities knows no bounds! Even if an accident is their fault, the obscenities pour out like lava an over active volcano!
Going for an auto drive in Chennai is like watching a horror/ action/ drama flick! There are constant screams, oohs and aahs! Endless fights and of course it’s a life altering experience that makes even the most sad person love life to the fullest!
Ok you’re about done with your ride, your hair has taken a slight shade of grey and you have bitten your nails down to your elbow but no matter you are still breathing and that’s a good thing!
Some cunning auto fellas have the audacity to ask for more money than bargained for and that is so ticking off! To avoid such a situation, make sure you always have enough change with you so that you can give the exact amount. The most common excuse any A fella would have is “Saary ma! Change ille!”and that just makes your life miserable!
In case the final bargaining continues, make sure you give the amount agreed upon initially in 50 ps coins and scoot! They too need a little pain in life!
So the next time you take an auto in Chennai, make sure you have had the best meal in your life and pray to god like it’s the end of the world, because for all you know, it just would be! All the best!
AUTOPHOBIA in Chennai would be taken in its literal sense, roughly, it would just mean: Fear of AUTOS!
Now I have to admit that I actually love traveling by autos…imagine the wind messing up your hair…you get to think happy thoughts and idly glance around at everything around you!
It’s like in Cochin and I’m sure it would be this peaceful in Uganda even (If they had autos there!), the tune changes drastically when one arrives in Chennai and takes a rick. I bet anything that by the end of the ride, the traveler is bound to show the first symptoms of “AUTO”phobia!
They are just vehicles you say? Like giant motorized bees maybe? NO! They’re a bundle of chaos just waiting to happen! Scoff do you? Fine let me show it to you the tough way. I shall take you step by step.
The first step would be actually catching an auto to your destination. Now, autos in Chennai are dime a dozen except when you seem to want one! Most of the autos that rush past your desperately waving hand, have auto drivers sticking their heads out and exclaiming “Ange poga maten!” and you are left with a doubt as to whether you asked the auto guy to take you to Pondi Bazaar or Pondicherry!
So you finally have finally flagged down an auto guy who is willing to take you to your destination. Now comes the real infuriating part: The bargaining.
Auto Drivers in Chennai tend to think that ever single person who flags them down is a relative of either the Ambanis or maybe even Bill Gates, because even a lousy ride from Office to Home (which would be about 10 minutes) would be charged Rs. 70 at the least!
Some of the figures they quote will have you forget the math that you learnt in school and trust me its almost like we hand them a chunk of our property in writing in exchange for a ride to wherever!
The way they bargain is hilarious as well! Every street one wants to travel to would have a “one-way street” and it is because of this imaginary one way menace that the “poor” auto fellas have to charge such exorbitant rates. I do pity them! Grrrr!
This is how a typical conversation would go (Pardon my tamil!):
Me: “Anna, R.A.Puram Pono”
Auto fella: “Seri ma! Okaronge!”
Me: “Yevlo?”
AF: “oru 50 rupees kodungo!”
Me: “50 a? Illa Anna! Adhu varaykum 30 Rupees pothum!”
AF: “Illama ange one way iriku, pinne U-turn panni , angenu right cut panni, ingénue left vandu, pinnem U-turn panni straight pono.”
Me: “Eh?”
Turst me! These guys are as irritating as a box full of proposals!
So you get an auto guy who has agreed to give you a ride for a fare you are also ok with. Congratulations! The true test of a chennaite is of course surviving the auto ride! I really don’t know where these fellas get their driving license from because trust me I would not even let them take me in a bullock cart for the way they drive! It’s almost like you got into the auto with some milk and ice cream in hand and gave the fella a challenge saying “By the time I reach my stop, I dare you to turn this glass of milk and this bowl of ice cream into a lovely milkshake!”
These guys love every bump on the road. Incase they even miss one; don’t breathe a sigh of relief because they are sure to make it up with 2 extra bumps on the way! I can imagine a driver not being conscious of other people’s lives but hello! Auto drivers are probably the only people on earth who don’t care about their own lives as well! It’s like they are on a constant acid trip!
The auto travels more on the pavement than the road, the auto drivers tend to stare more at the passengers through the rear view mirror (esp more if it is a girl and even more if she is wearing a T-shirt! The jumping over bumps increases then!) than the road and of course their vocabulary when it comes to obscenities knows no bounds! Even if an accident is their fault, the obscenities pour out like lava an over active volcano!
Going for an auto drive in Chennai is like watching a horror/ action/ drama flick! There are constant screams, oohs and aahs! Endless fights and of course it’s a life altering experience that makes even the most sad person love life to the fullest!
Ok you’re about done with your ride, your hair has taken a slight shade of grey and you have bitten your nails down to your elbow but no matter you are still breathing and that’s a good thing!
Some cunning auto fellas have the audacity to ask for more money than bargained for and that is so ticking off! To avoid such a situation, make sure you always have enough change with you so that you can give the exact amount. The most common excuse any A fella would have is “Saary ma! Change ille!”and that just makes your life miserable!
In case the final bargaining continues, make sure you give the amount agreed upon initially in 50 ps coins and scoot! They too need a little pain in life!
So the next time you take an auto in Chennai, make sure you have had the best meal in your life and pray to god like it’s the end of the world, because for all you know, it just would be! All the best!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)