The Chennai Chronicles

I spent about a week in Chennai starting from the new years eve. Here are some random memories from that trip..

1)Since its supposed to be winter, the weather in Chennai was quite pleasant. I was pleasantly surprised, for, having visited Chennai in the past only in the months of summer, I had come to the conclusion that it featured  three seasons - hot, very hot, and very very hot; or if you like silly pjs - sum, summer, and summest:-)  The IIT campus seems to have come up right in the middle of a forest, and is very beautiful, with spotted deer and black-bucks sharing the space with students ! The animals seem utterly unperturbed by the presence of humans, which is amazing !

2) In the month of December, there are concerts featuring some very good singers. The event is broadly called Margali Utsavam. I unfortunately reached Chennai just as the festival was coming to an end, but fortunately, the dance festival begins immediately after! I had the opportunity to witness a couple of spectacular dance performances ! I also spent some time at the digital archives, which boasts of some rare recordings that anyone can listen to at a console, by paying a very modest amount. The collection seemed good, though I hope they have the audio digitally restored at some point.

3)No visit to Chennai, I am told,  is complete without a trip to the Pondy Bazaar. A long array of tiny shops, stocking all kinds of accessories.. In one such stall, I spotted an exotic instrument in the shape of a mini Nadaswaram (think of it as a trumpet if you haven't come across it before), but having piano keys in place of the customary holes. You had to blow into it of course, but it would produce a sound only if you also played the keys. The novel playing mechanism, and the sound won me over, but it was painted in lurid yellow, a colour that, mildly put, does not appeal to my aesthetic sense. After giving the stall owner a lengthy discourse on financial and cultural benefits in stocking that noble instrument in more refined shades, I half closed my eyes, and bought the instrument for 110 rupees ! After getting home, and experimenting a bit, I discovered that it doesn't have all the 12 notes in an octave, and infact not even the standard 7 notes in the major scale! So, it allows me to play a variety of songs, each a little out of tune:-)

4) On the way from my sister's place to the station, the uncommonly amiable auto driver was in a talkative mood, and subjected me to a range of questions. He asked if I drank, smoked or had non-vegetarian food. He seemed diasppointed at my answers and declared me to be 'full waste' ! He then asked me how much money I had in my bank account. I replied saying I had just about enough for the auto fare. He then laughed heartily for about thirty seconds, and then declared me to be 'jolly personality'!:-)

5) My sister passed me an Agatha Christie book, apparently written in parts in the style of Wodehouse ! Thats next in line, once I am done with 'Rosy is my relative' which looks very promising !