A Weblog
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
4 days in chennai
Its been 4 days since te Mail from Mangaloore 2 Chenaii reachd the Central at 6:15 in te mornin with me n te Boka(Bengalis) eager 2 jump out of te s3 coach. The train had actually come 15 mins earlier 2 te perambur station. Then it stopped there for 30 min so tat it cud reach central at te rite time. I had come with plans up my sleeve to hve a holiday quite different from te ones which i hve till now. There vr two major differences. The computer in my home sucks big time now and my grandparents had come from kolkata 2 b with me.
The hols began promisingly with guests droppin in. Chennai is filled wit my relatives.From shollinganallur 2 tambaram, theres someone or te other in every street. Once in my second year, I had come home for te onam hols. I was walkin on te St. Mary's road in Mandaveli when someone came up 2 me n asked "Nee Muthu payen thaane?"(Arent u Muthu's son?) I explore my options:
Option no 1: Shake hands n look up wit respect n "Hello..eppidi irukkel?(very elder)
Option no 2: Act as if shocked n again te respect n " Enna Mama(or Attai or chitti or...)Evalo Naal Aachu !"(Somewat elderly)
Option no 3: "Unga Aathukka thaan varalaanu irunthen"(10+years elder)
Option no 4:"Hello da..Ennada..enna pannara?"(Ur age)
Option no 5: Marked indifference n "Enda veetikey varalla..Amma sollaleya?"(Kid)
Since he was very elderly, I shook hands n answered. He seemed 2 hve understood my predi cament n told me how hes related 2 my dad. I felt relieved n he asked me 2 come 2 his house sometime. I said "Ok...nichiyama" n got away from there.
During my first year summer hols, I invited my college frnz 2 my house n v wnt out for my bday treat. I had already told them abt my relatives in the area n they all teased me since i had 2 b "very careful" n don get into trouble. Tis meant tat even b4 i look at any gal on the street, i had 2 b sure tat shes not my relative! V vr walkin near the mylapore tank when all of a sudden,a 40+ couple approach us. One of my frnz who had come from madurai for tis treat hid behind me. I understood. Its his uncle n aunt! He went forward n used option no1. He had a hard time pacifyin them since he always stayed in their home whenever he came 2 chennai n tis time he had come without even informing them. The others had a tuf time controlling their laughter.My frnd then said "Mama, Kandippa Aathukku varen"(Uncle, I wil surely come 2 ur house). His uncle's face was red with anger n replied "Poda...College onna romba maathirichu..."(College has changed u a lot).He somehow managed them n came bak 2 whr we were. He then told "Dey machcha, ippo puriyidhu da.."(I can understand ur problem now)
And then tere r weddings.Especially durin the summer hols. Its like the london bus stop theory: Sometimes u will have 4 or 5 buses n sometimes none. Usually teres a shortage of muhurthams. So everyone ends up gettin married on te same day. That means: reception at one place, mapillaiayeppu at one, nxt day muhurtham at another. The catch is tat u end up spending more on travelling+gifts+misc than wat ppl spending on weddin itself! Its fun if there r good no of cousins around. Else it will b an alltime bore. U end up watchin the same thing again n again n wondering wats te use of ur presence there!
So wat have I done during this four days?
Wake up at 9, Get into some fight or the other wit my sis, complain abt te food 2 my mom n get scoldings in return, tell te same thing abt my col 2 whoever comes 2 my house,"College has 8 hostels, food is very bad, it rains there very often, its quite cold there, i will b stayin till 11th,shall defy come 2 ur house tis time." Argue with my dad abt my monthly expenses n my daily sleeping habits, try as far as possible 2 control my anger while watchin umpteen mega serials. The only thing of some note has been readin "Atlas shrugged" by Ayn Rand. Good read n filled wit lot of things tat one can learn from.
Btw, who is John Galt?
The hols began promisingly with guests droppin in. Chennai is filled wit my relatives.From shollinganallur 2 tambaram, theres someone or te other in every street. Once in my second year, I had come home for te onam hols. I was walkin on te St. Mary's road in Mandaveli when someone came up 2 me n asked "Nee Muthu payen thaane?"(Arent u Muthu's son?) I explore my options:
Option no 1: Shake hands n look up wit respect n "Hello..eppidi irukkel?(very elder)
Option no 2: Act as if shocked n again te respect n " Enna Mama(or Attai or chitti or...)Evalo Naal Aachu !"(Somewat elderly)
Option no 3: "Unga Aathukka thaan varalaanu irunthen"(10+years elder)
Option no 4:"Hello da..Ennada..enna pannara?"(Ur age)
Option no 5: Marked indifference n "Enda veetikey varalla..Amma sollaleya?"(Kid)
Since he was very elderly, I shook hands n answered. He seemed 2 hve understood my predi cament n told me how hes related 2 my dad. I felt relieved n he asked me 2 come 2 his house sometime. I said "Ok...nichiyama" n got away from there.
During my first year summer hols, I invited my college frnz 2 my house n v wnt out for my bday treat. I had already told them abt my relatives in the area n they all teased me since i had 2 b "very careful" n don get into trouble. Tis meant tat even b4 i look at any gal on the street, i had 2 b sure tat shes not my relative! V vr walkin near the mylapore tank when all of a sudden,a 40+ couple approach us. One of my frnz who had come from madurai for tis treat hid behind me. I understood. Its his uncle n aunt! He went forward n used option no1. He had a hard time pacifyin them since he always stayed in their home whenever he came 2 chennai n tis time he had come without even informing them. The others had a tuf time controlling their laughter.My frnd then said "Mama, Kandippa Aathukku varen"(Uncle, I wil surely come 2 ur house). His uncle's face was red with anger n replied "Poda...College onna romba maathirichu..."(College has changed u a lot).He somehow managed them n came bak 2 whr we were. He then told "Dey machcha, ippo puriyidhu da.."(I can understand ur problem now)
And then tere r weddings.Especially durin the summer hols. Its like the london bus stop theory: Sometimes u will have 4 or 5 buses n sometimes none. Usually teres a shortage of muhurthams. So everyone ends up gettin married on te same day. That means: reception at one place, mapillaiayeppu at one, nxt day muhurtham at another. The catch is tat u end up spending more on travelling+gifts+misc than wat ppl spending on weddin itself! Its fun if there r good no of cousins around. Else it will b an alltime bore. U end up watchin the same thing again n again n wondering wats te use of ur presence there!
So wat have I done during this four days?
Wake up at 9, Get into some fight or the other wit my sis, complain abt te food 2 my mom n get scoldings in return, tell te same thing abt my col 2 whoever comes 2 my house,"College has 8 hostels, food is very bad, it rains there very often, its quite cold there, i will b stayin till 11th,shall defy come 2 ur house tis time." Argue with my dad abt my monthly expenses n my daily sleeping habits, try as far as possible 2 control my anger while watchin umpteen mega serials. The only thing of some note has been readin "Atlas shrugged" by Ayn Rand. Good read n filled wit lot of things tat one can learn from.
Btw, who is John Galt?
2 Comments:
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Wen I've been in situations similar to yours my tactic was to call the relative periyamma, chithi, or periyappa, chitappa if I've seen them in my kuladheivam temple. If i've not seen them in my kuladheivam, they become my mama and athai...:-)
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