27 October 2011

Chennai - Some Unforgettable Moments

Some wonderful memories from Chennai

Me with SURYA!!!
Yes this pic comes right ahead & on top of everything else! Come on, its SURYA! I am swooning!

Tan in Marina beach. For the first time ever, she was playing in the water all by herself - no fear nothing. How can i ever forget the way she was totally enjoying the water?

Tanvi irritated with the chennai hotel TV. Aiyoo! Amma, all cartoons are speaking only Tamil even Doroemon (the Japanese robot!!)

Watched Mankatha (Ajith's movie)

in Abhirami Mall

Watched Vedi in PVR - just Tan & me - 7.30p.m show

& from there rushed to CMBT to catch our Bangalore bus back home!! Sathya had travelled back to Bangalore Friday night. Tanvi & I stayed back for 2 more days. I wanted to see more of Chennai, experience it one last time. I wasn't satiated yet. On Saturday, we hired a taxi for Rs 700 for 5 hours of sight-seeing & went around town.


Stopped at Ashtalaxmi Temple,

Santhome Church: Only THREE churches in the whole world are built over the tomb of an apostle of Jesus Christ. This Church is one of them. The other 2 are one in Spain & one in Italy!

On Sunday, we vacated the hotel & checked into (literally -with baggage & all) Skywalk Mall & spent the WHOLE DAY there. Watched a dance performance, a movie, did some shopping & Tanvi was busy with her whiteboard - drawing pictures & writing numbers!

Yay! I finished till 60!

Tender coconut sold within Tata's Star Bazaar. There's even a guy who will cut it up & give it for you to drink it right there

I loved this sculpture tilted 'Condolence' found in the Government Museum located on Pantheon Road, Egmore.

If you've been to Salarjung Museum in Hyderabad, skip this museum. The collection is not as great as that found in Salarjung. The children’s play area is not maintained & some works are dumped. Felt sad to see the below piece dumped behind one of the buildings. Had it been any lighter, I'd have carried it all the way back to Blore! Ironic that the sculpture seems to be weeping (at its fate?)

The horse ride in Marina Beach. The sweet boy kept asking me, "Akka...Can i make him run? Pls... Just a slow.... run.... pls." And i was like, "No...no need!!"

The fish on display in Marina Beach - each piece ranging from Rs 30 to 45!

The menu display board that made me smile. Check the spellings - 3rd & last item on the menu.

The building that i thought was an apartment complex but turned out to be a hospital! Ladies & Gentlemen, i present you the Rajiv Gandhi Govt General Hospital bang opposite Central Railway Station

The thing i wished for Chennai: more greenery. A color badly needed in this city
Among the 3 malls i visited, i found Abhirami mall claustrophboic, the EA mall absolutely loved it & Skywalk was my home for a day so saw every shop & floor on it & liked being there.

The Escape Avenue Mall - totally rocks!

Two places that will make you wonder, "Am I really in Chennai?" are


One: Kalakshetra for the greenery, peace, quiet. Lots of foreign students here to learn Indian claasical dance & music

Two: Sowcarpet.


For shopping, an auto guy suggested this place next to Central (the railway station). i thought the spelling was Sahukarpet (sahukar = lord / rich man) usually used for setus / marwari traders. but the spelling is SOW CARPET !!

Here's another place you might want to see: the Gandhi Mandapam. Though the stage & the audience seating areas are not maintained well (pigeon droppings & cobwebs everywhere), the landscaping lets you take a breather from the noise & commotion outside.
Chennai made me sick. I returned home after a week’s visit to be bed-ridden for 4 days – dehydration, nausea & diarrhea. Food poisoning, climate change, travelling wreaked havoc.

So answering the questions raised in here


Did Chennai make me homesick? Yes.


Will I recommend it? Wont insist on it. Would rather recommend, "Go to Pondi, Yercaud, Kodai."


Will I go back to Chennai again? No.


Will I go back to TN again? SURE. DEFINITELY.


117 comments:

  1. Nice pics...

    So over all you enjoyed the trip with Sathya n lovely Tanvi....and the same reaction was from my 6yr old son after surfing all the channels of TV there.....

    BTW we will be in Chennai again in December INSHA ALLAH.....:)

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  2. Am in Chennai now :-)

    AND am going to watch Surya's latest movie at PVR, Skywalk on Sunday ;-)

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  3. Nice pictures. But Sathya with Suriya... great picture! You didn't tell us how you met him!

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  4. wonderful glimpses of the real, pep Chennai. Thanks for sharing...

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  5. Jealous.. totally jealous.. SURYA.... I am weeping.. 4 years in Chennai and I only saw him in my dreams ... :( :(

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  6. @Pytho: yes, thank you

    @Irfan: December is cooler there i guess. Have a great trip Irfan. your son's reaction - hahah - yes :)

    @Anne: oh is it? i thought you just moved into a new house or something?
    aah! Skywalk! hmm...my abode for a day it was :)
    have a nice time :)

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  7. @Nona & Sunita: hehhehe didnt you guess this out?!!! this is just a cardboard cutout! in Marina beach they click your pics with any "star" for Rs 50 for 2 copies :)
    but of course, for me it is as good as real :))

    @Nitin: my pleasure! thanks Nitin for the comment

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  8. Yes we did Sujatha. But also came for a short vacation :-)

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  9. Meeting a movie star and getting clicked with him! Simply Wow!! Shopping, sightseeing, movies, temples, museums, beach, food... truly some wonderful time you have had!! Great going! :)

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  10. @Anne: oh ok - happy vacation :)

    @Shilpa: :)) no no i didnt meet any star. it's a cardboard cut-out. its famous in Marina Beach. they charge you Rs 50 for posing with a star of your choice :)

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  11. Wow. Seems like I traveled with you :))) Great job in capturing the details.

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  12. @A : that is the sweetest thing to say! thank you :)

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  13. Wow! One tops the other! I guess you had lot more things to say about the city. I expect those views after a few days.
    You three had superb time! Yappy for you!

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  14. Do you realize by posting Surya's photo you have committed a sin to this post :P I was like, HAWW! who the hell is he...he is dashing indeed ;)

    :| Darn and now I just read your comment...>> no no i didnt meet any star. it's a cardboard cut-out. its famous in Marina Beach. they charge you Rs 50 for posing with a star of your choice :)

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  15. Guess you had a jolly good time!! Love the menu picture, but I guess that is very common out there??!! :P!! And yes EA is bloody awesome!!And is that Soorya for real or a statue or something??!!

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  16. cardboard cut out.. vow thats a wonderful job .. better than the wax creations ... :D :D :D

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  17. @Sahana: my god! u "sense" me out perfectly! its surprising & bit unnerving! yes i did have lot more things to say about the city but then thought "one whole dedicated month just for 'chennai' was enough & more" :)
    i need to move on to other topics now

    @Chintan: :))))))))))

    @Deepthi: yes kind of common there.
    and here too. we've a banner near our house that says "Shits Cutting" i/o "sheet cutting" !!
    that's a cardboard cut out Deepthi :) cool na?

    @Sunita: haha yeah better & "cheaper" too :)

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  18. Great post to end the sequel with a bang...:) And lovely picture with Surya:)

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  19. @Saru: thanks Saru.

    you know Surya too? :) that's nice

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  20. Wow... lovely summary post! Great start with Surya there.. was convincing.. i didnt doubt it until I read the comments. :) The city unfolded through lovely pictures of yours! Really like your subtle sense of humor. :) PridRaise was really funny! Good conclusion too. Oh btw.. I am from Pondicherry! :)

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  21. thank you for the lovely virtual tour of chennai!

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  22. Haah... the climax.. Sad that the city made you sick. May be due to food and climate change. Most of the people can't stand this weather; especially Bangaloreans. I've heard Chennaites cribbing about the weather after being returned from b'lore.

    And sad again that you won't visit Chennai again! Nice pics and a great travelogue Sujatha. Absolutely loved it!!!

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  23. Nice.. read the prev too! and what to say you have given a travelogue of complete South India, comparing them all..! certain bashing here and there of chennai (my place) and Kerala (my native) But they seemed true and genuine.. :)

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  24. I too thought that Surya picture was for real, until I came to the comments section. They have made it quite well... You planned your trip carefully I guess. 1 month back, it would have been too hot, 1 month later it would have been raining.

    I'll give you one idea that will make you love this trip and make you go 'Wowwww, I had a great time'! - Come back to Chennai in the month of May, stay in a non-AC hotel and try going out to even one tourist place!!! :)

    Destination Infinity

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  25. Take care of your health and come back to Tamil Nadu, next time!!! May be, next time you could try Coimbatore, Ooty, Salem belt; Coimbatore is awesome and especially, the cool climate here will refresh you. COIMBATORE WELCOMES YOU ANY TIME

    From: sriramnivas.wordpress.com

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  26. I must say thank you so much for all the wonderful pictures and for taking us all on this vacation with you! I have insatiable wanderlust, and all the pictures helped to satiate it just a bit xD

    It looks like you all had some great fun (aside from the sickness O.o) and made some wonderful memories!

    And I must say your daughter is just so adorable! I love the picture of her at the beach :)

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  27. @Raj. i loved Pondi. been there twice. pondi made me regret not knowing how to cycle! the cycle rides along its many lovely streets & the promenade is wonderful

    @magic: virtual tour? :) thanks,my pleasure

    @Anand: thank you so much Anand. your opinion matters because you are, in your own words,a 'hard core chennaite'

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  28. @KP: :)) you are deeply connected to both places i see - chennai & kerala
    thanks KP for your comment

    @Destination: the very 'sound' of your suggestion convinces me that it is a "DEADLY" idea & should not be followed :)))

    @Sriram: i have visited salem, yercaud & ooty.
    coimbatore not yet. is it cool there? ok.
    next on my list is Coonoor (nature) & Madurai (temples)

    @Kayla: thank you Kayla. m glad you liked it. this was my first attempt at a "travelogue" & i was kind of not sure how to go about it

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  29. You had me fooled with that pic of you and Surya :O Nice pics and looks like you had a blast of a time in Chennai :)

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  30. @Prasanna: even Chenaiites were taken in by that snap!!

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  31. Quite a mouthful about CHENNAI! Delicious! The photo about the Express Avenue Mall: just superb idea!!!

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  32. Visited through My India. Enjoyable post.'Singara' Chennai presented in unique fashion !

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  33. So welcome back :) Looks like u have come back with a bag full of memories...

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  34. Well one is bound to get sick in Chennai if one is not careful regarding water, hot water bath and finally the food which can be spicy. The snap with Surya looks good.

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  35. @Ramakrishnan: thank you for dropping by. i didnt know chennai was called "singara"

    @India's: yes, bag full :)

    @Deguide: probably. the non-veg food all through the week did me in. :(

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  36. WOW!...u really had fun...i am happy for you :D

    BTW...who is Surya??? :0

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  37. @Sub: surya is a tamil actor. he debuted in a hindi movie too (rakhta charita 2)

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  38. Ahhh Chennai..the place everyone loves to hate..Love Surya, though :)

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  39. Surya!!!!!!!!!!! WOW, Thats Khool!
    Nice pics..I would love to visit Kalakshetra sometime.

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  40. @Ana: me too, love him

    @deepa: yes kalakshetra is worth a visit.
    and that surya photo is not a real one, but just a cardboard cutout - marina beach

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  41. I was there in Chennai about 2 months but really I visit Chennai by your blog post :)

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  42. @Team: thank you

    @Vivek: :)) thanks Vivek. that felt good

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  43. i was waiting for those last few words....

    Guess u realized Chennai is not a hardcore tourist place :D

    Yeah , new experience for u though...

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  44. heylooo Sujatha!!! so finally my blogger is letting me post comments now! well as I was following your pics on fb already so I had an idea that what a Blast you had there..but it was good to read all those description with pictures..they made them more mazay-dar! I liked Little Tan's pics most..she seems to have a lot of fun really..Lucky she mashALLAH that she is with such fun loving parents! I wish you guys keep on enjoying your life like this hamesha..ameen..suma ameen:-)

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  45. You met Suriya!! And your daughter is so adorable. You gave us a great virtual tour of Chennai :)

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  46. Hey Sujatha, wow, I liked this the best among the three :) Very informative, very colorful and loved the pics...

    Wow Surya!! lucky u!!! me caught up 'Mankatha' too n i think it rocks!! esp the heroine angle n the ending :)

    Think this is an awesum way to review places.. very, very personal yet so informative :)

    Gr8 read, Sujatha :)

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  47. Felt very great by seeing Chennai through your eyes....tell me one thing how come your and surya dress matching...for a minute I thought you were standing with your hubby...Every pics in this post define the enjoyment you had...Overall love the way you explore Chennai.:)

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  48. I think that,the pic with Surya is Haasil-E-Mehfil from Chennai visit.

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  49. Nice post Sujatha! Brought back memories of my trip in May this year to Chennai!

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  50. @Sourabh: yes new experience quite unlike the rest of TN

    @Mishi: aap toh id ka chaand ho gayi thi :) thank god your blogger is ok now.
    Thank you so much for all the sweet words.
    Hmm learnt another word: suma ameen :). Don’t know yet what it means!

    @Harsha: no no that pic with surya is just a cardboard cut-out! A specialty of marina beach!

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  51. @R-A-J: thank you so much Raj.
    Yup, Ajith totally rocked in Mankatha – what a menacing laugh! Vedi on the other hand was a complete dud, a washout

    @Mithlash: what a sweet coincidence that was – our clothes in matching colors! & you are the 1st one to notice that Mithlash :)

    @Neeraj: lekin yeh haasil-e-mehfil sirf ek cardboard cut-out hai Neeraj ji :)

    @Rahul: in May! Must have been extremely hot then – peak of summer.
    Thank you for visiting my blog & for the comment

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  52. Wow! you have had a great Chennai tour. There is something wrong with the snap with Surya. Somehow they don't look real. ;-) Photoshop???

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  53. @leoPaw: wow! you are the first one to notice it isn't a real pic with surya. no its not photoshop. its a cardboard cut-out. in marina beach you can pose with any of your fav stars for Rs 50 for 2 copies :))
    my daugher posed with Thalaivar, Sathya with Thala & me with surya :)

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  54. ok sorry but who is Surya...

    beautiful pictures the little one had fun and the pic remind me of my trip and at that time i had pictures taken with the famous Rajnikanth OH yes in live .. he was shooting for his movie John johny janardhan and rati agnihotry :)

    he he hehee

    Bikram's

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  55. Wonderful pics, you ought to have enjoyed a lot. The pics and your post says it all. Your daughter is very cute :)

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  56. @Bikram: he is a tamil actor.

    rajni saar LIVE ? wow! lucky u! i remember that song - john johnny janardhan tara rum pum pum pum pum :))

    @Aakash: thank you. yes we did enjoy the trip

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  57. Never came across Priderice before :-)
    I am not very keen on Chennai (have yet to see that place) but love to go to Pondicherry one day.

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  58. @Haddock: i wouldn't insist on chennai. But Pondi sure is a must 'at least-one-time-visit' place

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  59. Hello Sujatha. I have been to Chennai a long while back. I have very little but good memories. You have won a copy of the BBC GoodFood India that was recently launched on the 21st. Please mail your postal address to me so that I can forward it to the people concerned. Congratulations ! Happy Cooking !
    chocolatesanddreams@gmail.com

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  60. oh! I thought it was real Surya. Anyways bhagwan apni murtiyon mein bhi toh rehte hain na.

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  61. Ooh...wow..hw did u meet suryya..!am big fan of him....mathey...
    Ur daugther looks soo sweet in pics...

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  62. wow lovely photos yaar feel so good to see all these pictures..:)

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  63. Photo with Surya?!? So lucky ;)

    Lovely photos of Tanvi :)

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  64. @Neeraj: kya baat hai!

    @chitra: hey i didnt meet surya. thats just a cardboard cutout popular in Marina Beach :)
    thanks, my doter enjoyed the beach a lot

    @Shoaib: thanks Shoaib

    @Kiran: thanks Kiran. the photo with surya is only a cut out :)

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  65. You made Chennai come alive to us...now need to go and experience it for myself..

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  66. @Kirti: haha i seem to have promoted chennai without intending to :)

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  67. hehehe :) ok..i was wonderring hw u both weared same coloured dress also :P

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  68. How GORGEOUS!! I expect you guys will be taking me along next time! ;)

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  69. @chitra: coincidence :)

    @Boobies: sure:)come along :)

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  70. Well I was mentally not prepared to read the last post of this Chennai series, was expecting more! Anyways, it was a great experience reading your posts; which made a lot more sense than just a visit. Wish you guys get to cruise often and we get to read all about it :o)

    Sujatha, I request you to write an article in Kannada for Kahale (www.kahale.gen.in). Thanks.

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  71. Hi, No new post yet? Look fwd to it. Meanwhile please see my latest.Bye

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  72. omg!! u got to pose for a photo with to Surya!!! u're soooo lucky!!!

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  73. I am in Chennai and havent seen sowcarpet..can you tell me anything more about it?

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  74. @Ramakrishnan: pls feel free to read other, older posts till i write a new one :)

    @Shruthi: haha no no its only a cut-out. common in Marina beach :)

    @Renu: Sowcarpet is a marwari/north indian area with lots of textile shops. the community is thriving there with both their shops & houses in the same place - sometimes, the shop below & their residence above :) narrow lanes filled with buildings & people
    if you are lucky,you'll suddenly spot men milking their cows right by the side of the road in the evenings.
    the place will make you wonder are you really in hardcore tamil chennai because here everywhere you hear hindi & see hindi people

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  75. really? that's a name of a movie??? :p


    you have been tagged here>>
    http://khonjtheeternalsearch.blogspot.com/2011/11/thanks.html

    Cheers!
    SUB

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  76. Seems like you had great fun out there :)
    And the pic with SURYA - it seriously seems so real. haven't seen that until now, have to go and check.

    And the movie spree? Do you guys understand Tamil?

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  77. @Vijay: i dont understand tamil except kadal & soll. sathya catches the gaalis. but we love tamil films. when we'd been to Kodai, we watched Surya's Ayirum Vaanam something movie in the ONLY theatre in Kodai which runs on generator :))

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  78. wonderful !!
    amazing pics.. wonder how you clicked them..

    been to the beach during night hours(after 9pm).. it's amazingly calm and peaceful then ! :)

    seems, you enjoyed the trip to chennai! :)

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  79. @Jigar: ;) thank you. ya we made the most of the trip

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  80. Forget the 'parota' spelling Sujatha, was it half as delicious as your series of Chennai posts? TN tourism needs to pay you a consultancy fee:)

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  81. @Satish: haan! now that would be sone pe suhaaga :)

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  82. First time visiting chennai and you have met Surya?.Wow, that's huge.I have been here for 5 odd years and yet did not come across even a junior artist. :P

    By the way,is it any shooting spot or something?..

    Pics are really good.I doubt whether you really had a not-good-experience after seeing the pics.Seems like you had a good time.

    Your kid should have had a good fun in the beach.It shows up in the pic.She looks cute. :)

    You won't come to Chennai again?.That is sad.:(.Guess your experience was bad.Hope you have a good one if you visit anytime in the future.People are bit reserved and keep to themselves mostly here.Also I have heard its different from other cities often from the non natives.

    Guess Chennai is unique and I like it that way.After all its my most loved city. :)

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  83. What a makeover..your sight took me by surprise..Wow.

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  84. @Vishnu: heyy Vishnu couldn't you make out?its not a real pic. they do this in Marina Beach - those cut-out studios there. thought you knew about this.

    yes we did enjoy the vacation & we enjoy it no matter which place because for us it's a family holiday & we make the most of it every time whether its Goa or Chennai or desert or forest :)) after all,we spend so much time & money into each trip.

    yes, chennai is unique...among all the great indian metros

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  85. @Kirti: :) just tried this template. lets see how it goes. i am still not comfortable though

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  86. Oh My god..Arrrggghhh..Its so real..I have seen them in the beach but they were more like artificial cutouts..

    I was clearly deceived..(embarrassing)..:)

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  87. @Vishnu: HAHAHA! victory!!
    you know they only give you hard copies & if you see that, you will jump - its REAL. real ka baap real. this pic i have put here has not come out good because its scanned.

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  88. Nice tour of Chennai through your lens and narration, Sujatha. My love to cute Tanvi.
    Would sure love to try out the 'Briyani' if I visit sometime :)

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  89. @Ruprekha: thank you Ruprekha. glad you liked it.
    the 'pridraise' is yummy too :)

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  90. Lovely pictures and narratives. Daughter is so cute, and I can see mom swooning over the star :).

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  91. @Joshi: thanks

    @Rachna: haha thanks :)

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  92. loved the picss nd narratives ... awesome post:)

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  93. @Geet: thank you Geet :)welcome to my blog

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  94. Cardboard cut out? I thought that was a real picture of Surya photoshoped with yours. I must get one clicked on my next visit.

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  95. @leo: you must! there's such a variety there - from Thala to Thalaivar :)

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  96. thanks for the lovely wishes and dropping by my blog. lovely pics and blog too.

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  97. A good coverage of Chennai with lovely pictures. Initially I thought it was real Surya and only from ur comments I come to know that it is cardboard pictures.

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  98. "Praidraise"!!! ROFL.... Hotel G.M. rocks!!! Loved the post... Amazing...

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  99. @Saibaba: thank you Sir. I am glad you liked the post :).

    @Nikhil: yup Praidraise! interesting isn't it!

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  100. yes i read this post before and mentioned in reply to one of ur comments on my post :D. i was new and didn't know where to comment and how to comment.

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  101. @Deb: and you learned very fast :) didn't you?

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  102. Wonderful blog & good post.Its really helpful for me, awaiting for more new post. Keep Blogging!

    generator Rental in chennai

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  103. My cousin recommended this blog and she was totally right keep up the fantastic work!

    Generators Rent in Chennai

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    Replies
    1. thank you :) and to your cousin too :)
      do i know her?

      Delete
  104. As much I love the rustic smell ( partially stink too) of Marina Beach, one thing that i advise people never to have is the "Fried Fish". The fish is cheap, but i had a terrible experience having it once - It was fried in oil that was probably older than the fish, and was like yuckkk..

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    Replies
    1. ohh that's too bad but believable because they certainly would not care too much about hygiene

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