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.