Happy Birthday Chennai

Agatha83 · Aug 25, 2016

Viswamitra said: ↑

Dear Agatha,

I don't know whether to admire your skill in writing in a second language or appreciate your presentation of Singara Chennai as of today. When I think of recent Chennai, I only remember the bumper to bumper traffic, high rise apartments visible in the skylines, sprawling campuses of IT companies, huge Malls where people pay a fortune to park the cars, buses overflowing with people, newly-developed hotels of international standards, theater complexes, etc. coexisting with Coovam and Adyar river besides Marina beach.

Having lived in Chennai as a young boy and again as a CA student, I only dream those days of calm, tranquil and serene Chennai. Hugh houses built with a fence, so many play grounds, trees in every big roads, sparrows making noise throughout the day, Children walking the street to go to school, vibrating visits to the Temples, Mylapore Teppakulam celebration, deserted Adyar with rarely a bus crossing Guindy Road, a road leading up to Polytechnics and Film Institute filled with trees on either side used by so many to jog in the morning and the beautiful Marina Beach stressing a long distance without any memorials, a silent Gandhi Mandapam which is a great place to meditate, Deer crossing signs across Guindy road with an opportunity see the deer crossing from time to time, IIT and Governor's Banglow not infested with a busy traffic, free and open NH4 highway, etc.

Every time, the plane lands in Chennai, the emotions are very high and it brings pleasant memories of that wonderful city of people who set an example for hospitality. Happy birthday to my favorite city.

Viswa
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Dear Viswa,

The Chennai we all saw decades back is no more the same, with money minded citizens trying to make a pie out of each and every bit of free space. Trying to walk between The small stretch between MANDAVELI and Mylapore is hell, with vehicles of all sizes occupying every mm of road space. One can even walk in the moon, but try walking here, you realise it is a living hell. But born and brought up here, I simply love my Home land with all its moles and dark spots. I am lucky that I still get to see the planes flying high, between monstrous concrete structures and also enjoy some occasional sea breeze. Thank you for your heart felt appreciation and FB.

Agatha83

Agatha83 · Aug 25, 2016

maggi32 said: ↑

I loved it & 100 Likes for your narrative style
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Dear Maggi,

A big thank you.

Agatha83

Agatha83 · Aug 25, 2016

Dear Paulina,

I am so happy that my space was instrumental in bringing long lost members of IL family together. I am so happy that unlike my greying hair which reflects my age spontaneously, my writing doesn't show my age. Aha! Now I can say I am sweet sixteen, courtesy Paulina!

Agatha83

Kamla · Aug 26, 2016

Hello @Agatha83 !

Congratulations on being nominated to FP by @Balajee followed by @creativemind23 !

Thanks to their nomination that I got to read this snippet about Chennai, also my favorite city! No, I am not a Chennaiite although I was born there at my grandmother's house, It was because of my grandparents that I hold very fond memories of Chennai. We always went to Chennai during our Christmas holidays. It was cooler then and the visits to the beach, Adayar banyan tree, ice cream parlours and the highlight of the exhibition every year around that time at my grandfather's club are all too sweet and etched in my mind and heart. Most of our relatives lived there while we lived in Bangalore where my parents had settled.

Well, times have changed many things in a big way. If some feel few years have changed Chennai, I feel few decades has made my magical Madras into Chennai which is a stranger to me now, being away from India for so many decades.

But the hustle and bustle of Chennai that you write about, the odd mixture of smells, both good and bad mingled with heat, noise and pollution is not privy to Chennai alone. Even the beautiful Bangalore, excuse me, Bengaluru, is not spared from it nor any other big bustling cities of our country.

I can put up with many slow developments in our country. But I sincerely hope that our country cleans up first. If we had clean roads, curbs and public places, I bet we can feel not only pride in our culture and soil, but also our cities and townships!

Very well written, I enjoyed reading it! Hope Chennai will really stand up to its pet name..Singara Chennai!

L, Kamla

Agatha83 · Aug 26, 2016

Kamla said: ↑

Hello @Agatha83 !

Congratulations on being nominated to FP by @Balajee followed by @creativemind23 !

Thanks to their nomination that I got to read this snippet about Chennai, also my favorite city! No, I am not a Chennaiite although I was born there at my grandmother's house, It was because of my grandparents that I hold very fond memories of Chennai. We always went to Chennai during our Christmas holidays. It was cooler then and the visits to the beach, Adayar banyan tree, ice cream parlours and the highlight of the exhibition every year around that time at my grandfather's club are all too sweet and etched in my mind and heart. Most of our relatives lived there while we lived in Bangalore where my parents had settled.

Well, times have changed many things in a big way. If some feel few years have changed Chennai, I feel few decades has made my magical Madras into Chennai that is a stranger to me now, being away from India for so many decades.

But the hustle and bustle of Chennai that you write about, the odd mixture of smells, both good and bad mingled with heat, noice and pollution is not privy to Chennai alone. Even the beautiful Bangalore, excuse me, Bengaluru is not spared from it nor any other big bustling cities of our country.

I can put up with many slow developments in our country. But I sincerely hope that our country cleans up first. If we had clean roads, kerbs and public places, I bet we can feel not only pride in our culture and soil, but also our cities and townships!

Very well written, I enjoyed reading it! Hope Chennai will really stand up to its pet name..Singara Chennai!

L, Kamla
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Dear Kamla,

Very happy to be appreciated by our super moderator, and in fact I feel more like a school girl given a pat on her back, by her teacher for the good work done. The one reason I love IL very much that it makes me feel years younger, far better than the mirror which reflects my true age.
Decades back, the only source of entertainment for kids like us was exhibitions in Island grounds, Circus which was either Gemini or Russian circus, visit to the Moore Market complex and of course the Santhome beach. All these places were less crowded and more clean. Now things have changed and the whole city looks like a garbage bin. People have lost the civic sense and it is sad to see the entire infrastructure crumbling, without much care. I would like to live in a Singara Chennai very much, but alas it is turning in to a Bayankara (dreadful) Chennai due to increasing crime rates.
Thank you for your awesome FB.

Agatha83