Skywatch Friday... Above the city lines

If you know me, you will know how I love the window seat on an airplane and hog it at every given chance.. This time, during the 4 flights I took, I managed to get window seat at 3 of them. Here are a few shots from the last one, that brought me  back home to Chennai... [in reverse order]

For more beautiful skies, visit Skywatch Friday

Happy Birthday Madras...

Woah, you are 375 years old today..

No No, you are 375 years young today....

Happpy birthday to the only city I call home... 

I knew you back when you were called Madras

I spent quite a few days here 

Holidays, so memorable

Visits to the Marina beach

Playing in the water, digging into vadai and sundal

Ice cream at Snowfield

And then time flew

you changed, but not too much

I still looked forward to my holidays here

Checking out new restaurants.

Biting into that 1st pizza at Cakes n Bakes

Japoise cake and brown bread that granpa used to bring home

from McRennett

Gulping down bottles of Gold Spot, Rush and

Enjoying the pop of the Coke cans

from Burma Bazaar 

And then we moved cities

I was left in your arms for a good 2 months

Did not like it much, 

for I was just a child...

And then a decade later, I was back here

Calling Madras "home". 

Walking through the crowded lanes of Flower Bazaar

Shopping for little trinkets along the narrow alley in Sowcarpet

Laughing with friends while we downed pani puri in Pursaiwalkam

Visiting Mahabalipuram as part of school day trip..

And exploring the Egmore museum with uncle and cousin

You sure have a lot to offer, Madras

The locals and visitors will never tire..

The hot bhajji and tea in the roadside tea shop

Checking out gold bangle designs at GRT in Ranganathan Street

Waiting patiently while mom and gramma did saree shopping at Nalli

Looking forward to catching up with friends at Hot breads after college with friends

You sure have come far!!

Whenever someone new comes to the city

they ask me "so, what is your city all about?"

I stare at them as if they are stupid and then  go on to list...

The plays at Alliance Francaise

Concerts at Venkata subbarao hall in Lady andal school

and then there are all those food festivals at one of the many restaurants in the city

The Mylapore food walks and festival

The Dastkar and Aarti Bagdy shows 

We sure have it all

Today, she is called Chennai, but to me

she is always Madras

the 10 Downing street, the Pasha, the Bikes & Barrel

the Darios, the L'amandier, the Brew room

The murukku chaat, the bonda+chutney and hot jalebis

the kancheepuram saree, the fancy lehengas and swanky jeans

the Fort St George, the Theosophical society, the Art Houz

the Churches, temples, mosque and the beaches

the IT parks, the IIT, and the Vandalur zoo... 

sema supera illa mama?!!

Happy Birthday Madras......... 

Secretariat, or not, Madras

The Tamil Nadu assembly was being held at the Fort St. George complex for the last 53 years.  And then the Government changed and the new Government- the CM decided to create a new space for the assembly, which is this majestic huge building.. Alas, by the time they were done building it, the Government has changed and the CM has decided she will hold assembly only in the older building, at Fort St George and not here.... 

So, they are inviting ideas from people on what to do with this structure!!

Any suggestions?

Took this shot during construction stage, shall update it once i take a recent shot :)

Day 3 - Burnt milk and life

It was time to pack our bags & belongings and move to a new town..Agreed, i was a baby and wasnt aware of the chaos that my parents went through during this transition, but what the heck, this is my blog, am gonna write the way i wanna cook it up!! :D

The place we called home for the next 4years was the beautiful city filled with Temples - Madurai ... The only home i remember was where we lived on the 1st floor and owners/rentals were on the ground floor..I know there were more than few families that moved in and out... the one family that left a mark was one with 2kids- a boy and a girl with whom i used to play, and also because i was totally fascinated with their fish cooking process.. there were these 2other girls from neighboring houses who used to come home, and i distinctly remember going to the terrace and  playing around with skipping rope.. and how one girl would simply lay the rope on the floor and hop across... :D 

Oh, did i mention i started school in this town? yep, TVS school [Am amazed, surprised and feel good to see there is a wiki pagefor the school] was where i learnt the alphabets and that there were more than one Aarti in this planet!! :D  .. There were 4 Aarti's in my class, don't ask me their initials or surnames, i was a little girl back then...

The highlight of school was the cup of milk and biscuits we got during lunch time... we would all have our lunch, and before nap time[we would roll out mats and knock off for a while on the floor in our classroom].. For some strange reason, these are instances that are registered in my brain very clearly, as if it happened yesterday. An aayya would bring a huge vessel with milk and serve us in small stainless steel tumblers, and i used to love that milk.. and a milk bikis [did we have them back then?] following that before zzz... We used to grate through the biscuit, almost like a game among us to see whose biscuit lasted longest. 

Even today, mom mocks me saying "she used to love that burnt milk in school, asking for 2nd helpings and at home wouldnt drink a glass of good milk"... :D 

I got a chance to revisit Madurai last month,and the sense of deja vu that hit me as i got out of the station was wow, cant be described in words! felt proud, felt like i was home...  The majestic Meenakshi amman temple welcomed us with open arms, giving us good darshan and heping me relive my childhood days.. 

So wish we cold have visited the famous Thirumalai nayakar palace, but no time- vaguely remember the Sound & light show i've seen there... 

Did drag friend and her cousin to the College House hotel, near the station to have a masala dosa and coffee.. Back when we lived in madurai, apparently we visited the hotel so often, that after a point the waiter knew what to bring the minute they saw my face - a plate of poori and one rasagolla...!!! 

Such fond memories!!