Sunday, May 13, 2012

Jacks at our backs!

After I saw the clusters of the tender jack fruits in Palathope (Mylapore) last Sunday, I think I have been looking at every tree in every bungalow I come across on my way!
It was a great scene at Luz Avenue today. The corner house, where we went to meet an old friend (later we came to know that he has shifted to a crowded place and to a gated community on the OMR), has many trees. A hearty scene in the heart of Mylapore.
One among them is this jack fruit tree!

I remembered the good old days we spent in Cuddalore, a coastal now now famous for its Silver beach. It was then a quiet place, though it was the district headquarters and housed a beautiful Collector's bungalow. Cuddalore is still a district headquarters, just that the name of the district is Cuddalore now and then it was South Arcot.

The summer vacations used to be fun with evenings at the quiet beach which used to submerge in the dark at around 6 in the evening and there were a very few roadside lights on way back home. So the most part of the days were to be spent at home.
And there was this sweet guest at every vacation. The jackfruit.
Appa used to get the best ones from Panruti, known for the sweet fruit.

I don't remember bringing a whole fruit to home after that, cutting it with gums all over the hands, drying up the seed for the next day sambar ...

Naturally it was a great sight for me after a long gap of 25 years! Sweet memories.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Lattice Bridge Road - then and now!

Am not talking about history here.
Just wanted to share a picture I shot yesterday.
A walking distance from my home, L.B. Road has lots to it. From small bunk shops to shopping complexes, cinemas, auto showrooms ...
I never had time to walk leisurely on this road just because of the sheer traffic ordeal.
Today, I couldn't help stopping at this board on this furniture hiring place.




The Lattice Bride in Tamil 'பலகை வாராவதி'!
And the subtle changeof 'Nadar' to 'And' ...
Chennai is changing?!

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

The virgin goddess of Mylapore

I couldn't stop thinking why people should study their mother tongue well.
Do we take it for granted that we all are pundits of our own language?
When the name of the school is flawlessly translated into Tamil, why can't the street name be?

Mundaka kanni amman (the goddess with eyes like lotus petals) becomes one that sounds like virgin Mary in this name board!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Cyclone Laila and after

The recent cyclone across the eastern coast of the Indian continent has brought some rains to Tamil Nadu. There was damage to some extent in Andhra Pradesh though.

But, this Cyclone Laila meant different things to different people.For some it was the name. (Read the article on The New Indian Express - Indulge below)

For the Tamil Nadu Govt., it was the wind that produced more energy so that they could announce less power cuts.
For the ordinary residents of Chennai it was just a day of respite but raising mercury to 41 degree celcius.

But for this group - Reclaim Our Beaches (ROB), it was a lot of garbage they found near the broken bridge, Adyar, washed in from the Adyar river estuary after the cyclone Laila hit the coast.
They say that, with a lot of plastic, thermocol, glass etc. it needs a huge cleanup with more volunteers for at least 2 hours.
They have roped in the Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN) to be part of the cleaning up as part of the Network's International Turtle Day campaign.
Still they need more hands.
If you are free join them at Broken Bridge, Besant Nagar beach (walk towards the Urur kuppam side and walk towards the broken bridge)
On May 30, 2010 between 4 pm and 6 pm.
Walk with free hands, the group will provide gloves, trashcans and water.

If you want to join the group in all its future projects sign up with their Google Group.

Wednesday, April 07, 2010

Chennai Kids Directory on Expresso

It was one of the nicest moments when YOCee released the first Chennai Kids Directory.
Planned in a short time, the official launch of the directory was another chance for me to meet the kid reporters of YOCee informally.

When I sent out invites to YOCee's young reporters, I had mentioned, "Please be with us on this important occasion, as you are our proud reporter who keeps the website busy and buzzing!"

Expresso captured it right. This is the piece that appeared in today's Chennai supplement.
Click on the image to view and read in the actual size text.