Its five years now. Five long years since I have taken the internship with the Nomadic Society of India. And the internship is still going on, on and on and on. I was just a small little fellow in a big city. The city that is known for Idly, Marina, Super Kings and me. The city renamed after the Chennappa Nayaka who ruled it as the history would say it. But, I liked the old name, the ethnic heart-beat name as we are called, all over the world - Madrasi. Madras refers to the illicit yet camouflaged mix of MAD RAScals called by the British for their violent revolt down south. What is there in a name, but, we all love it. The new name is not that bad, but, people still love calling Kolkata as Calcutta; Mumbai as Bombay and Bengalluru as Bangalore. It is stylish, vibrant and pronounceable by all ethnic cultures.
This is a crazy capital. Just like the others, but, a little different in its own way. The city with the second longest beach in the world (Marina), the largest bus terminus in Asia (CMBT), the biggest eatables trading centre in India (Koyambedu Kothalchavadi), the most crowded place in anywhere in the world (T.Nagar), the most organized traffic police (CCTP), and the least affected city in terms of terrorism. Potentials untapped, yet, magnanimously giving space to every other person from the world to share his joy. Life seems so easy here. Might also be because it is my hometown. People say it is difficult to survive as people do not understand Hindi. The only counter-argument is when our language is one of the most primitive ones, even older than Sanskrit, why would we adopt a second fiddle? Yeah, we are international. The common people understand and will help you in English next to Tamil. All direction boards contain English to make it easy for everyone. It just inculcates the habit of going international to any illiterate who steps into.
I miss living in the city. The Marina, Elliot's beach, Chepauk, Mount road, Ritchie street, T.nagar, Anna flyover, Meenambakkam, 100 feet road, ECR, MRTS, Wandalur Zoo, Egmore Museum, Snake park, Satyam Cinemas, Ega theatre, Spencer Plaza, Koyambedu market, Ambattur Estate, PH Road, Aminjikarai, Vyasarpadi, Murugan Idili Shop, CMBT, Pallavan, Anna Tower, Crescent ground, my home in Razack Garden, everything. The best place in the universe just remains a part of my memory.
I write this now as a part of my internship of knowing the world better, sitting in my balcony watching the tall chimneys smoke and assimilating the bitter fact that I would not lead a normal life in the place, closest to my heart. Whenever I am there, I will be what I am, because I know for a fact that I don't need to wear a mask there. CHENNAI ROXXXXXX..
