It has been more than 13 years in Chennai. 13 does prove to be unlucky in my case, as it leads to a base shift now. I don't remember feeling this way about Chennai then. As a ten year old, in P.S.Senior, I just hated it. It didn't help that our 5th standard class (V-E and V-D) was segregated from the rest of the fifth standards kids, who were in the primary block of the school. We were with 12th and 11th standards, the place is where the computer labs in PS today are, I'm doubtful if anyone other than Vikku even remembers that now. The initial period was a tumultous one, it was a love-hate relationship with Chennai then. I hated the black marks, I hated the black boards (in Bahrain, we had a white board in class :P ), I hated the fact that P.S had a small playground, I hated it that Kesavan sir would never give us cricket to play during PT. It was a funny world back then.
Looking to now, a lot has changed. I've changed too. But, I'd rather say, I've grown. When I came to Chennai, I was a kid, I was innocent, I knew nothing. Anything and everything that has happened to me has been a function of the Chennai variable. As I sit to type this down with Iravugalil blaring on the earphones, I don't really know what to talk about, except of course understanding the cliche that you can take me out of Chennai but it would be impossible to take the Chennai out of me. I was talking to a friend the other day, and he was pointing out (and though I was vehemently denying it, though I must admit it) that most P.S pasanga were pazham (at the point of time when he did his education of course, today the picture has changed a lot!). I must only say I've been fortunate to have the best of both worlds that way. A schooling that kept me always in touch with the pazhamness in me, while at the same time an upbringing at home, which while focusing on discipline, would not mind me having to interact at large with the more harsh local realities. As much as we all love our city, and Chennai is awesome, it is true that it takes a lot of getting used to, and I think I really got used to it during my Class 12 vacations when I used to spend hours walking around the city, nearly 2 hours everyday, getting to know a lot of people, who lived on the roads, the roadside shopkeepers, learning a lot about the way they live, the hardships they face, and above all the true spirit of the city of Chennai. To many of us, Chennai is just the haven of good food, Superstar-mania, local Tamil, to a lot of them, sarakku (in which case, I think Pondy trumps Chennai anyway), and a few other stuff, but we tend to look across the more basic stuff in our society.
I think we all have lived in an amazing society, people constantly talk about the "spirit of Mumbai", well in my opinion, the "spirit of Chennai" is one to look up to. It is, as has been discussed a lot, an ideal mix of urbane and rural cultures, probably the only "city" in India with that property. We celebrate a CSK match with as much fervour as we turn up for the Arubathimoovar, we have the malls that have come to define any city today, but still we price our movie tickets at 120 bucks, we don't have a lot of the Volvos, but our bus transport trumps any city in the country hands down in plain connectivity and frequency issues. We've had water issues, but we've learnt to offset them. We've had warring ruling parties, but thankfully neither has been half as bad as the ruling parties in so many other states. When I say we're all awesome about so many issues, I don't know if I can speak for the rest of Tamil Nadu, but definitely Chennai is. One thing we need to be thankful for is that civilization has always been on the up in this part of the country, we've not really had any external issues affecting us, something that has plagued north India for a large part of their history. I truly believe this is one reason that has helped Chennai maintain this dual stance, though I don't take any credit away from the citizens of the city in their role in keeping this maintenance. The climate of Chennai is something that is often frowned upon, but I don't buy any arguments regarding this. Do you really want me to believe that all you need is a boring nation with all cities having an identical climate? Chennai's heat kicks ass, I love it when I sweat, that defines the amount of effort put into something, after all, Superstar says in Padayappa that every bead of sweat pays back in gold!
Anyway, I know I'm babbling on and on. I have realized that almost everyone I associate with this city (minus the family, and a few others here and there) have left it, but still it makes me very sad to think that I'll be leaving Chennai. A question in Quora talked about how place and beliefs were man-made artificial, unnatural constructs, but I feel it doesn't still take away from the fact that these constructs stir something up in you every time you invoke them .After all, Sorgame Endraalum Adhu namma oora pola varuma? I was fortunate to be able to study in Chennai's most beautiful campus as well. IIT Madras will be missed, for a lot of things. Other than helping me jump onto a different plane of academics, it also introduced me to a different and very beautiful world within Chennai (read that with Rajni reaction from Sivaji "Waaaw, Is this Chennai?" in mind). As Gangai Amaran points out beautifully in this song, oru kadhai ingu mudiyalaam, mudivilum ondru thodangalam. So, I will consider this chapter's end to be the beginning of another one that will hopefully add a lot more to me as a person. Chennai, நன்றி.. வணக்கம்!!
P.S: Chennai pasangala, Kochadayaan release aagarche enakkaga oru repeat audience a poi, bayangarama whistle adinga pa! :)
P.P.S: This nation deserves better. Naa thaan adutha election la vote poda mudiyaadhu, neengalaavadhu Modi ku vote pottu indha naatukku oru vidivukaalam kondu vaango! :)
Looking to now, a lot has changed. I've changed too. But, I'd rather say, I've grown. When I came to Chennai, I was a kid, I was innocent, I knew nothing. Anything and everything that has happened to me has been a function of the Chennai variable. As I sit to type this down with Iravugalil blaring on the earphones, I don't really know what to talk about, except of course understanding the cliche that you can take me out of Chennai but it would be impossible to take the Chennai out of me. I was talking to a friend the other day, and he was pointing out (and though I was vehemently denying it, though I must admit it) that most P.S pasanga were pazham (at the point of time when he did his education of course, today the picture has changed a lot!). I must only say I've been fortunate to have the best of both worlds that way. A schooling that kept me always in touch with the pazhamness in me, while at the same time an upbringing at home, which while focusing on discipline, would not mind me having to interact at large with the more harsh local realities. As much as we all love our city, and Chennai is awesome, it is true that it takes a lot of getting used to, and I think I really got used to it during my Class 12 vacations when I used to spend hours walking around the city, nearly 2 hours everyday, getting to know a lot of people, who lived on the roads, the roadside shopkeepers, learning a lot about the way they live, the hardships they face, and above all the true spirit of the city of Chennai. To many of us, Chennai is just the haven of good food, Superstar-mania, local Tamil, to a lot of them, sarakku (in which case, I think Pondy trumps Chennai anyway), and a few other stuff, but we tend to look across the more basic stuff in our society.
I think we all have lived in an amazing society, people constantly talk about the "spirit of Mumbai", well in my opinion, the "spirit of Chennai" is one to look up to. It is, as has been discussed a lot, an ideal mix of urbane and rural cultures, probably the only "city" in India with that property. We celebrate a CSK match with as much fervour as we turn up for the Arubathimoovar, we have the malls that have come to define any city today, but still we price our movie tickets at 120 bucks, we don't have a lot of the Volvos, but our bus transport trumps any city in the country hands down in plain connectivity and frequency issues. We've had water issues, but we've learnt to offset them. We've had warring ruling parties, but thankfully neither has been half as bad as the ruling parties in so many other states. When I say we're all awesome about so many issues, I don't know if I can speak for the rest of Tamil Nadu, but definitely Chennai is. One thing we need to be thankful for is that civilization has always been on the up in this part of the country, we've not really had any external issues affecting us, something that has plagued north India for a large part of their history. I truly believe this is one reason that has helped Chennai maintain this dual stance, though I don't take any credit away from the citizens of the city in their role in keeping this maintenance. The climate of Chennai is something that is often frowned upon, but I don't buy any arguments regarding this. Do you really want me to believe that all you need is a boring nation with all cities having an identical climate? Chennai's heat kicks ass, I love it when I sweat, that defines the amount of effort put into something, after all, Superstar says in Padayappa that every bead of sweat pays back in gold!
Anyway, I know I'm babbling on and on. I have realized that almost everyone I associate with this city (minus the family, and a few others here and there) have left it, but still it makes me very sad to think that I'll be leaving Chennai. A question in Quora talked about how place and beliefs were man-made artificial, unnatural constructs, but I feel it doesn't still take away from the fact that these constructs stir something up in you every time you invoke them .After all, Sorgame Endraalum Adhu namma oora pola varuma? I was fortunate to be able to study in Chennai's most beautiful campus as well. IIT Madras will be missed, for a lot of things. Other than helping me jump onto a different plane of academics, it also introduced me to a different and very beautiful world within Chennai (read that with Rajni reaction from Sivaji "Waaaw, Is this Chennai?" in mind). As Gangai Amaran points out beautifully in this song, oru kadhai ingu mudiyalaam, mudivilum ondru thodangalam. So, I will consider this chapter's end to be the beginning of another one that will hopefully add a lot more to me as a person. Chennai, நன்றி.. வணக்கம்!!
P.S: Chennai pasangala, Kochadayaan release aagarche enakkaga oru repeat audience a poi, bayangarama whistle adinga pa! :)
P.P.S: This nation deserves better. Naa thaan adutha election la vote poda mudiyaadhu, neengalaavadhu Modi ku vote pottu indha naatukku oru vidivukaalam kondu vaango! :)
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