Saturday In Sanity

Just back after watching an amazing movie called Body of Lies...shot completely in the Middle East on the theme of terrorism and the CIA et all...and when I walk out of the Sathyam Theatre...it pours like a flapping drape of water... from a thriller of a movie where the desert was a common sight, to see Chennai draped in this heveanly pearls was quite a sight...better was the ride back home. It was the caressing rain which softened the mood on a monsterous and manic traffic busted road...not the one that drives you mad and cuts like a knife. I must say...the battery must have gone bonkers with the rate at which I honked my way back home. People have just stopped responding or reacting!!! Ignorance in this case was bliss to them...

Back home for a hot cup of tea and a bowl of mixture and savourites amidst the growing rains and I set a playlist to get in the best of mood and it goes on till a long lost song starts to play... November Rain by Guns n Roses...and here was the best part (without sounding cliched or corny), the curtain of rain dropped down to a thunderous applause as if it was opening the stage to a symphonic and epic conerto of the elements...the intensified dramatics showered and the power packed performance was a sight to see...and it was indeed November...what a moment! The song brings back a lot of memories and a feeling of peace and comfort and its lead solo was doubtlessly lifting and pacifying after a stormy interlude.

What followed this magical moment was a nostalgic journey to the past when an old friend replied to an old mail...perfect! Lot of promise and a lot of memories...best days...doesn't take long to sink in the glory of ones past and into the promises of the future...with great weather comes great friends and brings back a lot memories...and then the door bell to break the bubble...back to reality.

Grandmaaaaa or paatii in Tamil...her turn to visit home made the day even better. As she slowly paces her way to our hall, her smile lights up the gloomy weather and brings back the light which the skies had conquered a while back, which cannot be invaded at home...happiness and smiles all the way. What an entry...which no movie can capture.

With the perfect playlist and a perfect day...I lay to rest after the light of day to the black of the night. It takes a minute to rewind and look back and realize that if this happenned everyday...it would be just too boring...no wonder such good days come after a spell of bad or moderate days. No wonder this came after a week of tough work and a well valued and well timed weekend off to experience this momentary happiness. Imagine such good days happenning at work! Might be a matter of time...lets take it as it comes for a start. As I lay on my bed...Guns n Roses sing their version of Bob Dylan's song away...Knockin on Heaven's Doors. Time to sleep and time to dream!

Monsoon Mayhem

Well...what a start to the monsoon in Chennai!!! Its been an ocean so far and all hell has broken loose as usual whenever it rains in this city. Water water everywhere...and not a drop to drink. Im not here to talk about the worst shower or the best monsoon spell...im just here to tell you about how it feels to be in Chennai at such times...

Firstly, a rain drop in chennai is like a start to a major celebration and covers the Headlines of the newspapers and the top stories in news channels. People hit the streets and venture to experience the monsoon breeze and smell the wet sand that evokes a lot of sentiments. Its basically a festival short of Diwali for a celebration even if it drizzles in Chennai...you can imagine the festivities when the monsoon sets in. Its such a relief and makes life just lighter and a gives us a little something to celebrate about. For people in Bangalore, its like a daily ritual...boring...hahaha (okay okay no backlashes)

Secondly, Chennai is one of the most toughest places to be when it rains (I am not competing or comparing to Mumbai). To be honest, walking around or even driving around is a nightmare...but again, the show goes on. Ranganathan Street is a good example. The best place to be in such times is in office or at home. The perfect moment being sipping a hot cup of tea and a bowl of pakoda...what can I say...just perfect. If youre in office, unwind, daydream of duets or walk around to enjoy the weather...the boss can wait for a while according to me...try this out, youll not get fired. Thinking about crushes, love, friends, hits and misses blah blah...wherever your mind and heart can take you. Sales guys can have a break at the nearest Nair Tea kadai! Others can go to the Vending Machine.

Next, the best way to travel in Chennai at these times is by our very own PTC or MTC - the bus. The monster vehicle that makes its way in all the sea of water and vehicles to reach its destination with ease and elan...Never in chennai should you take out your two wheelers...the moment you do so...youre doomed. The abuses we give and take are in the air and no ones listening. You cant see your vehicle's tyres and you dont know where the next pothole is. The buses are the best, but wait, theres a twist here too. I am not the only person thinking of doing this...its the whole city. I must admit, we are quite united in what we think as the best way to get out of a mess. We do it as a team. The whole city rides on the bus and makes it virtually impossible to even hold on to a railing of the bus (leave alone getting in). The bus is at a mighty tilt and rides brave through the storm and comes out victorious (how inspiring to see such a beast beat the people's misery to pulp). Few days back, the ride that usually takes 30 mins, on that rainy day took me 2 1/2 hours ( i had to change buses too and take a different route).

The drainage system in the city is so bad that what is supposed to lie beneath is up on the surface, ending up with all the water that comes from the left, right, centre and above. I wouldnt want to accuse the government of doing nothing but of the contractors who failed to secure the city from such disasters...wonder who ate the money...something to think about. The incomplete constructions and destructions also add up to the agony of the city and makes life even worse in the eyes of the senior citizens. Yelling cops with knee boots dumping some sense into pedestrians to walk safe...the point is that the footpath is as distrought as the roads. Too many corrupt compromises have resulted in a literally hollow city with too many loopholes. Enough of my ramblings of a fed up citizen...

Finally, some fond memories. I still remember our PT Class getting cancelled due to the rains, the government declaring a holiday fearing rains on a day when theres sunshine, swimming our ways to school on a working day when it poured, hoping some of our teachers would be absent, playing cricket on those wet roads, catching a cold, jumping on the pool of water near our walls, paper boat competition, playing trump cards etc. The monsoon does bring back a lot of memories. There are surely many more than what I have listed.

Make sure you enjoy this monsoon, because it will take another year till we see another. With the change in the climate, we dont even know when it might arrive and with what it might come. Be aware of your surroundings and stay safe. Beware of cut wires, bad roads and dug corners. Take precautions and enjoy the weather. Smile people, this is Chennai's moment of glory...