Friday, August 29, 2008

Chai and certain mild things

It’s been a while since I blogged and probably aeons since I blogged about anything even remotely sensible. I no longer have the crutch of being “busy” since I’m living the blessed jobless life of a student of Manipal Institute of Communication now. Also gone is my favourite excuse of not having a laptop. Hence this blog must once more be revived and its poor readers once more bored out of their sane minds.

In the midst of a hurried shower today, which by the way was interrupted because I had to run out half dressed and dripping wet to open the door for my injured and disgruntled housemate, a brief random memory of riding through Annanagar in Chennai came to mind. Just a simple stray wisp of memory that strangely caused some twisting in my gut. Throughout the day that feeling of slight emptiness lingered in my head. Of the things that I long for most about home, some come to mind more readily than others:

1. Waking up to Amma’s/Dad’s tea in the morning
2. Amma’s cooking (even the mixed vegetable I used to give her hell for)
3. Watching reruns of Mallu movies we’ve watched a hundred times with folks and fighting over which rerun to watch
4. Sharing family gossip while Amma folded clothes
5. Groaning and fussing when Amma would try to trick me into cooking dinner
6. Acting mad around Amma and driving her up the well
7. Putting on “the face” when Dad would feel very talkative and start advising on life
8. Weekend dates and endless 10p per minute calls with Flintstone
9. Spending hot afternoons in Ashwita café quietly on the couch in the cool semi dark room watching Hogan Knows Best and shaking our heads in disbelief
10. Marina, Besant Nagar and Thiruvanmiyur beaches
11. Riding on East Coast Road and hanging on to my oversized helmet for dear life while attempting to have a conversation with Fred
12. All “special” lunches and dinners
13. Cooking for Flintstone
14. Riding through Mylapore when no definite plans were available
15. Taking pictures in all obscure postures in public oblivious to amused onlookers
16. Trinayan
17. Photowalks
18. Going to plays
19. Fighting with dear bro over the computer like juvenile fools


I also realized that I’d begun to be a bit of foodie when I left Chennai. Kolkatta Chaat in Spencers and Tibbs frankies appear in tantalising forms in my dreams. Little Italy’s lasagne, The Crown’s sizzling brownie, vegetable biriyani and birthday cake, Mint’s masala papad starter, Diesel’s nachos, Bay Leaf’s Bengali cuisine, Sinful Something and French Loaf’s yummy pastries and cakes, Shri Mithai sweets and savouries….sigh…..I could ramble on but I know I must wait till I come home on a break again.

Until then it’s going to be living like a sardine in a tin can, missing breakfast every day, running past masturbating psychos while screaming, attending lectures half asleep, doing all assignments at 3am on the day of submission, bitching about people, missing Chennai and living off tea and certain mild things.