Saturday, May 31, 2008

Back home

10 things about Chennai which is a shocker in a good and bad sense :)

-The heat, traffic and just about everything else seems to have intensified. 

-Malls and shopping strips at every nook and corner is a surprise. 

-Most places that I go to seems to be unrecognizable from the last time I visited which was a little over 3 years ago.

-Most common roads have no tree cover just about increasing the heat that emanates from the earth :(

-Clothes shopping is quite a tug of war even for a non-fussy shopper like me :D

-Most youngsters as young as 7-10 years are sporting the latest cell phones in hand with a waiting driver and car at their disposal!! Whatever happened to traveling as a group in buses, occasional milky way icecreams and Gangotri/Vitan chats??

-The sheer amount of people traveling on 2 wheelers is unimaginable.

-The traffic seems to have worsened

-Most motorcyclists wear helmets which is a welcome change

-Roads are bad not to mention the waist deep potholes about 4 feet wide which are dug up not less than 4 feet apart :P So, essentially it's an open hole for the entire length of the road

And, when I landed at Anna international at 4ish in the morning with a small toddler in tow, 48 hours of sleeplessness and a missing suitcase, nostalgia hit big time just breathing in the familiar air. Nostalgia took on a relieved new face when I saw my family waiting outside with the first face being my brothers :)

But, all said and done-- Chennai will always be home and it indeed is nice to be back even if it's only for 6 weeks. Can't believe 2 weeks are already gone and I have to board that long dreading flight back sooner than I realize...