Chennai chance eh illa!
Nearly 90 days ago, the whole of Chennai decided to stay indoors and fight this pandemic. One of the most vibrant cities is now really silent. This definitely is not the city that I witnessed while growing up. The breaking news around this time every year will be the +2 results with students scoring 1100+ marks. The numbers still remain the same except that it is the number of active cases in a day this time.
Though we have accepted this to be the new normal for now, impatience is slowly building. Yesterday was one such day. With nothing much to do, I opened my phone gallery, browsed through the photos realizing Chennai is much beautiful than it is today. I reflected on all my memories, prepared a bucket list, and fell in love with this city. Once again.
1.Breakfast at Rayar’s mess/ Ratna Cafe ( 8 am to 10 am)
Breakfast at Rayar’s mess or Triplicane Ratna Cafe is undoubtedly the best way to start your weekend morning. Though I miss eating out in general, I crave to say the phrase “Anna, oru plate sambhar idly” or “Rendu vada, oru getti chutney” and fight over who is going to pay the bill. If you are lucky at Rayar’s mess, the Anna will either forget the extra vada you had or there is a chance you will bump into Aravind SA
2. Superstar Rajinikanth ( 10 am to 2 pm)
Rajinikanth personally has been the biggest source of inspiration and positivity for me. I am not sure if it’s coincidence or Rajini makes it happen that way, every Rajini intro song will help you address the most pressing problem with ease. Though Netflix and Amazon will help me save a lot of money, the experience of watching my Thalivar on the big screen with Sathyam popcorn in hand is unmatched.
The very thought of Superstar flipping his coolers with Rahman/Anirudh scoring the BGM is more than enough to overcome any blues. I can’t wait for Annaathe to witness my Thalaivar once again.
3. Marina Beach (5 pm to 7 pm)
A bucket list for places to visit is incomplete without Marina Beach in it. I have had the best of late-night conversations and early morning meetups at this very place. Marina never stopped me from going in as a stag nor did it charge me for all the dance and celebrations. I have been to Goa, Juhu, and to a lot of other beaches but nothing comes close to what Marina can offer.
4. Chennai Super Kings ( 8 pm to 11 pm)
Summer without IPL is not even summer. The return of CSK in the year 2018 marked the beginning of something amazing. A new squad, new theme song but the same old Thala that showed everyone how to get things done. The sight of Dhoni walking into the stadium meant the odds turned in our favor. With no action for the last 10 months, this IPL was supposed to be the year when Dhoni once again showed how it’s done and finishing everything off in style. The very sight of CSK excites the child in me and will continue to do so for a long long time.
Chennai is really close to my heart and has given me some amazing memories to cherish. The city, time and again has proven how good it is with comebacks. Maybe it’s not yet 19th over for us to buckle up and win this match. Maybe the countdown to ten is yet to begin. But when the time comes, we will bounce back, stronger than ever.
Like the song goes, “Chennai chance eh illa and namma Chennai pola vera oore illa”
