I still don’t know what i did this summer!

Time is one thing which keeps flying when you don’t want to. Sitting in this dark room dumped with all my suitcases and hell lot of random stuff it feels like the summer never happened. But unfortunately the increase in my body weight says it did! Spending weeks together at home with a laptop and knowing that there is someone who is going to bring you food before you feel hungry is really awesome. But nature is too cruel that it kicks us off the comfort zone once in a while to maintain the equilibrium.

After hours and hours in cramped flight seats, Chennai gave me an annoying welcome with the health officials at the airport making all the people from ‘foreign’ (as they call it!) to stand in long queues to sign some stupid forms. Thanks to the swine flu threats! Stepping out and breathing the freshly polluted Chennai air with all the dust gave a nice adrenaline rush and with 15 taxi and auto guys trying to snatch your trolley, the one second elation to king status gives the ‘feel good’ factor!

One thing which you are supposed to do after staying away from home is to make a list of all your relatives/friends and meet them one by one. The process is pretty simple though. You will be asked a set of questions which will most probably be from the ones below….

X: How is the jetlag and all ? [Jetlag laam epdi iruku?]
Me :Fine! Fine! [Yaru andha Jetlag? ]

X: Is it too cold in your place? How are you managing?
Me: Oh ya…. – 15 C in winter! Heating, jackets…. blah, blah!

Before you give out the answer, the subsequent question will be this….
X:After staying there are you able to manage the chennai heat? [Anga irundutu Chennai heat thangardho? Kashtama Illa?]
Me:Ok…. I stayed in Chennai for the past 21 years if you hadn’t forgotten.

X: How is the American economy? Is it going to recover? Is Obama going to do something?
Me: I think the economy is bad… Hope it recovers![How would i know!!]

This is my favorite! Some relatives who haven’t seen me for years.
X: You have grown big! [Hmmm! Nalla valaandutan payyan!]
Me: I think that’s how the human body works and apparently i also drink Complan every day.

X: How is the stock market over there?
Me: Oh! I don’t keep track
[Wall Street la enga aaya vada suttu vikaranga..... ketu solren]

X: You got foreign chocolates right?
Me: Of course! I did!
[Pinnadi cargo flight la varudhu.... unga motta madila pottutu poga solren]

At Green Trends during the oil massage
X: Sir, i don’t remember seeing you…… Are you new to this place?
Me: I live in the US for now.
X: Sir! Sathukudi juice? this oxy facial is very nice sir…. 2000 rupees only Sir!.
Me: Enaku Americala bathroom kazhuvara velainga…. andha madiri vasadhi vaipu laam illa!
[I work as a janitor in the US!! No posh standard of living!]

Other than this Chennai trip was a refreshing one after an year in Blacksburg. Taking inspiration from the confounded lady here is mine. I always wanted to do this!

“complan”
“Pathu rubha paakadeenga sir” [What's in Rs.10 sir!]
“Murugan Idly”
“Bessie beach”
“balloon shooting”
“cream center”
“open coffee club”
“marina beach”
“city center”
“INOX”
“strawberry smoothie”
“bakhya fast foods”
“oil dripping chilli barrota”
“open quiz”
“watermelon juice”
“arachi vitta sambar”
“Adu enna 24 mani neram AC” (AC for 24 hours)
“Rs. 5000 electric bill”
“friends”
“twitter camp”
“Appy Fizz”
“bangalore”
“landmark”
“TKF”
“Mahabalipuram”
“ECR”
“kalyana sapadu” (wedding food)
“oil massage”
“satyam theater”
“pani puri”
“IIT-Madras”
“Summer rain”
“pothys/saravana stores”
“panagal park”
“west Tambaram”
“degree certificate”
“krishna sweets”
“saravana bhavan”
“cycle”
“full meals/special”
“cousins”
“sondam…bandham” (family…friends)
“residency towers”
“GRT Grand”
“pondy bazaar”
“share auto”
“sun tv”
“Mambalam”
And Now…

“peace”
Blacksburg
“silence”
Blacksburg
“loneliness”
Blacksburg!!

Back to the base and i long to get back!

8 Responses to “I still don’t know what i did this summer!”

1. Nandini Vishwanath says:

   August 2, 2009 at 9:17 pm

   Such a fun post! Going home is always special, inspite of all the irritating things
2. Uma says:

   August 2, 2009 at 9:27 pm

   Ramanujam, very nicely written! Romba nalla ezhudarai My husband and I really enjoyed reading it …

   Thanks again for the sweets. You should come home once we settle into our new apartment.
3. Ramanujam says:

   August 2, 2009 at 10:59 pm

   @Nandini

   True…. Nothing can beat the pleasure of being at home!

   @Uma

   Thanks a lot for the compliments! Sure…would love to come
4. jayashri says:

   August 3, 2009 at 12:07 am

   You forgot some thing Important in ur list…. neways….good u had a wonderful time in Chennai…N really a good write up after long…..
5. Ganesh says:

   August 3, 2009 at 5:20 am

   Jump, Demmuki kuduthuttu poitta parthia…..remember what you told you will do.:(
6. Barani says:

   August 7, 2009 at 5:46 pm

   Hey Ram,

   Simply Awesome… gr8 da… Every post, you motivate me to blog more…..
7. Madan says:

   August 10, 2009 at 11:17 pm

   LOL… that was a wonderful post..

   I loved this :
   “X: Sir! Sathukudi juice? this oxy facial is very nice sir…. 2000 rupees only Sir!.
   Me: Enaku Americala bathroom kazhuvara velainga…. andha madiri vasadhi vaipu laam illa!”

   and I wonder who u referred to in “unga motta madila pottutu poga solren”

   Nice one.. keep going !!
8. Madan says:

   August 10, 2009 at 11:25 pm

   Myb you could answer these also
   X: Tangaradulam epadi tanguvenga ?
   X: Sapadu elam epadi, samachukuvengala elarum?