Chennai and Rain.

Can you believe, I am talking about rains in Chennai during Dr. Karunanidhi's regime? Yes, Chennai has been receiving consistent showers for sometime now. These rains would have definitely made Jayalalitha to loose sleep over. The normal feeling "It does not rain in Karunanidhi's regime" is no more a favourable factor for Jayalalitha anymore.

Chennai and Rains are no longer exclusive as it sounds to be, infact they go hand in hand like Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh. The day usually starts with sun beating down heavily quite early in the morning and reaching its peak in the afternoon but the scenario is completely different in the evening and night. It rains like cats and dogs leaving the roads inundated with water. The traffic is almost standstill and looks like the junta is not to prepared to these rains. Should we get prepared for such rains year on year?

Normally, Chennai gets its share from low pressure built across Bay of Bengal belt. These recent ones are more of a monsoon rains. This unusual change is something for meteorological department to answer. I have been observing these changes in weather conditions for past few years especially after Tsunami that hit Indian sub continent in December 2004. Things are different after Tsunami. There is no consistent trend but Chennai gets its share of required rain for its ever growing population somehow. It's become normal to attribute every change to "Global Warming", Can this change attributed to "Global Warming" as well?

If you start getting up early than usual time from tomorrow, would be attributed to "Global Warming" but not your effort!!

Curtain coming down for Airtel Super Singer Junior.

All good things should come down to an end. So too Airtel Super Singer Junior, one of the best concept visualized by Vijay TV. The super singer is a contest for young singers possibly from the age of 8 to 15. This contest started abt 6 months back, the organizers made sure to reach most of the young singers from all over Tamil Nadu and attempt to select the best singer.

I am dumbstruck by the pool of young talents available, who sing songs effortlessly from the era of our great grand fathers. Specially, I enjoyed the gamut of songs sung like Classical, Semi-Classical, Fast beat, Western, Melody, Village tunes etc. I was overjoyed when one of the contestants sung "Oru naal poduma..." originally sung by Bala Murali Krishna from film Navarathri starring "Sivaji Ganesan" with panache.

In the process, Final four were selected. Saicharan, Krishnamurthy, Aparna and Vignesh. Each one has unique strength. Krishnamurthy's strength is his rendition of words and concentration, Vignesh has strong carnatic background, Saicharan and Aparna have great voices to back them. These kids, I believe should have learnt abt 100 songs in 6 months from past era apart from Illayraja and A.R. Rahman times, a monumental effort indeed!!. If they concentrate and work hard, i am sure these kids have great future and go places.

I did not like the media attention and hype these kids got, Probably they are too young to handle this attention and adulation. It also creates un-necessary pressure on other participants and kids. It is just another competition, The parents need to understand this.

MOMs Soup: It's different

I plan to write about small eat-outs in Chennai that i think is good, tasty and worth trying. For people who know me well, yes these eat-outs are inexpensive. First in the list is MOMs Soup.

MOMs Soup is a little soup shop in West Mambalam on the side lines of Station Road. The road that leads to Railway Station "Mambalam". Soups served here is hot, tasty, healthy and different to all soup one would have tasted. There is a bit of variety here. On all days, this soup would serve Tomato, Vegetable, American Corn and one of
"Manathakali"/"Kivanalli"/"Thuthuvalli" etc. The cost varies from Rs 5 to Rs 7 with a splash of corn. Imagine having a serving when it rains in Chennai. Believe me it rains often these days.

If you are around Ayodhaya mandapam ask for station road. Would find this shop opposite to Arun Ice-creams. There is couple of soups shop. One is MOMs and other is Mummys. The latter I believe is bad.

Parthasarathy Temple's Chariot

I was travelling thro' Triplicane towards Ratna Cafe. Enroute, observed Parthasarathy Temple's chariot decorated for Bramha Maha Utsav. The giant chariot looked quite attractive. Here are few pictures