Livinghigh
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
Livinghigh was here at 4:50 PM /



Nostalgic mood

Living in a big city is an experience. Well, living per se is the biggest experience of all, but let me not get side-tracked into pretentious philosophical loops that tie you up in knots...

There was Chennai, filled with...
auto drivers who say 'saaar' and I say 'saaar' back to them, while bargaining for my soul and my purse...
cops who scan the roads at night, just to make sure you're not cuddling with your girl in the dark rickshaw...
dosas priced at Rs 12 and tall glasses of faluda with cold wisps above the glass, that tempts you o so badly...
putrid Coovum...
Kaaka Kaaka...
fanatic fans of Dr Kalaignar and Dr Dr Dr JJ...
realy lousy lassi...
an intricate language I couldn't get head nor tail of.

There was Mumbai, teeming with...
film stars, film stars and more film stars...
Naturals ice cream...
Marine Drive, short cut to heaven, and its poor cousin, Worli Seaface...
Gateway of India (or is it India gate?)...
luscious strawberries with thick, cold cream at Haji Ali...
the 'boss' culture...
trains that go faster than a speeding bullet, carrying multiple supermans, all engrossed on their job for the day...
dabba-wallahs, the greatest MBAs in the world...
frightfully expensive taxis.

There is Delhi, not a month old, with...
clouds of dust coughed up from the bowels of the earth, courtesy Delhi Metro...
cousins of the Chennai auto-drivers, as far as bargaining goes...
CP, CP and CP... walked around that circle finally!...
Janpath and khaki pants for Rs 150/-...
Main Hoon Na which I still have not seen...
rows of pillars ala Pompei...
stifling heat that doesn't die down even by 10 pm...
lassi to die for, paneer so soft, paranthas to munch unto blissful death...
false poetic fervour...
SCRIPtease, oops, moneycontrol.

And there will always be Calcutta...
winding backstreets with Colonial facades and porticos spilling over, spinning a romantic dream in some deep corner of your head...
roadside roll joints, that serve the most juicy and tender chicken rolls, the spiciest chowmein to set the hardiest Chinese dragon aflame...
city of joy...
sizzling brownies with rich chocolate filling, teamed with melting vanilla ice cream and gooey coffee sauce...
Park street, home of my heart...
a smooth, soundless Metro that is a Godsend...
walks to see my destiny in, people to share my destiny with...
broad, beautiful, shimmering Ganga...

What was that? Home of my heart....?



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