Trip Tick! #2

Many new places to visit in and around Chennai; I guess a 3 week vacation would not be ample. Numerous shopping malls have sprung up throughout the city. I visited few of them, and Chennai city center was one of the best. A typical western style mall with shopping, entertainment, food court, kids play area all under one roof. Even malls had a very well organized underground car park. Chennai City center mall was filled with “young” boys and gals of modern Chennai.Some of them were busy talking, checking and typing SMS messages while few guys were standing in the line to get a costly pizza slice for their girl friends.My T. Shirt had a slogan, "Sarcasm - Just one of my many talents". I justified the slogan by throwing few sinister smiles at these culturally confused youngsters. Thank god during my college times we just had Ramana or Aboorva fast foods. Food court in Chennai City center had typical south Indian food to western pizza outlets. Great food!.

Someone told me that such shopping complexes in Chennai are built without proper permits. I heard the same story for almost all the “multi-storied” shopping centers. I wondered why put a hold on development? What is the problem in making the permit available? My regular auto driver made a valid point. The infrastructure is not yet adequate, it seems these shopping complexes does not plan for proper sewer, water etc, they just use the public lines and over load them.

Cable TV, the set top box culture was still around in Chennai. I surfed various TV channels and I felt that Vijay TV had better program line up when compared to other TVs. They had better variety. However most TV channels had record dance programs in various forms. So called small screen actors and actresses have taken up dancing, for pre-recorded film music. Seriously it not worth watching for even 2 minutes as the dance movements were too vulgar, Yuk. I also felt channels like DD pOdigai had good programs with lot of cultural values.

There was a program called "NEEYA NANA" [You or Me] on Vijay TV –a debate program. The topic was "The current middle Class in Chennai is selfish and self centered, they don’t care for others.", Two groups argued and one group went on to claim that people are using Credit card for style and show, what the heck? I don’t know how it would be a show, I remember my friends teasing me for wearing cooling glass in Chennai when I was in college. Where else a cooling glass will serve better? In Seattle?

1st using credit card creates a paper trail and we can make sure out expenses are accounted, and 2. We need not carry cash, which often attracts pickpockets; if credit card is stolen we can call and put a hold on it. We are better protected than losing money. This group was headed by a writer called ஞாநி [gani], [this looks like a self-centered name to me]. As the debate progressed with his argument abilities he trashed a girl on the other team and felt proud on the TV. He asked the girl if she would be willing to take up a certain job if good money was offered. What the heck? I don’t know what is wrong with such self proclaimed writers who simply pass time by riding a horse inside a fat pot. I changed the channel and never bothered to check the program again.

More….