My Experiments with Time

Madras (now Chennai) is all set to celebrate its 375th birthday on 22nd August. As the D day is around the corner, there are celebrations and festivities galore, everywhere and for everyone. I have been following the Times of India ‘Namma Chennai Chance-illa’ campaign for some time now and here is a list of some of my chanceilla moments in Madras. Having spent the first 25 years of my life in this ancient city, I have witnessed things and activities unique to Madras. Madras is a place for all and has something to offer for all, whether you are extremely conservative or ultra-modern.Irrespective of whether you were brought up in the urban hifi part of Madras or did your schooling in a convent, you couldn’t possibly have missed the Tanglish words which are an indispensable part of the Madras vocabulary. Just adding a ‘la’ to your English or a ‘fy’ to your Tamil qualifies you to pass off as an undisputed Madrasi. Words that you will never find in the dictionary like chanceilla, mokkai,

On Saturday morning, at 8.20 am I reached the venue, not quite sure what to expect. I was welcomed by the warm Huma Gailani, who handed me a sticker bearing my name and directed me towards the main hall. I carried my canvas and other stuff and marched in the direction. “Gailani Art Retreat” read the colorful signboard displayed at the entrance, with a lot of cheerful people posing with their creative renderings. I stood there staring at the paintings, quite uncertain what I would end up with. As I entered the room, Ibrahim Gailani came forward to greet me and asked me to settle down wherever I was comfortable. I looked around to find about 20 odd easels spread across the room, a chair beside each easel and a table which had to be shared by two people. As there were only two other participants, I had the opportunity to look for a nice place and settle down. I chose a position for no particular reason and exchanged pleasantries with the person positioned opposite me. The witty Pe