An Adorable city !. Review on Chennai

I spent most of my childhood days in such a place in Chennai, which has a magnetic pull.and that is T.Nagar.This is the busiest and hence the  noisiest part of Chennai.The traffic can irritate even the most cool headed person on earth.

INDULGE IN SHOPPING SPREE

A mere walk from Pondy Bazaar to Ranganathan street will ensure that you complete the whole of your household shopping at the cheapest bargain.Shopping might not be the only way you would'lose' money.When you are spoilt for choice, and are making choices in the platform shops, someone may just brace past you and lo!you might not have a single coin left in your pocket.Not just tourists, but even localites have fallen prey to the tactics of pickpocketers.(experience speaks you see!)

Other shopping malls include Spencer Plaza at Mount Road, which features all major chain of shops.(there is a common saying: to refer to anything very expensive, people say 'spencer rate', such is the cost here.).Alsa Mall, Fountain Plaza, Prince Plaza in Egmore, Raahat plaza in Kodambakkam, Fathima plaza and Kasi Arcade in T.Nagar. I have window - shopped in all these places!

PALLAVAN to MTC*

Our politicians have changed not only Madras to Chennai, but also the locally running buses from Pallavan Transport Corporation to Metropolitan Transport Corporation.No change in the quality of service though.boarding a bus during peak hours can be a very challenging task.As far as trains are concerned they are much better in the frequency and number.Other modes of transports include Call Taxis which are fine, but auto-rickshaws can prove to be a nightmare.They are notorious to be dishonest when it comes to the metered rates.

*KOLLYWOOD

Since its an unwritten rule that all regional film industries should end with **'WOOD', Tamil Film Industry is called thus.well there is another reason too.There is an area called Kodambakkam, which consists of not only the famous studios but also has been the residential abode of many famous Tamil artisits.

OVERBRIDGES and SUBWAYS:

Whether these are built for easing traffic congestion or not is secondary.Money and Ego play a major role here.Money-as the respective govt which started off the project would'earn'.Ego-as the next govt. would simply stop the uncompleted work of bridge/subway.(as Amma and Kalaignar keep alternating in TN) nevermind.the fully built bridges hardly serve the purpose.the foot overbridge at Haddows Road in Nungambakkam, comes to my mind first among the list.There are atleast 100 steps to climb up and down which people don't even look at, as its easier to cross the mere 20 feet road, manoeuver the traffic and reach the Passport office or any other important office situated in the famous Shastri Bhavan there.

WEATHER:

It is hot, hotter or hottest season here.global warming can be felt all over.The city's average temperatures have risen from 30 deg C some years back to 35 deg C now. Rains, though seem to be of some respite in Aug-Sept. only complicates the problem of commuting.Most of the subways will be submerged worsening the situation.

POES GARDEN

This area is renowned for for its residents who have made a mark in various fields.The creamier part of Chennai live here.Bachelor Of Social Service - Rajini, cookery queen - Malliga Badrinath, the ever strong Amma all live here.changing/shifting of guards takes place whenever she gains/loses power.other such posh areas are Adyar and RA puram, where we have the Country club which is quite famous.

ENTERTAINMENT and PLACES TO GO

As far as Theaters are concerned, be it Mayajaal or Sathyam Cinemas, I find them to be well maintained theatres no less than the ones in London or any other city abroad.The premises have been maintained well. When it comes to Theme Parks, we have Kishkintha and MGM Dizee World catering to all age groups.TheMarina Beach is the cheap and best place to spend an evening with family. Snake park and Vandalur Zoo would be of great interest for children. Valluvar Kottam which features a replica of a Chariot Temple has always been the place much sought by 'love birds', as there's not much for tourists there.The world-famous and meaningful Thirukural is inscribed ofcourse in Tamil, but still doesn't attract tourists.There is the famous Cooum River which is being mocked time and again in many movies.This was once a source of fresh and good water, but now converted into stinking lake.yet another example of ignorance and negligence by the govt.We pay in pounds and Euros and dollars abroad to go on any river cruise to have  a glimpse of the respective city.The same can be done in Cooum too if maintained properly.this would indeed fetch revenue.but who bothers to take up things seriously.A must see attraction though outside Chennai is Mahabalipuram.

EDUCATION:

Chennai is undoubtedly one of the best in India when it comes to education. It all depends on how wise the parents are in choosing the most suitable school for their children. There are schools like Padma Seshadri which alongwith education provide ample scope for social and extra curricular activities, thereby instilling confidence in little minds. There are infinite number of reputed State, Central, Matric and Anglo Indian Schools for kids.(though some schools tax the kids unnecessarily) There is the famous IIT too, which people crave to step into. Advanced education available here is also proved to provide tremendous career opportunities.

*THE MAGICAL TOUCH OF CULTURE:

*I would not say that Chennai is not affected by western culture.  But the traditional culture is preserved in various forms. Come December, we have music concerts in many places like Music Academy, Narada Gana Sabha or Krishna Gana Sabha. There are many people coaching Carnatic Music, Bharatnatyam, Yoga and Vedic Chants.

*JOBS @ CHENNAI:

*Chennai, like many other major cities, has diverse income earners. On one hand there are people struggling for daily wages, while on the other hand there are people earning lakhs as monthly income in MNCs(thanks to outsorcing) or software companies. Various multi-national banks have opened their operations here, just like in Bangalore. This has indeed reduced unemployment to a bare minimum. Aspiring college students do get placements in many concerns.

A very interesting place which offers a range of opportunity to one and all!

PS: I have covered only places/things that interest me in this review. There are many more to explore in Chennai.Thanks for reading