Chenthil’s brother was at the Chennai Sangamam events at Natesan park and sent him this video. The images are kinda blurry (understatement of the year?) but the music is loud and clear and makes me want to dance too. Only, my swollen ankle may not appreciate it much.
Anyway, enjoy. And do go around to one of the events. It is pretty good.
In a few days now, (ulp!) I’ll be among close to 40,000 people running for charity as part of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon. And from the Chennai part of it at least, I won’t be alone. The team, consisting staff, residents and friends like Khushboo, Rohini, Revathy, Vivek Oberoi (you may have seen the hoardings) are all running to raise funds.
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சென்னை மாநகர வலைப்பதிவு வாசகர்களுக்கும் சக எழுத்தாளர்களுக்கும் இனிய பொங்கல் நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்
If you are anywhere near the Elliots beach, go visit the Chennai Sangamam. Actually, if you are not anywhere near Elliots beach, move your posteriors to somewhere near Elliots beach, and then visit the Chennai Sangamam. It’s only on for 2 more days.
I had a blast today, sampling Virudhunagar kotthu parotta and drinking Jil Jil Jigal Dhanda. But the real fun was when the music started. 2 hours of exhilarating street art, from Silambattam, Therukkoothu, and Singara Melam (Chendai Kottu) and even some Jazz Carnatic electronica from Susheela Raman.
The Therukkoothu from Thiruvannamalai was hilarious and took some earthy digs at contemporary society. It featured Lord Yama, a comical man who is about to be taken by aforementioned for a ride on a buffalo, and strangely enough, Veerapaandiya Kattabomman as well.
Let me present a sample dialogue from that street play.
The Hindu Makkal Katchi on Tuesday voiced their protest against actress Shreya’s dress that she wore to the Sivaji jubilee celebrations. The party said the dress was offending for Tamils and Hindus.
The actress, not wanting to get into controversy after next like her colleague Kushboo, today tendered an apology. It’s perhaps a wise move by Shreya. This may not be a time to grow a backbone and put up a protest against the HMK. A lifetime can be spend opposing moral custodians, but nothing would be gained.
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Last Friday I decided to watch ‘Moonshine and Skytoffee’ which was a part of the celebrating 100 years of Basheer festival. The festival for some reason which I am unaware of is called ‘Under the Mangoostan Tree’.
The play was in the museum theatre, Egmore, which has lovely acoustics and not to mention the charming Victorian architecture. The play was a mix of two stories by Basheer, one is Love Letters, and the other story’s name, I sadly do not remember.
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Narendra Modi is the chief guest for this year’s Thuglaq magazine annual function. The function is being held at Kamaraj Memorial Hall in Anna Salai, just before the fly over. There is a huge police presence around that area and traffic is haywire. Unless you want to be stuck in traffic for hours, avoid Gemini fly over junction today evening.
It is a classic rich vs poor case.
CASE:
A month ago ( Dec 14) Chennai woke up to the Mecerdes Benz deaths in the metro , when a 16 year old son of a high profile businessman drove his plush car over sleeping pavement dwellers and a priest riding a two wheeler, after catching a late night movie at a multiplex.
UPDATE: The boy who surrendered (after initial attempts to get the family chauffeur to take the blame failed , thanks to a vigilant police officer) has been booked . He is charged under three sections of the IPC ( for causing death by negligence, causing hurt and endangering the life and safety of others, and for rash driving).
The case is currently on, and in keeping with the Juvenile Justice Act, proceedings are in camera.
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When I was in journalism school, there was a joke going around. Every year since then that joke has been repeated with unerring frequency. The news that Times of India was coming to Chennai, at first a matter of intense debate, in recent years had also become a joke.
But the newspaper has finally decided to show up. Though I am not aware of the launch date, I know for sure they are going to launch in a month or two. Apparently, the who’s who of Chennai’s journalists are already queuing up to be hired for the newspaper has actually started that process.
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ICR on ECR, the biggest Annual International Cycle race in the country, is back again this year and is happening on January 31st, 2008. The main purpose of the race, inaugurated last year, is to spread awareness about providing quality education to the Indian people. It is being organized by Schools for India, a non-profit charitable organization, involved in providing education to the rural people in India.
The race is divided into several categories: Amateur - Men (140 km), Amateur - Women (70 km), College Race (12 km) and School Race (5 km). For those with a stomach only for spirit and not competition, there’s also a non-competitive corporate rally spanning 5 km. Details of time, venue etc can be found at their website.
You can register for the race by emailing the organizers at icr@schoolsforindia.org and submitting filled registration forms by the 26th of January, 2008.
For any information or enquiry contact:
Venkatesh - 99400 74889
Archana - 98410 56596
