Parotta and Chicken for a lifetime

 

On June 10^th I received a letter from ACJ (Asian College of Journalism) to join their esteemed institution. I was elated at getting a call from the top journalism college India has to offer. Once my course started (4 days up) I was briefed on the eminent personalities who would lecture us on various subjects namely; Nationalism, Dalit movement, The great Indian media Bazaar, Gender talk and various other topics that are aimed at provoking your thought process and stimulating a rather dormant intellectual mind. Intellectuals such as Shashi Kumar (started Asianet news channel) N.Ram (Editor of The Hindu) P.Sainath (Million books and world renowned journalist) are going to interact with students and answer our queries.

With a sumptuous package being prepared for us, the meal was all too filling and it was time for war. A war with the brain. After entering college it was in a way, intimidating to meet people from various backgrounds, cultures and states. Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Guhati, Mizoram, Andhra Pradesh and the list is endless. With such a diverse cross connection of cultures, the amount of knowledge surfacing is nothing short of stupendous.

Being a Southie and in many ways a Chennai boy (though my knowledge of Chennai is pitiable) a survival guide to future prospective ACJ students and for existing students in ACJ is of vital importance. (A few from a certain place in Northern India, crib about the leaves in a tree being green)

Chennai survival guide 1; (lets hope it’s the last)

• There are no Uncle Chips in Chennai and I apologize on behalf of the Chief Minister, that such a vital basic food product is not available. How opprobrious!
• Chennai autos are a league apart. They have mirrors in their auto meters and never realized that meters should indicate a tariff to the passenger.
• If you can speak the local language, people will go out of their way to give you anything. (Well, almost) Tip: If you can rap, Tamil is easier.
• Sorry to disappoint you girls but the Sun cannot be bribed into moving elsewhere. Oh, and the same applies for rain.
• Do I have to agree that, Chennai is pathetic, from a Bihari?
• Eating with your hands does not automatically mean that you are an un-cool person and using the spoon for Chappati doesn’t make you cool.
• Please don’t speak ill about Rajnikanth unless you want to be sent to a MBBS college for a post mortem. Pouring milk, ghee, honey, sandalwood paste on a 40 foot Rajnikanth poster is a World wonder.
• Be prepared to watch Pulp fiction in Tamil.
• Clothes dry in an hour and if you’re wearing them, it can get wet in an hour too.
• The sewage originated in Chennai. Pungent, acrid, caustic, are a few common words that are Chennai’s contribution to the Oxford.
• The world starts and ends with Parotta and Chicken. (Taste it to believe it)
• Music to your ears; 120bucks is the maximum amount you have to pay in a hi-fi wi-fi theatre.
• If you don’t have a fridge, your survival expectancies are rather bleak.
• If you stay in Chennai and don’t visit Pondicherry, depression has got the better of you.
• If you find a pretty girl in the streets of Chennai, look again or visit an eye specialist.

The people in Chennai are larger than life and very reminiscent of the thousands of movies the Tollywood industry churns out every year. Every man in the street is a Rajnikanth and dramatical fights are popular in the over crowded capital of Tamil Nadu.Similar to every other state in India, Chennai is unique in its own ways. To me, it is just a celebration of India's diversity and a revelry like no other nation.