Express Avenue

Express Avenue is the new Mall to be coming up soon in the City of Chennai’s Landscape. The work is on full swing and there were announcements of tie-ups with various Retail Stores and Entertainment Service providers.

Expected launch is March 2010, i guess.

League of its own ….

…. yes the TNCA aka Tamil Nadu Cricket Association has about 132 teams in leagues starting from 1st Division Leage, 2nd Division, 3rd Division A & B, 4th Division A, B & C, 5th Division A, B, C & D, totally 11 league teams, which fight among themselves for their respective shields.

Many teams have every interesting names like Book Sellers XI, Mambalam Mosquitoes, Varsity Occasionals, Egmore Excelsiors, Freelancers XI, Eccentrics XI for their teams.

One such game on a Sunday morning at the YMCA ground, Nandanam.

People, Week 26

This is Nalini Radhakrishnan, a multi faceted personality. Involved in Event Management, Golfer, Rotarian, Brings theatre to the city and many more.

This photo was taken when she’d organised a Treasure Hunt Car event for the Mahindra World City.

Integrating languages …

… this school (though it might be for demographic reasons and/or commercial reasons) prominently announces its name in all 4 languages, namely English, Tamil, Telugu & Hindi.

Hopefully many such practices allows people to start accepting many languages in their city of dwelling, more peacefully.

Medical Supplies …

TNMSC also expanded as Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation Ltd, is a State Government initiative to ensure continued supply of live saving drugs and pharmaceuticals to all Government run hospitals. They are engaged in procurement, storage and supply of 268 drugs and medicines, 84 suture items and 63 surgical items to govt run hospitals and primary health centres. They also procure, store & supply 114 veterinary drugs and medicines to various veterinary dispensaries across the state of Tamil nadu.

They are located at Pantheon Road, Egmore.

Classic ropes

They call it the Golden Fibre. These fibre are made out of a few plants and obviously eco-friendly. Though Sanal (in tamil சனல்) featured here is a rope made from jute is mainly used as a tying rope, especially paper packets, cartons etc, there are other uses too for this fibre.

Seen at a front of a shop at Pycrofts Road, Triplicane.

Nature, Week 2

… Camel Foot Tree, Butterfly Wings Tree are a few commonly used names for this tree. Also called the Raja Mandharai (in tamil ராஜ மந்தாரை) and scientifically called Bauhini purpurea.

Sell the air ….

… yes but no. Ha haa.

The Movie UP definitely portrays the Balloon seller in a different light. So many people like these professionals are Unsung heroes in many ways, the kids brighten up seeing them, the carnivals/parks are made cheerful & colourful because of them and many more ways.

A balloon seller late in the evening at the Anna Nagar Dr Visweswariya Tower Park.

People, Week 25

The young parishioner at the Our Lady of Lourdes Church – Mary Immaculate at Perambur. He was too shy to tell me his name, but. Though he was very happy to see that he was clicked and posed quite a bit.

Pirambu

… aka Bamboo Cane baskets. Pirambu Koodai is the tamil name for this.

These baskets used for carrying / selling flowers or vegetables or fruits by the retail vendors. Also used by the retailers of perishables at their shops to display their wares.

Eco friendly baskets instead of plastic ones.

A shop selling them at Koyambedu Market.

Catch them RED handed?

… or RED legged (with blood on the glasses too!).

This is a technique applied by many households in yesteryear’s, to avoid robbers and thieves scaling their roofs and running away with their loot. They place broken glass pieces on their front portion of the compound walls / roofs etc to keep the thieves in bay.

One such home at Ramaswamy Street (yes !!) at Purasawalkam.

Emperors new clothes

…. with the dust & dirt around in urban situation, all vehicles get a new cover when parked for a while.

Looks like every vehicle needs a dust cover to be carried along with them and safely covered before it gets parked.

Scene at Parrys Corner, near Seven Wells.

Glorious 155 Years

…. this school at Mint street has seen 155 years of service and that many children passing through them to go on to higher studies. Some of their alumnae are Vallalar, Dr S Thanickachalam and many more.

But this school currently is in a bad shape due to their inabilities to raise funds and sustain the running of the school by their trust. So as a result from 2500 students at its peak now the strength is 350 odd students. Hopefully their alumnae will come together and see their Alma mater tide the difficult times.

The other view, of the school.

Save More

Some lovely melon shaped Piggy (!?) Banks seen on the streets … these made of clay / sand are to save coins and some occasional notes. Has only one way to take the money out, that is just break them to retrieve the money, no other way.

Seen them near Sanskrit College, Mylapore.

Chennai & Rains – 2009 Ver 1.0

(the visibility is almost 5-10 meters, scene at “0″ point of Chennai)

(absolutely empty Mount Road on Saturday 11am)

(from my work station and enjoying the rains)

On popular demand (even if one asks for more pictures, its popular demand ) …. this years 1st rain spells caught here. You might remember the last years Rains.

People, Week 24

Hussain Raja is a Rickshaw puller / driver. One could hire his services at Sowcarpet area. He normally sits at Mint Street.

Illuminart ….

Come festive season, you get to see such lovely light arts at various worship places to jewellery shops to garment showrooms. The represent mostly god pictures from all faiths.

One such art at Sun plaza junction at GN Chetty Road and Mount Rd approach.

Nature – Week 1

Sterculia Foetida is a Native tree and has quite a bit of Medicinal Qualities. Originally from East Africa & Australia. Its a tall & Straight tree.

Its but famous for the unbearable stench its Fruits / Flowers produce. When you are near the tree in its full blossom, you’ll wonder if you’re near a sewer.

Spotted at Kothari Road, Nungambakkam.

Colour coded

Every faith insists on a specific colour to their devotees. The usual colour worn by the devotees of Hinduism in south India is “Kaavi” (light terracotta shade), but many faiths insist on White, some specify shades of off-white and a few red (like here). Many Christians wear white for their Sunday prayers.

Here you see a section of devotees back from their worshiping place and relaxing at Vandalur Zoo.

Telugu still around ….

… yes the older establishments still have Telugu (language) signs in their boards. Many establishments in the older settlements like Mylapore, Purasawalkam, Triplicane, Parry’s corner, T Nagar etc have quite a sizable population of Telugu speaking residents.

This is at Kala Pharmacy, Pantheon Road, Egmore.

Walks, Flys, Crawls, Swims …

… yes many in us prefers to eat delicacies made out of these birds, and many likes to cook them in their own styles and serve.

These are specific to sunday’s at bazaars / markets in many neighbourhoods you get to see the ducks and hens and goats and various other exotic animals ready for sale / cooking.

One such scene at Zam Bazaar, Triplicane.

People, Week 23

Tamizharasan, works on weekends at the Koyambedu Vegetable market at his family shop which sells pumpkins in wholesale. Is studying on other days of the week at a neighbourhood school.

Music after 20 years

… yes the Madras Chamber Orchestra played for the second time yesterday at the Egmore Museum Theatre (1st one was this April’09) after 20 plus years after it was formed in 1960’s and stopped playing from 1988 onwards. Once conducted by the eminent musician Mr V S Narasimhan, now revived and conducted by the French national & Violinist Bernard Wacheux.

Check more about it here.

Tamil & its Prachara Sabha

…. when the language Tamil needed some push at schools with the students they probably would have formed this “Poets Club” aka “Pulavar Mandram”. They conduct various competency tests for the language Tamil at school level and award certificates. Need to check with schools if this is still in existence, as we’ve written exams in our school days (not giving you the idea how old i’am).

Like Hindi as at Hindi Prachar Sabha, Tamil should use such ones across the world to bring Tamil studies at schools under some aegis like Pulavar Mandram.

Their office at Vellala Street, Purasawalkam.

Dance Needs

Many search for a Shop which caters to all the dance needs (especially for the classical ones) like the costumes, accessories et al, found one such shop which caters to all requirements for a dance show.

Found opposite to Kapaleeswarar Temple, Mylapore.