3 things I miss about the Chenz

3.  Filter Coffee.  (I.hate.Nescafé.)

2.  Besant Nagar.  (It was like IFMR college)

1.  IDLY!  (Obvi.)

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Hello from Goa!

I've been living in this bamboo hut+ (complete with a bathroom, electricity and wifi!) and will probably stay through February (or until I get bored, super famous or run out of money).

I'll be blogging regularly (again!).  My long (and romba pathetic) absence can be attributed to laziness, summer wedding(s) and being, well, jobless (it's funny how the more time you have, the less you actually have!)

As 2011 comes quickly to a close (ahh! can you believe it?)  I look back on this year of transition. Although I did not spend nearly enough time with family and friends back in the US, my year in India has been wonderful and full of amazing new and dear friends, newly developed hobbies like cooking (does mint chutney count?) and DJing (say hello to Arambol's only Bollywood & Bhangra DJ, DJ Rani!), and many many many adventures (and just as many misadventures) in navigating Chennai's dating scene, planning the future (including maintaining a positive bank balance), throwing crazy theme parties, experimenting in randomness (5 am yoga, composting, GMATing, OCI mishaps, avoiding Indo police & life sans Facebook) and of course, exploring my inner hippy.

Here's to wishing on a star (wahhh wahhh) for an even more exciting 2012!

Most (over)played songs in Chennai clubs...

Please note I use the term 'clubs' very loosely.  We all know that Chennai isn't quite known for it's party scene (just wait till DJ Rani starts playing!) but to be fair, there are a few places that I frequent to just dance.  The DJs are pretty good and while we don't dance through the night, by 1:30 am my knees and feet hate me (Ughhh, I'm getting old).  

Generally I am a Bollywood and Top 40/Hip Hop snob (who knew there could be such a thing?) so my dancing is limited to Wednesday and Saturday nights (at Pasha and Dublin, respectively).  While the scene is pretty updated on the new songs Stateside, there are some staples of every dance night in Chennai, and perhaps some would say of any dance party anywhere in the world (see #5 & #2).

5.  Thriller.  RIP MJ.  But never fret, your legacy lives on, especially in India.

4.  Sheila Ki Jawani.  This song is not such a surprise considering it's romba catchy and from a recent Bollywood flick.  What's actually more surprising is the average number of times this song is played in a given night.  Last Wednesday's count: 3.

3.  Rise Up.  Doesn't this song sound like it's from the 80's?  I like it a lot.

2.  Time of My Life.  Yes, it is from the 80's.  Aside from hearing it almost every time I go out (sometimes even in restaurants), I also was lucky enough to hear a group of early-20-somethings singing it on a train in Sri Lanka.  I'm not sure they were even born when it was released... but I must admit they weren't so bad.

1.  Any Tamil Song.*  Actually, let me rephrase that... 'Any song that has even the slightest Tamil beat.'  I'm not sure why it is, but clubs don't play Tamil music, even in Tamil Nadu.  So, if you're lucky, you get to hear one Tamil song a night and sometimes, it sounds like it's Tamil and then 6 months later you'll discover it actually is a Bollywood song borrowing some Tamil beats.  Oh, India.

*This is a link to my favoritest Tamil song.ever.

Addendum:  How could I forget to mention You Spin Me Round (which is also from the 80's but a regular these days)!