My cousin, Bunty, recently came to visit from Delhi and I realized then how important it was to prep someone coming to Chennai for the first time. Every city has its nuances and cultural mores, completely agreed. But, for some reason (and possibly for the same reason why many times I am forced to justify why I still live here and if actually do like it), Chennai has its quirks that just need to be explained.
So, for future visitors (including mama and papa bhatia who are descending upon Chennai next week), here are some things to keep in mind...some of the weirdest things about Chennai are what make it such an interesting/crazy/romba weird place to be.
5. Lungis are the new pants.
Once you learn how to correctly tie a lungi (it's not quite as easy as it looks), they are really comfortable, really cheap and come in a variety of really cool colors (making them ideal for theme parties across the globe, FYI).
4. Add 'aa' to any word to um, be understood.
3. Address Rajini as Rajini Sir.
Rajinikanth, the iconic symbol of Kollywood cinema for the past thirty years, is worshipped across theatre halls across the South. Never dare utter a negative word... or for that matter, even something slightly neutral if you plan to make Chennai home. Oh, and don't forget to bring the milk for the ritual 'Pujas' that are performed for him during and soon after the release of a new blockbuster hit.
(By the way, check out a music video, Kilmanjaro, from his latest hit, Robo. Trust me, this is not to be missed. A friend of mine describes it as an anthropologist's nightmare... but for sake of identity protection, I will not quote him directly.)
2. It's all about rice.
Rice is a staple of the Tamil diet. Whether breakfast, lunch or dinner (or, even dessert, like payasam), rice is on every menu, always. Many dishes are made from ground rice batter like the ever-popular idli, dosai, idiyappam, utthapam, and appam varieties, while other dishes are undeniably just rice-looking, like pongal. It's all about the rice. White rice. Brown rice (ok, let's be honest, not so much). Red Rice. Sambar and rice. Tamarind rice. Lemon rice. Mint rice. Curd rice. In attempt to not sound like Bubba Gump... I'll stop there. (Fortunately, Shruti's wonderful food blog offers suggestions and tips to find and enjoy 'non-rice' eats).
1. Romba is the only Tamil word you'll ever need to know.
Learning Tamil is romba hard so it's better to learn one word romba well so you can be romba informed when you need to romba impress someone or are trying to romba fit in. Romba thorough list? I'd say so.
*Addendum: I'd suggest you'd read about the Chennai auto-wallahs here.
So, for future visitors (including mama and papa bhatia who are descending upon Chennai next week), here are some things to keep in mind...some of the weirdest things about Chennai are what make it such an interesting/crazy/romba weird place to be.
5. Lungis are the new pants.
Once you learn how to correctly tie a lungi (it's not quite as easy as it looks), they are really comfortable, really cheap and come in a variety of really cool colors (making them ideal for theme parties across the globe, FYI).
4. Add 'aa' to any word to um, be understood.
Seriously. Straightaa, Rightaa and Leftaa are part of my daily vocabulary. Try it – you'll never get lost again – that is, unless you're looking for street signs.
3. Address Rajini as Rajini Sir.
Rajinikanth, the iconic symbol of Kollywood cinema for the past thirty years, is worshipped across theatre halls across the South. Never dare utter a negative word... or for that matter, even something slightly neutral if you plan to make Chennai home. Oh, and don't forget to bring the milk for the ritual 'Pujas' that are performed for him during and soon after the release of a new blockbuster hit.
(By the way, check out a music video, Kilmanjaro, from his latest hit, Robo. Trust me, this is not to be missed. A friend of mine describes it as an anthropologist's nightmare... but for sake of identity protection, I will not quote him directly.)
2. It's all about rice.
Rice is a staple of the Tamil diet. Whether breakfast, lunch or dinner (or, even dessert, like payasam), rice is on every menu, always. Many dishes are made from ground rice batter like the ever-popular idli, dosai, idiyappam, utthapam, and appam varieties, while other dishes are undeniably just rice-looking, like pongal. It's all about the rice. White rice. Brown rice (ok, let's be honest, not so much). Red Rice. Sambar and rice. Tamarind rice. Lemon rice. Mint rice. Curd rice. In attempt to not sound like Bubba Gump... I'll stop there. (Fortunately, Shruti's wonderful food blog offers suggestions and tips to find and enjoy 'non-rice' eats).
1. Romba is the only Tamil word you'll ever need to know.
Learning Tamil is romba hard so it's better to learn one word romba well so you can be romba informed when you need to romba impress someone or are trying to romba fit in. Romba thorough list? I'd say so.
*Addendum: I'd suggest you'd read about the Chennai auto-wallahs here.
