Thursday, February 23, 2006

Idhu namma oru machi!

Ok.. here is a post with a few lines in tamil. For those who are not familiar with the language, I'll give a loose translation at the end of the post, so read on! For those who understand tamil, read on anyway! :P

I walk out of the station and see this place is crowded! I have to push my way through and have a hard time keeping up with my dad (who was walking a little ahead)! What a crowd! Idhu namma oru machi!

I search for a sidewalk, but find none. When I finally do spot what should have been the sidewalk, I find a vegetable market there. It is impossible to use the sidewalk because of the encroachment. I walk along the road as though its nothing new to me and I have done it for ages. Idhu namma oru machi!

As I walk on the road, I hear music. Loud music. Someone's playing Tamil songs. Did I mention it was loud? I look around searching for the source and find a CD shop on the pavement selling Bollywood and Kollywood CDs! No english CDs at all!!! Idhu namma oru machi!

I walk into a restaurant with dad and we find a free table. We don't really have to look into the menu. We know what you find in Woodlands restaurant. We just order two thalli meals. Being able to orer a full dinner without looking at the menu???? Wow! Idhu namma oru machi!

The food is brought in. But the waiter does not give us spoons or forks. We don't need them. We use our trusty hands! After a long time, I eat a complete meal with using my bare hand! Idhu namma oru machi!

After the first round, we order more and more rice. Why do we do that? Because of hunger, and because we get unlimited food for a limited price! Isn't that just superb? After a long time I just eat without worrying about the bill. I make the best use of the unlimited meal in a limited price! Idhu namma oru machi!

And finally.... a sight that I hadn't seen in a long time...

A PURE VEG RESTAURANT!!!!!
Not just one or two... but loads and loads of pure-veg restaurant along the street! Idhu definitely namma oru machi!

Just as I was leaving, the place where I was wanted to introduce itself to me. It said...

My name is India. Little India! And I have the license to thrill. I also have the license to feed you good and relatively cheap vegetarian food!!!!!

p
.s. for those who didn't understand "idhu namma oru machi". It is a popular way of saying "this is our town (or our side of the town)" in Tamil Nadu, particularly in Chennai!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Me first :D haha. interesting post. sounds a bit like poetry. must be the literary studies module put to good use :)
word verification: oepxyex
sounds like some alien outer space language :p

Anusha said...

Second, hehe.

Metres and metres of dirty roads with garbage on the sides and crowds everywhere? Idhu namma ooru machi! :P

Not that I'm complaining or anything...me loves my India! (Though I must say, I have a slight aversion to Little India in particular, I have no idea why. The place just creeps me out!!)

Macho Girl said...

#ann@
Congrats on being first! :D

sounds like poetry? hmm..... maybe i AM good at this module! :D:D

Word verification: maybe clueless can help u understand that word. ET PHONE HOME!!!!!!

#clueless
Congrats on being second! Losing touch or something?

Even I am not that fond of little india. In fact, i think this is only the third time I visited the place. First time last semester when someone took me and my dad out for dinner, second time also last semester coz my dad's travel agent back at home recommended some other travel agency which was located in little india and now for dinner. even though the place creeps me out, I like the food there. Its almost like being back in TN. and i think i know why u have an aversion to little india.