Monday, May 11, 2009

Beach - Chennai's Boon

Life has been busy and hectic and all that... this weekend was no different. Also, since I have been working from home for some time now, I really don't get to see the outside world at all! Combined with few other thoughts, I was feeling so depressed on sunday evening. I was sitting and chopping some veggie for dinner and tears started welling up my eye...

C, who was strumming his guitar saw me and probably thought 'enough is enough' and asked me to just get ready. An impromptu decision was made and off we went to the beach.

Unfortunately some 100,000 others had made that decision :-) The beach was swarming with people of all ages and sizes. Nevertheless, we managed to find a parking space and quietly walked over to the sand... the breeze was blowing over and it was appreciably cooler.. not the usual sticky feeling, but a really pleasant weather. It was just soo calming.

I did two things that I have never done before in a beach. One - Ate pieces of raw mango smeared with salt & chilli powder. Two - Ate a big paper cone full of 'Kadalai Sundal' :-))

In all my years of existence, I had never tasted the beach 'sundal'. And yesterday, when C asked me if I wanted it, I just decided to give it a try! I think he was amused that I had never eaten it.. he seems to be a veteran of beach snacks. He spotted the right shops, the right food, the right everything :-)

The steamed kadalai-pori mix with a little bit of cucumber, tomato, lot of coriander and a little bit of lemon juice for that added tangy feel - Mmmm.... it was just awesome.

Within a span of 20 minutes that we stayed there, we ate Mangoes, Roasted Corn and the kadalai-pori mix :-))

Walked all the way across the sand to watch the waves. And since it was very dark we had to remain kind of cautious...just looking to our sides and behind...

That is one of the reasons I prefer going to the beach in the mornings... just a few people going on their morning walks or kids playing beach cricket/tennicoit and the like...very relaxed atmosphere. But then the snack stalls don't operate that early ;-)

We then returned home via a slightly longish route..just riding through those nice well lit roads ... C showing me around the Santhome Church area, Mylapore, Luz Corner and few other places...

Got to see 'Rex Fashions'. Years ago, I had heard it innumerable times on Radio.. it always ended with 'Rex Fashion, Luz Corner Mylapore'.

It was such a welcome break and a much needed one for me. I felt so energized and thinking about my adventure with beach food.. I had a goofy grin for a long time.

And C, thank you - for forsaking your superbike and F1 races. You may not be very demonstrative with your affection, but I know these little things are what that show how we care about each other deeply.

11 comments:

Subhashree said...

Beach - my stress buster. The endless waves and the vast waterscape belittles all worries and makes me feel totally at peace.

And welcome to the world of beach snacks :)

How are things at home?

VJ said...

this post make me so much want to go the beach...
I think the beach becomes really special because of the snacks.
we have heaps of beaches here but nothing can compare with our dear Marina or Besant Nagar beach.

Artnavy said...

that was nice of C !

and beach snacks are a favourite with us

there is a rex in velachery as well now!!

Monika said...

Aww.....so sweet of C. :)
Chennai beach is lovely. I visited a few months back & really enjoyed it:)

namubabu said...

Hi Dc,

This is the first time I am posting a comment.I just hopped here from chennainavy.I was touched and enjoyed by ur posts,read most of them at a stretch. Happy humble and joyful feeling gets my way when I read ur blog.So keep blogging.

DC said...

Subhashree: things are going ok at home... the usual juggling with work and housekeeping.

VJ - head out to a beach on the weekend na?

Art - Velachery seems to have got all the popular stores now...good for the locality.

Monika - thanks for visiting and do come again :-)

namubabu - thanks for such nice words... though am not sure if my blog is really that impressive :-) do you blog too?

namubabu said...

No,I started one on food but not able to continue,but I follow few blogs regularly.

VJ said...

I wish I could !!
its freezing here !!!!!
and nothing great in beaches here..
oru sundal, manga, cholam kadai iruntha thaan interesting/

DC said...

Oh Aussie winter.. i quite forgot..

guruprasad said...

got here from my wife subhashree's blog. You do have a nice writing style. Kudos. So you do manage work from home and manage work at home? amazing...
the beach and the way back route is interesting. especially because we live near luz corner for the past 2 years, and beofre that for 30 years we were in triplicane...I grew up with the beach, the beach foods, various aspects of the beach et al...now you have made me sit up and write about the marina beach...good times always in the beach...
dont give up writing, as saw in the bottom of the blog. You do write well and keep writing

VJ said...

this seems a very long break !!
still busy?