Chennai’s Kathiri Veyyil (SCISSOR HEAT)
Image courtesy: Eggs & Beer’s. Image published under this creative commons license.
Chennai’s Kathiri Veyyil (SCISSOR HEAT) is actually more popular than CSK. Since I was burning inside an oven (my room), I decided to take a break and go see what the heat is doing to others. I found three people who were braving the Chennai heat under extraordinary circumstances and hence they became my inspiration. I decided to interview them and publish it in my blog so that others can also be inspired.
Venue: Anna International Airport, Chennai.
Situation: A couple from Norway had come to celebrate their honeymoon in Chennai.
“Hi guys. What made you choose Chennai as your holiday destination, that too in May?”
“It’s so cold back home and we wanted change. We got to know that Chennai is a hot travel destination”
“Well guys, ‘hot’ doesn’t exactly mean ‘happening’ in this context. It needs to be taken in a more literal sense”
“Ah, we are dying to take a sun bath in the famous beaches of Chennai. We plan to visit the Marina beach in the morning, Elliot’s beach in the afternoon and Mahabalipuram beach in the evening. We are so excited”
I read a newspaper article on the next day morning that two foreigners were admitted to a hospital due to sun-stroke, as they were taking a sun-bath in the empty Marina beach at 9:00 AM in the morning. Thank God they escaped the afternoon heat in the Elliot’s beach and the Mahabalipuram beach!
Venue: A thinnai (a raised structure made of cement and concrete, near the entrance of a house for people to sit and chat) in West Mambalam, Chennai.
Situation: A Mama sitting and chatting with his group of all-retired friends. They were brainstorming on how to make India corruption free, at 2:30 PM in the afternoon.
“Mama, I appreciate your devotion to the nation. I want to know what drives you and keeps you passionate in-spite of this hot kathiri veyyil?
“(Turning away from me) Pattu, we seem to have a guest di. Get us two hot filter coffees immediately so that we can discuss an important issue. That will keep me charged for the next few hours (Turning towards me) Hey, where are you?
I am already appeat (escape!).
Venue: Chepauk Stadium, Chennai.
Situation: KKR had just won the IPL-V trophy. At 12:00 AM in the mid-night, one man was dancing alone around a group of sweating and confused youngsters.
“Mr. Khaan (name changed to protect the identity of a media-shy celebrity), what drives you to celebrate and dance even in this hot temperature and terrible humidity?”
“Chammak chalo; Chammak chalo”
“Well, I don’t know poetic Hindi. Can you translate that into English?”
“Chammak chalo; Chammak chalo”
I then realized that it was a movie song. Well, his efforts for marketing a .one movie that has long since stopped playing in movie halls, braving the 100 degrees night-heat and humidity of Chennai has to be definitely appreciated. Old habits die hard?
Chak de, Chak de Chennai……. 🙂
Destination Infinity
i really liked your previous post, so decided to have a read when i saw this one on indivine.
i have been to Chennai a couple of times and i know what you mean :D. although it’s more or less same here in my town as well. only relief is that we have frequent rains and thunderstorms here.
SRK thing was killer 😀
The Heat maybe unbearable. But its the humidity that kills one during summer. Except three months, other nine months are pretty fine to visit though.
Destination Infinity
ha ha.. good one DI
loved the first one and SRK bit..
I wonder if a Norwegian couple reads this post, will they ever decide to come to Chennai even during the winter? 😉
Destination Infinity
ohh sad for the tourists ,
why did you escape in the second episode you shud have waited and lsitened might have got all that gyaan 🙂
and chak de chak de chennai for sure …
Yeah, I did miss free advice and consultancy. There is a joke in Tamil movie that goes like – “The only thing that we get for free in this nation is advice!”
Destination Infinity
Loved the SRK Part.. really good 🙂 HE suddenly looks like joker to everyone… 🙄
Well, my focus was (also) on the heat that was there in the stadium. I hope people have not missed noticing that? 🙂
Destination Infinity
Already SRK is making himself a mad man and here, you have joined the crowd!
The tourist story also is interesting! Keep writing.
I think tourists should avoid coming to chennai during three months – April, May and June. All the other months are fine. I am not sure how tourists from Norway would find it, though! 🙂
Destination Infinity
hahaha hilarious post!! loved the first “interview”
Well, I hope no Norwegians read that post 😛
Destination Infinity
Had good chance to experience the heat…so well… I can quite understand 😛
lol .. for the pic you chose for the blog .. and i loved this post Rajesh .. wanted it should never end with more interviews to follow ..
i’ve been in chennai for quite a long while so i can understand the trauma one has to go through in the scissor cutting heat of may but you know what, similar conditions are in delhi as well…!!!
SRK park super DI! Semma kolaveri pola!
Sad to know about the norwegian couples though…honeymoonla chennaikkaa varanum! Avanga neram seri illa! But seriously I so want to get that kind of sun burn …it’s been so long since I went out on the sun..I will get vitamin deficiency only!
That was a kathiri-sharp post. Had a great laugh! Poor SRK, he also fell prey to your scissors 🙂
I wanted this post to be longer, but somehow restricted myself to three interviews 🙂
Destination Infinity