Madras week- Day 5
Exhibition on rare aquatints, etchings and engravings!
Venue: Vennirul art gallery, Eldams Road, Chennai



Its an exhibition that shows the shapes of our various places(mostly from Kerala and Tamil Nadu) some 250-300 years back, nothing much.

Like,
Cochin on coast of Malabar in 1772,line engraving with etching


Cochin in 1665, that time a Dutch state,Still if you go to Fort Kochi, U can see glimpses of European life!



Cranganore, now Kannur in 1672, line engraving with etching



Calicut on coast of Malabar in 1772,line engraving with etching




Darbar of Raja of Travancore, engraved and etched!


Panorama of Madras in 1830!

So one full week with exhibitions. I think I will be alright by Weekend!

Image of the week

The grand old thirsty crow and water pot!


Courtesy, Beach@Pondycherry

Madras week- Day 4
Reminiscences of British Raj!

“The British left behind show”, an Indeco hotels initiative
Venue: Lalit kala Academy, Chennai


“Whether in India or Vancouover, these gentlemen officers were bent on preserving their identity as British subjects living abroad. Their empire was portable, and they took Britain with them wherever they went”
An interesting collection of Fans, Chairs of Madras Presidency, clocks, Kitchen utensils, Arms of the European Missionary, Machinery, Art, Artifacts and Articles.
Steve Borgia, Chairman & Managing Director, INDeco Leisure hotels, have been collecting these stuffs since he was 15.

Some of my favourites from the exhibition
English spray can


Cameras


The winds of British Raj, the kerosene fan,the twin blade fan and portable fan





The Colonial cycle


'The dorai power',sitting walking stick!


I was lucky enough to get a wonderful catalog of exhibits

Now the Steve Borgia Indian Heritage Museum strives to source, acquire, research and exhibit these objects for future generations.

The art of delighting a customer-the SMS way!

New SMS received from someone claiming they are ‘Happy2help’: Says, hello, Missed call information subscription (MCI) pack has been activated. Monthly rental is Rs.30. To deactivate SMS (the number).
Even before I react, one more SMS: Your subscription to MCI has been activated, now I have a doubt, when did I subscribe this facility?
I have seen the commercial announcing this wonderful idea, but do I really need this facility?
I SMS back asking to unsubscribe the MCI,

Another SMS, says the service will be deactivated within a maximum period of 5 hours
Within minutes comes one more update, service deactivated successfully, I am happy!
Now the interesting part and trickiest also,

As a service gesture, MCI service has been activated for your mobile no: FREE OF COST. This is FREE forever and NO CHARGES will be taken.
I remember Philip Kotler and his famous ‘Marketing Bible’ Customer delight is the quintessence of Marketing. I am delighted, still am awaiting month end bill!!!!

Madras week- Day 3
Photo Exhibition on Madras-Volgograd twin cities

Venue: Russian Cultural Centre,Alwarpet, Chennai


As soon as I entered the Russian centre, the security told me that the exhibition has not yet started. I read about the Exhibition in Hindu dated Aug 19. He asked me to leave my mobile number and promised that the coordinators will inform me once the exhibition is inaugurated. He then asked me to go to the reception and inquire, I did that and at last i reached this hall


Its a small but worth visiting exhibition that showcases the Mount Road of 1890


Then in 1907

Other places exhibited are The Central station, Mowbray's Road, Mylapore


Photos from city of Volgograd


Exhibition also features rare stamps and coins from Russia and India







Final coins of U.S.S.R is an interesting Exhibit



While coming out I wanted to tell the security to at least go and have a look at whats happening inside the centre

Madras Week, Day 2

The Archeology of the Madras region by Archeological Survey of India
Venue: Clive House

Imagine a case like this, with lots of expectation and excitement you go for something(read exhibition, in this context) but you end up dejected and disappointed!

The inscription on the building says Robert I Lord Clive lived in this building in the year 1753 Truly great in arms and council!


There is one Clive corner, an exhibition on Robert Clive's stay in Chennai.

The much awaited exhibition on Archeology of Madras region. If you are really keen on Paleolithic and Mesolithic ages( apparently I wasn't)its worth visiting this exhibition.



I think majority of people are not really interested to know what happened some 15000-10000 years ago in Chennai and near by places.I was the first visitor of the day. The broad smile on the face of the person at the counter gave an idea how popular are the Paleolithic and Mesolithic ages

Celebrating Madras
I am planning to visit interesting Exhibitions thats happening as part of the Madras week Celebration.

Day One of the 'Madras week'

Venue: Madras Terrace House,Royapettah
Event: Exhibition of vintage and classic lobby cards

Old Tamil film stills! Young Kamal and Rajini,



Last week Kamal Haasan celebrated 50 years as an Actor



MGR and Jayalalitha




Sivaji Ganeshan


I am sure people who love cinema, especially Tamil cinema would love this exhibition
Now looking forward to Day 2!!

In the times of Tambola!

Nowadays I am seriously into Tambola. For the past three weeks apart from reading TOI, am playing its Tambola also. But so far luck has not favoured me. I have not completed a ‘House’, always missed by at least 4-5 numbers.
And now I have serious doubts whether I will ever complete a house. I have my own reasons to think so
The rules are same. The game starts on every Sunday and go on till Saturday. There are 15 numbers and every day the paper announces 5 numbers. From Sunday till Wednesday, on an average I get 2-3 numbers. There is lot of excitement and hope at home. But towards weekend the numbers dry up and I end up losing by at least 4-5 numbers. I know this is the good old trick, to create excitement among readers, in the beginning you get lots of numbers and you can guess the end. I know the result but something happened in this whole process, I have become a Tambola addict.
Today is Sunday and I am busy playing fourth edition of Tambola, I have got 3 numbers

Krishna coming home


GOKULASHTAMI

As part of celebration, I am planning to read "Krishna, the man and his philosophy by Osho

Image of the week
Thiru Vi Ka bridge, Adyar adjacent to old Elphinstone bridge.

The lions needed a facelift.

A park that is crying for help!
Last week I took my nephew and niece to the Government park in Kotturpuram,Chennai promising them lots of adventure. But the facilities there really spoiled our plans.



We found handicapped SEE-SAWs




The sliding thing's steel base have come out, if you slide, better get ready to have a tetanus injection






At last the only facility that was proper and was working was the swing,


but within five minutes of swinging, around half a dozen kids were impatiently waiting for their turn!

A close encounter with Swine(less)flu
Wife calls in the afternoon and says she has fever and headache. With lots of swine flu in paper, TV and streets, we rush to nearby hospital.

A notice at the hospital welcomes us saying Patients and attenders are requested to wear masks and mask is available in pharmacy at a concession cost of Rs 10!!!


Just Rs 10!!! per mask, that too at a concession cost, I wonder whats the current market rate, must be moving faster than Gold rate


So I buy two masks, wear it and join the mask club


Hospital gives a feel of an area affected by an epidemic

There is a helpline for Swine flu reporting

Wife's SMS, Fever 99.8, check up starts, I call up everyone who were with us last two three days and request to have a checkup


First time I am seeing these many people with masks!

Do's and Dont's of Swine flu



Finally Doctor declares "Its a normal flu, a swine (less)flu