Summers from 69...

From 1969 (earliest I remember & I didn't get my first real six string - if you're a Bryan Adams fan), every Summer meant going to Madras nalla Madras (now Chennai). This involved a must visit to a host of relatives with a mandatory - at least 1 night stay. It had to be done with the protocol to be equal days at each level. We used to visit our grandparents cousins Doraippa & Cheenappa. My father's siblings Pappu & Raji Aunts. My mother's siblings Manga and Sakku Chittis. My eldest cousin sis Bannu Akka. This took a few weeks over different parts of the city. The experience with different generations, their love, likes, dislikes and prejudices; different homes, beds, amenities, food choices and favourite treats was so diverse I guess it made us open up, face various aspects of life and above all respecting people. At the end of each stay we would do our namaskarams to get their blessings and the eagerly awaited pocket money. 

Almost all of them would take care to pack an outing to a movie, park, circus, beach etc. At home card games, carrom, cricket and singing or monoacting were very popular. At night we used to have very often - literally fast food. With a bunch of kids and teens there was this smart way to avoid piling up plates. So sambar, rasam and curd rice will come one after the other premixed in a large bowl. The grandma or aunt would sit at the center. All of us half - to a full dozen will sit around and a ball of the food would be served on our palm and you had to just put it in your mouth without spilling it. If it were grandma's serving even my mother's generation would become kids and join in. 

Our Anchor home was that of my maternal grandparents Vichappa and Samiamma. After some 30 odd years at Thambu chetty street in old Chennai, post retirement in 1975-76 Vichappa decided to shift to this hamlet called Nanganallur. So from a narrow row house this was a large villa at 13,14th street Nanganallur. Like Arumbakkam this is part of the indelible past. When they shifted here, we experienced suburban life. 

Arriving by train at Chennai central from Coimbatore we would go to Park station and go by the Electric ( suburban) train as it was called, as express trains still had steam engines and diesel engines were just getting introduced. The contests enroute was on fastest to recollect the sequence of stations from Beach to Tambaram - what before, what after, 3rd station from etc. The trains were not crowded like now.  

Once in Nanganallur it was freedom and fun. I don't remember them stopping us from doing anything except Samiamma always being afraid we may get hurt and will keep cautioning us. The house was large, play area in front and side, a backyard with a well and cow shed, bachelor's den in first floor and a large terrace open to sleep at night or family functions. 

If one got up early (around 5) one can see the milkman who would come with the cow and serve fest milk. One had to check the vessel is not preloaded with water before he milks. All uncles would leave for college or work early between 8 and 9. All my mother's brothers were studying. Eldest Balumama doing engineering at MIT, Shekar at Jain college and so on. My mother cousins Nandu & Murali mama also lived there. The bachelor's den was in the only room on first floor opening out to the terrace. Much ado was there about their hairdo. Me and cousins had roles of cleaning their cycles, combing their hair, stamping foot massage, literally scratching their back with a comb or back scratcher etc. and each entitled us to a tip of 5 or 50 Paise, a hard earned luxury.

Commuting was by cycle rickshaw or cycle on hire as uncle's cycles were out of bounds as we may drop it and damage them. We were small and to use the men's cycles one had to master the art of monkey pedalling - where you slip a leg under the crossbar and pedal balancing the cycle while standing and pedalling.

Soon the locals kids schools closed for vacation and we would play football is a dried up lake ( all of which is a sprawling suburb now). Once the morning game is over we would get back have food and then get out to play cards, carrom and periodically scan the streets for the house with mangos near their compound walls to be plucked or climb to the top of the municipal water tank with spiral steps to see if there is enough water there. Evening was cricket at home and occasional visit to temples if there was a musical program. 

The house had this huge chest of drawers which housed lot of possessions and on top of it ( it was 5 feet high) out of bounds was the gramaphone. Thiruvilaiyadal sound track was the most popular with Nagesh as Tharumi making everybody lol. I don't think we saw the film till sometime in late 90s when videos arrived but the sound track made is imagine the movie in our own ways vividly.

Then there were these movies at a host of theatres, Ranga being the most frequented which screened 2 movies for the price of 1 - a great offer, mostly one old and another a recent hit. For new movies one had to go to Jyoti at St. Thomas mount, which meant relying on the seniors. You had to be good to go with the gang and overcome objection at home for going for night show as there was a cremation/ burial ground on the short route.

Come evening the terrace would be watered to cool it down to be a sit out first and then where one would roll out mattresses and mats and sleep later. In the evening one can see the flashlights from the ATC at the Chennai airport and count planes landing. Once uncles are back Vividh bharti would blare the Hindi, Tamil songs, daily radio play serials and there was the Binaca geetmala with Amin sayani. 

Samiamma had the magic touch to taste and would constantly churn out goodies for us. There was a swing in the dining area where we could smell what's cooking. As I grew up she would ask to assist in getting things up and down the loft. Once or twice every summer she would make Sevai if someone can help with the manual press to make them. Sevai is fresh rice vermicelli ( which is now available readymade) and a twisting contraption had to be used to make it at home - it was good and strenuous exercise but the dish was divine when she made it. It really felt good to assist her as she was so selfless in everything. It was tough cooking for a battalion of 20 to 30 people everyday. 

We would at times form groups and go walking or cycling to St. Thomas mount to sit there and if fortunate watch a flight land or take off from Chennai airport - flights were infrequent then and sighting an international flight like Singapore airlines was special.  

There were many other locations which completed summers in Chennai. One was Unnamalai Amman St where my aunt's lived. Raji attained was favourite with us kids and we would go her school where she was headmistress. Her colleagues especially Sakku teacher was extended family and would indulge us. The other place was Bannu Akka's. Thiagarajan Athimber (Jijaji) was Prof at IITM and lived there and the campus was awesome and Ravi was there. The bus and block names after peaks and rivers was interesting. Mechanic and building sets at home, trip to snake park, movies at OAT (open air theathre) where I saw my first horror film - Hitchcock's Psycho, the swimming pool and then a trip to Elliots beach at Besant Hagar which had bigger waves was the icing on the cake.  

We had my maternal aunt's places. Manga chitti has Four sons and gave us all the experience of Mylapore. The first in the family to have a TV and chittappa loved gadgets. Our first experience of television was here. Sakku chitti and her in laws would make us feel so cared. Mind games like riddles, card games like Trump, delicious food and Mohan anna Chittis brother in law is a die hard MGR fan and would take us to a MGR movie!!! 

Every summer was different and a great experience as one could see how, many things changed every year. Many of the places one went then, I've not managed to go again since, like the Chennai museum, zoo, snake park, the new light house ( Cheenappa took us to the top before it opened and got fitted out), VIP golden beach, St.Thomas Mount.. Many of these are still great destinations but they compete poorly with the malls and multiplexes today.  

But all those years as we grew up the variety we had every summer never made us realise that it has such a scorching summer. It was pure fun that made us chill out... 

ps: there is unimaginable fun here, no pics for this blog