Cricket Cricket Cricket Everywhere Everytime

Cricket, the only game we have played it in every possible ways and in every possible places. Every person who plays cricket must have been to many places in and out of his area. And, I have been to so many places and met so many people.

It all started inside my home with my dad's brother when I was 2nd or 3rd standard. He is the one who introduced cricket to me and I still remember my first 'Power' bat my dad bought me.

Then, started playing with my friends in front space of my house and almost every house in that street. Each house has its own rules for getting out and scoring runs. One pitch with one hand, leaving the ball thrice consecutively, of course if you hit out of the wall, etc., all counted as wicket. Then, whole Perur will assemble in a school near my home to play cricket on all holidays. Even within that school we have many complex rules and it will be crowded always. Like Cricinfo updating score for any match at any given time, there will be some group playing there always.

Then we formed a team and started playing matches for some prize amount with other area guys. We formed, reformed again and again many times. I lost the count on number of times we have formed  a team. We moved to actual grounds as well, even though it was not so big. We all moved from Rubber ball and Tennis ball to Cork Ball.

Between all these, we used to play Top at a particular season every year. Everyone will forget cricket for few days and will be busy spinning tops. No one knows the exact month, but the whole area will be playing for few days. I still don't know who decides the season. Nowadays I don't even see anyone playing that, it's even hard to see a Top.

We played inside my friend's home with Smiley balls, at the roof top of my friends houses with plastic balls. Even with a Hammer instead of a bat sometimes with my friend, also with badminton racquet and shuttlecock instead of bat and ball. With our tuition note and paper ball on a rainy day and caught by our tuition master for playing inside the tuition center. Traveling in a minidor vehicle to the grounds because our team captain owned one, but the opposite teams were like "So you guys added a minidor driver into your team to make a playing eleven" :). During college days used to visit hostel to play cricket daily even bunked classes to play cricket. And, there was a rivalry between our IT and CT department.

At one point wherever we play cricket we will be interrupted by someone from that area and stop us from playing cricket. Some old lady or old man will come shouting towards us and we will stop playing in that ground. After joining a company I didn't play much. For a few days before coming to Chennai we were playing early morning. And, started playing in my new room also in front of our itself as usual with some bizarre rules. That too stopped now.

It's been a while since I played cricket. It happens always, but somehow I will play again. Playing cricket is always fun and have given so many sweet memories.  I have mentioned only few places here and type of cricket we played here. We have played in many other places in many different styles. Even had many fights and arguments within our friends. I think everyone who plays cricket must have done many of these, playing in bizarre places with bizarre rules, nothing can beat the fun it gives.

My one-year in Chennai

Chennai na Central thana kattanum :)

Its been a year in Chennai, moreover its one-year away from Coimbatore for the first time. This one-year was good, new place, new job, new friends, new lifestyle, so many things have changed this year except a few.

First of all, as everyone warned me, Chennai was too hot. Yes it was, but last few months the weather was as good as it's in Coimbatore, really. And, of course very less power cuts compared to any other place in Tamil Nadu :).

When you are out of your home you have to pay for everything even for drinking water, thank god air is still free :). And, have to wash my clothes, which is the toughest job being alone this year. Then, booking tickets in IRCTC to go home is always a war and if it's a Tatkal its always mission impossible. I have even managed my comments to get published in cricinfo twice, but I am yet to book one Tatkal ticket successfully.

Lessons learned here, nobody ever obeys the signal, never ride back or close to a share auto they will take a left or right or halt or even turn it 90 degrees suddenly, never buy popcorn in any cinemas you will end up spending more than the ticket price, don't park your bike in shopping malls parking you will regret while paying during the exit, you may start early or late, but you will never reach your destination on time, and as we see in movies none of the auto drivers scold others 'saavu giraki' haven't seen anyone using that word yet.

My new job and office was too good compared to last two years at my old job. No need to wear formals, so jeans and round neck tees are my regular outfit daily. I really like working here so one big good plus for me after moving to Chennai. I didn't have a single night-out in office which was very rare to me, leave alone night-out, I haven't stayed beyond 7pm at my office. Still I have two complaints, first, I have office on Saturday, I am still getting adjusted to it even after a year. Second, not even a single girl in my office (why god why).

My room's located in a good place, 2kms to my office, 1.5kms to the beach (Thiruvanmiyur) and less than 3kms to a theater (S2 Cinemas). What else I can ask for I don't have to get struck in Chennai's traffic mostly. So many different roommates within this year, played cricket, rummy, cooked, watched cricket, movies with them, its good to be with roomies away from home. But still I miss my mami's filter coffee in the morning.

I have visited few malls in Chennai, City Center, SkyWalk,  EA, etc. And, cinemas Satyam, Escape, PVR, Mayajaal, Inox, AGS. Whenver I visited Chennai before I tried to watch a movie in Satyam and I never did, finally I saw many movies there this year, finally its out of my bucket list. Spotted few celebs, Actors Naren, Vishal, Premji, Directors Venkat Prabhu, Karu Palaniappan. And, Sarathkumar and Raadhika, they are our neighbors :).  Visited Chennai Book Fair this year, I was only reading about it every year in Vikatan and Kumudham, it was good to be in there finally. Then, to Chepauk twice, first for a CCL match then for CSK vs MI. So many other places in Chennai are pending.

After coming here, started watching more movies and series in laptop and at least one movie in theater every week. Started this blog. Got a lot of time to read books. It's been a good one-year. Chennai is a good place to stay, despite the weather and traffic not as bad as everyone warns you, but Coimbatore is always better.