When Do You Know You Are in Chennai?

1. When you come out into the street wishing to go back again, crumpled in heat, and find women dressed in heavy jewelries and exotic silk sarees in rich plum or maroon or green or purple scurrying past you unfledged by the heat. 2. When you see men wearing white shirt tucked into white dhotis with belts to keep it in place. 3. When you find at least one IT company office just two doors from yours. And when at least twenty of your neigbours are IT professionals. 4. When you can match your watch by the power cut timing. 5. When you can tell its Friday, by the sheer increase in number of women in office wearing Jasmine on their plaits. 6. When there are big share autos with two rows of seats at the back to embark you on a back breaking journey and small regular autos which are saviors if you are running late. 7. When people call anybody North Indian, if he/she is not from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka or Kerala. 8. When you go to a five star hotel, but still find Curd Rice and Pickle on the buffet. 9. When your shopping options are so less that every day you are bound to see at least one other “North Indian” girl in the cafeteria wearing the same kurta as you. 10. When you find girls looking down upon you when you recognize the Bombay Sapphire’s logo in an “Identify the Logo” game.Follow me.