Can you believe I've spent over a month here in Chennai? Here's my life update:
✨What I'm Wearing
After numerous visits to the tailor, I received my handmade kurtas with intricate hand-embroidered fabric as well as bold, floral-printed trousers. I typically opt for minimalistic greys, blacks, and navy blues for work attire, but I feel like India has inspired me to explore bolder, more vibrant colors and patterns outside of my usual style.
✨What I'm Eating
Adjusting to cooking with ingredients in India has been a learning curve. Having to bleach wash vegetables and learning to cook with unfamiliar ingredients have presented challenges, but I've been trying to embrace and experiment with cooking here.
Here are some dishes I've tried so far
Toast with ham and egg, sweet potatoes, and a yogurt bowl
Korean street toast sandwich with bacon on the side
Chicken katsu accompanied by macaroni salad, curry, and miso soup
Omurice+ leftover chicken katsu
On days when cooking feels daunting (and I'm feeling lazy), I resort to ordering food via delivery, such as the chicken combo thali from Anu's Punjabi Dhaba shown below.
✨What I'm doing over the Weekend
Chennai may not be as bustling as Mumbai or New Delhi, but it still offers its own charm and attractions. During my time here, I've explored a nearby temple, caught a screening of Dune 2 at the movie theater, attended yoga lessons, and wandered through the two big malls here - Phoenix Mall and Express Avenue. Fun fact: all movies screened in India have an intermission, which means while you're watching the movie, halfway through it will cut to a black screen, and everyone gets a bathroom break for something like 15-30min. It was quite bizarre to me, but I guess there is a logic to it.
The other day, I was walking through Phoenix Mall, the biggest mall here in Chennai with multiple floors of stores, shops, kiosks, and restaurants, and I have to say I was equally amused and horrified to see Hitler's Mein Kampf displayed next to Atomic Habits and Elon Musk in the bookstore. It sort of worries me that there is an actual demand for reprints of this book in 2024... yikes.
Lastly, tell me the sculpture above is not the creepiest art you've ever seen in your life? I'm terrified it will show up in my nightmares🤣
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