Ranging from the latest in sports cars to glossy new shopping malls, Chennai has in the last 5 years woken up to the world outside filter coffee and masala dosai’s. Emerging from the shackles of its conservative past Chennai is transforming itself into a modern metropolitan city and in the process of re inventing itself. Thanks to the inflow of money and culture from outside, the city is going through a wave of change and constantly trying to strike a balance between its past and what’s coming in. In the process Chennai now takes more pride in associating itself with being the ‘Detroit of South Asia’ rather than being known for the marina beach. Companies such as BMW and Nokia have arrived in the city on a full scale to make use of the labor and work ethic of the people of the city. No wonder Chennai and India as a whole is the fastest growing mobile phone and services market in the world. Breaking away from being shy and reclusive people Chennaites now are now willing to go the extra step in welcoming outsiders and helping them have a good stay or making the city a good home. The city has surely benefitted from welcoming people not only from other parts of the country but also from Asia and the world. With Salsa meeting Bharathnatyam, masala dosai meeting cheese burger, Tamil meeting French etc., the city is at cross roads of culture and ideas and this has enriched the lives of the people.

However as the case of every other city, Chennai too has its own share of problems. Thanks to the rapid industrialization, there is a heavy influx of people and this has put tremendous pressure on the infrastructure of the city. Known to have a long history of water problems, the population explosion would certainly create an additional headache. Physical Chennai has failed to grow on par with ideological Chennai and this imbalance is threatening to ruin all the good work that the city is experiencing. Chennaites are today in a much better position financially to purchase a car or 2 wheeler. Thanks to this roads are getting ever smaller and the congestion is coming close to ruining the whole experience. Concept of peak time traffic is becoming obsolete thanks to the call center culture of the city. More people with more money and needs have thus been both a boon and bane of the city. Slowly the city is waking up to the need for newer and better infrastructure, though the solution in the name of cutting down trees and building flyovers could have been avoided. Coupled with vehicle exhaust and lesser trees the city’s air quality is at an all time low.

My decision to head to the US to continue my studies has of late made me see the city in a different way. I have started seeing as to what I would miss in the city rather than what is amiss. Chennai has been unique in the sense of retaining its cultural heritage rather than ignoring it for alien culture. Where else can a person have a choice of choosing between attending a rock concert and a classical kutchery? Where else can a person choose between almost all the cuisines of India and the world? Where else in the world would people go out and enjoy the food that they eat daily at their homes as in the case of hotels like Saravana Bhavan? It is this uniqueness that I would certainly miss and want to get back to once I complete my studies abroad.

Nothing is perfect and Chennai is certainly no exception. The city might be even more imperfect tomorrow but once we keep the demerits aside and look into the soul of the city, Chennai would certainly be city that would bring a smile on our faces.