Comments | deponti: AchAri in Chennai

deponti

AchAri in Chennai

Nov 30, 2009 10:06

In the heart of

Mylapore

past

Luz

connecting North Mada (mAdA) Street and

Katcheri Road is a small street...lane...called "Maddala )Narayanan Street" (maddaLa nArAyaNan ( Read more... )

photography, actor, movie, chennai, life, jewellery, social customs, nostalgia

Comments 19

Way Cool anonymous November 30 2009, 05:16:38 UTC

Craftsmen of the old days ..I still got an emerald ring set in front of me in the 'Thinnai'

Memories of MMI listening to ..
Eppo Varuvaro; Vellai Thamirai Poouvil Iruppal..

U no me

Re: Way Cool deponti November 30 2009, 07:28:22 UTC

Er, I still don't know you....could you introduce yourself please!

Re: Way Cool deponti November 30 2009, 07:29:00 UTC

And also listen to sarasa sAmadAna and the Note... :)

debbieann November 30 2009, 06:41:36 UTC

wow, great to see this, hard to imagine working in such a small space day after day. so when you went to collect it, everything was ready? what is the small shiny pot on the desk? do you think his father did the same job in the same place?

debbieann November 30 2009, 06:45:10 UTC

I love showing photos like this to my friends here, because I think if you haven't been there, you just don't see this.

deponti November 30 2009, 07:29:57 UTC

Oh, yes, this is not what you see on the tourist brochures!

deponti November 30 2009, 07:29:34 UTC

The shiny pot holds drinking water. :)

Hmm...I forgot to ask about his father, will do so next time!

asakiyume November 30 2009, 12:18:57 UTC

Oh Deepa!! Thanks so much for this! Thanks so much for explaining everything, too! You are making me love India so much.

(But you will never persuade me of the joys of bargaining. Oh man, I hate it so much... well, maybe I shouldn't say you will never persuade me... but between fearing that I'll deprive someone of the money they deserve on the one hand or be cheated myself on the other.... Gah!)

I love-love-love the photo behind the cut, too. Just love.

deponti November 30 2009, 12:36:35 UTC

There are places and situations where I *like* bargaining and places where I don't WANT to. It's a complicated thing...in many places and situations, it's as much a social interaction as a practice....it takes YEARS to know when it can be done, how much can be bargained...it's the equivalent of the Japanese art of bowing, A, which outsiders will never get!

asakiyume November 30 2009, 12:47:37 UTC

You'll have to tell me more about it one day--I'm interested that for you too, there are times when it's a pleasure and times when it's not. (That actually helps me understand better. I think I might not mind bargaining if the thing was not of great consequence...)

suzan_s November 30 2009, 14:58:27 UTC

It's so interesting to learn about your country through your journal. Wonderful photos and great story. It reminds me people who have their studios in their homes....far cry from the Mall atmosphere....but not quite the charm level as Sri T G Achari's shop.

deponti November 30 2009, 16:26:21 UTC

Oh, that shop won't be so charming when summer comes and the streets bake in 43 deg weather! But he's survived....

debbieann November 30 2009, 19:06:10 UTC

I couldn't even sit on the floor like that all day.

deponti December 1 2009, 02:12:10 UTC

Oh, that's just conditioning, Debbie! Having learnt Carnatic music for a long time, I can still sit on the floor for hours...but most of my students can't!

This led to a hilarious incident. One concert hall where I used to ask my students to go to regularly to listen to concerts, had a few rows of chairs at the sides, but latecomers had to sit on the floor and listen.

The convener of the series was very impressed, and told me, "Your students are SO keen on the music, they arrive way ahead of everyone else!" I couldn't tell him that that they were doing that to ensure that they got the chairs!