A Tea Lover's Pursuit

I landed in Chennai after a long flight from Australia, my first leisure trip so far away from home. The first in my list of things to do in Chennai was to get a cup of 'tea'. I've read about the culture it beholds to the Tamil people, though tea is of Chinese origin. I worked my way out of the airport after collecting my backpacks, shouldering one behind and the other in front. The first thing that stood out was how colourful and dynamic the people were. In a moment I was able to come across all the shades ever known to man. Not only were their clothes so vibrant, they themselves were. The entire scene unfolding in front of me was as if I'd been transported to a whole new world! One man, whom I found interesting was wearing a piece of clothing that was pure white and went all around his waistline -I believe it's called a veshti- with a white shirt that went well with his lower garment. He even had a spread of white ash across the length of his forehead. Pretty white loving I guess he was. The lady beside him was draped in a saree -I had done my research before arrival- which was on the complete extreme of the spectrum, as she was as vibrant as the morning sun, with the colours of orange and yellow being of prime importance in her attire. I guess they were a couple from how they interacted, but wasn't sure as they kept their distance from one another, a sight pretty rare back home. I moved onwards, to get a cup of tea as tea is the thing for Chennaiites, I heard.

I walked up to the taxi stand, where stood a driver, a good-looking male in a formal attire of pant and shirt, in his forties, sporting a rather flamboyant looking moustache. In the best possible language I knew, I said to him 'Good morning, anna. Can you take me to a tea shop?'

"Good morning thambi, It's right by the airport metro station, just a minute's walk from here. I don't want to fish off your money." said the driver with a charming smile across his face.

Taken aback by his perfect language, I said, "Oh god! Anna, where did you learn such good English?" He giggled and replied, "A friendly American tourist befriended me and by the time he left Chennai, I was able to communicate quite well. He even made sure I didn't lack with the reading part. Guess he was a good chap."

"Oh, he sure was! I'm Luke, Happy to have met you anna."

"I'm Sakthivel, you can call me Sakthi, and the pleasure is mine."

I thanked him for the time spent and exchanged contact details. Who would not want such a person to take you around the city? At once I made my way to the tea shop, desperate to get my hands on the local delicacy. As I made my way down the path as instructed by Sakthi anna, I found out the India portrayed by the western media was a complete opposite to what it really was. The people seemed humble and helpful, furthermore, the city seemed as lively as a city could be. Life in India is surely different from the one back home. From what I heard from one of my Indian colleagues, Indians never forget their roots and culture and it is of utmost importance to them. Ever since I landed in Chennai, I can surely see the culture radiate through the people and the city as a whole. Again, something not often found back home.

I had reached the entrance of the metro station, and was looking around as to where the tea stall was, when I heard a deep voice reverberate behind me.

"Looking for something, bro?"

A young lad in his early twenties, came up to me, figuring out from my demeanor that I was lost. He had lush long hair with a trimmed beard, and was a whole three inches taller than me! He wore a baggy pair of jeans with a loose t-shirt which didn't do much to hide his impressive physique. In spite of his dashing being, he seemed like a friendly chap.

"Ah...yes, my man, I actually am. I'm searching for a tea shop, I heard there was one here." I said, trying to lure him into helping a lost foreigner.

"Well actually, it's on the other extreme of the station. That's where all the food outlets are."