Decor from terracotta; the baked earth

                          Less space and more of innovative ideas is the new on-going trend in the city and the terracotta curios are one such among them. Grooming home with suitable and creative decorative is a challenge for loads as the space is petite. Interior decoration is not just playing around plentiful living space/garden; it’s all about creating a heaven in the world we stay. It’s not that only who have abundant space in and around have the freedom to decorate. Tiny or outsized spaces, however it is can be decorated as you desire and prefer. Creativity is not only at showrooms that have a/c’s and closed walls with ambience, but they are also on streets that we pass each and every day. The difference is that creativity in showroom is costlier and the one we talk which is on the normal roads are at nominal rates.

                          One such on-road showroom is been from back many years ago that many failed to spot is on the Kodambakkam High Road. The road that leads to Valluvar kottam from Kodambakkam Bridge is where the entire stretch of the road is completely covered with these earthen hues. There are many shops having different curios from one another. They make the entire road look totally adorned with imaginable designs from pots to figurines.  

                         There are lot of curios which includes painted pots, wind chimes/laughing Buddha - objects of “Vaastu Shaastra”, God figurines, thulasi maadam’s, lamps and deepam’s in assorted designs and many earthenware’s. Tandoor Ovens (for cooking smoked foods) are also added to the list of terracotta in their shops. The curios cost from a range of Rs. 20 to how much ever you can afford for the curio. “The chief enemy of creativity is ‘good’ sense”; said by Pablo Picasso, just like people enter only the artefact showrooms where the creativity is let down. The hi-fi showrooms fix the price for the artefacts even for the A/c’s electricity bill, where these road-side shopping allows you to bargain. Adorned curios with hues to decorate home are easy and affordable for all who want to treat their home with creativity. The best place to afford adorned conceivable for the home is Kodambakkam High Road. Creativity has neither end nor particular place to showcase, be it road-side shop or huge showrooms.

Delicate delights for the Chennaities

                       Deep passion for cakes and bakes is new in our city. One such are the cute little cupcakes have got a new stage for its show to begin. Chennai foodies are one of its best audiences to enjoy the fest. Chennai in 20^th century has loads of twist of tastes for the foodies. Cupcakes with zest, I still remember were we had hard small cakes sold in our neighbourhood bakeries with no toppings and not much of flavours. They were not much in fashion and only few like McRennet and small bakeries had those to sell. Tea time snacks in the early American days are the new trend in the cooking world and it has also been a stage for many young women who are for the game. The flavours of the bakes are wide enough that they overwhelm the Chennaities. Taste buds of the Chennai foodies have taken a tour to experience the cakes and bakes. It is the story of cakes and bakes that has made us get high in their enriched savour with no guilt to temptation. Blend of colours, flavours, toppings have been put into action in the cake family. Red velvet, vanilla, chocolate, black forest, lemon meringue, peanutbutter are some of the popular flavours of it which are decorated with icing. With those beautiful sprinkles, gum balls, fondant designs (which are the hard icing which is shaped, designed are carved and cut) are in trend.

                      Only few shops concentrated merely on cakes in Chennai, but who imagined that Chennai would have cupcake companies and dessert shops? Not all and sundry can bake, only the one knows the technique and the art of baking can make it up. And those with the awe-inspiring knack of baking have fashioned the hotspot among Chennaities. Cupcake Amor, the Cupcake Company, Snowflakes cupcake are among cupcake and dessert shops opened exclusively for nourishing your sweet tooth cravings. Right flavour in the right place is what they did to attain the position they are standing now. Undoubtedly it has become a fun element added to any event like birthday parties, get-togethers, weddings and corporate events. They have happened to be an exchange of sweets to the beloved ones.

                        The cakes and other bakes are customized with flavours of your choice and for many occasions. And one such who started this was Shitija Nahata; a women entrepreneur and successful owner of the “Cupcake Company” who has brought a transformation to Chennai foodies. Her passion and desire to her work has paid off with all the fame she has got through this. The success is back to front seen in the opening of her next stop at Bengaluru. She not only takes the pride of her success, but also shares her stage with many other women through workshops conducted by her.

                         List of women achievers in this baking field doesn’t stop here but where an M.B.A student, Ms.Thanuja Sindhia is one among the challenging young women entrepreneur who has entered this battle field of baking. She has started with testing measure at home to small orders for parties and get-together’s. Her creativity and passion has paved way to try more of baking by which she chose baking as a career. Asked about her inspiration, she says “I don’t have any inspiration as such, but the truth is that the love to eat desserts and cakes made me give it a shot. But when I started to bake, my friends and family remarks encouraged me to take it as my career”. It’s not just you learn and earn, but it takes a hell lot of time to showcase your stuff to the world. “There are no official promotions and I have secret plans than having a customary shops. Through the word-to-word orders alone, I am so much happy with the success. Everything needs to be given some valuable time, so I am giving it to my career too”, she said. “You must be the change you wish to see in the world” said by Mahatma Gandhi. So the changes that they given us and changes we accepted are changes that Chennai has seen. 

Colours that gratify your home

                                      Colours are life’s essential obsession; it is well proven by the colourful flowers that we see every day, the vivid birds, and also the dresses we wear. Colours are everywhere from the rainbow that comes-out after rain to the flowers that brighten the road-sides. Its essentiality is well seen in the black-and-white photographs to the recent colour photographs. Colours bring out the emotions be it happiness or anger, they bring changes in many ways.

                                       How many try choosing right colours for their home? How many know that even colours add extra quality and enhance characteristics to our home? Some colours add zest to life and give positive attitude where as some colours act the opposite way. Only few with the knowledge of Vaastu Shaastra are keen about the facts that each colour represents. Colours according to the Vaastu Shaastra bring balance to our mind and body with stimulating energy. But it’s not that only who knows Vaastu Shaastra can gain the harmonious surroundings that everyone needs; now everyone with passion to create a heaven at home has the freedom to play with colours to set a pleasant surrounding. The house-owners prefer prosperity and harmonious surrounding to their home and such thing that people desire is explained here after going through a lot of research.

                                  When painting rooms, it is important to keep few points in mind, before deciding on colours. Light colours and warm colours are to be differentiated before they are painted. From the daylight room gets to which direction the room faces.  Shades of blue are always referred as cool shade where people often feel cold, whereas the red shades denote warmth. The rooms that get poor daylight are good to be painted with light shades, whereas the rooms that get straight daylight are prudent to paint the walls with peach or yellow. The rooms that get abundant of natural light throughout the day is advisable to paint in deep colours and the ceilings are always good to be in white as their temperature is to be less than the human body temperature. The energy flow in related area for the individual can be embarrassed and enhanced through Vaastu colours. Orange encourages happiness, optimism, healthy relationships, and much more. Subtle shades of orange are one of the best Vaastu colours for homes and can be used anywhere.

                                    For Living room yellow, blue, green and beige are finest colours as they are pleasant for guests. Kitchen: White is the best colour and White or blue are suitable for walls and flooring. Yellow, orange and tinge of red colour depicting the fire for kitchen. Dining Room: The Pink, green and blue colours are good as this place needs to be painted in refreshing colours for the family eats. Avoiding black and white or mixture of black and white is better. Pooja room: Yellow signifies wisdom and patience. Apart from this, yellow is also auspicious for ‘Pooja’ rooms. Study room: To improve concentration and for pleasantness opt for green, which also improve memory. Green symbolizes hope. It offers healing, harmony, and a good atmosphere. Bedrooms: Blue is the colour of spring, and new beginnings. This shade is excellent for bedrooms and meditation rooms. Light colours are suitable for bed rooms to tranquil and induce good sleep. Bath room: It can be of white or a mix of black and white or gray colours. Pink and other pastel colours are also good. “Colours, like features, follow the changes of the emotions” – Pablo Picasso. The colour that we use helps us to enhance the emotions and brings a harmonious and energetic surrounding.    

Off-stage - Life of a Dancer

                             Colours that we see aren’t the colour they are. The struggles faced by them are covered up by the colours they wear. Stylish moves, funky clothes, vibrant shoes are the other name of the dancer’s today. When they walk down the streets, their appearance takes all the attention. They look cool and funky but than any other professional’s, dancers have some serious job to do. They rock the floor, entertain people to the fullest, and they create throb in many young dancers. People think that they don’t have any commitment towards their own life, and they are the persons with low society profile compared to any other professions. People think that dancers are hopeless and just one more Roadside Romeo.

                         People don’t accept dancers into their society or family. They see them like Martians on earth, but still don’t give them the right to live a normal life. They have style, look, passion, hard work and everything that a dancer need. Is that all they need? All that they have is the secondary need for a person to be a dancer, but what about the primary needs? Do they have all the basic things they deserve for all the hard work they put in? No, they do indeed need a life with a better status. No proper 3 meal-a-day , room that is shared by more than what the room can hold, sometimes they take the floors to sleep after their hard work routines, dancers pushed to ground, less opportunities, rivalry within them to reach the road of success, is how they live in a actual life.

                           Many dancers come from other town to achieve some heights and taste the flavour of success, were only few take that opportunity. Not everyone who has entered into dancing has attained heights than talent; people are to tag by well-known reference. Dancers who have real talent are still unrecognized as they don’t have influential background or powerful reference. The career chose by them, aren’t the career their parents want them to be in. Mr.Arun Kumar - a Professional Dancer and Choreographer is one such among them, who came from Pollachi to Chennai. The profession that he chose is not related to the degree that he holds, but still he has been strong in this field for past 5years. Though he hasn’t been in the recognizing list of dancers, his work has made a lot to talk about him. He had no knowledge when he entered this field, but to support his family he came all the way to Chennai. He learned to dance, he trained himself, achieved few heights, choreographed for many star events to normal college events. He says, “When I entered this field, my mom refused to tell my neighbours where I worked. She felt ashamed of my profession and told my neighbours that I worked in some IT company”. The struggle that he has faced is what a dancer faces in all his stages of growth to success. When asked about how and what he feels about dance, he said; “I don’t “dance” to make money I want to make “money” to dance”. The word ‘struggle’ has become a habit, so it never hurts me much. I can live without food, but not without dance”.

                             The ground is clean and many have taken the dancers to heights that they have never imagined. The time to showcase their talent has increased in the present, where many have come forward. But is media giving a hope to all dancers? Not every dancer get what they want, their talent is chased down by beast called “money”. One can’t teach someone to become a dancer; it’s their interest which makes them a prominent dancer. Only one percent of these dancers get success from media. But media is not looking for talented dancers they are looking for dancers with good look with less dancing technique. Than focusing on the talent that they have, media is keen on the emotional portion to cover up the audience towards them. Professional’s have to be judged by professional dancer and not by everyone. Many professional dancers have lost their hope, but still nothing changed their spirit they still step into their shoes to dance and make a world a better place for them. Though they suffer the pain they go through, they enjoy it and love to dance till the last beat of their life. It’s time for people to respect them and their efforts, where even dancing is a profession with more care than any other.

“ LEGEND MAY DIE; BUT DANCE WON’T ”