Its the mother of all shows this evening...much awaited and much discussed. The 8th anniversary bash of Chennai Food Guide (CFG). What started as an Orkut group with foodies from the city getting together over hot kaapi and masale vades has grown into this gigantic Facebook (FB) group of nearly 8000 members, who are now regulars at the best fine dining restaurants in the city.
A flurry of events in the past year focussed on barbecues, biryani cookouts, baking workshops, cookery demos, blogger meetups, and exclusive fine dining tasting previews. The FB group and its members have found new careers in photography, blogging, writing and administrative management from what was essentially an idea to make new friends and bond over a bonda!
From being a passion, food has almost become an obsession. Knowledge and interest in food grew and today many of the members can narrate their dining experiences from around the world and rattle off stats on dairy, doughnuts and dum pukht. So much so that CFGians can even advise experienced chefs on the rights and wrongs on their plates after biting into their creations!
Today's anniversary party is going to be action-packed movie style, and as per the current trend - even Gangnam Style!! A food quiz, a standup act on what else but food fervour, and of course the piece de resistance -- a sumptuous many course meal are on the evening's agenda.
Some of the recent press coverage that CFG has recently received can be seen at this blog (Chennai Foodie), practically a food catalogue of the city's eating joints.
Rock on, CFG!! Totally looking forward to the food frenzy tonight -- laughter, games, shaking a leg, and of course the dinner :-)
So many events in town...its hard to keep up. Music, food, talks, crafts, exhibitions, cultural exchanges - Chennai has almost never had it so good. FB and Twitter are all agog with even more things to talk about, places to visit, stuff to do, what to bake and who to date! Or not!
In the earlier days of blogging, one was hard pressed to come up with stuff to write about. Blogging was more like journaling and many ended up switching to private or invite-only blogs since nobody wanted to be caught airing their rants, grievances and dirty linen in public. Particularly when your boss is looking over your shoulder. Sometimes, literally. Those blogging under a 'pen name' abounded. Secrets were spilled and guessing games were played. It was exciting and the focus was more on the wit, writing style, and that timeless and popular aspect - photos with visual appeal.
In current times, blogging has become the norm. Language, writing, grammar, and punctuation be damned. Spelling went out the cyber window long before, thanks to mobile phone speak.
Today, everyone has a blog or two. Or three. And then some more.
The whole world and its aunty and even the aunty's cat blogs these days.
One can either have a running theme like food, music, movies, fashion and photography - the most popular topics; or multiple blogs if you are a multi-faceted personality with many interests and passions to your credit.
Thanks to places in India and the world over becoming hipper and trendier by the minute, there's lots to say, write and do, wherever your wallet and backpack takes you.
Singara Chennai has been popping the champagne cork in all avenues in the past few years. It has become quite the happening city to live in - was and still is "Madras, Nalla Madras!". With no dearth of events every week, tons of malls sprouting up, magazines mushrooming by the month, I see myself juggling blogposts in the air!
What finally happens, we shall wait and see, and let it be :-)
