Looking back on Mad Rush WeekYet another successful edition of Madras Week has wound to a close and everyone is singing its praise. From Ambattur to Zion Colony, Madras Week is the buzz. The Man from Madras Musings also joins in this raucous chorus of joy.
MMM and his good lady (also known as She Who Must be Obeyed) did the rounds of the events and it must be acknowledged that the audience numbers are growing, year after year. While MMM restricted his role to chiefly gubernatorial tasks – shaking hands, smiling graciously and, if strictly demanded by duty, occasionally kissing babies – his good lady was more the careful observer and possessing as she does an eye like Mars, to threaten and command, little escaped her attention.
Chief among these was the behaviour of some of the people who came to eat at the lectures that ye olde journal Madras Musings organised. As to their eating habits and plate grabbing tactics MMM will say little, as he has waxed eloquent on the subject in the past to very little effect beyond a letter or two from irate readers who consider such mass feedings to be among the publication’s activities. If the highest in the land can offer subsidised food in their names, why can Madras Musings not give it free is their opinion. MMM does not wish to quarrel with them on this and respects them for their views.
But to get back to the point at issue, namely what the good lady saw. Hovering around the food riots that were happening at a venue, she found one attendee doing rather well with the liquid refreshments. And by that MMM does not mean the bar, for we at Madras Musings stay clear of the stuff that cheers, but plain water bottles. The hotel that hosted that evening’s programme had opted to put out bottled water instead of filling glasses and one of the guests had decided that this was where he should stock up a month’s supply. He was loading the bottles into a rather capacious bag while MMM’s good lady chanced upon him. Not a word was exchanged as MMM was later given to understand by those present, but such was the power of MMM’s good lady’s eye that the man meekly put all the bottles back on the rack and sauntered off, no doubt to focus on the knives and forks.
The next evening featured yet another event, at a different venue. This time, too, MMM and his good lady were in attendance. And this time, she caught another man, stuffing his bag with tea bags! These too were disgorged after the good lady had bestowed her X Ray vision on the modern day Raffles.
Sad though such occurrences are, MMM would go with the Chief’s point of view, namely that such events are organised for everyone, irrespective of their table manners, to participate and so it cannot be just for those who know how to behave like gentle folk. And let MMM tell you here that some of the latter too are not above helping themselves to a coaster or two when it takes their fancy.