All for a signed copy
Excited by the idea of getting an autograph from one of my favourite authors, I rushed to the queue. One look at the line snaking in three rows convinced me that Markus Zusak is a rage among teenagers in the city. “We are amazed,” says Pratibha, a college student and volunteer. Her friend Habiba is busy guiding people in the queue. “Zusak is so modest,” another girl tells her friend over the phone. “I am going to read all his other books!”, another makes a not-so-silent resolution in public, as she clicks a queue selfie. Two of their friends gate-crashed into the queue, and earned unpleasant looks. But, they ignore it. They have bigger worries — will they get the book signed or not?
Music in the air
People hopping from one venue to another, mothers manoeuvring children at the kids’ activity area and tired volunteers paused whatever they were doing as soon as the music started. Around 35 children of NalandaWay, dressed in parrot-green dhavanis and rainbow-coloured pavadais, were belting out a Pongal song. Everyone, including scholars and panellists, looked on endearingly, as the little ones recreated the festive mood with a cheerful “Pongal O Pongal!”
Green’s the way to go
After their book purchase, a few green lovers of the city were seen scouting for their favourite plant at the nursery counter put up by Isha Yoga Centre and Friends of Chennai, as part of Project Green Hands, a tree plantation drive to counter the loss of trees brought about by Vardah.
Senior citizens are like kids in a candy store in this section, filled with saplings. The volunteers distributed more than 2,000 saplings in the first two days alone, to about 500 people. Those picking them up (promising to tend to them rigorously for a year) included policemen, firefighters and school children. As three elderly men window shop for saplings, comparing the merits of a bright purple jacaranda against those of a sprightly guava, a nine-year-old earnestly registers himself at the counter. It’s difficult to tell who’s more excited.
Each bag, costing Rs.seven, was distributed for free at the venue. The plants had come all the way from Thiruvannamalai and complemented the colourful decor at the venue.
