ISSUE 01 JANUARY 2014
Traditional vs Modern p10 Bra Code:
Never let me go! p4
Editor’s Note
‘Filter coffee evlo, Anna?’ Padunnanj (Fifteen). COFFEEUbiquitous and undeniably a first-rate invention. Our kooky yet dexterous team brings to you, it’s latest version of LIFE 360. This current issue will satisfy your dynamic and curious minds, inform you about the city’s coffee culture and teach you to enjoy the good things in life- on a budget. Guidance. The land of temples and fluffy white idlis has more to offer, besides the stereotypes it is known for. With 2014 underway, I am sure many of us have taken bizzare vows of different shades and shapes- learn a language, quit smoking, hit the gym or the crazy ones resolving to having a threesome this year (Don’t roll your eyes! I am not making it up. I happen to know this screwball.) We at LIFE 360 take a vow to add sparkle to your reading. Workaholics living in this metropolitan, we know that caffeine is definitely the best motivator. Our writers bring to you a list of the best coffee places in the town. We give you, your well deserved coffee break.
contents 4 ARC
Bra Code: Catch a witty bra in conversation with our writer.
Trending: Find out about the latest craze- selfies. Geeko: Pranav Srivilasan reviews the latest in the tech world. In Brief: Breeze through the latest news in a nutshell, from around the city.
360 view: A sneak peek into the thoughts of Sree Veena Mani, a Kuchipudi dancer from the city.
6 FEATURE
Know your coffee An cheatsheet about yoour morning cup of coffee.
8 INTERSECTION
Read the cover story about two brewers catering to entirely different target customers
The word cappuccino comes from the resemblance of the drink to the clothing of the Capuchin monks.
9 FULL CIRCLE
Your monthly guide to the events, reviews of shows, movies, books
10 FEATURE
The Coffee Affair A look at three interesting, yet very different coffee joints in Chennai.
Contributors
Editor-in-Chief Pranav Srvilasan
Editors Vidya S and Priya Prasad
Feature writers Neha Gupta, Amrita Kundu, priya Prasad, Akshita Khosla,Aditi Malewar, Vidya S, Pranav Srivilasan Photo Editor Akshita Khosla
Design Vidya S & Priya Prasad
Cover illustration by Payal Arora Tumblr page life360team2.tumblr.com
4
What should be done if you aren’t pushy or supportive anymore?
Are you asking me what you could do with an ‘old bra’? Well, use me as a knee pad or a gas mask perhaps.
Would you call yourself an allrounder?
Don’t you feel insecure if your owner takes you off at night?
YES, ofcourse. I am lacy, I am supportive and I come in different sizes and colours. Most importantly, I have a ‘sports version’ damn it!
INSECURE? It is heart breaking. But then, it will be worse if someone does not wear me because of masectomy. Can you be dangerous or tough on people in any way? Ask the guys. They will tell you about their struggless with my straps.
Why do they call you ‘Wonder Bra’?
bra code
That’s maybe because when you take me off, one might wonder where the boobs went! aster BRA-S he gym?
to t Going s bra? Let ’s rt o ? p n s i nc No it-bou keep- at all. Wear ol Not co over, don’t your c em roll. let th
Witty, sarcastic, smart, sexy. No, I am not talking about some person. Infact, I’m not talking at all. Here is a quick interview with a ‘BRA’, as she decides to open up with Akshita Khosla.
trending
Selfies sent in by readers
Selfies Short for self-camera, the crowd is going bonkers over ‘selfies’. Duck faced chicks, deep-cut backs, new haircuts: you take a selfie for everything. Selfieism is now a disease. Au Naturale Chennai’s finest one-stop retail store for organic products. A must go-to-place for nature lovers.
Hectic party-hopping With Taj’s Blend and ladies night’s at Ten Downing Street and Dublin, the city’s culture is on a roll. The Chennai youth is following the ‘Work hard, Party Harder’ motto.
Girls partying at Dublin
geeko
5
Looking to buy a new smartphone?
With the new year, we’ve checked out a couple of the best options for a new phone for the tech-savvy and the not-so-tech-savvy alike.
At the higher end, there is the Nexus 5 from Google. The price ranges from about Rs. 26,000 to 29,000 for the model with 16 GB of memory and an upgrade to 32 GB will cost you around another 4,000. A bit steep, but it gets you a beautiful full HD 4.95-inch screen, an 8-megapixel camera (and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera), and one of the most powerful quad-core mobile processors on the market. Additionally, since the phone is sold directly by Google, it will be one of the first to be updated to the latest and cleanest version of Android.
in brief Politics
Facebook increasingly popular in politics Source: Times of India The Tamil Nadu election department has created a Facebook page to bring about awareness among the public, especially youth, about elections. It has also been organizing street plays, skits, rallies, etc. for the same. The department has partnered with two NGOs for its social media awareness.
Sports
New sports complex coming up Source: The Hindu An integrated sports complex has been planned forChennai. The estimated amount sanctioned by the government is Rs.12crore. The proposed complex would have squash, badminton, volleyball and football courts. The government plans on coming up with three more such centres in Erode, Tiruneveli and Srirangam.
Business
Centre to develop National Waterway in Chennai Source: Business Standard National Waterway-four (NW-4) is to be constructed between Sholinganallur and Kalpakkam in South Buckingham Canal. It covers a length of 1,078km consisting of Kakinada-Puducherry canal systems integrated with Godavari and Krishna Rivers. The development of South Buckingham Canal can also improve the drainage system during flood season in Chennai city. In-general
City
New members in Vandalur zoo Source: In Vandalur, two eggs of Ostriches hatched naturally. The female ostrich laid 6 eggs. In Vandalur so far there have been 13 ostrich chicks born through natural process. These flightless birds from South Africa have been breeding here , unlike other zoos in the city.
(left) Google Nexus 5 and (right)Micromax Canvas Turbo
360 view
One of the highlights of Chennai is that it is steeped in culture. Ask around and you will find many who practice some form of Indian classical dance or are trained Carnatic singers. Any magazine on Chennai would be incomplete without a mention of this tradition. Veena Mani is perhaps one of the youngest Kuchipudi dancers. In conversation with Priya Prasad, she tells us all about her passion for this classical dance form.
Why Kuchipudi? I started when I was six and I knew nothing about dance forms then. The guru I started learning from lived in the same area as me. Whenever she took classes, I would hear the girls dance and that always attracted me. So I went there, said I want to do this. Initially, when I started off, I knew nothing about the significance and symbolism of these dance forms. It was only after many years of practising that I understood the difference be-
tween Kuchipudi and Bharatnatyam. When I started learning the intricacies of Kuchipudi, I felt I was made for this. If I have to perform something then it is Kuchipudi. I cannot connect with any other dance form.
Can you tell us about the style you practise? I have learned the Vempati Chinna Satyam style who was my guru’s guru. His version of Kuchipudi is the purest form. When he started choreographing, he transformed the entire tradition to adapt it to women. How popular is Kuchipudi? Besides Chennai, you will find Kuchipudi dancers in Kerala and Karnataka. In the US in fact it is said that every road has at least one Kuchipudi dancer. Originally it is from Andhra. There is a village called Kuchipudi from where it originated. Photo: Sree Veena Mani
For the more budget-conscious buyer, it might be better to go for the Micromax Canvas Turbo from Micromax, which retails for around Rs. 16,000 with 16 GB of memory. It totes a 5-inch full HD screen and a 13-megapixel camera, too. You lose out on screen quality and processing power, though. Also, build quality in general won’t match the level of a phone like the Nexus 5.
know your coffee 6
Go any place around the world and you are sure to run into a coffee shop. While in some countries, coffee is traditionally drunk at a social gathering, in others it is drunk as an energy boost for the day. And we Chennaiites, famously, cannot do without our morning cuppa. Priya P and Vidya S bring you an overview about this ‘morning elixir’. Photos by Priya P and Akshita Khosla
L
atte, macchiato, cappuccino, espresso. Enter any coffee shop and these are the first options you are presented with when you place your order. Have you ever wondered what differentiates a cappuccino from a macchiato? S. K. Samy from Costa Coffee, Elliot’s Beach, Chennai provides a run down of the differences: Espresso is black coffee without milk, which is very strong. This is meant only for foreigners because it’s high caffeine concentration. Ristretto is a 15s, 20 ml brew. It is stronger than an espresso which is 20sec, 30 ml. Only a dollop of milk is added in a Macchiato. An Americano comprises one third of water in espresso. The famous Cappuccino comes with one third of milk. In the Americano and Cappuccino, only water and milk is used. Latte is light coffee with 90% milk. Coffee is sourced from two types of beans— Arabica and Robusta. “At Costa’s, we use both the Robusta and Arabica varieties in a 6:1 ratio, where six is Arabica and 1 is Robusta. Robusta is very expensive and is available only in Italy. The bean is identified by an S-shaped indented line running deep in the middle of the bean,” says Samy. He further adds that the other brands, Barista and Café Coffee Day use only Arabica beans. Samy says that the Cappuccino is the signature drink of Costa’s. “In terms of taste of the cappuccino, Costa’s is number one in India and number two in the world after Starbucks,” he adds.
Two kick-ass coffee recipes for you try at home suggested by Namrata Ganguly and Barista Lavazza
Barrista Blast- Signature drink Ingredients: 30 ml Espresso 60 ml milk Three scoops vanilla ice cream 30 ml chocolate 30 gm whipped cream Method: Add espresso, milk and chocolate in blender. Mix well. Pour in glass. Add three scoops of ice cream and top with whipped cream. Garnish with coffee powder.
Cinnamon Blast Ingredients: -Mild to strong Arabica ground coffee beans (1 or 1.5 scoop) -French press, -Boiling water (3/4 cup) -Hot milk (1/4 cup) -Demerara brown sugar (1.5 tbsp) -Large pinch of cinnamon powder Method: Put the coffee and cinnamon in the French press, pour a little boiling water just to dampen the mixture and give it swirl so that you can smell the aroma. Wait for 30 seconds. This first step is key. After that, add the remaining water. Place the plunger buy don’t press down. Wait for about 3 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile add the sugar and milk to your cup and stir rill granules dissolve. Check if the coffee beans have settled to the bottom. Then push the plunger all the way down to separate the coffee beans from liquor. If there is some resistance, wait a bit, once done, add the liquor to your cup. Stir. If you like it steaming hot, zap it in the microwave for 20 seconds on full.
Trivia: Coffee is the second largest traded commodity in the world, after oil.In Africa coffee beans are soaked in water mixed with spices and served as candy to chew.
7
Coffee and You
In their book, ‘The You Code: What your habits say about you’, Judi James and James Moore take a hard look at body language, linking it even to coffee. So what type of coffee you drink depends on the kind of person you are. Espresso You are all about work hard, party harder. Being the life and soul of a party and are just looking to have a good time, but you can have your bouts of moodiness. You are charismatic, experienced and a smooth talker.
Latte You put others before yourself and go out of the way to make them happy. You hate to pick between two and given a chance would love for someone else to do it for you. You believe in relishing things and have a laid-back attitude. You like pondering over the meaning of life while drinking your coffee. With a calm demeanour you are an excellent support in all your personal relationships. You plonked half your monthly salary to buy both dresses simply because you couldn’t choose.
Mocha You are an incurable romantic and are extremely insightful. Although you are very affectionate and compassionate, you take a step back when it comes to committing to a relationship. Nora Roberts, Danielle Steel and Twilight dominate your collection but your relationships have not lasted as long as some of the movies you own.
Cappuccino You are extremely likeable, extroverted and optimistic. Your honest and motivated nature wins you a lot of friends but your creative streak has you associating with only the imaginative spirits among them. But details bore you to death. Instant coffee drinkers You are a cheerful, straightforward person who likes a good laugh and is easy-going. Not one for adrenalin-rushes, you like to keep your socks on during sex.
Decaf soy milk You are all about details and love fussing over your choices. Attention-loving, you can get squeamish if things don’t go your way. Self-righteous is a term that people often use to describe you. When you are out for lunch you insist on having water that is tepid, not warm or cool or even lukewarm, but tepid.
Frappuccino You are fashionable and are always up for something new. Your courageousness also twins with your adventurous streak to lead you to new and often wonderful experiences in life. But your ‘style over substance’ attitude doesn’t keep you hooked to anything for a long time and you get bored easily. If it were not for you, retail sector would suffer a hit! And you sincerely believe that the phone you bought two months ago is old.
Trivia: • Both the American Revolution and the French Revolution were plotted in coffee houses. And the French philosopher Voltaire is said to have drunk 50 cups of coffee every day.
intersection
8
Chennai (and Tamil Nadu in general) is famed for traditional South Indian filter coffee. But a host of coffee chains are also popping up and gaining popularity in the city quickly blossoming into a cosmo. Team Life 360 went behind the counters of two popular coffee spots in the city to find out what’s boiling in their pots. Pranav Srivilasan and Amrita Kundu talk to brewers at Hot Chips and Costa Coffee to get the latest.
What type of coffee do you serve? We only serve the traditional form of Madras filter coffee. We use newer machines to make it, h but it still follows the Lokes Chef ad He old process. Hot Chips, Adyar
Where do you source your coffee from? We get it from a dealer based in Bangalore. [Peaberry coffee beans are preferred for South Indian filter coffee] How many people come every day? About 1000 to 1500 a day on average.
What sort of clientele do you get? We get all sorts of people, mostly working-class people. We get a fair number of people in the early mornings. The evening is the peak time, after a lot of people get off work. Are you worried that the new international coffee chains would take away from your customer base? Not at all. The type of customer they aim at is different from us. For that matter, people who regularly go to those places would come to places like ours when they want a quick, cheap coffee.
What type of coffee do you serve? We serve seven different coffees, ranging from cappuccino and macchiato to espresso and Americano.
Where do you source your coffee from? All our coffee beans are shipped in from the UK. It’s the Costa Coffee blend of Arabica and Robusta beans in a 6:4 ratio. How many people come every day? We get maybe 600-700 customers in a day, and most of them come for the coffee. What sort of clientele do you get? We usually get a more sophisticated crowd. People who look for a more classy place to spend some time and relax.
Do people ask for filter coffee? Occasionally. We have been asked that by a few families that come, we offer them the cappucino instead since it’s similar to filter coffee.
Vibin Temporary Manager Costa Coffee, Elliot’s Beach
full circle The Wolf of Wall Street Starring: Leonardo diCaprio Director: Martin Scorsese Language: English Rating: 4.5 out of 5
The Wolf in question is Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), a man with aspirations higher than the sky. Sudden success as a stock broker contributes to Jordan’s interest in living life king size. He and his lousy business partners enjoy money, drugs and sex. But for him, a man’s best friend isn’t just greed, sex or drugs: it’s all of them in excess. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the role of a young, uncomplicated, ambitious, newly-married man from Bronx. His boss Mark Hanna, on first day of his first job at Wall Street, teaches him the formula to deal with stress: drugs and sex. This movie is a perfect example of traditional plot. The movie takes off in the beginning with his success, reaches a climax and goes down eventually with his downfall. Nudity and simulated sex, however, springs up every five to fifteen minute, which is fitting yet perhaps uncalled-for. DiCaprio’s acting and Scorsese’s direction create an interesting adaptation of the autobiography of Jordan
listings
Tamilnadu
Fitness
Cycling Club (TCC) will be conducting Criterium cycle race jointly with Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC) at the MMSC race track, Irungattukottai, Sriperumbudhur on Feb 16th 2014.
Series watch: Sherlock
With the latest season of BBC’s Sherlock, the producers seem to have focused more this season on the weaknesses and the more human side of the titular protagonist. The first of the three hour-and-a-half episodes, though, feels like it lacks the substance of the previous seasons, and that feeling sort of carries on throughout the season. It does pick up a bit by the third episode, but the plot twist at the end does seem a little contrived. Fans of the series so far might find themselves a little disappointed on the whole.
Book Pick
1. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It tells the story of a young Nigerian woman who emigrates to America for a university education. 2. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Dominican author Junot Díaz. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2008. The book deals explicitly with the author’s ancestral homeland's experience under Dictator Rafael Trujillo. 3. The Lowland by Jhuma Lahiri- Long listed for Man Booker Prize, it is a story of two brothers set across continents. Set in the background of Naxal uprising, makes a poignant read.
MustApps
Screenshot of ‘Pulse News’ app
Music
9
•Pulse News: One of the best news aggregator apps on the Play Store. •Google Keep: A note-keeping app that syncs seamlessly with your Google account. •TripAdvisor: The essential travel-planning application. •Paytm: A clean, speedy app to process your mobile and DTH recharges. •ES File Explorer: Manage and view all your files and folders in a user-friendly environment.
Concert by Anoushka Shankar at Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall, Chennai on 26th January, Sunday at 6pm.
Craft
Dastkari craft bazaar in Kalakshetra, thiruvanmiyur from 26 jan 2014 It is an exhibition of different forms of arts and crafts that will be presented by more than 100 craftsmen from all over the country. Folk music and dance performances will take place daily.
The Coffee Affair
Coffee shops are places that let you be yourself. With a little romance, a little reading and light music over coffee, one can be satisfied for life. By Akshita Khosla and Neha Gupta
Rayar Mess
Karpagambal Mess
Chennai’s romance with coffee is incomplete without mentioning the Mylai Sri Karpagambal Mess. Founded in 1955, Karpagambal Mess, also located in Mylapore, is a popular spot for coffee lovers. A 15 minute walk from Rayar’s mess brings us to this place for an affair with typical Tam-Bram (Tamil-Brahmin) food like Idly , Pongal , Vada , Dosa and of course, the ubiquitous filter ‘kaapi’. A huge black board greets us with the day’s menu and specials.
Unlike Rayar’s mess, Karpagambal Mess is a proper establishment with enough seating space and standardised hygiene. Rows of colourful delectable sweets sit on the counters and paintings of south Indian deities adorn the walls. The warm, welcoming fragrance of food is overwhelming, sharply cut by the bitter waft of filter coffee.
I
“As long as there was coffee in the world, how bad could things be?” - Cassandra Clare, City of Ashes
All photos by Ruchinka and Akshita Khosla
10
t is 6:45 in the morning and there is already a crowd of people flocking Rayar’s Mess, a small eating joint, tucked in one of the many streets of Mylapore. The restaurant which has four tables can accommodate only 16 people at a time is owned by P. Kumar and P. Mohan. “It has been around for about 70 years or so. We ourselves are not sure. Our grandfathers had started it,” they say.
In contrast to the extremely narrow path leading up to Rayar’s Café, now rechristened Rayar’s Mess, is flanked by tall buildings on either side. The cafe has received rave reviews and has garnered a loyal fan following. The menu is simple, with only Idli, Medhu Vada and Pongal accompa-
Only slightly pricey than Rayar Mess, it is still an inexpensive option compared to other south Indian joints. “Everything about this place screams Madras, the hot filter ‘kaapi’, antiquated interiors and the exotic scent of filtered coffee,” says Sindhu, a customer sipping on her coffee with a satisfied smile. “The city runs high on coffee,” she adds.
A meal for two here, on an average costs Rs 300. While the place underwent a renovation recently (with a new tiled interior that even manages to fit in a small AC! and sans the dingy dining hall lighting), it still retains its old-world charm when it comes to the food.
A must visit for its famous steaming hot pongal and filter coffee, one wouldn’t mind shelling out a little more than is actually needed now, would we?
nied by three colourful chutneys and the traditional fragrant Sambar. The transaction between the customer and the owner is one based on trust and there is no accounting for the number of Idlis consumed or cups of filter coffee downed.
To leave the mess without having tasted the famous filter kaapi would almost be sacrilegious. The coffee is served in a stainless steel tumbler kept in a small bowl or katori. “My daily breakfast is here. The Ghee idli with Coconut Paste and Sambar, Crispy Vada and Coffee at last is an all time favourite,” says Cilvin, a student at Anna University.
The only area where Rayar Mess lacks is the ambience and cleanliness. Though the taste and aroma of the food served seems to make up quite well for it. Your stay in Chennai is incomplete without having visited this place! So what are you waiting for? Go, order a Ghee Idli and a hot simmering cup of filter kaapi today!
11
Gloria Jean’s Coffee
Looking for the perfect weekend escapade in Chennai? Now get that perfect cup of vanilla latte or indulge yourself in the gooey goodness of the classic hot chocolate with a very marshmallow-y twist! With about 18 different types of coffee to satisfy your craving taste buds, the latest Gloria jean’s outlet has opened shop in Phoenix Mall, Velachery. A small kiosk, right next to the kids’ play zone, this proves to be just the place you are looking for, to kick your shoes off and sip on your coffee while reading that Agatha Christie you left one month back or that Oscar Wilde you always had your eyes on, but never got the time to read!
This small cozy outlet will welcome you with its delectable coffees, warm,
yellow lighting and mellow, brown walls.
“With only one person manning the place, the service provided is excellent! This is my fourth time here, and each time I’m greeted with a nice bright smile and bulldozed with options on my coffee choice. Blended or crushed, iced or steamed? It’s like my personal coffee paradise,” says Tamanna Adhikari, a student at NIFT, Chennai.
Gloria Jean’s is priced lower than its other counterparts like Barista or Costa Coffee, your average coffee costing Rs 120. Definitely a must-visit, you cannot afford to be in Chennai and not visit this particular outlet. Like ambrosia to your soul, the joys of coffee become manifold when combined with hours of shopping, don’t they?
The “Bean Belt” is the area between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn where ALL the coffee in the world is grown
n io t ic d d A a m o r A n A
d n a e v o l on s n u r e e e f My hom f o c f o s p u c g n stro
Spouses should be like coffee: warm, rich and able to keep you up all night
It’s the be
st thing y ou can ever have
Coffe e is a g to dri reat way nk m ilk t a s i t e g u o y e e f f e o m c o t h s e b e h T e k i l I . e e f f o c e k i l It’s not that I don’t tea better