Time flies when you’re having fun

Friday was a milestone of sorts for me, getting to be part of the Leather Show for the fifth consecutive year in a row. One of the perks of being the anchor is being able to get a glimpse behind the scenes, at the workings of a well-oiled machine. Directed by B Chandrasekar and choreographed by Jude Felix, the show was fuss-free, with a focus on the products. Neat, clean, simple but with a brigade of beauty queens to bring that extra drama. My favourites included Chaitanya Rao’s designs for Unipel, Calonge’s range of accessories, a stunning line by Tohl, and of course an amazing grand finale by Tata Garments.

The rest of my weekend was spent in Bengaluru, a quick birthday trip, that went by in a blur of food and drink. Time really does fly when you’re having fun. Impromptu trip or not, we got a group together and managed, what has to be a record amount of eating. Meanwhile, back in Chennai, it was a similar vibe at the International Food Carnival, one of the much-awaited events on the city’s culinary calendar. I hear this year’s numbers beat last year’s, easily exceeding 4,000. The stalls had everything from Korean to Japanese, with all the foodies trying to make the best of everything. Celebrity chefs Rocky and Mayur, hosts of the show Highway On My Plate also drew their fair share of attention, posing for innumerable selfies with fans, over the two-day fest. The other star was the BBQ Ride India starting from Thoraipakkam, serving barbeques on the go. 

There was more amazing food but a change in gears at a dinner hosted by the Honorary Consul of El Salvador Dr Yashwanth Kumar Venkataraman and his wife Nilaya at the meet and greet to mark the beginning of a New Year. The event saw the attendance of the entire diplomat ensemble with several prominent members from the diplomatic community.