You can feel a sense of excitement in the city as we celebrate the last week of 2020, and do so with all the gusto we can muster. Despite the restrictions and warnings, the vibe remains jubilant, with several home gatherings in the lead up to Christmas and festive fun at all the malls. At Express Avenue, the Christmas Carnival has seen loads of takers, with performances of all kinds, loads of shopping and stalls festooned in Christmas colours. Whether it’s for last-minute gifts or bits and bobs for the house, crowds continued to stream in all day long, happy to spend some time and browse. Meanwhile, at Phoenix Market City it’s a similar vibe but with a European-themed Christmas market, complete with Russian dancers performing for the crowd, along with Santa making regular appearances. Winding up the Christmassy trail was the charity ‘Bake a library’ bake sale by the Rotary Club of Madras, at Black Orchid. More than 50 homebakers from across the city came together to offer up some seriously delicious baked goodies, to raise funds for a special library-building project. Those that missed it on day one, scrambled to make it the next day after being tempted by all the delicious visuals on Instagram. They were quite successful in their endeavours, managing to raise funds for four new libraries.
Ahead of the traditional party season and ahead of the fitness resolution time of the year, Monday Monks was launched, with a tryout session with newly enrolled members. So high heels and sequined dresses were traded in for sneakers and workout wear as celebrity guests had fun competing with each other in pairs. Healthy takeaway boxed snacks were a reminder of the times we live in, along with everyone sporting funky Monday Monks masks. Partners Deepti Akki, Balan, Feroze and their spouses Sangeetha and Vijaylakshmi really showed us their commitment to fitness.
And for the tech brigade, this week also saw the launch of the brand new One Plus Experience Store at Phoenix Market City, with actor Sayyeshaa doing the honours. After inaugurating the new space, the starlet spent time enjoying its special features, like the luxurious viewing area, over a cup of freshly brewed coffee.