Memories of MEETING AN ILite in Person!

Dear Friends,

I am posting this after meeting an ILite for the first time in person! We have all been interacting online, but though we have seen pictures of some ILites, we have not all had the opportunity to meet anyone in PERSON! I was in Chennai on friday and saturday and had one such opportunity!
After having interacted for nearly 8 months with CHITRA, meeting her in person did not seem like FIRST TIME!
I had roughly indicated my arrival time, but when the lift reached her floor, she was waiting with the DOOR OPEN! Of course, i marked it as her Intuition! We greeted ourselves with a hug, a la German style, and it was spontaneous~! And like i told her , her house, kitchen etc looked so familiar, i did not feel that i was visiting her for the first time.
Of course, since it was tea time i had the pleasure of tasting her HANDMADE cutlets and Thayir Idli and Kasi Halwa and chocosauce icecream!( was that right, Chitra!! i was so mesmerised by meeting you in person and talking non stop, that i hardly noticed what Melted in my Mouth)

Needless to say , served with your loving spirit CHITRA, my daughter and i enjoyed that afternoon TEA WITH YOU immensely and will be one of our unforgettable moments on this trip!

I also would like to apologise to the other chennaites, that since i was there for 2 days only and could schedule my trip , before hand, i could not contact anyone else before and give you all enough notice to meet ! But this meeting with AN ILite for the first time , was such a pleasnt and delightful experience that i will definetely plan a longer stay in Chennai next time exclusively for us ILites in Chennai!
Of course, i had te pleasure of visiting Murugan Idli kadai, and tasting the chinna vengaya oothapam, and Jil Jil Jigarthanda also!

Need I tell you or write to you how much I enjoyed meeting you & interacting with the real Sudha?
Time just flew past & we were " jabbering away" like, long-lost friends, meeting after a very long gap ! Roshni is very sweet looking with beautiful expressive eyes. Not only did she have the patience to listen to our conversation, but pitched in, aptly & happily with her comments.
I am posting a photo of the " tiny spread", I made for you, thanks to Roshni for capturing it in the camera. The items are:
Karachi Halwa - I practised it to be posted for diwali & Sudha was the taster !
Paneer-cabbage cutlet - yet to be posted
Thayir idli - at present my favourite !
Vanilla icecream with chocolate sauce & praline - yet to be posted.
I now realise that " Nice meeting you" - these words can come from the heart & not only from the mouth. You make me realise the depth of those words, Sudha !
Love & regards,
Chithra.

So so...the two lovely IL'ites got together and had a blast! It was nice to read about your meeting, Chitra and Sudha. Thanks for inviting us to have a peep into the wonderful get together. This time, Madras will defenitely be in my itenerary!

L, Kamla

Nice to read your write up,Sudha. I am glad Mrs C and you could meet with each other and have a rollicking time. I pray that one fine day, we will all hold an IL convention where many of us can meet.

Sudha and chitra meet. great! Sudha, i heard u are a dancer, i lovvve indian dance and been wanting to meet you... Bad luck i wasent in chennai!:(...chitvish, i love that triangular plate ofyours and the dishes displayed look awesome! :)


Purni

Dear Sudha,
I am very happy that you could make it to Chennai and meet Chithra. I would also have been happy to meet you, but no luck. No poblem, I know how tight a schedule it becomes if you have a short stay and lots of things to do. And I was out of Chennai and came back only on Friday morning. Better luck next time. And it is no wonder that you felt that you are not meeting Chithra for the first time and also do not remember the foodies that she made for you specially- the same happened when we all met. We just get engrossed in sharing so many things that we ignore other things. It is difficult to forget the taste of the spread, which had been prepared so specially with love and affection. But we tend to sideline the food in the eagerness of meeting the person we have been interacting with, online. I am glad that you could meet Chithra. Hope we shall be able to meet the next time you come over.
With warm wisehs,
varloo

Wow! That was a lovely spread Chithra! Only you will have the time and patience (and affection) to coat icecream with praline. Have read about praline only in foreign mags like Woman and Home. We should start "Chithra and Home" from the IL platform!
Sudha you transited through Bangalore - wish you had called one of us. Meeting Chithra must've been a treat by itself. You both seem to have had a rollicking time. I have met and know many of the IL members, including Varalotti and each one of them is a gem. Strung together in a band of friendship we make a dazzling necklace!
Sharada

Dear Sudha,
From your posts I have always thought of you as a warm genuine person full of vigour and fun. Chithras mail confirms this. I can only say that ifyou had come giving adays notice. I would also have made to cv's house. The spread is really delicious. Wish you many more happy times with more ILites.
Regards,
Meenu

Hi Ladies,
thanks for all the loving replies. Sorry, for replying so late.
I just reached Home Sweet Home yesterday, and of course could not wait to log on to IL. Time seems to be so short when we visit home Land, and moving from Delhi to Blore to Madurai to chennai , was too hectic in 4 weeks!
Sorry could not meet more of you there, but next time, will make it to the IL CONVENTION (Vidhya, i hope that thought will come true soon!)
Would have loved to meet many of you ,....Sharada, was sick everytime i was in bangalore, and i had oy 4 days also....in which i just sat at home , feeling sick....so sorry could not contact anyone in B'lore!
Tought of all of you at Mrs. C housé and of course i wish i had more TIME to have organised more get togethers.

Like Sharada has rightly said" Strung together in a band of friendship we make a dazzling necklace!" Lets all stay BRIGHT AND UNITED in this FRiendship Band!
thanks for being there!

Hi Sudha,

So you are back home....and back to IL. Nice. You seem to have had a great time in India. Sorry to hear that you were under the weather while at B'lore..but that happens. That is one of the irritants when we visit India. But I am sure it was great to meet family and friends.....AND the Shopping! Would love to know what goodies you brought back. Hope your daughter loved it too. Did you visit Forum while at B'lore, my sis keeps raving about it.

L, Kamla