Chinnu and the Chinese Chowmein(venkateshan) The little boy always wanted a new dish to taste. Once having tasted any dish, he would soon get used to it, get obsessed with it for a while, then all of a sudden one fine day !! he would stop eating it and start disliking it. Pongal came and went, Dosa disappeared, Idli came in and went without indication. "Chinnu’s changed a dish“ continued "Ungebrochen".

"I am feeling hungry!!!@#$***“ screamed chinnu as they were about to cross the road. They were on their way to get the "Dosa Atta" from "chettiyar" shop. "Since afternoon i am starving ! can't you get me something to eat?..........................“ he went on. It was almost like someone narrating a poem learnt by heart.

Then they saw it! It had four round objects to support it, a huge rectangular shaped box that was open on one side and lay on top of the four circular objects. Fire roared on one side while people stood at the other end and waited anxiously. Here was a lot of commotion going on, with almost every one tensed up. Chinnu just stood his ground, hoping he would get a green signal from his father to unload it from the fire and "Just have it". That was the "Veg Burger“.

Since the first time he got his hands onto "Veg Burger“ it got into his "Veins“. it was crispy, tasty and Kifayty (cheap). what more could one ask for? Chinnu jumped with joy and "Veg Burger“ now became his Most Favoured Dish.

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away!!“ went the old saying. Chinnu decided to change it for good. It was quite some time since he was hanging onto the burger and the time now was ripe to change the "cuisine“.

In came summer and the hot waves "chip(s)“ ped in many a changes in chinnu’s eating pattern. "Burger“ was bugged out and was promptly replaced by chips, Chocolate, and Chewing gums. the chewing gum leftovers sometimes elegantly decorated household items, bed sheets, sofa..., in short anything that moved or stayed still became a decorative object for chinnu’s chipkalis.

One fine day he happened to taste "puliyogare", a dish with plenty of mild spices and laced with tamrind. "mmm yummy! it tastes good“ said chinnu’s tasty buds. From that day chinnu was almost literally "possessed by Puliyogare“ for quite some time, and which continued to dominate his taste buds even after that.

It is said most of the Chinese are usually chottus (Short people) or, here shall we call them as chinnus? Ok we will call them as chinnus. Every chinnu has his own favorite dish. our "Indian Chinnu“ also had tasted many dishes so far and kept changing his favorite. It bacame very difficult for his parents to point out chinnu’s exact favorite dish at any point of time as it kept changing every now and then. The fact was he himself did not know!

One fine day chinnu went out to the market with his father. He was shown different variety of dishes and sweets but liked none. Both got fedup and started their journey back home. On the way they found it very uneasy to walk on the narrow street back home. The little gap. suddenly chinnu’s eyes caught an unusual object in the "Tibetan Nukkad ka Dhaba“. In some aspects it resembled his "maggi“ and "Yuppie" Noodles, but it was longer and looked more colourful. Now chinnu wanted to taste it. "i think we can buy that maggi, i like it anyway“, chinnu blurted out. "well, it is Chinese chowmein, you want to have it?" And he had it. And now chinnu is happy with Chinese chowmein, as of now !!!

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