Good morning, Chennai!
☁️ Today’s weather: Cloudy weather for the day.
🧐 Did you know? Once completed, the SPR Highliving Tower H in Perambur will be the tallest building in the city. It’ll be 161 metres tall with 45 floors.
🚢 Betting on cruise tourism
As Chennai banks on cruise tourism, some shortcomings remain.
What’s it about? With the recent flagging-off of a cruise line from Chennai, there’s optimism about its tourism potential for the city. There are seven Chennai-Sri Lanka cruises scheduled in the next two months. However, there are infrastructural and logistical issues that need to be fixed.
- When 1,800 people arrived at the port to board the Cordelia cruise to Sri Lanka, the immigration procedures took two hours. The Chennai port has yet to upgrade its infrastructure to handle thousands of passengers.
- The port has a cruise terminal with 30 counters and only one baggage conveyor. The port hasn’t prioritised cruise ships. It needs to have a smoother immigration process and an exclusive space for cruises to dock.
What’s being done? The Chennai Port and some cruise companies signed an agreement for a dedicated cruise circuit. There’s 25% of unutilised area that will be used for immigration. The Chennai Port Trust is also working with the Tourism Department to develop holiday cruise packages.
🏠 Architect exhibition
The Architect and Interior Expo will showcase curated design elements and essentials.
What’s it about? Big3 Exhibitions is bringing its 2023 Architect and Interior Expo to Chennai. On display will be several chosen design elements and construction essentials. The organisers are expecting over 7,000 visitors since entry is free.
- The 7th edition of the annual exhibition will have over 120 stalls showcasing lightings, fittings, doors, gates, roofing vendors, etc. More than 70% will be new exhibitors.
- The displays aren’t just catered toward architects and interior designers, but for anyone who wants to understand the industry. Brand owners can network with industry professionals to promote their businesses.
Future plans: For the 8th edition, the organisers plan to have a conference where visitors can learn about the products from experts.
Details: The exhibition is from June 23-25 from 10 am to 7.30 pm at the Chennai Trade Centre.
🍾 The art of glassblowing
Artist Srinivasa Raghavan is among the few in the city who have taken an interest in glassblowing.
Who is he? Originally from Thanjavur, known for its art, Raghavan, as a youngster in the 1980s, was looking for a government job. He got a diploma in glassblowing in hopes he would get a government job. When that and a stint in a pharmaceutical company didn’t pan out, he discovered his interest in artistic glassblowing.
- With 35 years of experience as an artist, artistic glassblowing requires less investment. The encouragement and appreciation from family and friends motivated him to return to Thanjavur and work on his craft.
- There’s been some improvement in terms of people’s awareness of artistic glassblowing. Making a miniature piece can take anywhere between two minutes and twenty-four hours. His signature pieces include attar bottles.
Workshop: Thanks to an invitation from DakshinaChitra, he conducts a workshop on weekends between 10 am and 6 pm.
👩💻 MG’s new customer experience
MG Motor India launched a new VR/AR experience to cater to new-age customers.
What’s it about? MG Motor India launched its MG Studio Z in the city. It’s an artificial intelligence virtual reality centre to provide a new and unique dynamic customer experience. The centre is catered toward the modern urban customer.
- The new interactive centre uses AR and VR technology to give customers a virtual tour of the cars. There’s also a virtual showroom, a gaming zone, and a cafe.
- The showroom will have two models – the recently launched Smart electric vehicle Comet EV and the ZS EV, India’s first Pure-Electric Internet SUV.
Thought process: MG Motor India sees this as the future of automobile retailing. With more digital interfaces, the company hopes Studio Z will bring the brand closer to customers and enhance their purchasing experience.
✨ Things to do…
Here are some fun and interesting things to do in the city over the weekend!
- Pun Better Jam is a fun improv-based gaming session this Saturday.
- Chocku Live is a standup performance from Tamil comic Chockalingam this Saturday.
- Enjoy Andhra cuisine at the Holiday Inn Andhra Food Festival this weekend.
- The Bazaar is a celebration of women-led businesses showcasing fashion, food, and accessories this Saturday.
- Open Mic by Kommune presents Pehchaan to present stories about inclusivity and identity this Saturday.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll Results:
- My locality/street got flooded during the recent rains: 44.4%
- My locality/street didn’t get flooded during the recent rains: 55.6% 🏆
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What’s a simple way to help reduce one’s carbon footprint that you also practice?
Shiva: “Walk if less than 2km”
Chitra: “Stop using plastic”
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!