Lucknowites and Lucknow

                               The Lucknowities and LUCKNOW 

The ‘Pehle-aap, Pehle-aap’ thing isn't a joke. Mind you, it happens here.
When asked why do we always speak in plural, we always say it proudly ‘It’s a City of Nawabs and this is the Nawabi style’.
We love it when we talk to non-lucknowities like ‘Ama yaar..’ and their eyes go wide.
If you don’t use words like Dhaansu’ and ‘Bhaukali’, dude you are missing half of the fun.
If you come to Lucknow and miss the ‘Tunde-Kabab’ and 'waahib ki biryaani' (if in case you are not a vegetarian) then I promise you will regret if for your entire life, like seriously!
The only place on earth, where even an abusive slang is sugar coated and prefixed with ‘AAP’

(Tundey kababi lucknow)

Like a dog hates water, we hate the word ‘TU’
We have the weirdest nomenclatures of places, Bhootnath, Daana-Paani, Wire-less Chauraha, Hahnemann chauraha ( often confused as Honeymoon chauraha ) and the list goes on.
When you hear ‘Phod dena’ as a good luck wish from someone, have no doubt, he/she is definitely from Lucknow.

                                                        (Bhootnath market lucknow)

If you know all the ‘Khands’ of gomti-nagar, dude you deserve a standing-ovation.

                                                      (Gomti nagar ,lucknow)

We don’t need Sarcasm. We possess the ability to threaten someone to death with sugar coated words.
‘Jugaad’, ‘rangbaaji’, ‘Setting’, 'Maamla’, ‘Scene’, 'tafri' ‘Matter’ are the most frequent words used by us.
A, B, C, D are not just alphabets for us. They refer to the blocks of Indira-nagar
When whole India uses ‘Chutte’ for change, we use ‘Toote’ for the same thing.
If you don’t raise your eyebrows when you hear someone wearing ‘Chikan’ then definitely you are a Lucknowite.

                                                        (Lucknow chicken work)

We have a special love for ‘Royal cafe’ no matter how many options we have to dine at we chose it without a second thought.
Every outing with your friends ends with an ice-cream on Marine Drive.
No matter you spend all your day at CCD or Barista, you still die for Sharma ki chai and Kesarbagh ki Lassi.
If you have not tasted the basket chat of Royal Cafe, dude you don't know what chat is!

                                                     (Royal cafe, gomti nagar lucknow)

You have been to Deva Sharif and Chandrika Devi for god knows how many times. [actually you went there after all your exams to beg for passing marks!]
You know you are a real Lucknowite, if I.T. is Issabella Thouborn Girls college and not Information Technology!

                                                              (I.T. college ,lucknow)

If an evening on the streets of Hazratganj[specially the Cathedral Church] is much more fascinating than any Adventure park, then you are surely a Lucknowite.
If your house has atleast one or two art pieces of Chinhat Pottery, you are a Lucknowite.
If you go fasting on a hot summer day, just to stay on a diet of Lucknawi Dasheri, you are 'pakka Lucknow-wala'
You address your kaam-waali, rickshaw-wala and even a rag-picker as 'aap', that's not a show-off its in our blood, our 'tehzeeb'
If you celebrate 'Bada-mangal' and even organise and participate in a 'bhandara', then you are Lucknowite.

                                                             (Hazratganj, Lucknow)

If you save your pocket money just to shop enough in 'Lucknow mohotsav', you are a Lucknowite.

                                                           (Lucknow mahotsav)

You find it funny when people from so called 'hi-tech' cities go mad on seeing historical monuments, because you have seen a so called historical monument every 500 meters in old city.

                                                             (Lucknow monuments)

When you know the congested lanes of Aminabad and also the wide and clean roads of Gomti-nagar (Marine drive) where you go racing with your friends, you are a Lucknowite.
May be the reason for our
‘Dhaansu Luck’ lies in the name of
city itself. After all I belong to ‘LUCK-NOW...!!!! :D 

                                                          (Aminabad market,Lucknow)

                                             Banaras ki subah aur Awadh ki sham

                                                                      :)