Hey, you know those random habits you picked up as a kid that you still think about sometimes? For me, it was newspapers. Weird, right?
I mean, we’re in our 20s now, scrolling social media, but back then, I was all about flipping through actual pages. If you’ve ever had a quirky little phase you kinda miss, you’ll get this.
Alright, confession time—I never pictured myself as a newspaper person. Like, at all. But then 6th grade happened, and one random day, I decided to buy The Hindu—the English one. But why?
I wanted to learn new words and figured it’d help me get better at English. You know, boost my English proficiency. Just a 12 year old thing.
For a few days, I was into it. I’d pick out the most interesting sections and read them, but here’s the thing—I don’t even remember cracking open a dictionary to check meanings. I’d just skim through, and soon enough, I lost steam. The papers started stacking up in a corner, untouched. Typical me.
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Then, I thought: What if I tried Tamil instead? I’m not good at reading Tamil, even though I can understand it easily since it’s my mother tongue—way better than English. Okay, maybe a Tamil newspaper could help fix my Tamil reading.
Switching to தமிழ் திசை (Tamil Thisai)
So, I dropped the English edition and subscribed to Hindu Tamil—or தி இந்து தமிழ் திசை. And this time? It clicked. I read the daily newspaper every single day. Usually between 7 and 8:15 AM, depending on when I rolled out of bed. Even if I woke up late, I’d catch up at night. It became my thing.
Maybe I got hooked because I’d never seen a Tamil daily newspaper match the standard of English ones—color photos and nice pages all the way through. It wasn’t just the language feeling like home; the whole look of it pulled me in.
But the real kicker? Those special editions.
The Special Editions Were My Jam
Every day, Hindu Tamil came with an extra mini-paper, each with its own vibe. Here’s what they were:
- Monday – வணிக வீதி (Vanika Veethi): Business and economy stuff. I’d read it sometimes, but it wasn’t my favorite.
- Tuesday – இளமை புதுமை (Ilamai Puthumai): Young people doing cool things, new ideas, innovation. Always gave me a boost.
- Wednesday – மாயா பஜார் (Maya Bazaar): Internet trends, quirky stories, global oddities. My midweek unwind.
- Thursday – ஆனந்த ஜோதி (Aanantha Jothi): Spiritual and religious topics. Skipped it every time.
- Friday – இந்து டாக்கீஸ் (Hindu Talkies): Movie news, celebrity interviews. I’d glance at it if I felt like it.
- Saturday – உயிர் மூச்சு (Uyir Moochu), சொந்த வீடு (Sondha Veedu): Health, Home decor, architecture, environment. Simple and kinda useful.
- Sunday – பெண் இன்று (Pen Indru): All about women empowerment and women shaping society. Thicker than the rest, packed with stories.
Some days, I’d only grab the paper for these extras. Regular news was fine, but these kept me hooked.
Stories That Stuck with Me
There are bits from those days that still float around in my head. Like the first time I read about Gopi and Sudhakar from Madras Central. Can’t recall if it was Tuesday or Wednesday’s edition, but their story grabbed me. I checked out their YouTube channel after that—political satire about big-name politicians. So funny. I still watch and laugh.
Then there was RJ Balaji’s column. Every Tuesday, bottom of the second page, he’d share something—Unforgettable life stories or persons. It was like the version 0 of Naalana Murukku or Pacha Satta podcast. I think he only wrote about 20 pieces, though.
Wednesday’s edition had these feel-good internet stories—like the Ice Bucket Challenge, or people cleaning up trashed wastelands and posting before-and-after pics. Made me smile every time.
Even though I watched every BCCI cricket match, I’d still flip to the sports page the next day. Not for scores—I knew those—but to guess at what they wrote the article based on what the score is. Dumb little habit, but I liked it.
Monday’s special section was gold. They ran mini-biographies—first Steve Jobs (childhood, Apple drama, Pixar, the comeback), then Elon Musk (kid coder, X.com, PayPal, Tesla, SpaceX). Below that, an infographic would break down some economy thing.
Why Did I Even Read So Much?
I probably got into it because I wasn’t allowed to use my phone much. Back then, it bugged me, but now I see it pushed me to spend time on something good. Plus, I read the daily newspaper every single day—rain or shine.
I remember days when I’d come back from tuition at 7 AM, bleary-eyed, and still sit down to read the paper. Then I’d nap for a bit, throw on my shoes, and head to school. Coaching class started at 8:15, and I’d usually roll in 5-10 minutes late. Most teachers let me slide, but one or two would make me stand outside. While walking to school, I’d cook up excuses—“Ma’am, I had a stomach ache and went to the hospital,” or “Ma’am, I got halfway here, realized I forgot my ID card, and had to run back home.”
Then COVID Hit
Everything changed. To play it safe, I canceled my subscription. I thought I’d restart it after a few months, but nope. Never did. I got sucked into social media, YouTube, random websites. My newspaper days were gone. That was six years ago.
Bringing It Back?
While writing this, I popped over to Hindu Tamil’s website to double check the edition names. And it hit me—the same quality of news, the same vibe, it’s all online now.
Maybe it’s time to pick up my news-reading habit again. Digital this time.
It’s wild how something I never cared about turned into this big, cozy memory—it still sticks with me. The stacks of papers are long gone, but that feeling? I think I can feel it again, though maybe not quite at the same level.
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