"Traffic in Bombay is real bad, but the drivers there are...how do i put this...ah yes, more civilized." This was the verdict rendered about Bangalore traffic by a recent transplant. I couldn't have put it better myself. To complain about Bangalore traffic is almost de rigueur, but it is not just the sheer volume of traffic that gets on your nerves - it is the utter disregard for fellow drivers that most drivers display and the near chaotic state that results is what really gets you.
We arrived in Bangalore on Monday on vacation and the same afternoon, I borrowed my sister's car and started driving around. Most locals I meet shake their head in disbelief when they hear this. I'll admit that a certain amount of foolish bravado is required to actually get somewhere, but what I am mostly stressed out about is losing my way - most of Bangalore roads are a big mystery to me.
The weather has been very pleasant so far - no rain, low humidity and mostly cool days. Certainly warm by San Diego standards (especially these days), but nothing compared to what most other places are going through.
Listening to the local FM station has been my diversion while driving around. The DJs talk mostly in English, but then throw in the occasional word or phrase in Kannada. And some times, some Hindi as well. They affect a very distinctive, if non-grammatical style, frequently using lines such as,"You can win couple tickets" and they must be ex-JAM champions - they can talk non-stop seemingly without the need to take a breath.
Ads for weekend MBA and other courses are all over the radio - many of them are from foreign schools, including some rather dodgy sounding ones - Ever hear of the "International School of Los Angeles?"
Arjun had a visit from the tooth fairy and three generations of Nairs went for a haircut - shop is directly across from parents' house. I also got a shave - thought it would be a minor luxury to have somebody else take care of that chore, but having the guy wield the old school single-blade razor was more nerve-wracking than relaxing. Cost: Rs 40 (~90 cents) for the haircut and shave.
Visited the 'Mantri Mall' billed as the the biggest mall in Southeast Asia - it is a pretty impressive affair, complete with high end designer stores, a dine-in Taco Bell, and a batting cage. Risked the Pani Puri, but it was for nought - even Surati in SD is better. Almost bought a Karoke set - there were multiple choices - including additional chips for the Magicsing. But that will have to wait for another day.
Overhead at the same mall:
Customer: "Yeh Kahaan ka hai?" (Where is this from?)
Shopkeeper: "Kya matlab?" (What do you mean?)
Customer: "Is it made in India? Not made in China, right?"
Discovered a new author - Rohinton Mistry. Strictly speaking, he was not totally unknown - one of his books is part of my "waiting to be read" collection in SD - but, I bought his short story collection ("Tales from Firozsha Baag") and even though I am not typically a short story fan, I was taken by his writing right away.
Drove out almost 30 km from our house to check out a housing development. Places that one used to encounter on an overnight trip out of Bangalore are now considered part of Bangalore.
The whole family - 16 of us - gathered for a dinner at "Three Quarters Chinese," nominally to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Later wished we had gone to RR.
We were over at Malini's parents house and the boys were playing with Malini's brother's kids who are recent transplants from St Louis. The neighbor's kid was also there and Arjun was wielding a broom like a bat. Ah, cricket, I think. But no, it was a full fledged game of baseball and the local kid was fully into it. Cricket, baseball - he could care less about the name. Kids are the same all over.
We arrived in Bangalore on Monday on vacation and the same afternoon, I borrowed my sister's car and started driving around. Most locals I meet shake their head in disbelief when they hear this. I'll admit that a certain amount of foolish bravado is required to actually get somewhere, but what I am mostly stressed out about is losing my way - most of Bangalore roads are a big mystery to me.
The weather has been very pleasant so far - no rain, low humidity and mostly cool days. Certainly warm by San Diego standards (especially these days), but nothing compared to what most other places are going through.
Listening to the local FM station has been my diversion while driving around. The DJs talk mostly in English, but then throw in the occasional word or phrase in Kannada. And some times, some Hindi as well. They affect a very distinctive, if non-grammatical style, frequently using lines such as,"You can win couple tickets" and they must be ex-JAM champions - they can talk non-stop seemingly without the need to take a breath.
Ads for weekend MBA and other courses are all over the radio - many of them are from foreign schools, including some rather dodgy sounding ones - Ever hear of the "International School of Los Angeles?"
Arjun had a visit from the tooth fairy and three generations of Nairs went for a haircut - shop is directly across from parents' house. I also got a shave - thought it would be a minor luxury to have somebody else take care of that chore, but having the guy wield the old school single-blade razor was more nerve-wracking than relaxing. Cost: Rs 40 (~90 cents) for the haircut and shave. |
| Marketing |
Overhead at the same mall:
Customer: "Yeh Kahaan ka hai?" (Where is this from?)
Shopkeeper: "Kya matlab?" (What do you mean?)Customer: "Is it made in India? Not made in China, right?"
Discovered a new author - Rohinton Mistry. Strictly speaking, he was not totally unknown - one of his books is part of my "waiting to be read" collection in SD - but, I bought his short story collection ("Tales from Firozsha Baag") and even though I am not typically a short story fan, I was taken by his writing right away.
Drove out almost 30 km from our house to check out a housing development. Places that one used to encounter on an overnight trip out of Bangalore are now considered part of Bangalore.
The whole family - 16 of us - gathered for a dinner at "Three Quarters Chinese," nominally to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Later wished we had gone to RR.
We were over at Malini's parents house and the boys were playing with Malini's brother's kids who are recent transplants from St Louis. The neighbor's kid was also there and Arjun was wielding a broom like a bat. Ah, cricket, I think. But no, it was a full fledged game of baseball and the local kid was fully into it. Cricket, baseball - he could care less about the name. Kids are the same all over.
1 comment:
Happy Anniversary guys!
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