BANGALURU 2001

 It was 2001. I landed in Bangalore, relocating from Delhi where I lived for 40 years. Everything was different; the people, places , language , climate. North Pole vs South Pole. From a cheerful, sprawling and bubbling city to a sleeping city which was just trying to change with the onset of IT with companies springing up here and there.  Here no one smiles. They mind their own business .

On the 2nd day of my arrival I had to drop my brother in law to the city railway station. New city, new traffic. He guided me through the route. I dropped him at the station and was returning back. I got stuck everywhere as the return journey had lot of  "One Way".  I couldn't figure out where I was. I dare not ask anyone because of the language. But I need to know where exactly I was. I stopped the car and asked one local guy.  He said " go straight till dead end " and take right then left etc. I nodded my head though I did not understand what he said. I realised later that wherever he said "right" I had to take left as they all are confused about "right "and  "left". I liked the word "dead end". I have never heard this before in Delhi. 'Dead end' is mostly used when you ask for some location. Another word I picked up was  'Circle' which means 'Junction'. Somehow I reached back. I didnt recall any such "one way" in Delhi. So confusing. What was surprising was that no one cared for the traffic police. Police was stopping the traffic on one side and people were just going. Lean Policeman  without any alertness, sheepishly showing one finger asking the traffic to go unlike in Delhi where you have an alert, smart, well built traffic guy fully active moving his entire hands. However, I tried not to compare Delhi and Bangalore but in vain.

I went to buy uniforms for my children in Ulsoor.  I selected a shop where a Sardar was the owner so that there would be no language issue.  I started in Hindi and he replied to me in Tamil.  He said he had been in Ulsoor for 30 years.

I hopped in an Auto and told the guy to go to "Kaveri" meaning "Kaveri Emporium" in MG Road. He dropped me at 'Kaveri theatre' which was 30 kms away. I took a bus and returned to Kaveri Emporium.

The auto guys were unexploited those days. I have seen them go as per meter and even returning the balance if it was just 50 paise. I have often seen them reading English Newspapers and would communicate reasonably well in English.   One must admit that the beauty of Bangalore is that an average person can speak at least 5 languages. Kannada, English, Tamil, Hindi, Telugu. Amazing, Nowhere in the world this can happen.  

Bangalore is full of Darshanis (Eateries) where you get yummy vada sambar and filter coffee.  But if you ask sambar for Onion Uthappam the counter guy gives a hard stare and refuses to give sambar. Why? Onion Uthappam they serve with "Saagu". I hate that. Till date I couldn't understand why they refuse sambar.  I told the waiter to get me "Pulav"  he said "Palav" I said "Pulav"  he again said "Palav". I understood they call 'Pulav' as 'Palav'. Another weird habit I observed here was after full meal they use the cup of curd by putting 4 spoons of sugar and eat.  😖 People here love KB (Kesari Bath) as early as 6 AM.  The color of Sambar always looks like non-permitted colors.😁.  If you order Idly , you need to tell them Sambar "separate" otherwise they will pour full sambar on Idly and you need to locate where idly is.  Another favorite item of mine is "Bonda Soup".  They serve Bonda without any stuffing and make it swim in hot rasam. I love it. They can never make North Indian dishes . Ask for Paneer Butter Masala it will be sweet. They like sweet in all dishes and any chaat they call "sev puri"  I have yet to taste a genuine "Chole Bhature" here. However, I  found one nearer to genuine in CMH Road. They sell only on Sundays and that too for one hour. You need to book in advance and pick it up on Sunday during that one hour delivery time.   All anxious North Indians you can meet there that day.

"By-two" coffee or tea is popular here,  They make two cups out of one cup.

I still wonder how I did this those days. I used to drop my son to school three Kms away in Indranagar, drop my daughter at Mount Carmel PU college which is 15 kms away and go to my office after all this 20 kms away and reach before 9 AM.

Then I also found Bangalore Doctors were amazing, simple and unassuming.  I know of a simple Doctor , just an MBBS Army Doctor Capt Dr. Rao in Indranagar Bangalore.  Very good at Diagnosis, Very strict, and had a lot of patients every day.  I took my Mother in law for some after -follow up consultation and I went to meet him on the next day instead of the appointed day.  He threw the prescription on my face and told me to get out as I didn't keep up the date.

Nowhere in the world the Weather has been so kind as in Bangalore throughout.

People here are fond of holidays. For Dussehra, they prefix suffix and enjoy ten days leave. If there is a long weekend of three days all Techies disappear and you have smooth traffic. 

Big Festival here is Ganesha Festival. It used to go on for one month - Puja and then immersion, people dancing in front of the procession.  Every street, and locality would have separate arrangements.  

People don't work for five days but definitely want Sunday off.  😀  No ambition to earn money.  I gave ten clothes for ironing to the Presswala.  He returned five back and said he would do only five.

The first day of office I cannot  forget. I told some 5 staff members not to come from the next day as they were wasting time and not doing anything.  They did not turn up. I thought they would ask for forgiveness and never thought they would actually go off. I had to plead to get them back to work.

Everything used to be centralised here. I told my staff to get some pencils.  He said it was available only in 'Avenue Road' 30 kms away from the office.

If you ask someone how far is such and such place, you would get a reply that it is very far.  How many Kms, just 5 kms. 5 kms in Bangalore is far. In Delhi we were so used to traveling 40 kms at a stretch and it never seemed far.  

It rains suddenly in Bangalore. You can see it rains at 1st Main Road and 2nd Main road would have no rain.

Another attraction here is a lot of wine shops . You can get in any one and relax which never was the case in Delhi.  

We went to Delhi on a holiday with children and believe me we could not stand the heat there.  Mind you we were there for 40 years. Bangalore spoils you as once you live in Bangalore it is difficult to adjust anywhere else.  My children were very uncomfortable in the first year of Bangalore. Now they don't want to leave this place.

However, over a period of time since 2001, things have changed and Bangalore has lost its original charm. It is like any other city now with traffic, pollution and what have you.