Week 3 in Bengaluru! Feels like a disaster so far :(
It does not rain - it pours.
Which could be quite gorgeous in the so-called Garden City - but it has brought along- gastroenteritis for Anu, slushy streets/ walkways, bigger pot-holes on the roads, reticence from friends to come out and meet up, power failures resulting in unproductive workers at the home-in-the-making, a mis-step down the slippery stairs resulting in a sprained and bruised ankle.... need I say more? This world moves at it's own pace - a slower one, a more disorganized one.
I asked the all important question to my good friend - who has spent the last ten years of her life in this city - what does Bangalore have to offer? She said - a calm mind, slowing of pace. I thought to myself, this may be exactly what I need. What I am missing right now is the ability to savor the moment. Do you remember getting excited about a haircut and a fresh perm? A new outfit? I remember that feeling - as also the fact that I have not felt that way in a while. Maybe I need to go back to savoring the little pleasures. But now I think what she meant is that your surroundings are so unruly and uncouth that you learn to appreciate the peace and quite of home/ nest, that you finally understand what "calm" means because you are surrounded by the antithesis of "calm".
Being originally from Pune- Bombay and having lived in Delhi , I compare everything to what I saw and learnt there. (And I think I am being more than fair - by not bringing in any comparisons to the Silicon Valley.)
So - here I am thinking about Pune - and how it is evolving:
It has always been big on the Automobile and Industrial sector - with the Tatas, Bajajs and Kirloskars with an established presence there.
It also has the so-called "salubrious climate" - a word I have often seen associated with Bangalore.
It has been an age-old education center - grad schools, engineering schools, AFMC, NDA, b-schools -- people from the country flocking there to partake.
It has hip and well planned defence neighborhoods - with the rest of the city being cacophonous and unplanned.
It's proximity to Bombay assures that people and fashions are adequately influenced by Bollywood. It also caters to Bollywood through FTII (Film and Television Institute of India) and numerous mass communication institutions spawning graduates every year.
It has more recently evolved into an IT and STP center. The IBMs and TCSs of the world are flourishing there.
And now - thanks to Suresh Kalmadi - it is about to host the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games - which means new roads, freshly painted look, good infrastructure and all associated keenness to get represented as an international venue.
Pune is the #2 - the Enterprise Cars of India- they are trying harder.
What about Bangalore? What is it all about? IT? That happened 15 yrs ago.
IT happened to Bangalore first and foremost - not to Hyderabad, not to Pune. It all started in Bangalore - by design or by luck. Then, why is it still so difficult for Bangaloreans to digest? Why are they still acting like they are a small town? Why is the infrastructure so deplorable? Why is it difficult to find a taxicab or an auto-rickshaw in the SEZ- where the yuppies work? Why are there such frequent power failures - 3 times in 2 hours on Saturday night? Why is Outer Ring Road so chock full of vehicles - at a complete stop for no reason (as I discovered) except for the fact that a confused traffic cop was trying to manage it - with motorcycles trying to squeeze into that 2 inches of space on the far corner of the road - that is meant for pedestrians?
Last night, I took on a short taxi ride to Koramangala from Sarjapur Road - a 6 km stretch. Traffic was light, being Sunday night. But, it is not all about traffic. It is about crumbling roads, lack of infrastructure, lack of planning. It is about total disregard for a citizen of Bangalore - who pays twice for this infrastructure to be in place - once with income tax and second with vehicle tax - both of which are in the highest bracket for Bangaloreans.
And why is Bangalore apathetic to it? A good example is my interior decorator. This guy seems totally over his head wrt small things - ready to throw stuff over the fence to me the minute he gets an opportunity. In the meantime, he is full of great big promises, and polite conversation. He will never say no or push back on anything I say, but at the same time anything I say never gets done! And of course, time is of no consequence! If he has promised to deliver something last year (yes, you read that right) - rest assured it is probably anywhere near getting done next month! A nice guy - but totally ineffective in real life! Here is a good example of a laid back person, who holds no accountability for his actions and has no control over the tools of his trade.
And then my biggest deal-maker - something that makes me love or hate a place - shopping!
I went to Russell Market today - great for fresh fruit, veggies and meat.
But people recommended that I go there to buy steel kitchenware. Being that South Indians are steeped into stainless steel in their homes, I expected to be floored by variety. I hoped to see gleaming thalis and nicely shaped katoris. I was scouting for steel dabbas to store my groceries - and swore to give up my Tupperware. I was sorely disappointed. I found 1 store - Adams - and that's it! They were short on stock, variety and quality. Ulsoor market looked equally un-impressive as I passed by. Not a patch on Tulshibag of Pune! And certainly not on Lajpat Nagar of Delhi! Where do these people go to shop? I now plan to go to Chickpet next week - and hopefully will be suitably impressed there.
It does not rain - it pours.
Which could be quite gorgeous in the so-called Garden City - but it has brought along- gastroenteritis for Anu, slushy streets/ walkways, bigger pot-holes on the roads, reticence from friends to come out and meet up, power failures resulting in unproductive workers at the home-in-the-making, a mis-step down the slippery stairs resulting in a sprained and bruised ankle.... need I say more? This world moves at it's own pace - a slower one, a more disorganized one.
I asked the all important question to my good friend - who has spent the last ten years of her life in this city - what does Bangalore have to offer? She said - a calm mind, slowing of pace. I thought to myself, this may be exactly what I need. What I am missing right now is the ability to savor the moment. Do you remember getting excited about a haircut and a fresh perm? A new outfit? I remember that feeling - as also the fact that I have not felt that way in a while. Maybe I need to go back to savoring the little pleasures. But now I think what she meant is that your surroundings are so unruly and uncouth that you learn to appreciate the peace and quite of home/ nest, that you finally understand what "calm" means because you are surrounded by the antithesis of "calm".
Being originally from Pune- Bombay and having lived in Delhi , I compare everything to what I saw and learnt there. (And I think I am being more than fair - by not bringing in any comparisons to the Silicon Valley.)
So - here I am thinking about Pune - and how it is evolving:
It has always been big on the Automobile and Industrial sector - with the Tatas, Bajajs and Kirloskars with an established presence there.
It also has the so-called "salubrious climate" - a word I have often seen associated with Bangalore.
It has been an age-old education center - grad schools, engineering schools, AFMC, NDA, b-schools -- people from the country flocking there to partake.
It has hip and well planned defence neighborhoods - with the rest of the city being cacophonous and unplanned.
It's proximity to Bombay assures that people and fashions are adequately influenced by Bollywood. It also caters to Bollywood through FTII (Film and Television Institute of India) and numerous mass communication institutions spawning graduates every year.
It has more recently evolved into an IT and STP center. The IBMs and TCSs of the world are flourishing there.
And now - thanks to Suresh Kalmadi - it is about to host the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games - which means new roads, freshly painted look, good infrastructure and all associated keenness to get represented as an international venue.
Pune is the #2 - the Enterprise Cars of India- they are trying harder.
What about Bangalore? What is it all about? IT? That happened 15 yrs ago.
IT happened to Bangalore first and foremost - not to Hyderabad, not to Pune. It all started in Bangalore - by design or by luck. Then, why is it still so difficult for Bangaloreans to digest? Why are they still acting like they are a small town? Why is the infrastructure so deplorable? Why is it difficult to find a taxicab or an auto-rickshaw in the SEZ- where the yuppies work? Why are there such frequent power failures - 3 times in 2 hours on Saturday night? Why is Outer Ring Road so chock full of vehicles - at a complete stop for no reason (as I discovered) except for the fact that a confused traffic cop was trying to manage it - with motorcycles trying to squeeze into that 2 inches of space on the far corner of the road - that is meant for pedestrians?
Last night, I took on a short taxi ride to Koramangala from Sarjapur Road - a 6 km stretch. Traffic was light, being Sunday night. But, it is not all about traffic. It is about crumbling roads, lack of infrastructure, lack of planning. It is about total disregard for a citizen of Bangalore - who pays twice for this infrastructure to be in place - once with income tax and second with vehicle tax - both of which are in the highest bracket for Bangaloreans.
And why is Bangalore apathetic to it? A good example is my interior decorator. This guy seems totally over his head wrt small things - ready to throw stuff over the fence to me the minute he gets an opportunity. In the meantime, he is full of great big promises, and polite conversation. He will never say no or push back on anything I say, but at the same time anything I say never gets done! And of course, time is of no consequence! If he has promised to deliver something last year (yes, you read that right) - rest assured it is probably anywhere near getting done next month! A nice guy - but totally ineffective in real life! Here is a good example of a laid back person, who holds no accountability for his actions and has no control over the tools of his trade.
And then my biggest deal-maker - something that makes me love or hate a place - shopping!
I went to Russell Market today - great for fresh fruit, veggies and meat.
But people recommended that I go there to buy steel kitchenware. Being that South Indians are steeped into stainless steel in their homes, I expected to be floored by variety. I hoped to see gleaming thalis and nicely shaped katoris. I was scouting for steel dabbas to store my groceries - and swore to give up my Tupperware. I was sorely disappointed. I found 1 store - Adams - and that's it! They were short on stock, variety and quality. Ulsoor market looked equally un-impressive as I passed by. Not a patch on Tulshibag of Pune! And certainly not on Lajpat Nagar of Delhi! Where do these people go to shop? I now plan to go to Chickpet next week - and hopefully will be suitably impressed there.
