Bangalore-M.G.Road

We were out on the Bangalore -MGRoad recently. While parking was a non-issue at the utility building, we had to go to a place down the MGRoad, near the big Kids kemp. We decided to walk this short distance, however did not realize the efforts & the risks involved. There is not even 50ft of good walking path in this stretch of MGRoad. You will invariably find the cobble stones lifted, cracked or there is a driveway in to a shopping complex or an office. While expecting a smooth ramp up/down is a distant thought, the height of the curb varies from few inches to about a feet!. In some spots, the curb width narrows down to 2-3 ft!. Worst stretch is the one around the Mayo Hall, which is packed with lots of court houses. We had to make way through the 2 plus feet curb and the parked police vehicles. With the undertrials and convicts staring at us from close distance, it was really uncomfortable and unavoidable. Also, for the first time I came across a 'one way' walking stretch, where there is a line of people on both sides and whoever comes first gets the right of way!

So the Metro is the cause for all this mess. but as you know Metro is the elevated rail, what about the pedestrians below? The motorists add their contribution to the chaos. They don't like the people walking on the streets and will do anything to push them off the roads either by honking or who knows even knocking them down!. One of the guys on the bike used the curb as a detour to get through a crowded stretch and before we realized what was happening, he was gone!

Very soon, pedestrians might require a head gear to walk on the MG Road... :)

Karnataka Bandh

Bandh - Complete shut down!

The business, commerical establishments across the Karnataka state is being forcibly shut down by the ruling BJP government to protest against the governor's proposed disciplinary action!. Well, the complete shut down might sound absurd to the folks in the developed countries, it is a reality in India!. It is a mockery of the democratic setup we have!. The corrupt politicians don't realize the strain on the economy with a day's shut down. Millions of people depend on daily income, how do they survive? Also, what will happen to someone's planned birthday, wedding and other social events? Why should the normal citizen suffer for someone else's misdeeds?

It is time to enact a legislation (there might be one already!) to strictly ban any such 'bandh' across India.

Comedy festival: Kannada Nage Habba

A seven hour non stop kannada comedy show was organized recently in our neighbourhood. The event presented on stage, a number of popular kannada stand up comedians. While some of the artistes brought out new anectodes, most of them repeated their content. But the 3000-4000 strong crowd enjoyed every bit of the event. It was hilarious to watch Richard Louis pick out certain nuances of daily life for his story line. Most of the artistes performed along with their teams, music instruments included to add to the comedy delivery!

The event stood apart from the overall experience, everything from the seating, vehicle parking, policing and the eatery stalls were planned and setup very well. Kudos to the organizers for pulling in sponsors and doing a wonderful job.

The event reminded me of the 'HariKathe' events which we attended as kids. The narrator would tell mythological stories, in between injecting few songs and stirring the event with few funny anecdotes. The late Guru Rajulu Naidu was a famous Harikathe artiste and used to perform few times a year in the locality where we stayed, we never missed his show. 

Elevated Road experience

Driving on the Bangalore's electronic city elevated toll way is a very pleasant experience. The 9.5 kms trip costs Rs. 30 one way and Rs 50 for a two way trip. It takes approximately 10-15 mins to cover the distance...brings back the memories of using the turn pikes in the Pennsylvania.

The return trip on the toll way from electronics city towards Bangalore is a breeze through until you are brought back down to the ground level at Madivala!. Overall, using the toll way is a pleasant experience, there is a temporary relief from crowded roads!.

Yedduryappa and his survival stories

The Karnataka Chief Minister has yet again managed to save his post. While I don't normally care about the political roller coaster stories, I have assumed some immense interest in following this (in)famous CM. Given the number of attempts made to remove him, number of scams that are being unearthed on a daily basis, he will very soon make it to the Limca Book of Records. Yedduryappa, at least for now is the survival of the 'politically fittest'.

Per Political analysts, politics in Karnataka has hit an all time low. The current government is more or less in a survival mode, ignoring some major issues that need to be addressed.

Unlike Andhra Pradesh, where Chandra Babu made a significant impact in bringing the IT industry in to the state, Karnataka has been fortunate enough not to depend on the politicians for this purpose. Bangalore being a hub of aerospace, research, large scale public and private companies and scores of educational institutions helped incubate the manufacturing, IT and BT industries. All that the industry expects is a stable state government that can address current & future infrastructure needs...Given the present circumstances, that seems like a dream itself!

Food, Laundry and Hot Water

That's my basic expectation from a hotel where I stay. Given my stay at Mumbai for the last one month, the expectation is hardly met. I expect the hotel to have a decent enough restaurant, a reliable laundry service and obviously the hot water for bath. The other expectations are good decor, a nice television with adequate channels, comfy air conditioner, etc. In the hotel where I am currently staying, they charge over Rs 2,600 per day. The food is excellent, but the supply of hot water is non-existent. One needs to content with warm water only!. I am not sure if they have a plumbing issue or if they are going on a cost reduction overdrive. Any feed back, escalation does not have any impact on improving their service levels. I guess it's time to move on to another hotel.

Memories take me back a decade ago when I would travel extensively within Karnataka and Maharastra. Though I always stayed at budget hotels, they exceeded my basic expectations and made me comfortable!.

What's in a movie name?

Well, name dictates the destiny. The bollywood and the rest of the Indian film industry follow a distinct pattern. Movies starred by Hrithik Roshan usually start with the letter "K" and have four words in the title. Golden Star Ganesh ( Kannada) has most of his movie names starting with the letter, "M" ( after the Mungaru Male hit).

Abhishek's much hyped movie, Raavan is said to have flopped. The critics have trained their guns on poor editing, a non compelling story, etc. I have not come across any critic on the movie's name. On the contrary, the producer(s) and other related stake holders seldom admit Raavan is a flop and claim strong box office revenues!

Note, the tamil version Raavanan is already acknowledged to be a super hit!

Bharath Bundh!

July 5th 2010: Seemed more like an extended week end - except no going out until evening 6pm..The mumbai streets looked deserted. All the shops and restaurants in the vicinity were closed. Many companies were 'officially' open though some employees decided to stay off.

In all, I felt it was a complete waste of time for the entire nation. The political parties are bragging themselves for the 'success' but they cannot replace the lost time, income and the opportunities for the millions of people across the country!

Brazil defeat in the FIFA World Cup

Football fans around the world are shocked with Brazil's sudden exit from FIFA. This was the first time I watched the complete game during this FIFA. Brazil team's overconfidence was shattered in the second half, while the Dutch continued their onslaught. The impact of Brazil's loss is felt in India as well - common people to Bollywood stars like Amitabh are upset!

Hoping to catch up with the rest of the world cup, not sure how many more surprises are in store.

Mumbai..City that never sleeps

Mumbai is often compared with NewYork for its diversity, financial strength, celebrities, public transport, high cost of living, crimes, etc. In the last 3-4 months of my stay at Mumbai, I have observed some unique good points about Mumbai.

• The common citizens ( not politicians!) demonstrate a relatively higher level of social responsibility, example:Involvement in reduction of plastic usage. Most of the road side fruit and vegetable vendors, small groceries do not offer you plastic bags!
• Excellent Public Transport: Without BEST and local trains, picture of Mumbai is incomplete. The government, railway and various organizations work closely in ensuring no disruptions (barring few exceptions)
• Apartment societies: Mumbai being the 'apartment' capital of India, renting/owning an apartment is made easy. Though living in apartment has few disadvantages, a newcomer to the city will have lesser difficulties in setting up a house
• Numerous eat out options: There are numerous options from road side vada pav to five star hotels. The peak time for most fine dining restaurants are between 9:30pm-11:30 pm on the week days!

There are still more points...but stopping here...