Acres of print and online pages have been dedicated to Bangalore Traffic. Some say it’s a worthless discussion still indulging it in once a day, some just curse the traffic all the time. For me it’s the only glitch I have come across in Bangalore so far in a year. Just try to cogitate about it and you may note some of these things,

- You get more time to think when you are stuck in traffic, think about you, about your friends, family etc. This is much better if the jams are longer. The way to Electronic City is much better for this as the JAMs are longer rather than the slow moving traffic of Airport Road or Mysore Road.

- The whole rationale behind managing spaces gets its true manifestation through usage of footpaths, although its slightly dangerous driving on footpath still footpaths are usually more properly paved than most of the roads. So at least they are safer for YOU to drive on.

- FM channels hog up all the commercial advantages of a Traffic Jam (leave a few Traffic Policemen :D). Long traffic jams ensure better TRP’s (or its equivalent for Radios) and make RJ’s the most popular of Bangalore Junta.

Moreover we should take everything in positive spirit. We should be proud of the fact that we are the best in the world when it comes utilizing the roads. Feeding the population of China with the food resources of Somalia is something we are able manage. Rather than thinking about solutions some things should be left as it is. Self Healing they say is better than cure. Although my prescriptions for the problem include,

- A King-Kong who just comes from somewhere and rattles all of Bangalore throwing all the cars around in all directions(obviously not hurting anyone, this the only way we can have space on roads…:)

- Stop selling vehicles…:)

From a more Utopian(an imperfect one) perspective now lets look at something realistic, next years awaits the release of the 1-Lakh Tata car, although my assumption is that it wouldn’t hit the cities that badly, still we would be in for another battle for space on roads. It would be interesting to watch just where can people fit in there cars anymore. My biggest complaint is against the Truckwaalahs, browsing the city throughout the day, when they shouldn’t be allowed to do so. It’s stupid to allow Lorries, that too with rods and railings on it within city limits during normal hours.

Anyway the whole text above doesn’t make any concrete sense, it shows a certain lack of sense in constructing the flow of the post, but so is Bangalore Traffic and the discussion it triggers…everything is not supposed to make sense.

Nothing to do on weekend, lets go down to Forum (a mall in Bangalore). It seems that people are running short of ideas these days on what to do on weekends. But one idea which still tickles up is visiting the nearby mall.

If I am right (doesn’t matter much even if I am wrong) the word Mall has its origin from the pedestrian shopping street one commonly sees in a hill station. Those crowded streets selling sweaters, chinese toys, handicrafts and metal jewelery kind off stuff. A mall in a city brings all that in an air-conditioned environment with loads of stuff to buy, loads of money to spend and loads of time to pass. So I will first try to etch out a definition for mall.

A mall is a place in city where people go to pass time and spend money and eventually pep up country’s ever growing GDP.

Organised Retailing has been good for the country, in creating new jobs, in creating good places for people to spend their time and eventually increasing sales of everything. Rather than beating too much around the bush I would like to put up some of my rather discursive thoughts on the Mall situation,

* People go to Mall when they have got time and money to spend. Even you don’t have money time can be spent. But time is money so eventually if you don’t buy anything you end up suffering an economic loss.

* Creation of so many malls have not only hit the small dukaanwaala’s business. What about Sulabh Shauchalaya business, it has been hit even harder with people getting much better avenues of reaching a restroom.

* Malls are addictive, people get addicted to either shopping or window shopping.

* Malls are the new hot-spots for PDA’s. No wonder Gardens in Bangalore and other cities have taken the backseat.

* Malls are so crowded that you bang into one or more of your acquaintances every time you visit it, and then you start living with a misconception of you having a huge social network.

* Window Shopping in Malls= (Actual Shopping in Malls) ^ 3476

Last fact is simply gut feel, I sometimes wonder how they make up the money for paying the bills. Ofcourse its always not on the gray side. Quite simply its promoting a consumer culture is India (quite similar to one witnessed by America in the 60’s) other than making great amount of money for everyone (it is, even if I say its not). Malls are as much a lifestyle component as a mobile phone, and the spread is equally fast ( Retail Shmetail by Sidin takes you through all the aspects of Indian Malling Industry). A personal preference on who wants to visit and for what purpose, malls are here to stay and setup a weekend mallscape for everyone.

p.s.- The author is also a regular visitor to Malls and a contributer to Retail GDP, although he is quite confused on why he visits them in the first place.

I am confused before even I start writing this post. Ok let me think,

Movie for a family of four?
Difficult. Considering that family would like to goto a PVR or INOX or the dreaded Innovative (I hate calling it a Multiplex) almost impossible. Around 250 for ticket, 400 for refreshments, definitely the budget overshoots.
You have the option of theaters but who goes for them anyway.

Lunch for Two?
Half the so called good restaurants in Bangalore will overshoot the budget for a decent enough meal with a drink.
I have always felt that restaurants in Bangalore work on simple principle- “Overpricing makes one popular.”

Monthly Rent for a Room (some sort of thing you can call home)?
Ummmff….forget it.

Why all of a sudden I started discussing this? First of all nothing meant against all the restaurants or the Cinemas in the city. You offer a service and most of us pay for it. So don’t take anything personally.

Couple of days back a guy visited my home to fit mosquito repellent mesh. I started having a nice chat with this guy who spoke broken Hindi on topics like Mungaru Male and Uppi, and also some conversation on his studies which he wanted to do. I asked him what his room rent is and that guy answered Rs.1000.

Room Details: 1 Room (that’s it), Common Bathroom outside with no proper Sanitation facility and mostly no Water (and during rains lots of it)

Another thing 2 people share the room which is located in a slum on Tumkur Road. All that in a Rs. 2000 salary (from which this guy also saves and sends to Tumkur where he comes from). According to him in the past few years Bangalore has become unaffordable for people with a similar economic background like him. Consider comment by Shrisha on her post on Taking a stand on child-labour.

Poverty seems like never-ending, or a circle w/o a neat exit

Poverty is inherent to any urban structure. A rich poor divide exists in all the cities, but visibly I feel the poor in Bangalore are much more crunched than in other cities. Problems like Water, Electricity and Public transport are the main chores. It is not like they don’t exist in other cities but a culture of living with poverty binds them to the urban culture of the respective city. I may sound senseless but visiting a Slum in Mumbai may clear that the line between Poverty, development and happiness is thin or the visit may confuse you further more that does it exist at all. In case of Bangalore the development has lead to large scale migration on all economic levels. But for the pinnacle of Pyramid to rise the base has to increase.

In a way what the poor in city need are some basic amenities and then they will try to enjoy everything else in whatever they have. Maybe my post is inconclusive and maybe it is misleading. But again poverty is like that a circle, you will always come back to the starting point.

Ok so there is God, and I know that now, I already knew that but there is someone looking after Bangalore affairs in God’s Operations and Water Resources department. I BLAHed last week when everyone in Bangalore was Feeling the Heat,

May this month Bangalore be blessed with some rainfall.

And it happened

So it happened day before yesterday, but that was just the Trailer. Movie followed it yesterday with a nice shower and few cracklings up on sky. I had a complete bash getting wet in Rain and trying to run away from Lightening. So God here we go again,

May this month Bangalore be blessed with something more than some rainfall.

Me not greedy, but we require it, today while going to work I felt no heat and it feels Bangalore weather is back on track. But what has happened is Power-Cuts and news that City may run out on its Water Supply. Power Cuts are to be expected now I think as the PUC exams are over, and Water Supply declaration of once in three days scares me a bit more than that. But hope the rains sort out atleast one of the issues.

Right now its time to forget everything, enjoy the rains by getting wet, for few people getting wet and drunk, for few getting wet and romantic and for few getting wet and getting gluttonous by eating all the Bhajji kinda stuff.

We have Mungaru Male running for 100 days in theaters now, let Bengaluru Male also run for some time…

I never thought Bangalore would be so hot in March-April. Spent all of my childhood in Chattisgarh so was quite used the heat and the humidity. College days in Ahmedabad were expected to be dry, dusty and hot. And hopefully I was looking for some good weather at Bangalore when I came here last year.

When I moved to Ahmedabad Gujarat, it was known for its dry spells of monsoon, after an year I reached there every monsoon related in floods. So much rainfall sometimes crippled the Gujarat cities, buildings and people as they were not so habituated to rainfall. Now here in Bangalore its started getting really hot. Though as I pointed earlier I am quite used to it, but last few months in Bangalore have changed my habits a bit, about feeling the heat mostly.

Some locals tell me that March is quite hot in Bangalore, but the breeze that was so pertinent in Bangalore has gone away somewhere. Somethings can be attributed to the changing Global climate. You see Gujarat has started getting floods, last year even Rajasthan had floods in few regions, then Bangalore has started getting hotter, there is lots of Night Dew nowadays evident in most of the day and night Cricket games played nowadays in Indian cities. Maybe I am the Weather Man, wherever I go I change the Weather…:)

Anything change, but God please don’t change Bangalore weather. In a city already quite screwed up by Traffic and congestion issues, add to that the inflation woes, it is the only thing that remains good.

May this month Bangalore be blessed with some rainfall.

After the horrendous loss of India on Friday, the weekend was surely going to be a dud. Morning I woke up thinking that whatever I saw on friday night was a dream. But my message box full of Stupid SMSes suggesting that I was wrong spoilt it up. So I thought better roll out for a movie Namastey London, well was waiting for that one for long time I thought.

Thankfully I was also accompanied by my idli-hating, but foodiprising nonetheless friend Vaibhav. We along with couple of more pals checked into MTR. Ok now I have been to Urvashi-Lalbagh area like umpteen times but still it took me so much time to trace MTR. One of my friends suggested the place long back but you see something are destined to happen when it should.

We checked-in and as per the legend we were in a waiting queue, lucky enough though as the uncleji cleared us off in 5 mins. I have heard about people sticking like 20-30 mins to catch a glimpse of the idlis.

So after getting in walking on a historically pictographed staircase, we entered into a superbly cool place on the first floor. Well first I thought that it was the place which made it so cool, but later realied that the AC’s were playing their part well. Actually the place looked like one of my native homes in the village which was quite cool, so maybe the confusion. even the Wash Basin was the unique one with a pedal instead of a Tap.

Well some food now, we had Badam Halwa, Rava Idli with Sagu and Masala Dosa. Needless to say everything was quite draped in Ghee, as the waiters were in their loongis. It was followed by a Coffee which was something like I have never tasted before, too strong but refreshing. the cost is a little high but MTR makes it up by the quality of food they serve.
For me Masala Dosa was the standout dish and for people who like Ghee this place is awesome. The place gives that 20’s-30’s bit of feel. Feels like you part of a British Contingent in 20’s or discussing a the Indian National movement in the 30’s. One of my pals told me that earlier they served food in Silver Ware. That should have added to that feel.

Anyway Mavalli Tiffin Rooms is surely the place to go in Bangalore, especially for the not so Weight Conscious guys and who have got the bit for taking the feel of a old Bangalore. By the way the movie also wasn’t too bad after that, but still MTR was all on my mind for the weekend.

Picking up from Meenakshi’s fun things to do on a date I thought I should chip in with a low cost version of the same. I mean a Date can be like Air Deccan, a low cost option which makes you fly none the same.

Anyway before starting the post I would like to mention that I am still to go for any date in Bangalore, so these are just suggestions, practical implications are still to be tested.

Ok there ends the disclaimer, now some real stuff. I mean walking as mentioned in the Parent Post for this thread is a great thing- both healthy and cheap. But the thing is that with most of the Bangalore Gardens not so much like gardens these days, it’s difficult to find an uncrowded place in this city nowadays. But nonetheless if you find some in Lalbagh it’s definitely much better than a clichéd dinner.

An ice cream can be part of a good date. I mean one can goto Corner House take an huge ice-cream (something like a Death by Chocolate or a Banana Split) and share the stuff. Eating from the same ice-cream box makes it somewhat closey-cozy option keeping the costs down too. Chuck out the junta all around you because you can’t runaway from it anywhere in Bangalore.

Well street food can be an awesome option for a date. What I feel is Bangalore lacks a bit of it but I have heard there is some place near Chikpet for it, but me still to try it out. But catch the Pani Puri or Golgappa’s wherever you go with your partner. It can be much more fun than some time at a pub where you can’t even listen what he/she saying. Nothing better than eating unhygienic street food, nothing can be tastier I bet.

Well it’ s not that ok to go to a Café Coffee Day anymore with those school kids smoking Hookahs sitting around you. Sweet Chariot Coffee at numerous places in Bangalore (Cunningham Road, Jayanagar, and Residency Road etc etc) offers a much better range of Cakes, pastries and coffee at a slightly lesser rate and the ambience puts you someway between an Old Fashioned Indian Coffee House style nd a regular Barista/CCD kinda place.

Finally, it’s nothing to do with cost or surroundings or what you doing. In the ends what matters are the two people involved. So if the two people involved really strike a gong then what’s better than saving a bit on your purse on this inflation heavy year?