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25 December 2010
Happy new year
A happy new year to everyone and may everyone have joy, peace and contentment in their lives.
14 February 2010
Hubli
The only place I travelled to on my Bangalore trip was to Hubli. Garima and I were most excited that it was the place where Rajkumar unca(as she calls him) sang "huttidare kannada naadali..." in akasmika, the kannada movie. It was a first for Garima where the "great Indian railways" are concerned. I have a lifelong love of them and the feeling of peace and sheer enjoyment I get while on a train and in transit. In a plane I find myself waiting to get off and its quite a imprisoning experience. On a train on the other hand there are endless rounds of tea and coffee, however tasteless they may taste, deep fried snacks and other better foods that you can choose from. You can walk about, chat with people or stand near the doorway, if so inclined and get almost blown away by the wind.
I boarded somewhat helter skelter with baggage in one hand and Garima hoisted on the opposite hip, pulled in by a kindly fellow passenger, pushed in by my brother in law. The door was locked from inside and when it was opened the train had begun to move and hence the above situation. A bruised shoulder and shaking knees made it imperative for me to stand where I was, about one meter away from the door, steady myself and then find my way to our seats. From here the next eight hours were pure fun. Garima had a nap and after much dancing and playing with fellow passengers we reached our destination.
Apart from the blissful company of my friends here the highlight of our stay was the dinner at, hold your breath, "Basaveshwar khanavali". The place was one of the hole in the wall variety and their fare was something I would wish to eat again and again. My jolada rotti thali (jowar roti meal), had the aforesaid rotis accompanied by a methi leaf and radish salad, ennegayi (stuffed eggplant curry), dal with fragrant greens, a few chutnies and rice and fiery hot sambar to finish off with. Ironically places with the best ambience rarely manage to cook up such a storm that would have me drooling at the very thought of it.
Anyway thanks to the many Bullet motorbike rides we had and the change of water and air, Garima fell ill the next day and put a stop to my returning to the above place for more of the divine food. The journey back was a bit anxiety ridden as I only wanted to get back to Bangalore and get Garima well and rested before we headed back from our holiday. Now that we r back and settled back into our lives here its a pleasure to look back and hope to go back for more then next time.
I boarded somewhat helter skelter with baggage in one hand and Garima hoisted on the opposite hip, pulled in by a kindly fellow passenger, pushed in by my brother in law. The door was locked from inside and when it was opened the train had begun to move and hence the above situation. A bruised shoulder and shaking knees made it imperative for me to stand where I was, about one meter away from the door, steady myself and then find my way to our seats. From here the next eight hours were pure fun. Garima had a nap and after much dancing and playing with fellow passengers we reached our destination.
Apart from the blissful company of my friends here the highlight of our stay was the dinner at, hold your breath, "Basaveshwar khanavali". The place was one of the hole in the wall variety and their fare was something I would wish to eat again and again. My jolada rotti thali (jowar roti meal), had the aforesaid rotis accompanied by a methi leaf and radish salad, ennegayi (stuffed eggplant curry), dal with fragrant greens, a few chutnies and rice and fiery hot sambar to finish off with. Ironically places with the best ambience rarely manage to cook up such a storm that would have me drooling at the very thought of it.
Anyway thanks to the many Bullet motorbike rides we had and the change of water and air, Garima fell ill the next day and put a stop to my returning to the above place for more of the divine food. The journey back was a bit anxiety ridden as I only wanted to get back to Bangalore and get Garima well and rested before we headed back from our holiday. Now that we r back and settled back into our lives here its a pleasure to look back and hope to go back for more then next time.
23 January 2010
Bangalore
On this umpteenth visit back home I did all the usual things,shopped,ate,met friends. The flavour this time was meeting many friends from way back in the past, people who were close at one time, lost in the mists of time and who would have stayed lost to me if Facebook hadnt intervened.
It was surprising how easy it was to pick up threads left lying about two decades back and start to weave them back into shape.
Each time I have come back to find a fuller Bangalore, full of traffic, apartments, people, malls etc etc. The growing tentacles of consumerism begin to intertwine us more and more. Spouse doesnt have time to meet spouse, parents dont have the time to bring up children. People dont have time for people, so what is it they have time for I wonder. Most of the time is taken in making the money one needs to live the sort of life that is lived now and the rest of it in getting from one geographic point to another.
Even then there are points of redemption. People are starting to see the need to look inward for peace. Youngsters are hopefully acquiring a social conscience. To me the biggest drawcard here is my friends. In all my years away from India I havent met anyone that comes close to them. I have no idea if the flaw lies in me or the rest. Strangely another friend in a similar situation had the same findings too which is some comfort to me.
A trip made to spend some time with friends was so well worth the 8 hr train journey that when I returned I felt fresh and dewy and wiped clean of any impurity that tainted my mind from some altercations with the immature kind.
As I wind down operations and prepare to fly back to home and hearth away from this home I pray for my little one to gain strength to manage the journey, for inspite of her enjoyment of the trip she fell ill at the fag end of our holiday. So its adieu to my beautiful Bangalore(inspite of everything) for a few years.
It was surprising how easy it was to pick up threads left lying about two decades back and start to weave them back into shape.
Each time I have come back to find a fuller Bangalore, full of traffic, apartments, people, malls etc etc. The growing tentacles of consumerism begin to intertwine us more and more. Spouse doesnt have time to meet spouse, parents dont have the time to bring up children. People dont have time for people, so what is it they have time for I wonder. Most of the time is taken in making the money one needs to live the sort of life that is lived now and the rest of it in getting from one geographic point to another.
Even then there are points of redemption. People are starting to see the need to look inward for peace. Youngsters are hopefully acquiring a social conscience. To me the biggest drawcard here is my friends. In all my years away from India I havent met anyone that comes close to them. I have no idea if the flaw lies in me or the rest. Strangely another friend in a similar situation had the same findings too which is some comfort to me.
A trip made to spend some time with friends was so well worth the 8 hr train journey that when I returned I felt fresh and dewy and wiped clean of any impurity that tainted my mind from some altercations with the immature kind.
As I wind down operations and prepare to fly back to home and hearth away from this home I pray for my little one to gain strength to manage the journey, for inspite of her enjoyment of the trip she fell ill at the fag end of our holiday. So its adieu to my beautiful Bangalore(inspite of everything) for a few years.
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