Moving Cities : Pune to Bangalore

With three nights to go before we pack our bags and leave Pune for Bangalore, my planning demons are back in action that translates into a nightmare for the rest of the family. We got a lot accomplished over the weekend but there’s the nagging feeling that there’s still so much to be done (remember Murphy’s law?) that I’ve no clue where to get started. I’m a great planner jotting down long-winding lists of things to be done on every available notepad in the house and barking orders hysterically as the D-day draws nearer ; sometimes going to extremes writing down even the obvious as to stuff suitcases with clothes before the date of departure. I always knew we had a cart-load of travel bags but since they were stashed away in the dingy loft, I lost count. It’s not surprising to see a dozen (yes, 12) lined up against the wall in all shapes, sizes, colors, degrees of wear/tear and brands. Opening some of them was even comforting as they sprang a surprise - some bringing back memories of travels from five years ago, that favorite jacket which we thought had been lost in SA or the secretly hidden Nike shoes of V.  Yes, it’s been  a disorganized mess the past three years here with no proper storage space, we just put away stuff that were not of daily use in these cases on the lofts.

Packing is fun; it’s the rest has-to-get-done in the list which is annoying like shifting broadband connection, disconnecting mobiles etc etc. How I wish we had a universal number portable across India under no fancy charges of roaming. As if this weren’t enough, Vodafone with whom I have my mobile connection requires me to visit their store in person and surrender the SIM card. Can’t get better and I have 28 hours in a day to find a slot for this errand amidst all the packing and hundred other things. And, my favorite Tata Indicom goes a step further in making things convenient - shifting of broadband connection is very much possible they say after conducting a feasibility study, but their usual server problem in my location will mean it will take 15-20 days for it to be setup. Why bother you might ask and just dump this crazy thing? I happened to take the 4 months post-paid connection by paying in advance and I’ve just used 2 months’ worth. My better sense advises me not to waste time and effort in getting it done in Bangalore and just go with some other provider, let’s see!

The past week has been rough with the family taking turns in falling sick sharing antibiotics, passing boxes of tissues, and being partners in cold. The virus was kind enough to spare me but a nasty stomach bug coupled with acidity hit me over the weekend that saw me eating raw garlic at 2 a.m. to soothe the pain. Multitasking comes naturally to women and I’m no exception. Every spare minute since Friday was put to use in stuffing suitcases with clothes, labeling them and stacking them in one corner. By Sunday evening, we got a great deal done with little damage from the very efficient LG who tried too hard. Moving is also the best time to cleaning and giving away stuff you don’t need. With no option of a garage sale, we just are habituated to accumulating knick-knacks over the years that take up so much space. All the unwanted furniture, clothes, artifacts has been disposed of. The packers and movers come in tomorrow and everything will leave the day-after. It’s been raining incessantly since Saturday. But, it’s still far better than Sept. 2005 when we moved here.

I’m looking forward to the move back to Bangalore. There is little doubt that I will miss the neighborhood we live in Pune a great deal. Perhaps, the person who will miss it the most will be Lil’ General. So much peace and so much space despite all the infrastructure problems (no water, no power) which have only grown multi-fold over the  past few days because of the monsoon (or lack of). Bangalore will be starkly different with all the chaos thrown in. The hopes of getting a life and an organised home is exciting!

A Blueprint For My Old Age

I’m in my early thirties now; going by the increasing life expectancy rates and beating the odds of passing away in an eventuality or sickness, let’s say I (and V)  live on for another 30-40 years (too long a time!).  It’s too early to comment on when we would retire, which part of the world we would be in and where we would want to settle down. Often, talking about retirement the talk revolves around planning. Planning, primarily financial in nature, starts as early as when you are 28 years old these days though it started a few decades later for our parents’ generation owing to various reasons - parental obligations, supporting a larger family, building a house etc etc. Financial planning is a given in today’s times and most other lifelong dreams are met by the time one is 28 or 29 - a car, a house, foreign vacation - expand the list to your fancy.

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Mini Punjab – a gastronomic pleasure

On a hot summer day, the smart way to begin a meal at Mini Punjab is by refreshing your palate with a sweet or savory lassi before pouring over the menu. For those familiar with the North Indian and Punjabi cuisine, there is little room for confusion in the dishes served – and to make matters easy Mini Punjab serves only vegetarian cuisine.

There is a moderate choice of starters ranging from vegetable seekh kebabs to paneer 65 and gobi manchurian. Quite out of the ordinary for a Punjabi restaurant, they also serve snacks - if you happen to stop by early for dinner and have the appetite for a quick and tasty samosa.

The waiters hard sell their specialty mixed kulchas and parathas helping one decide faster. Once the thirst was quenched with the lassi (Rs.20) and we settled down, we had a quick look at the familiar Punjabi menu to settle for two plates of onion Paratha(Rs.40), one methi kulcha(Rs.25) and one mixed kulcha(Rs.20). The kulchas are served with a bowl of chole while the butter dripping paratha cut into quartets comes with a cup of dahi. Once you’ve tasted the kulchas, greed takes over asking for more of the same leaving little room to order rice and other vegetable relishes such as the malai kofta or the seasonal makki-di-roti with sarson da saag.

Onion paratha is my personal favorite when served. A thick layer of finely diced onions fried in the choiciest of masalas sprinkled with ajwain and dhaniya leaves sandwiched between thin layers of atta with dollops of butter simmering on the top makes for a hearty dinner. On more than one occasion we have been served the wrong order and apologized to profusely for the goof-up due to internal miscommunication.

The décor is minimalist with no Bollywood filmy posters from the ‘70s era donning the walls. Neither will you find seating arrangements on the floor or a charpai as in a roadside dhaba. Just a dozen wooden tables and chairs segregated into little islands and some non-fancy lamps on the walls. But the natural surroundings of the restaurant render a rustic look complementing the look that a dhaba warrants. With the railways station less than 250 meters away and an adjoining truckers parking area there is always enough hustle bustle at a respectable distance.

Dining out for parents in India with toddlers is an exercise more rigorous than the morning workout. 99% of the restaurants in India are not child-friendly with no high-chair or other activities to keep them entertained; the minority that do are upscale dining lounges in five star hotels. In that respect Mini Punjab – a non assuming roadside place with a friendly owner and courteous staff are always forthcoming in babysitting kids while the parents dine – a reason good enough to rate it higher than its competitors in the neighborhood. The clientele is mainly working bachelors and students because of the restaurant’s proximity to various colleges.

The folks who run the place had a small outlet near Bhel chowk with just two tables while most of their revenues came from take-away orders for those mouth-watering parathas and Nans. Seeing the demand they moved to a large area much farther from where the action was - towards the railway station. The crowds have disappeared and so has the quality of the onion parathas. But it still remains a better option for dining out than most restaurants in the locality. Satisfaction guaranteed!

Bhakti Shakti - PCMC’s Entertainment World

If one lives on the stretch of road that leads to Bhakti Shakti in Pradhikaran, it’s tough to miss the sound of galloping horses or the clinking of the camels as they head towards the garden every evening for a brisk business. Much to the dislike of animal lovers, the dozen camels and horses draw a lot of children week after week. The turnout is considerably high on Thursdays when the industrial area shuts down because of the power cut. Weekends attract people from other parts of the city.

Bhakti Shakti garden located atop a high hill rock in Sector 23 of Nigdi-Pradhikaran along the Mumbai-Pune highway, has statues of Shivaji Maharaj and Saint Tukaram. The landscaping and well-manicured gardens provide a perfect getaway for the residents of PCMC. The huge vacant space outside the garden has slides, merry-go-rounds, camels and horse rides for children. Miniature cars and bikes cart young kids on a 100 m ride. Most visitors are families comprising of young children, but there is something in store for everyone. Many old couples relax on the lawns after an evening walk with a handful of roasted chana or groundnut.

Bhakti Shakti garden is a huge hit with young kids. At the same time, it creates employment for hundreds of hawkers selling anything from bhel puri to coconut water on hot summer evening to kala jamun. The place resembles a fair and does brisk business all through the year except the monsoon months of July-September when the business gets adversely affected. Young boys in the age group of 13-17 ride the horses. One of them said, “There are no holidays in this business. but we enjoy it as it is fun to give rides to children. At Rs.10 per ride for 100 meters, it is economical for customers.” I questioned, “What about the animals? You overwork them so much?” For which the boy without battling an eyelid said, “Madam it is our livelihood. Without these we will go hungry.”

In many ways, Bhakti Shakti - open seven days a week - is PCMC’s indigenous Animal Kingdom – not for the variety of species it houses but for the numbers it attracts by offering a wholesome entertainment for the family on a shoestring budget.

A Taste of India

The weekend had its moments of highs and lows. First, on the lows as the images from Sunday fail to go away however hard I try. It was Li’l General’s first brush with this country. He was born in India and has lived here ever since for the past 18 months but no experience was good enough to get a feel of this 1.1 + billion strong nation. It’s not without reason that ours is the second most populous nation. And, if one really needs to get a feel of what having so many people means, all that it takes is a trip to some of the most popular religious shrines - Tirupati, Shirdi, Vaishno Devi, Jagannath Temple at Puri and seasonally to the numerous others spread across the country.There are dozens of other occasions to witness an unruly mob such as in a cricket match, release of Rajnikanth’s movie down South, death of a political leader or the day election results are announced to cite a few.

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The Future of Education in India

Two pieces on education I read this morning inspired this post. The first one by Reuters features how technology is reshaping America’s classrooms, a big deal in itself and a dream if one were to hang onto every word in there. The second, an editorial piece in today’s Times,  aptly titled “Igniting Minds” is a stark opposite focusing on what’s crippling Indian education which gets further ugly when backed by statistics of how many of India’s under-25 population go onto complete their 12th Std.

The East-West Divide

The Reuters piece sang praises of how introduction of Apple’s Mac Laptops in classrooms for everyday class and home work in 7th and 8th grades is transforming education eliminating the need for textbooks and excuses of not completing homework. The point that caught my eye was the increase in percentage of daily attendance. On some levels, this is equivalent to the introduction of mid-day meals at all Primary schools across India which was a good incentive for kids to attend school. Laptops and other technology driven classrooms is a far-fetched cry in India. When the basic needs such as a full stomach is not met, it is irrational to expect children to attend school.

The case cited by the Reuters article is not a widespread practice in America just as it would be foolish to conclude that there are no schools in India which are equipped with such facilities and much more - only that they are meant for the few privileged. The facilities in schools abroad, their approach to education are literally worlds apart to what we have at home. Education is the most debated topic and will continue to be one for many years to come with little done about it. If only our policy makers pay some attention to reforming the highly skewed system and aim at 75% of children completing their secondary education, imagine how powerful India will be. To begin with quantity for rural India and quality for urban India is a realistic dream to dream of.

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Lazy Networking

Orkut is great; it gave us friends - virtual ones- but what I love the most is it taught us how not to get off our lazy bums the entire weekend.  The social scene of spending time with friends, making new ones and outing with other families has changed dramatically over the past decade. First it was TV, then cable television, then came along Internet, gaming and now the social networking crap. Easy access to Internet from the comforts of a bedroom has eliminated the need of real friends. It sounds so like I’m from the early 1900s talking about hanging out with friends or doing stuff as a community over the weekend, doesn’t it?

From what I hear, the social scene outside India is great.  Families plan outings together - go-to parks, have dinners, celebrate birthdays and so on. The social scene in India is pretty dismal, relatively speaking. Early working days for singles are fun because you have a gang of colleagues to spend weekends with. Once they are ‘taken‘ or ‘committed‘ which is usually within the first few months of starting a career, you are pretty much on your own if you are still single. That’s when this Orkut comes as a savior in your life while you add hundreds of virtual friends to your list and start scrapping like a maniac. Reasons to budge out of home on weekends is to keep yourself from starving- ah! I forget there’s Pizza Hut home delivery for such people.

The situation only worsens until one gets married. For some, it doesn’t change even after that. There are two people scrapping now! No figment of imagination. Just turn around and ask your single co-worker what he did over the weekend.

On a closing note, I think those Rotary clubs and kitty parties were not such a bad idea for networking.

How movie reviews act as spoilers!

The reviews are better than the movie; that’s what I think of the pieces from Mayank Shekhar, a film critic with Mumbai Mirror. Sometime ago, I read how reviews top the book and dismissed it as impossible. With Shekhar’s review of Love Story, 2050 titled “Shove Story, 2008“, I know it’s possible to garner more readers for one’s reviews than viewers for a movie.

The much publicised July 4 weekend  for Bollywood is past us.  My exposure to television has increased marginally over the past few weeks. Surfing through channels, one was exposed to a fair amount of robotic gimmicks of one movie and the familiar boy-has-fun-with-the-girl-who-is-his-friend plot of another. The build-up was so much that for once I’ve felt like watching the first day, first show of a movie - Jaane tu..ya jaane na. Honestly, I have never seen any movie on the first day of its release - for that matter in the first week. The only premiere I’ve been to is that of The Last Samurai in Chicago.

Finally, came Sunday when we realized we could haul ourselves to the multiplex - the first time since LG has been born. Yea, haven’t seen a flick in over two years at the theater.  It was too late - didn’t get any ticket for a show with a decent timing; so, we let it pass. Now the interest has died what with the numerous reviews on every blog, every channel and every newspaper. Even if these guys don’t reveal the storyline or the climax, it’s spoiler enough to make one lose interest for it’s no longer a mystery which was so well kept until the opening weekend.

Mayank’s reviews have a way of doing that. Even if he recommends seeing a movie  or better utilizing one’s time by napping over the weekend, it’s the same thing because it’s out there - the stars, the treatment to the movie, the comparison of actors, overacting and numerous other things which weren’t talked about until Friday. Then follows the interviews with the director,post-release profit statistics, turnout. Suddenly, it’s more than the songs which was the only thing one was exposed to till date. I may sound crazy but try seeing one a week after release and you’ll realize why it’s so easy to settle for a DVD in the comforts of your home rather than hauling your bum to the multiplex and spending a 1000 bucks?

Ironic that today’s editorial in Times has an entry called “Spoilt for choice” on the same topic that’s been running through my mind the whole weekend.

Book Review: Shobhaa De’s Superstar India

Shobhaa DE’s latest offering ‘Superstar India : From Incredible to Unstoppable‘, released by Penguin India in April,2008, is a deviation from her racy novels. This work of non-fiction by the author reminisces her sixty years of existence on her 60th birthday which also coincides with independent India’s 60th birthday celebrations. In her words,  “‘Surely my life has taken the same trajectory as the country’s?’” After reading the 434 page long book, I failed to draw any similarities between the independent India and her life.

I love the columns De writes in the Sunday edition of The Times of India.  And that’s where my exposure to her writing stops - haven’t read any of her previous novels except ‘Spouse‘ which I didn’t have the patience to complete.  ‘Superstar India’ seemed interesting or let’s just put it this way that the marketing gimmicks of Penguin worked well in addition to the huge effort put in by authors these days in post-launch / promotion of their books. And, I fell a prey to it. I had just finished reading Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns and was in no mood to read more heavy duty stuff. So, I picked up a copy of Superstar India early May soon after its launch.

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Happy to Help - Bring Back the Pug

When the IPL T20 matches were on in April - June, the most played ad on TV was the Vodafone Happy to Help one; it portrayed a pug with a lil’ girl that helps her stick stamps on post cards, gets her sock and finally, runs behind her bus to give the neck tie that she’s forgotten back home. A very cute ad with a great song –

Everyday I want to fly, stay by my side

Everyday I want to dream, stay by my side

Every morning I wish I could just play

Wish the mornings would just stay

LG loved it so much so that whenever it played he would drop everything and rush to the drawing room to dance ..the happiness and smile was so infectious that we got hooked on it. Sometimes, during the late night matches when LG would fall asleep and the ad played, we caught ourselves sheepishly shaking a leg. The ad has stopped playing now..all the ads in the “Happy to Help” series have been wonderful. Vodafone guy: if you are reading this, please get back the Pug.

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