Moving Cities : Pune to Bangalore

July 30, 2008

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!

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Comments

3 Responses to “Moving Cities : Pune to Bangalore”

Alok on July 31st, 2008 7:22 am

Ha! Child’s play!!

I’ve shifted house thirteen (count ‘em, 13) times. Nothing to it when the whole household has to go. The real problem is when you’re staying with a room-mate who’s not shifting to the same place with you. It’s a nightmare sorting out what belongs to whom.
Chandrika on July 31st, 2008 5:51 pm

Good luck on the move! Do pass on your new contact information after you have settled in to your new place in Bangalore. Congratulations and best wishes to V at IIM,C!
Lakshmi on August 1st, 2008 2:39 am

Alok: Ha..a new perspective to shifting. Never been in a room-mate situation. And, yes 13 is familiar to me I’ve (not my family) shifted to a different city every year from my 4th Std until 12th Std. with a record of schooling in over 13 schools. The last 3 years has been the longest we’ve stayed in one place.

Chandu: Thank you. Will do.