Bangalore: My favorite city : reasons

5 reasons why Bangalore is my favorite city.

People keep asking me why I like Bangalore so much and even I have been dwelling over this for some time now. Since now I live in Delhi and people there are objective and they need reasons as to why a Delhite would choose Bangalore.
I have to admit that I have started to like Delhi also now(yes ofcourse I am saying this to please my friends in Delhi... BHOLA specially for you) but ya I still choose Bangalore as my favorite city and will recommend to everyone who is fun loving and light hearted.
Ok so here I am trying to be as objective as I can and the reason does not include the default factors like my Bangalore friends since they are my friends because of my hard work (hey guys I am only saying this to gain some brownie points. Don't worry, I know we are friends due to your efforts but shhhhhh)

1) The awesome weather.
 I still remember the first time I came to Bangalore in year 2006 and it used to drizzle every second. Since then the weather has changed a lot and I hear people complaining about global warming and of Bangalore becoming hotter. But guys its still much much better than most of Indian cities. No humidity, mostly breezy, cloudy and you feel that slight cold most of the times. I love it.

2) Mixed culture and variety of food.
You have to give this one to Bangalore. Like most metropolitan, Bangalore as a city is with mixed culture including south Indian and western culture. You would find the fresh and strong aroma of filter coffee and sight of set dosas from udupi garden and MTR and on the other hand you can see a range of western eateries from California burrito, hunan and smoke house deli. Yes ofcourse the prize range of these places wary but then you have great number of options available from south Indian cuisine to Mexican to Chinese to Italian to American. You name it and you get it. And they all taste amazing and friendly to your pocket and the best part is, they are spread all over the city so you don't really have to go to just one place far away to enjoy a cuisine.

3) The enormous number of Cafes/clubs.
This is actually top on my list, it comes even before the weather but may be not for every one so I am listing it on number 3. Bangalore as a city is a cafe culture city. There are countless numbers of cafes spread all over the city including many CCD's and cafes like mateo, Dyu Art cafe to Toit, Jcubez and Arbour brewing company. The even best part about these cafes- you can sit there for hours without being harassed by staff to order more and more. I have had days when I sat in cafes for 5-6 hours writing or reading with only one cup of coffee. And yes when the place is so comfortable you will tend to order more and enjoy their different coffee blends. And they say it right - A lot can happen over coffee.

3 Monkeys

Matteo

The Hole In The Wall Cafe

Toit

4) Safe city for women.
This is one place where I don't have to think twice before wearing an outfit. I can travel confidently through buses also without getting remarks from people. I have lived in Delhi throughout my schooling and hence I am not used to being left unnoticed by crowd (ROFL). Here, I have been on bus at 10 PM wearing my normal attire of jeans and top and have been invisible for the crowd whereas in my city (Delhi) even that has left me feeling naked at times. I feel there is one solid reason for this and that being the majority of crowd in the city is educated and working class and hence these people mind their own business. So Bangalore High Five for this.

5) Transport options.
The bus service in Bangalore is second to none. They have low floor buses for quite some time now and these started way before it started in capital. The buses are still in good condition, they don't make that scary noise that its gonna blast any minute plus it covers major part of cities with commendable service.  Now the metro has also started and that too is shaping up well.

couple of high points I personally saw-
* I was helped by police guys when I was not getting auto at 9 PM from Brigade road. This inspector saw me waiting and without saying a word  he came where I was standing and stopped an auto for me.The auto guy had to take me. Thank you SIR.
* At times you do find certain bad elements who have traveled from shady cities to Bangalore and trying to undress girl in their eyes. On one such day, I happen to saw this weird guy in bus at night time and to my surprise, the conductor saw him too and yelled at this man in front of the bus and asked him to go the rear end of the bus where all the men are seated mostly. Thank you SIR. I must say this neverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr took place in any other city where I have been.
* At Bangalore city railway station. I was there to receive someone and needed platform ticket from the vending machine and on that particular day there were some trains delayed and thus there was unimaginable crowd. I just could not have reached the vending machine without being sandwiched and hence a railway inspector saw me and once again he went through the crowd and got me a ticket. Thank you sooooo much SIR.
* AT CCD Kormangla which is in front of Forum mall. I was seated with a friend for some time and that was weekend and thus cafe was full with customers. While leaving, my friend forgot his brand new RayBan aviators and we only realized this after couple of hours. If we were in any other city we would have lost hope but this was Bangalore and hence we got it back when we went there after 4 hours. It was safe with the cafe guys and they had also kept a board saying "We have you RayBan. Please collect it from the staff". My friend was very happy that day and he goes to the same CCD even now.

Meera chapter 7

It was soon time for the jaimala and Kiran's mom asked Meera to get Kiran from the car. Meera and Kiran were friends for a long time and Kiran was the only child and from the time her father deserted both her and her mother, they had no contacts with their relatives from fathers side and this left Kiran with only couple of close relatives including her mother's sister, her husband and their 2 handsome son, Jermy and Jared who lived in Ireland with their parents and were here to attend the wedding. So apart from them Meera was the only close person for her at the wedding.

She had asked Maria, Dheeraj and Sujoy to be a part of this custom where you bring the girl out. It was a picture perfect moment when Kiran was brought to the wedding hall with Meera and Maria on her two sides under phulo ki chdar (flower bedsheet) which was held from four corners by Dheeraj, Sujoy, Jared and Jermy. Anurag looks very happy looking at her to be wife. 

The wedding was in its bloom and Jermy asked Meera's help in taking the gifts to a room nearby and as she was walking with a big and heavy box which seemed like some crockery, she got hit by some one in the front and before she could realize anything, the person in front saved the box from falling on the floor and smash into peaces. She was not that horrified from the accident then she was to look at the person standing in front of her. He was Siddharth (Sid). 

Hi! How are you Meera?, Sid asked.

I am good. What are you doing here?

I am a friend of Anurag and actually his business partner before her left for US.

Oh! well that's great. what a small world, Meera said hiding her nervousness.

Yes! Indeed its a small world., Sid replied. Well you look beautiful Meera.

Thanks. Please excuse me, I just need to finish some work and she rushed to the room where she had to keep the stuff.

The wedding progressed beautifully and everyone looked happy. Thats the thing about traditions, you like it or not, it sinks in you and brings out happiness and joy. Time came where Kiran bid buy to everyone and sat in car with Anurag and after 2 days of staying with her in laws she will be moving back to US. There were tears in Kiran's mom's eyes but she was a strong lady and she always knew that one day this day will come. Kiran hugged Meera for a long time and hugged Maria, Sujoy and Dheeraj and helped them for being there with her on this important day of hers.

Right at that moment, Meera felt some shift in her life. Something changed and nothing was going to be same again. Sid was standing next to her and graciously offered a handkerchief but now she has no reason to behave politely with him since the wedding was over so she just moved away from him and went and sat in the Dheeraj's car.

Sid was left to stand alone and wonder and this is exactly what she had planned earlier, to make him hanging like he did to her 2 months back.

How I start my day!

I am not going to give you gyan on How I start my day.

A random thought popped up in my mind that how much I love getting up on Sunday mornings and with a cup of tea love reading the Times Life paper which is an additional Sunday copy with TOI. The paper keeps on changing and that's the high point about it but I guess I have been a fan of the Times Life paper from the beginning. I wonder why and I think the liking mostly started because of the shiny and silky texture of this paper.

But keeping the physical aspect of it aside, in theory I just love getting up on a lazy Sunday morning and making a very big cup of tea for myself and going to balcony to find my favorite copy of this 4 pages paper and not judge myself for leaving the more important news behind and just reading the shiny pages which has my favorite section "How I start my day". Mostly you have calm celebrities writing these columns ranging from sitar players, life coaches to classical dancers. And may be only these are the people who get up on Sunday morning and reflect on their feelings before starting the day. And may be these are the only people who don't have additional factors in their life like noisy children, over friendly neighbors, loud TV news channel and mother who has kept work for them for Sunday like cleaning kitchen cupboard etc (Don't assume that I do this on Sundays ok. I have better things to take care of in my life like arranging the shoe rack :))

But in practicality what takes place is this or should I say How I start my day is ----

Me: Opened one eye and searched for mobile from one hand. My brains are so active that as soon as I open my eyes, I know I need a cell phone. Wow! Then from that same eye which is now opened 80% and the other one which is trying to cope with the first one, is 26% open, I check my Facebook notifications and whatsapp messages.  After realizing that world has moved on and not many missed me , I finally get up and after some time-

Me:  Making tea and Good morning Mumma.

Mumma: Ho gai Good Morning.

Me: Trying to ignore the comment.

Mumma: Aaj jogging pe nahi jana?

Me: Trying hard to ignore the question.

Me: making tea quickly and running towards the Times Life to read how some one else has started their day and telling myself to change something from next Sunday.

Me: opened the paper and read the following lines- "I love to start my day by doing affirmations and thanking God for what all I have"

Mumma: Atcha suno! aaj kahi jana hai kya?

Me: Understanding where this is going and moving my head for a NO and focusing on the second line -"I avoid starting my day with any sort of nicotine and caffeine"

Mumma: To fir thoda time nikal ke aaj wo bahar wala rack saaf karwa dena.

Me: Hmmm and reading the third line "I give myself 1 hour in the morning to prepare for the day and I pain in that hour"

Mumma: are jawab to de. atcha mat kar.. main khud hi kar lungi. Mummy ki to kabhi chutti nai hoti. Tum aur papa bas subah newspaper khol ke baith jate ho aur main wahi roz ka kaam karu and continues...

Me: Well so the newspaper's way of starting the day is a BIG FAT LIE. I can never start my day like this. So, made a better decision and closed the Times Life and decided to help mom by COOKING BREAKFAST! This is called survival tactic- CHEAT. Give something unexpected and in return you will get some peaceful time to go back and finish that paper.

While making my families favorite breakfast, POHA, I am thinking and rather visualizing a perfect Sunday where I get up from sleep looking pretty and thanking God for the blessings by which I mean -  A beautiful and posh house.. I mean it.. Its very beautiful house.. No you are not getting it. Visualize this-

Me, pretty as ever( Ok no need to smirk, see I have money and money can make wonders to a persons outside beauty. Haven't you seen the difference in previous Deepika Padukone pictures and present Deepika Padukone. Well these are floating in whatsapp forward images since ages) well, so lets continues, me in my beautiful house with big glass walls and a lush green garden outside my window which is like a ZEN space and a loving Dog. I am painting and drinking posh white tea (Who would drink Green tea when rich) and lost in painting and then my loving family comes to greet me. (last one is not that important though but visualize karne me kya jata hai).

NAH, wait a minutes! This thought itself is so filmy and unreal. I can neverrrrrrrrrrrr live like that. Ya sure, I can do with the extra beauty which money can buy and sure would love to have a zen garden in my house but this life is not bad itself. But as Kareena says- Zyada wish karoge to Zyada milega (If you wish more, you end up getting more).