Today while returning home it was heavily raining. Though I love rain, for some reason today wasn't so good. This is probably the first time I was out in a car when it rains at Bangalore. All I saw on the roads were not surprising. Its something that we see every time it rains.
It was a pity to see two wheelers riding their vehicle in rain with some just getting drenched and others having a person at the back seat holding an umbrella. Though we started discussing on how bad we(Indians) are when it comes to safety and following the traffic rules, I somehow pitied them for they may not be able to afford a car. Well, they could very well wait and go when the rain stops, yet it was almost late night. Even they would be in a mood to rush home.
What upset me the most on the roads today was when we reached Hosur main road. A lorry right in front of us was carrying, atleast 15, max 20 men, who seemed to be road workers. The only way they could protect themselves from the rain was with the workers-cap. I could not figure out if they were going to work in such dark and rainy night or if they were returning home after work.
We were happily going home in our car whereas they were going to / returning from work in a lorry in the cold rain. I could see them facing down and holding themselves tight so that they could withstand the chillness at least a little bit. I was a little angry and upset, but I don't know whom I should actually be angry at. Is it the politicians or is it the worker's boss who have not provided them with a proper vehicle to travel. After all, a lorry is supposed to carry goods, not human being.
After seeing all these I realize how blessed I am to have such good family and also all the facilities that I enjoy. On one hand I thank God for the blessings he has given, on the other, I sure am upset about these people who don't have these privileges. But I only hope they get good food to eat, good shelter to sleep and proper clothes to wear.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Chennai to Bangalore
If you landed at this blog entry with a thought of finding points for a Chennai - Bangalore debate, you are in the wrong territory. This is a very diplomatic blog entry which gives you details of things that you notice when you move from Chennai to Bangalore.
First and foremost, quoting what my friend had commented, "The whole city of Bangalore seems like centralized AC fit on top to keep it so cool". Yes, the climate is what I am talking about. When move from the sweat and heat of Chennai, Bangalore would be a paradise. The climate is cool, it rains often and you might miss the sun sometimes. But beware. On a bright beautiful sunny day, if you happily want to enjoy a walk under the Sun, be sure to apply two coats of sunscreen. There are all chances that you might get tan and heat boils.
Language? No problem. Almost everyone from auto drivers to vegetable shopkeepers would know Tamil(or Hindi). You notice yourself getting into an auto saying "AABBCC ponum", "right turn pannunga", "left turn pannunga"(Is this really tamil?). Nevertheless, it would be good to know some common words which might be used in public. Like for example, "eshtu" meaning how much, "alli" means there.
Shopping - you might very well miss the crowds and low prices of Ranganathan Street, but there are quite good options here for shopping. Though I haven't explored all, I've heard that Indira Nagar and Jaya Nagar have some good shopping options. Spencers and City center? You have the ultra famous Forum Mall. Its bigger than Spencers and City center and less crowded comparatively.
Food - Seems to me that Bangalore is not a place for traditional food. But you find excellent options for western food, especially Italian. Chennai is "the" place for chettinad and traditional food.
Oh... How did I forget the most important change!!! TRAFFIC... Chennai was a paradise. I regret the times I had cursed the Traffic Police for badly organizing the cities traffic. But after Bangalore, Chennai seems highly organized. Atleast the traffic police had an idea of how they were directing the traffic and the number of vehicles were less. I'll try and put up another blog entry about Bangalore traffic, adding few pics too.
Auto - Unlike Chennai, it seems cheaper here. You only pay the amount that is shown in the autometer. If the driver asks for more, you just need to find another auto. But most of the drivers are just... except that their meter travels faster than light. As opposed to the Rs. 40 for 2km at Chennai this is good.
There is a lot more to explore here. I'll keep posted on what I find new here. Before I leave, what is the one that I miss the most about Chennai? Beach... There is nothing like beaches at Chennai.
First and foremost, quoting what my friend had commented, "The whole city of Bangalore seems like centralized AC fit on top to keep it so cool". Yes, the climate is what I am talking about. When move from the sweat and heat of Chennai, Bangalore would be a paradise. The climate is cool, it rains often and you might miss the sun sometimes. But beware. On a bright beautiful sunny day, if you happily want to enjoy a walk under the Sun, be sure to apply two coats of sunscreen. There are all chances that you might get tan and heat boils.
Language? No problem. Almost everyone from auto drivers to vegetable shopkeepers would know Tamil(or Hindi). You notice yourself getting into an auto saying "AABBCC ponum", "right turn pannunga", "left turn pannunga"(Is this really tamil?). Nevertheless, it would be good to know some common words which might be used in public. Like for example, "eshtu" meaning how much, "alli" means there.
Shopping - you might very well miss the crowds and low prices of Ranganathan Street, but there are quite good options here for shopping. Though I haven't explored all, I've heard that Indira Nagar and Jaya Nagar have some good shopping options. Spencers and City center? You have the ultra famous Forum Mall. Its bigger than Spencers and City center and less crowded comparatively.
Food - Seems to me that Bangalore is not a place for traditional food. But you find excellent options for western food, especially Italian. Chennai is "the" place for chettinad and traditional food.
Oh... How did I forget the most important change!!! TRAFFIC... Chennai was a paradise. I regret the times I had cursed the Traffic Police for badly organizing the cities traffic. But after Bangalore, Chennai seems highly organized. Atleast the traffic police had an idea of how they were directing the traffic and the number of vehicles were less. I'll try and put up another blog entry about Bangalore traffic, adding few pics too.
Auto - Unlike Chennai, it seems cheaper here. You only pay the amount that is shown in the autometer. If the driver asks for more, you just need to find another auto. But most of the drivers are just... except that their meter travels faster than light. As opposed to the Rs. 40 for 2km at Chennai this is good.
There is a lot more to explore here. I'll keep posted on what I find new here. Before I leave, what is the one that I miss the most about Chennai? Beach... There is nothing like beaches at Chennai.
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