Raghavendra Prassana

Wondering who that guy is? Well its a place Dad took me yesterday. Dad knows lot of these old time halli type janata restaurants. I had been really hesitant to go to those places for I thought like a typical new “hi-fi” gal.” It wont be hygienic dad, the place would be stinking, Is it clean?, Dad no, not me”. But daddy dear grew up visiting those places so he insisted I join him “Kurubanige yen gottu marugada ghama,Shut up and figure out for urself ”

So I go through those small ( dirty.. really dirty…) lanes of city market and take a small street called “Gundopanth” street( the name of the street obviously made me wonder if the place was ruled by the Marathas before Independence, to which Daddy dear agreed and said it did belong to Bombay province and then to Madras province and then to Karnataka Govt, So there endeth the history class).

Continuing, I walk in all discomfort ( talk about being stared at by all the people there for whom it was a surprise to see a jean clad north indian looking gal with an old man) and we reach this small little India Coffee house sorta place. I enter and find the place crowded with people, standing besides each table to occupy the seat, once the person sitting there gets up.We do the same and Iam completely not at ease standing there looking at the other person eat his food.

The menu is restricted to three food items
Khaara baath-Rs 6
Idli-Rs 6
Puri Saagu-Rs 6
and of course coffee, tea and badam milk.
We order for idli and wait.. Well the food arrives really hot.. idli dipped in chutney and I suspiciously put it in my mouth and….. Yum the idlis were really goooooood..
Now Iam in the experimenting mood, so I ask dad to order khaara baath and there comes hot hot khaara baath( for those wondering what the hell is that, well its nothing but the ordinary Uppit or Upma Yaar). that was yummy too… So I end my adventure with hot cuppa coffee which tasted like the coffee Shimoga ajji ( my paternal grand ma) makes..
While coming out I notice foreigners enjoying the same food just two tables after mine..So Halli style dining is going global, Hmmm, Interesting!!!!!!..

But truly, all you people should try going there sometime.. The limited menu is absolutely awesome.. and the ambience though not airconditioned, no sofa, just old wooden table and wooden classroom bench, is clean and fine..

So ee Kurubanige marugada ghamaaa goth aithu nenne….

Stopping by the road on a winter evening

It was a busy monday evening at Richmond circle
As i was crossing the road,
An auto stopped, He got out of the auto
There were people around him
Everyone were too busy to bother about him
He went towards the transformer
and behind the transformer……….
He relieved himself.

Yuck!!!!! Civic sense?????Cleanliness????
Whatever happened to them.
Sometimes it just makes me wonder if Bangalore is truly a metropolitan city?….

Adventures of getting an Auto in Bangalore

Malleshwaram
Diwali Eve, 8pm.. Me and Dad right in front of Foodworld, Malleshwaram. Waiting to get into an auto after shopping

Dad: Iam sure we wont get an auto now.

Me (optimistically) We will, Lets try.

Auto 1 arrives..
Me : Palace Guttahalli.
Auto 1 driver doesnt even want to stop his vehicle just goes away
Dad grinning.. Me still confident

Arrival Auto 2 ..

Me (again): Palace Guttahalli??
Auto Driver: 20 rupees madam
Me: 20 Rupees ??? why?? Its minimum charge from here and its only 8pm.
Auto Driver 2: illa Madam allinda empty hog beku..
Me( aside): Empty from palace guttahalli on diwali eve. what bull shit!
Me: Hog appa nevella hotte tumbidavaru.( You are all content with whatever you get)

Arrival Auto 3

Me ( for the third time, Dad making “the smart guy faces” at me): Palace Guttahalli bartira? ( Will you come to palace guttahalli?)
Auto Driver 3 : repeats auto driver 1 scene and this happens with 5 more auto drivers.
Atlast me trying some tricks.

Arrival Auto 9

Me : (trying to smile) : Yellige hogta idhira? ( Where are you going?)
Auto driver 9 ( Shocked): Yellige hogbeku madam? ( Where do you want to go madam?)
Me : Palace Guttahalli.
Auto driver 9: Sorry madam and goes away

Me (Tired):Dad lets walk back home

Dad nods his head, Thankfully a good samaritan who gets an auto to R.T Nagar offers to drop us on the way. and we board the auto..

Floods in Bangalore

Well, Four years in Bangalore and i have never seen rains like this…

It took me two hours to come home from Shivajinagar which is about fifteen minutes away from my home.The roads were flooded and cars were literally swimming in the rain.On Cunningham road vehicles were trying hard to move in the traffic .There was an accident under the railway bridge near Mt Carmel college.Trees were uprooted.People were wading thru knee deep water in Vasanthnagar.

Sankey tank was overflowing.It has been for a few days now.But nothing much has been done about it..

There was a mini creek flowing through the Cricket grounds in St Josephs College of Arts and Science.The roads surrounding the college were jammed and students had to walk through ankle deep water. This was at 4pm. Iam sure by now(8.30pm) it would be worse.

The Traffic Police have declared a holiday for educational institutions tomorrow and day after.
Let me wait and check tomorrows newspaper and find out whom the City Municipal corporation is going to blame for this and what Mr.Dharam Singh has to say about this?????????