Home sweet Home...
After two and half years, I'm back in Bangalore, or Bengaluru as its called now... When people start fiddling with the name of the city for the heck of it, you know it isnt heading towards any improvement whatsoever...
Anyway, I had a long flight from SFO and I was totally sleep deprived and tired when I reached Bangalore airport. Ever since I moved to the US, my patience-levels and tolerance had increased by multiple folds and the moment I landed here, I seemed to have picked up my left-over baggage. First, the people flocking the baggage-carousel... and then the guys ready to pick up your luggage to get through the customs, without your permission... A minute I was looking out for my other baggage, and all of a sudden this porter had claimed 'ownership' of taking me through the customs. I told him I dont need any help, but he just wouldnt leave my baggage. So, yelling #1 right in front of the customs officer... A small scene created, and the porter finally left me!
And then, there was a longer queue for the pre-paid taxi than the width of the airport itself ;) So, finally at 11PM, I found the end of the twisty-queue and stood there. After 10 mins the queue had moved a little, and an uncle, whom I had said "hi" in the plane, conveniently joined me as though we were long time buddies... I just dont get it. Again, I was slightly pissed with him...
After much hassling to get the taxi (whose prices have been doubled in 3 yrs), the driver and his friend were arguing on how the taxi counter didnt charge for the 2 big baggages that I carried... I had to convince him that I would be a generous tipper to stop him go on and on about that non-sense...
We were hurrying through the streets when some car from behind kept honking like an animal... I got so pissed that I opened the window and yelled at him. It turned out that the guy was honking at his friend - my cab driver! Of course, I got reminded of the traffic sense in India...
We took the Richmond flyover which is probably the joke of the century - A testament of how badly planned infrastructure is this... The flyover is just as long as the traffic junction underneath and I believe the flyover was built to avoid the long traffic lights. And the result now: A traffic light on top of the flyover!! At one point, you will be driving on the left side of the road. And sudden you go head-on with the traffic in the other direction, and then you will be on the right side of the road.
Even in the middle of the night, the air was so thick with dust and pollutants that the street lights looked like a mass of yellow-lump. And, the stench from the open-drainage on the airport road is just unbearable.
Sunday morning (18th nov), I woke up to the sound of roosters :D (just like in stories) and to the aroma of mom-made freshly brewed coffee. Coffee in steel cups, just feels so right :)... I took my bike for a ride, and that feels so complete too... And, I am surprised that my driving senses are not totally out-of-whack either! And, it feels like an event to get from point A to point B. After the initial few hiccups, I am finally getting a hang of how to live here... Of course, its beautiful to smell the fresh air in the morning, and to get some cheap-thrills on TV, or some live-action riding on the traffic-jammed narrow streets, or eat delicious food from moms-kitchen... Above all, it feels like home :)
Anyway, I had a long flight from SFO and I was totally sleep deprived and tired when I reached Bangalore airport. Ever since I moved to the US, my patience-levels and tolerance had increased by multiple folds and the moment I landed here, I seemed to have picked up my left-over baggage. First, the people flocking the baggage-carousel... and then the guys ready to pick up your luggage to get through the customs, without your permission... A minute I was looking out for my other baggage, and all of a sudden this porter had claimed 'ownership' of taking me through the customs. I told him I dont need any help, but he just wouldnt leave my baggage. So, yelling #1 right in front of the customs officer... A small scene created, and the porter finally left me!
And then, there was a longer queue for the pre-paid taxi than the width of the airport itself ;) So, finally at 11PM, I found the end of the twisty-queue and stood there. After 10 mins the queue had moved a little, and an uncle, whom I had said "hi" in the plane, conveniently joined me as though we were long time buddies... I just dont get it. Again, I was slightly pissed with him...
After much hassling to get the taxi (whose prices have been doubled in 3 yrs), the driver and his friend were arguing on how the taxi counter didnt charge for the 2 big baggages that I carried... I had to convince him that I would be a generous tipper to stop him go on and on about that non-sense...
We were hurrying through the streets when some car from behind kept honking like an animal... I got so pissed that I opened the window and yelled at him. It turned out that the guy was honking at his friend - my cab driver! Of course, I got reminded of the traffic sense in India...
We took the Richmond flyover which is probably the joke of the century - A testament of how badly planned infrastructure is this... The flyover is just as long as the traffic junction underneath and I believe the flyover was built to avoid the long traffic lights. And the result now: A traffic light on top of the flyover!! At one point, you will be driving on the left side of the road. And sudden you go head-on with the traffic in the other direction, and then you will be on the right side of the road.
Even in the middle of the night, the air was so thick with dust and pollutants that the street lights looked like a mass of yellow-lump. And, the stench from the open-drainage on the airport road is just unbearable.
Sunday morning (18th nov), I woke up to the sound of roosters :D (just like in stories) and to the aroma of mom-made freshly brewed coffee. Coffee in steel cups, just feels so right :)... I took my bike for a ride, and that feels so complete too... And, I am surprised that my driving senses are not totally out-of-whack either! And, it feels like an event to get from point A to point B. After the initial few hiccups, I am finally getting a hang of how to live here... Of course, its beautiful to smell the fresh air in the morning, and to get some cheap-thrills on TV, or some live-action riding on the traffic-jammed narrow streets, or eat delicious food from moms-kitchen... Above all, it feels like home :)
posted by Manu Gurudatha at 4:52 PM
1 Comments:
en like home...it is home...kapi
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