Koramangala is beginning to buzz with activity – lots of new restaurants which means we don’t need to go too far in search of good food and a chilled out time!
(Please note that an abridged version is also published in Trendy, Sept 08)
We sauntered in on a lazy Saturday morning. The weather was gorgeous – one of those cool Bangalore days with the breeze and the sun melding just perfectly and our appetites just sufficiently whetted in anticipation of lunch.
I discovered this place a few weeks ago while out for dinner with a few friends – we’re always looking out for new places to eat especially in the vicinity of Koramangala which is convenient for all of us! And we all agreed that this was one place worth coming back to. So there I was. One major advantage of this new restaurant - called La Terrazza – is that it’s located on the terrace of a building so it’s open on two sides (except when it rains and they pull down the blinds). So you can enjoy the pleasant breeze as you tuck into your food.
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So I took myself to the doctor in office today since I needed a medical certificate.
And then I find out. Everything else is fine with me - no allergies, no fits, no weaknesses - except one small problem…
“Your BP is a little high,” he says. (130/90 for those who can decipher the numbers).
“You should exercise, and try and lose some weight,” he adds.
My friend V who is with me comes to my rescue and pipes in, “But doctor - she does yoga, and she runs every weekend.”
The doctor gives me a “I-don’t-believe-you -can-even-run-a-mile” look and I nod my head vigorously to tell him that it’s the truth and nothing but the truth.
“Well,” he says, “we’ll monitor your BP for about 4 weeks and take a few more readings to be sure.” So it seems like I have to check my pressure over the next few weeks just to make sure that I’m not veering towards a serious problem. Anyway, I did a google search and apparently, in the 130 range, it indicates hypertension and can still be prevented by taking a few measures.
The irony however is that I’ve been trying to be health conscious over the last few months. I exercise more than I have in the last few years. I eat reasonably well (no diets for me!) but I ensure good portions of veggies, fruits and sprouts, nuts and drink lots of water through the day. No sweets, since I don’t have a sweet tooth. And after all that effort, my BP is now threatening to play spoil sport.
Hmph!
I might as well go back to junk food and my slothful days!
Anyway, despite this minor hiccup, I am registering for the **Kaveri Trail (21K) and the Bangalore Ultra (25K) runs in October and November followed by a cycling expedition in December. While I had ambitions to run a full marathon this year, considering my preparations I did realise that I was aiming for too much. So I’m settling for 2 half marathons.
Sathish told me about the cycling expedition in Goa and it sounded really exciting especially since I really enjoyed cycling in Pondicherry and Goa will be even more fun, I’m sure!
So I’m all geared up now for the next 3 months - loads of activity to look forward to and to prepare for. I’ll just have to take extra care of my health and hope it doesn’t let me down! And take that cycle out a little more often :-)
** The Kaveri Trail is held near Srirangapatna and is a very scenic trail where you have the option of doing 10, 21 and 42K. The Bangalore Ultra is held at another scenic location - Hesaraghatta - near Nrityagram and Our Native Village. If you’re interested and want to register, do log into the websites mentioned for more details… And I ran my first long distance event at the Ultra last year in December so if I can do it, I’m sure anyone can!
North East Chronicles: One of the most beautiful and lush states in the North East, Arunachal Pradesh is one of those unforgettable places that you need to visit at least once. After visiting the island of Majuli we continued to Jorhat, Tezpur and then started on our trip to Arunachal. We broke journey in a tiny town called Dirang and then went on to Tawang. On the way, we also visited Jung, and spent a night there on our return journey. March 2007.
We had passed this little town called Jung (also written as Jang) on the way to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh and all of us were quite taken in by this quaint and charming little place. We made a decision to revisit it on our return journey.
Jung was really not on our schedule at all. It’s usually not on anyone’s schedule. At the most, a few vehicles stop for a short break – a cup of chai perhaps – and then continue on to Tawang a couple of hours away.
Earlier, when embarking on the North East trip, my dad had given me detailed instructions with a list of State Bank branches I had to visit at every location. No place was really complete till we had paid a visit to the local SBI! My dad being an ex-SBI employee still maintains rather close ties with the organization. Having worked there for most of his life – it’s in his blood!
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