Long overdue update to the IBL. I have deleted heaps of blogs which have not been updated for a while. And those that are on hiatus (except those who have promised to return soon!). Changed the template. I was contemplating moving the list to my domain, but blogger has come up with so many attractive designs now :)
I am still clearing the March/April/May backlog and will put it up in a day or two. If you have submitted your blog prior to January 2004 and it is still not listed, please send me an email.
Aaditya Sood
Ajay DSouza
Amit Karmakar
Anand
Anant Jain
Anu
Ajit Asif
Amar
Annirudha
Arvind
Ashish
Atul
Atul (Atool)
Badri
Balaji
Bharani
Bored Dude
Chandru Rajagopalan
Debasish
Deepak Kumar
Divyesh Lavingia
Gautam
Gargi
Harish Narayanan
Harshad
Hemanth
Hitanshu
Ishan
Kanags
Karthick Seshu Tanveer
Karthik
K Shyam
Madhujit Ghosh
Manish Verma
Melody
Meenaks
Muthu
Nelson Vinod Moses
Nikhil
Nikita
Nitin Pai
Padmaja Chaurasia
Pranshu
Praveen
Puneet
Raj Shekhar
Ramdhan
Rohan
Rohan George
Ramesh Narayanaswamy
Rajeev
Rohit’s Bubble
Sadagopan
Saurab Dogra
Shalini Akhil
Sharon
Shreenath
Sriram
Sridevi
Sukanya M
Suneel
Sushubh
Tarun
Tassadar
Despite all my attempts not to buy anymore books, I landed up with five more. This time the book shop came to the office campus. With discounts. Now how can anyone resist a good bargain? Picked up Afterwards (Jaishree Misra), River Dog: A Journey Down the Brahmaputra (Mark Shand), Yadav: A Roadside Love Story (Jill Lowe), 52 Weekend Breaks from Bangalore and a city road map.
I recently finished Ancient Promises by Jaishree Misra and loved the book. She writes evocatively about falling in love when she is seventeen, getting into an arranged marriage at 18, reuniting with her first love many years later, separated from her mentally challenged daughter for a year, going off to England to study and then coming back to India. The novel is set in Delhi, Kerala and then England and is auto-biographical in nature. While reading it I got the feeling that the writer had gone through the experiences herself and only read afterwards that most of the incidents had happened in her life. If you happen to come across the book, it's worth a read.
Another book I finished is Dave Barry Does Japan. Written in his truly inimitable style. It's pretty howlarious. Provided me good company on the way to work. His take on their culture, food, society, cities will keep you in splits. Not a book if you're looking for a serious insight into Japanese culture, as Barry himself admits!
(and why they should no longer be called Web World)
Can you imagine going to a MacDonald's and being told they had run out of burgers? Reliance, however, has run out of data cables! And not one outlet, but everyone of them in the whole of Bangalore. Armed with all my documents I went over to the gallery on the weekend, having decided to go ahead with Reliance. My choices fast running out. Anyway, the guy very disinterestedly tells me they had run out of data cables. They were expected in a few days. No attempt to take my number so they could inform me (I guess th at would be way too much to expect).
You mean, all the Reliances have run out of data cables, I asked a little sarcastically? It missed him completely. Yes, he replied and turned away to do something else. I called yesterday to get an update and was told by them that it is now 'indefinitely' out of stock! I think this is a higher force telling me, 'Don't take Reliance!'
After Crosswords last weekend, visited Oxford Book Shop at the Leela Palace this Sunday. Resisted from buying anymore books till I get some moolah this month though.
Picked up a magazine instead. Met up with a photographer who will be conducting a three month basic course starting from June. Since I'm such an amateur, I think it's high time I brush up on my basics. Had some lovely rosemary tea at the Cha Bar at the store and realized that it was so much more refreshing than coffee. They serve the tea in these really cutely shaped pots, pans and saucers. Nice.
Met Aqua and Jil (again!), Rocky and a friend of theirs at Rex to watch Yuva. After the reviews (disappointing, not as good as Mani Ratnam’s usual films etc.) I was wondering if I would be disappointed as well.
But I loved the movie! Maybe it isn’t his best (but every movie the makes can’t be the best, can it?). I think he’s a master storyteller and director. Whether it’s the way he weaves the stories. Or the performances he’s got out of the cast. Or just the little moments that the characters share and make the movie so worth watching.
This is was probably the first role of Kareena’s that I enjoyed. (She was pretty good in Chameli too). She looks fresh and pretty. Her unadorned face without make-up and the lovely clothes, makes her stand out like a fresh rose in Calcutta’s sometimes dull background (could have been the rains). Abhishek gives a great performance and one hopes he continues to get a few good roles.
Rani Mukerjee fits into her role as Abhishek loving but tormented wife pretty effortlessly. She’s looking better everyday and I’m looking forward to watching her with Saif in Hum Tum. Esha is pretty good too. All those small nuances and expressions she brings into her role. I loved the song picturisation on Vivek and Kareena. It was… something else! I’ve seen snatches of it on TV, but on the whole, the song makes you feel young and carefree... And wish you could experience that thrill of first love all over again :0)
The last fight sequence between the three guys at the very end on the Vidya Setu bridge was pretty amazing. The attempt at weaving politics into the story, was fine, but the way it was handled could perhaps have been more realistic. I would agree with Swami's review on the unrealistic portrayal of some of the political situations and characters. But Om Puri did a good take on the Bengali accent!
My advice in four words. Go and watch it! Don’t expect a masterpiece. But it’s definitely worth watching for its visual style, cinematography and performances.
Momos. I love them. And if they’re cooked well, I don’t need much else. If you’re wondering where to go after a movie at Rex, try 93 Chinese on Residency Road. While it poured cats and dogs, we blissfully polished off a few plates between us. Nice choice, Jil! A good movie, delicious momos and the rain. Ah, it was a perfect way to spend Sunday!
After weeks of plotting and planning we finally made it to Shiok for lunch on Saturday. My partners in crime this time were Aqua (who I was meeting for the first time) and Jil (who’s probably a little tired of seeing me so often :-). We settled into the comfy seats and attacked the food and drinks with great relish. We must have made quite an interesting sight - two hungry women wolfing down food like there's no tomorrow! Aqua was a little more polite. But the food was good. Or we were hungry. Or it might have been both. All I remember is stuffing me self to the gills (no, I don’t actually have them).
We had drunken noodles, a lovely chicken dish, a really nice tasting rice. As you can see, I am not so good with names. To top it all, I had a green concoction called Madhu’s Illusion, which turned out to be more potent than I first thought.
Madhu's restaurant also has a compact lounge area next to the dining area where you can relax and have a drink but we decided not to venture there. I don’t think I would have made it out of the door for a long time, if I had. If you like South East Asian cuisine, do go across to Shiok's.
We started at noon (we were the first eager ones in) and they finally had to shoo us out at 4 p.m. after we had stretched their hospitality to the limits.
After that satisfying meal, it was time to head back home and then onto a game of badminton. Not having played for aeons, my muscles protested loudly. The last time I played indoors in a proper court was in 1986 (I am not kidding!). My skills therefore are rather rusty, but I love the game. And after all that food (not to mention the Illusion) it was a small wonder that I wasn’t running around the court, trying to hit 4-5 imaginary shuttles! My dad (who used to be a badminton champion in his younger days) would have been rather proud :)
(PS: Shiok is on CMH Road in Indiranagar, conveniently located on the main road and very easy to find!)
Found a really cool lending library with a pretty good collection where you can book online and get delivery at your doorstep (for a small price, but very worth it).
I’ve been trying to find a library since I got here so I am thrilled to bits! It’s a nice concept and this is the first time I’ve actually come across a library making use of the Net so extensively.
If you’re in Bangalore, and like reading, it’s worth trying.
Q: Heights of Outsourcing?
A: Sonia Gandhi as PM.
:)
But now, it seems, people who have been whipping themselves up into a frenzy over the last few days (threatening to shave their heads/take their own lives), don't have to worry after all!
Last weekend, I probably went through the worst of it (I hope). Fell horribly sick. And then got depressed, since I hate being sick. I think after the initial excitement it suddenly dawned on me that I was in a new place. It’s not a nice feeling to be sick and alone. I called up all my friends on Sunday (from Kanyakumari to Delhi, I don’t have friends further up north!) and made Reliance a really happy phone company. By Monday morning, I was back to my cheery self again!
After a really busy week (and therefore no posts, besides absence of home Internet connection), I was really glad about my company’s five day working week.
On Saturday, I finally got a bird’s eye view of Bangalore city.
After hearing lots about it, I made it to Ebony at the Barton Centre, 13 floors off the ground. The weather was lovely; it was drizzling intermittently. After cajoling the waiters, my host for the afternoon, Arun, got us a seat in the shaded section. I have been a fan of Arun’s photographs for a while so I got a chance to chew his brains about how to become a better photographer (in other words, how to take more photographs of objects and life forms, other than my cat!). He let me muck around with his nice camera and I took some shots, which I am hoping will turn out well.
Arun informed me that usually he gets 3-4 good shots in a roll. And he’s happy. Hah! I’m usually thrilled with around 30 of my 36 pictures, thus proving what am amateur I still am :-/.
At one point, I actually got up on the ledge to get a good view of the Vidhan Soudha and the manager came running up to me, sporting a rather distressed look. I did manage to get a shot. And convince him that I was not about to commit suicide. At least not yet!
Arun had warned me that the food was not usually very good at these heights. But we were lucky. Maybe, they knew I was coming! After a nice buffet lunch, we went across to Crosswords, where I picked up a book (Married Woman, by Manju Kapoor) and a movie (Chocolat). I was looking for Pico Iyer’s latest book, but they hadn’t got it yet.
In the evening, I had a dinner invitation where I met a really nice couple and their adorable two year old daughter. I was introduced to them via email by a school friend in New York, who orchestrated the whole thing. Actually, a few concerned friends have given me contacts in Bangalore (feeling sorry for me!). And though I’ve chatted with a few people, it’s been mainly on the phone and remained in the ‘let’s catch up’ state but hasn’t progressed any further.
Ganesh, however, actually organized for me to come across to his place. He’d also invited another couple. Some people have a knack of putting you completing at ease and that was the case with Ganesh and his lovely wife. So it turned out to be a really chilled out evening. We went out for dinner to a place called Herbs and Spices, somewhere in Whitefield. The place is a dishy bungalow converted into a restaurant with open air seating around the garden.
A perfect place to knock back a nice daiquiri and enjoy the serene surroundings. The only sad part was that they don’t serve liquor, so if you have a weakness for them, especially after the long drive to get there, this place ain’t for you!
We ordered continental, which is obviously not their forte. Because, all I got in my very exotic chicken dish was a lump of mashed potatoes, a few slices of carrot and two really small pieces of chicken. If I wasn’t already full with tortilla chips and tartare sauce I had earlier, I would have been really annoyed. There were absolutely no herbs in my dish, and I’m hoping they’re more generous with their spices.
Got home at 2.00 am and slept through Sunday morning till 10 am, belatedly realizing I had missed my morning yoga class. Chilled out at home. Spent quality time with the cat. Also realized I am beginning to sound like those old women who spend a lot of time talking to their cats. Which I probably am :-)
Contemplated going to Jayanagar to do some shopping but with the rains and all (and the prospect of encountering another unfriendly rick driver), the plan was abandoned. I decided to enjoy the nice breeze and Chocolat instead. Not a bad choice after all.
Hasn’t the weather been gorgeous? The only problem of course, is that when it starts raining, the roads get mucky, the ricks totally disappear and the cabbies take ages to appear. Or so I found out this Saturday when I had a dinner invitation in the evening. I called about 3 city taxi services to be told (rather rudely) that there were no vehicles in my area. One of them even hung up on me, when I was mid-way into the call! Finally, I got someone who was ready to accept my money in exchange for a ride! Boy, was I relieved. For a moment, I thought money had gone out of fashion and no one cared about it anymore.
I’ve been having rather bad traveling experiences lately. My colleague dropped me off at Fab India one evening after work. I did my shopping. Walked out and looked around for a rick. Waited. Looked around. Of course, there was absolutely not one that was empty or wanted to go in the direction I was going! Finally, I had to walk home.
Another time, a rick driver abused me because I didn’t tell him I was going off the main road. He raved and ranted and though I didn’t understand what he was saying; the part I understood was that wanted more money because he had to do a detour of 2 minutes from the main road. I’ve noticed that the majority of drivers are here are pretty unfriendly and never have change. Arggh. Or maybe they just see an invisible sign saying ‘non-Kannada speaking alien’ across my forehead.
My friend used to crib about the really bad traffic rules in Bangalore and I never believed it. I thought this was an ideal city where no one breaks traffic rules and people are polite and everyone gives way. Boy, was I wrong as I’ve discovered within one month here!
Anyway, I had a really funny experience at the learner’s license test centre on Saturday. They put 20 of us in a room, where we had these buzzers with three colours on them (red, yellow, green), making us feel like Kaun Banega Crorepati contestants, when actually it was like, Who is going to get a learner’s license today test. They had really hard questions like, What do you in a silent zone a) Blow your horn, b) Don’t blow your horn; c) Blow your horn at your own discretion.
And another beauty. Which side of the road do you drive while taking a left turn? a) Left hand side, b) Right hand side, c) centre. The reason I am calling it hard is because there were people who failed the test with marks with 6 and 7 out of 15 questions. Thus making it quite clear why Bangalore has so many rash and non-traffic abiding drivers!
This was also the first time I actually gave an ‘automated’ test. Last time I had gotten a license, it was through other means. I won't divulge the location where I got it, since I don't want to get anyone into trouble. So anyway, I didn’t have to answer any questions or for any test. And you’d also be relieved to know that I never drove using that license.
I was also rather pleased when the test scores were announced and I had scored full marks. Making it the only one in my life. And considering how hard it was, I celebrated well through Sunday!
I checked out the Reliance wirefree set for Internet connectivity. The connection was really slow, but the guy at the gallery said this was rare and they usually get good speeds. The set costs 1000 bucks, the data cable costs 1200 bucks, and activation is for 800 bucks. And then you get onto a monthly plan ranging from a minimum of 500 bucks upwards. The other option is to connect using my Reliance phone, via a data cable which costs around 3000 bucks.
Does anyone have any experience using Reliance? Before I go in for the connection (seems to be the simplest to get at this point), any inputs regarding their connectivity speed and service will help.
The last few days I have been emailing different service providers to find out more about broadband and Internet connectivity. Sadly, there has been hardly any response. It shows the total lack of importance given to the customer. Most of these companies have Web pages, but I doubt they really bother to reply to email that they receive through their feedback forms.
I sent most of these emails/ feedback on the 5th of May.
Via Email
Tata Indicom – No response
Dishnet DSL – Got a response in the morning. They asked me to email my address. Still waiting to hear from them.
Via Web based forms
Atrias Convergence – No response
Reliance Infocomm – Filled up the Web form but couldn’t submit even after four tries
Hathway – No response
Via phone
Touchtel – Left a message on their answering machine. No response.
I’ve had two positive experiences via email. Sify, who got back to me the same day saying that they did not offer connectivity in my area and that they will keep me informed.
I also used the BPL Mobile online form to activate my voice mailbox. It was done in the next couple of hours. I also got an email and SMS immediately. I was pretty impressed! Unfortunately, I have to give up my number this month (which I’ve had for about 4 years and am terribly attached to), since they do not have a presence in Bangalore.
I don’t think companies should put up online feedback/help forms if they can’t handle the response. Or provide facilities like an answering machine, where they promise to get back but never do.
Companies really need to look at how they treat their customers. In fact, I’m surprised by how slack even service people like electricians are because the ‘job’ is too small for them. What they don’t realize is that if they’d done my small job, I’d definitely have gotten back to them for all my future requirements. I don’t think too many guys get that here and that’s why customer service is of such appallingly low standards.
Public companies are worse. You can stand in front of someone’s desk for more than an hour and he/she won’t give you a second look. I’d written about the whole rigmarole I had to go through to get a phone connection organized.
Even with increased modes of communication (phone/email etc) the service levels in general continue to be pretty dismal and frustrating.
The cat has landed. So has all my worldly possessions!
Trying to get connected now. Called Touchtel and got an answering machine where I left my name and number. Emailed Hathway and they mailed me saying they would get in touch (hopefully, they mean soon!). Called the Reliance Webworld outlet and it was closed (on Saturday!).
Shucks. Looks like it will be another week trying to figure out how to get online :)
There's a land line connection at home too. Problem is, it ain't working. The phone guy says I need an electrician to fix it. The electrician I have been trying to get keeps telling me, "I'll come tomorrow, Madam." As we all know, tomorrow never comes!
I finally tracked down another one today and he says he can't fix the phone line.
I think me and the cat will have to figure out a way to fix the connection.
More later. When I manage to figure out how to get a broadband Net connection in Bangalore.