[Part 9 of Series Two days in Bangalore]
13 August 2016. I was impressed with the domestic airports in Chennai and Bangalore generally. The passengers were disciplined and polite, quite unlike those in our flight from KL to Chennai, for some reason.
But this post is about my breakfast in Bangalore airport, the morning I was flying back to Chennai. I had enough time to scout around for the best-value tiffin place. Having purchased a copy of ‘India Today’ for Rs 50, I had only Rs 160 in cash left. After waiting my turn in a long queue, I ordered a plate of vada (4 nos) and coffee. I was short by about Rs 10, but before I could change my order, the man at the till said “Never mind ma’am” and gave me a token.
For someone leaving Bangalore very disappointed with the traffic congestion and haphazard growth, this gesture was a pleasant surprise indeed! It was good to know that somethings were nice about today’s Bangalore.
The coffee was also excellent.
When I posted this on Facebook, a number of people responded, urging me to look more kindly at the changed Bangalore.
Friend 1: Like our lovely airport, a lot of the city’s infrastructure has improved. I think because you live in a sparsely populated country the difference hits you. But if you think about it, I bet you didn’t see a single bus so overloaded and tilted, that it seemingly moves on two linear wheels – the way we travelled to college . . .
Friend 2: While I crib about the garbage on the road , the other day I had to walk to some place and the weather was just gorgeous – the Gulmohar trees , greenery – it’s still pretty green – was just lovely ! . . . Places like MG road and Brigade road are terrible. 100 ft road in Indranagar is the new MG Road]
Friend 3: New places like Yelahanka, Sevanagar, and HRBR are the posh areas now.
I consider Bangalore as my city and I’ll always love it. This visit to Bangalore was mostly for going around and looking at places and people from my childhood. Places had changed so much. MG Road and Brigade road had been gloriously different in the 70s, and I cannot help remembering what those roads used to look like. The traffic is atrocious. All this makes me sad, and yet I am amazed that the city functions at all with this vast population.
Courage to tremble 