LalBagh Green Express

After a long time, I decided I need to let loose and relax. I needed to get out of my house badly. Everyday is a nightmare for me these days. Morning, tiff with my cook & maid. Then yelling at aadi or mahesha or my grandma. The falling Sensex scare. Damn it, I chose a really wrong time to quit a regular income job. With things not going my way at work, stress has become too much for me and my family.

I had a perfect opportunity to get out of the house today, thanks to some kids B'day party. After the good lunch, Mahesha suggested we go to Gopalan Mall. Since i was not ready to get into another cycle of depression as I forgot my cc at home, I said no to Gopalan Mall and we went to Lalbagh, the dream destination of r1. As we entered the gardens, I saw a nice green house kind of place and a golf cart. I checked and it was a tour around lalbagh for 100 rupees per head for adults and 50 per kid.

I asked Mahesha if he was ok to spend 250 rupees and he readily agreed. We got onto to the golf cart and they took us around the garden for about half hour (The promise was 45 minutes - since no phiranghees were there, I am sure they made our trip short and sweet). I loved the trip. It was the first time I saw the whole of Lalbagh. I never knew there was a lake in there. The rain made the trip even better. Finally, we shopped a Tulsi for my self and aadi got his next pet, a cactus plant (hoping it will be low maintenance, with all the fish dead as of last week, I needed a more easy to maintain pet . 5 அறிவு ஜீவன் to ஓர் அறிவு ஜீவன்...Donno if this is progress).

After the good ride at Lalbagh I continued my retail therapy at Crossword. Picked up 3 books for myself and couple of books and other stuff for aadi. Ended the day at office, picking my personal stuff. Dint hurt much.

The sad thing is I know what I don't want to do. But, donno what to do. what I want to do is verrrry expensive...so what should I be doing ????? May be just get practical and get back to a 9 to 6 job. Hmmm with the slump, even that seems to be difficult.

The sound of silence

For last two days I have been going to bed pretty late...The slight drizzle thatz been on has made the Bangalore weather beautiful. Not too much sun and not too much cold. The perfect Bangalore weather. Something I always love at Bangalore. Normally when I am working late I have my TV on for company but yesterday I had not; with the fan off and no major sound around I heard the silence, the absolute silence of night.

I just steped out to see the night sky from my balcony. At 1 am... it was fantastic. With the moon right on top of my head, couple of clouds moving away in a hurry to find their friends and a big night bird / bat flying in the sky to get some fruits, the 3 bright stars near the moon ... It was a almost perfect night, except I was reminded that I stayed in a city when I heard a water pump motor buzzing somewhere and the street lights filling the streets with their yellow beams to compete with cool white light from the moon.

On the whole I was struck by the beauty of the night sky. I was reminded of the other long due little something I wanted to do. I need to get a telescope soon...I see that my son also loves to know all about the planets, I guess the night sky is something I and my son can explore togther...and also hear the sound of silence.

Changing Times

The last few years I have seen this place change from bad to good to great. The first time I visited here, I hated it. Those were the days when I used to love the "quite" Indira Nagar. I came here to visit a relative and the main road was nothing but a mud road and all colored RED. With lot of slush from the rain, the place was a mess. By the time we reached this place all my energy was drained.

To top it as a newly wed I had to be put on a forceful smile all the time. I was feeling like a fish out of water. Slowly Banglore has changed and today being on the road for 2 to 2.5 hrs a day is normal. We bangaloreans are a brave lot. We have learnt how to enjoy the traffic (we get to use it as an excuse evertime we are late for meetings :) ) and love the crowded malls....

We know how to catch a good seat in the McDonald or Transit or the KFC and get a bite of the fav snack. Watch the fantasitic first day shows in the multiplex. With limited recreation we have become quite innovative.

The Best of the lot is coffee shops. Our favourite family hangout is the crossword book shop on Residency Road. All three of us love it for different reasons. Aadi loves it the most for the Coffee Day attached to it. He even calls the place as coffee day book shop. He loves the Croissants there..yummy. Mahesha ofcourse loves the place for books & the coffee to go with it and I like the place for its ambience. A nice way to get lost in the books & music.

This weekend I just stepped out of my house and what I get to see is a nicely decked up new Cafe Coffee Day outlet, just 2 minutes walk from my house. I was thrilled. Not that i am a great coffee buff. But having a cafe coffee day, means a lot.
1. We need not brave the traffic to go to a decent hang out
2. Mahesha can get his cappuccino when ever he needs one
3. My son would be thrilled to have his fav coffee day next door.

And the most important of all, it shows "my part of the city" has arrived and it is not that sleepy place with muddy roads.

I am loving this place, more than ever.