November 05, 2006

The makings of a Bengaloorean?

During the Suvarna Rajyotsava week , I took a trip out of State.

Went just across the border on a short hop to Kerala. As usual the pace was hectic there. Things were happening, or were they? There was a road strike and had miles to go on those narrow ribbony roads through the furiously fast untamed traffic (at least in contrast to my now-becalmed Bengalooru senses).

It was a major-shock for me - a reflection of how the others (aka non-Bengalooreans) live. The sweat literally poured out in rivulets. The heat was an assault of all ones senses, especially the visual and the olfactory. One longed for the beautiful Bengalooru weather.

And whats with the men outside of Bengalooru? They actually
STARED. In namma Bengalooru if one as much as looks at another person, he, and it would be a 'he' of course, would smile nicely before converting his curious gaze into a downward glance.

Later, was discussing this with dh and he asked, So what did you do there then? And I had to reply sheepishly, that I reverted quite seamlessly to my dilli-waali self!

14 comments:

अभिषेक said...

thanx for visiting my hindi poem blog and dropping your comment.
I will try to be regular in posting.

Sujit said...

hehe... nothing can beat bengaluru weather :)...

Anonymous said...

the weather - having spent practically all my life in coastal regions, i kinda like sweating now. almost feel odd if i don't sweat!

dunno abt bangaloreans, but most men (myself included) have a habit of staring at women. i try to make it as inoffesive as possible, in that if i am caught, i quickly turn away. can't avoid the gazing though...dunno if the species has been made to behave in that fashion :)

love gods own country though..

UPPU, good meeting u here, brother! haven't seen any posts in ur other blog either.

Shankari said...

Hi Uppu,

Followed you from DharmaB's blog of course. Enjoyed reading you.


Sujit,

There speaks a true blue Bengalooru huduga :D
Banni yenjoi maddri :)

DharmaB,

Like sweat??? Then Begalooru is just NOT the place for you pal. Here one has to work VERY hard to work up a sweat and burn any kcal!

About the looking - thats just the point- most people try and make their gaze as inoffensive as possible (at least here in B). As for me, when one looks like an elephant (huge n imposing) one gets used to being looked at like an elephant too So in Gods own C where elephants are worshipped... :P

Jolvin Rodrigues said...

namma bengalooru - i wouldn't mind saying that in Kannada...however in English ...naah...anyways men will be men...staring is a pass time.

LAK said...

Your dilli-waali self being----?
BTW, have put up another published article on my other blog.

chitra said...

Shankari,

Being a delhite, I thought u must have got used to lecherous men all around.

and as far as sweating is co0ncerned, Shankari u wd be shocked to spend the next summer in Delhi. It is become as humid as the coastal areas.

Shankari said...

Jolvin, like it or not Bengalooru it is going to be!

lak,

dilli waali self being as aggro as any! :D

Chitra, hmm, but thats what I just said, being in Bengalooru has softened me up!

ks,

Salaam! all the way to you at Brunei Darussalam. Now what was interesting, I wonder...

Anonymous said...

Hi Shankari
So Mallus are closer to Delhi then the Kannads? Guess, living at different places puts you on advantage so that you can change your "self" with as much ease as you change gears.
P.S.Think of those poor bangalored ones now they are gonna be bangaloooooooorooood with so many more oos.:)
:):)

Pallavi said...

hahaah that state is knows for its stares.. pardon me... but I have got some too.. whenever i went there.. :)

Shankari said...

Anj, ooooooh is so nice :)

Pallavi,

Its just that I was kinda disconcerted initially to I remembered it was not kannada nadu

Anonymous said...

I think in the "short hop" you took,you did not visit kerala.I mean you did not see the best of the land! How did u expect the coasal weather to be? Freezing ?!!
And as of b'lore weather...It is nice cold breezes filled with fumes and dusts coming out of the horrendous traffic.
And people stared at you ? Dont they do that in Blore .Given that half of the software professionals in the IT city are Mallus!!
I thought blore was more famous for its crime rates.Esp the ones against women.

Next time when u r in a foreign land may be U can look at its positive side too !!

Shankari said...

Hey V, chill ya

Love God's own, it was a mere rant na...

Prashant Karkera said...

I liked namma Bengalooru used. For a while made me think of the word(namma) in English...

And staring is in all places. Only thing is that we become more conscious at new places:)