Things I Learned on My First Visit to Bangalore

Even though I had never thought about living in Bangalore, life took me there in the beginning of 2018, and it was a mix of sweet and sour memories. The best part about this city is that Bangalore is full of vigor and joyful people. On the other hand, the worst part is that you cannot bear the traffic situation here. The roads are too narrow to bear the huge number of vehicles on the road.

Thankfully, I had to spend only a month in Bangalore, so I used to take everything in a happy stride and be cheerful about things. Having said that, I cannot blame people for cribbing about a few things about their metropolitan life in Bangalore because they were absolutely right in their place. I, being a traveler, understand that problems tend to magnify when you have to face them again and again.

Since I am quite comfortable in the English language, I did not face any problem in communicating with people. A few people that I had met while traveling, though had a problem with the locals never speaking in Hindi. The local residents here speak either English or Kannad, their mother tongue.

Once, I had to go to the Cubbon Park, which was a few kilometers of distance from the mall where I was. So I tried to board an auto-rickshaw, but could not find one. I asked a guy standing beside me waiting for an auto as well; he responded that finding an auto in Bangalore is sheer luck. Sometimes, they come and at other times, they would just never cross your way. It was a brilliant thought for my mind, and I thought that it is better not to rely on the auto-rickshaw drivers for traveling.

I asked the same man about the alternatives to traveling around, to which he said that I should hire a cab or a car rental Bangalore, the latter of which is the better option because I did not have to depend on a driver to come. I cannot thank that guy enough for his valuable suggestion because having a car ready to drive anywhere I wanted saved a lot of time, even though I had to bear the traffic at times. But at least, I did not have to wait forever for a cab or an auto-rickshaw to come.

In my short stint in Bangalore, I visited the old places like Bangalore Palace, Vidhana Souda, Cubbon Park, and Lalbagh to witness the glory of olden times. Additionally, I visited the new constructions such as unique restaurants, high-end hotels, IT companies, and multiplexes. It was certainly an interesting vacation plus work stint in Bangalore, about which I have fond memories.

I also went to Coorg, which is just a few kilometers from Bangalore, and it was a mesmerizing vacation for sure. I got to know a lot about coffee plantations, and I can never thank the polite locals of Coorg. I think I would go to Bangalore again, given a chance because there is a lot more left to explore around this city.

My First Journey in a Luxury Train in India

Traveling in trains in India is no less than a luxury, and you have to be quite bold to do that, at least alone as a women. I had heard quite a few nasty stories about solo woman travel in regular trains, so I thought of going by a luxury train called Shatabdi Express since it was my first time in the trains. It was early in the morning. Like everybody else, I was eagerly waiting for the snacks and food that are served in the train.

I was fortunate to have two elderly ladies on my both sides of seat. They were busy in their world, and so was I. I started reading a book and the music on my phone was not so pleasing, yet I had no other option. I listened to it for a while, and removed the earphones only when the first serving of snacks arrived at the time of morning tea.

The morning tea

The lady on my right and I made the tea with tea bags and milk, and gulped down our favorite drink in the morning. The lady on the left did not feel like having tea, so she took the biscuits and kept the biscuits in her bag.

The morning snacks

The next set of snacks was interesting comprising cutlets, eggs, bread, and butter. I gobble down everything in just a few seconds while paying a little attention to what my kind neighbors are doing. The lady on the right also ate the snacks, except the eggs. The woman on the left kept everything in her bag again; maybe she did not feel hungry at all. And like every other Indian, she would keep everything in her bag rather than refusing it altogether.

The soup

Two hours later, we received the next serving of soup, which I shamelessly finished again as I like to have tomato soup any time during the day. I noticed the two ladies on my sides and both of them did not drink the soup. The one on the right refused to take the serving, and the one on the left took only soup sticks and kept them in her bag again. Maybe she ate one cutlet during that time; I am not sure.

The last meal  

Just before the train reached Bangalore, we were served lunch. Without saying much, let us say that I ate and the lady on the left kept everything again in a lunch box in her bag.

Then, she called someone and said, “Beta, have you brought car hire in Bangalore? I am arriving the station in half an hour. When will you come?

I felt so small in that moment of pure selflessness that this lady had for her son, who must be an adult as he was coming to pick her up. She did not eat anything at all just because she wanted to share everything she had got with someone.

Only Indian moms can do it!

How I Met Funny People during My Visits to Home

I have been meeting hilarious people since the day I have joined college. However, the current times have become even funnier after I have started meeting girl’s for marriage. I belong to a small town in Gujrat and people over there, though innocent, are highly silly in their approach towards marriage. They have a typical old school arranged marriage in their mind where the girl, despite her education and income, should be a housewife after marriage. And even if she chooses to earn post-marriage, the husband should never look at her income. Else, he would be labelled as a sinister person.

Incident #1

I have a job in core engineering in Noida, and I happen to visit home only after 2-3 months. Over one visit last year, I was supposed to meet a girl and her family for marriage. I was in small talks with the family about various things about job and life in Noida and Delhi. I told them a few things about my life, and they told us about theirs. To my family, everything seemed positive and we hoped for an affirmative response later.

However, a week passed on before we received a call from them. The girl’s mother asked me to make my Facebook profile public so that they could see, rather scan my social life online. I must mention that drinking, even socially, is considered offensive in Gujrat. I knew that I have uploaded a few pictures of mine while drinking in the bars with friends. Therefore, I did not want to anyone to breach my privacy since I don’t find social drinking as an offense. I asked if I could add the girl as a friend to let her go through my profile rather than opening it all for the public. She was added, but of course, the family rejected me because I was a drunkard for them!

I knew it!

Incident #2

I had a project from Self-Drive Car Rental Bangalore airport that required me to travel to the city. Coincidentally, the mediator made me meet a girl in my hometown who worked in Bangalore, but hailed from the same city as mine. I met her to realize that she is an ambitious girl, which was the best thing about her, at least according to me even if it was not according to her parents.

Nevertheless, I met her in Bangalore a couple of times and talked over the phone once or twice a day. Everything was going well as we got along well on the lines of education, career, running the house, and raising the kids. I thought that I had found the ideal girl who was modern enough to live a decent metropolitan life, and traditional enough to run a household. We had agreed that even if we reject each other, we would communicate it to each other before we tell our parents.

Nonetheless, to my surprise, I was rejected again because the girl’s father told my father that I was a greedy person who eyed his wife’s income!

I was like, is it for real?

I was rejected twice for the most baseless reasons ever.

I could only realize that while meeting such people from my hometown, I could only have a fit of laughter, and never find a suitable girl to marry.

I communicated this to my parents and they shrugged shoulders and said that they cannot find the kind of girl I was looking for, and that I should do it myself!

So, here I am, enjoying my bachelor life in Noida!

A relaxing day in the suburbs of Bangalore

What else would one want in life when there is a happy family at home, a flourishing career, and happy-go-lucky friends? It is rare to find so much of satisfaction in life, but the human nature is such that we always crave for more, no matter how much we get.  I have been working in a Japanese MNC in Bangalore for more than five years, and I have a great life that I feel is a gift to me from God. However, every time I think about my achievements until now, I still feel that I have a long way to go; as they say in Japanese, “mada mada desu!” I don't mean to say that I want to earn more in order to be happier than I am at present, but I have other long-term plans to attain more satisfaction. 

Since the Indian society, in totality, has given me a lot of things, I intend to return the favor in every possible way. Bangalore is a great city to live in the sense that I do not feel lonely because of the presence of thousands of migrants from other cities. When you have folks from so many different cultures around you, all of us tend to become a family. Everyone treats each other like their siblings and friends, and hardly any loneliness creeps in, barring a few occasions of course. Coming back to the topic of contributing to the society, I have found such friends in the city who are always willing to make efforts. I have been a part of social circles that includes members from various strata of the society, and these people cannot sit back at home every weekend sipping coffee and doing nothing. They have that restless feeling to indulge in social work rather than parties every week.

There was this morning in Bangalore when I was thinking of visiting a friend, who had got married a month ago. I wanted to gossip about his present life and how the newly married life was going on. A friend called me, who belongs to an NGO that educates kids in the suburbs and also trains the adults regarding personal hygiene. The guy, Sumit, wanted me to accompany the group to a hamlet near the city, where they had planned to educate the villagers regarding cleanliness and personal hygiene.

I must admit that it is not an easy task to change the mindset of the Uneducated concerning matters, which they believe are not important. However, we try our best and strive towards transforming at least a few lives. Just one life changed, we believe, is the entire village transformed. We just need to make efforts on our end; the positive results will follow one or the other day. Anyway, we stuffed our bags with informatory material and a few things that we intend to donate and left for the village.

The villagers of India never cease to surprise us, and it was a pleasant experience even this time. As soon as our car rental Bangalore entered the hamlet, the kids welcomed us with flowers, rice, coconut water, and sweets. Even though I do not have much of a sweet tooth, I could not stop myself from tasting the things that the cute little kids had brought for us. They also have tremendous gratitude in them that someone in the city is concerned about their well being. I do not wish to publicize the work we did there, but the entire day was really well spent. With the memories of times like these, I always look forward to contributing a little towards the society to make India a pleasing place to live.

How I overcame the fear of beginning my solo trip

I always believed that the solo trip is not a big deal, but the beginning of it is definitely scary. Even though I had planned my first solo trip to Coorg as perfectly as I could, I was still petrified to sit in the bus to my dream destination. However, it was only when a week was left to leave, I started calming down, and my fears became subtler than before. I also realized that no matter how headstrong I was, I could not avoid a few things around me. Wherever I go in the world, I have to adjust with a lot of things. I cannot change the perception of every person towards a solo female traveler, modify the culture of a place, and find out every little thing that comforts me.

Anyway, I had already decided that no matter how scared I felt inside my heart, I would not let my vulnerability show in my persona. I will deal with the challenges on my own, and ask for help only when I cannot do without it. After I journeyed to Coorg and reached there, I fathomed that most of the problems almost always came with a solution. I found myself developing a toleration for issues I had never even faced, and honestly, I managed it well. At the end of the trip, I felt proud of myself that my first solo trip was a success.

Dealing with security 

No one else is responsible for the security of a person, but the person himself, except in the extreme situations of course. After living independently in Bangalore for more than five years, I had already realized that an under-confident person is more susceptible to crime. It's not always the attire that attracts the attention of wicked men in India or abroad, but the timidity of a person encourages dominance. I made sure that I covered my body well with loose-fitted clothes, and walked with confidence even though I did not feel the self-assurance in my heart.

Concerning my belongings, I never left my valuables in the open and kept an eye on the people around me. I kept a watch that no one followed me wherever I went. It was tiring at times to be so watchful at all times, but the worth of being all on my own at such a beautiful destination never let me complain. It was a huge confidence boost for me when I realized that people were not at all bad at every place. It's just that I have to be cautious with people than feeling sorry later. I must say that I did not find a single person in Coorg from whom I could sense a threat. Considering the relative safety of a place was the first thing in my mind even when I had not finalized the destination. Still, I never went to the lonely places alone to be on the safer side.

Being in contact with someone at home was the other thing that I strictly followed. I am in my early twenties, and I understand the concern of my loved ones towards me. I made sure that at least one or two persons in my hometown or Bangalore knew everything about my whereabouts. One of my friend works in Car rentals Bangalore, and he had assured me that I could call him anytime if I wanted to return immediately from Coorg. I sent him the updates about my locations and activities so that at least one person can reach me in case I need help. Being carefree is different from being carefree. I took my safety seriously, which really helped me have a good time even with strangers. Just a little bit of pretending went a long way in making friends with strangers. Anyway, my first solo trip was indeed unforgettable, and I am grateful to God that I could finally make it.

How My Dad Deals With Unexpected Episodes during Travel

Having a composed and relaxed temperament at all times is not an easy job, particularly in our times when we do not have any patience to deal with unexpected incidences. I don't claim that my dad is the best person in the world, but he means the world to me. I have seen him dealing with several instances in life that can make anyone wonder from does he bring so much of strength and patience.

I become particularly picky when I have to travel to any place in the world. The anxiety of leaving something behind takes me over, and it becomes difficult for me to hide my frustration and irritation with things. At the age of twenty-three, I behave like a 10-year old kid in front of my parents, and it is my father who calms me down. Last month, we were planning a road trip to Coorg, and my father suggested to take a Car Rental in Bangalore without Driver so that we can experience a new car this time. Although I was not against the idea, my dad sensed it that I was not in favor either. I always preferred taking a driver along with us so that none of us gets tired driving the car. Anyway, he was adamant this time, and it was my duty to take the delivery of the car from a particular pickup point.

When we were about to leave at seven in the morning, we got a call from the car rental company that the driver who was supposed to deliver the vehicle was stuck somewhere and it will take some time to send the car to us. So the trip had not even begun, and we had started arguing at home. As usual, I started blaming others that it was their idea to Rent Cars in Bangalore and now we were stuck at home. We could not even take the chauffeur-driven car because we had already paid for the Self-Drive Car. Nevertheless, my dad was calm and unruffled as usual. He made me sit, handed over a glass of water to me, and asked me to show the itinerary. He justified the company’s act that they are also humans working for a company and they are allowed to make mistakes. We just sat there for a few minutes talking about random things and then he remade our itinerary according to the delay in departure. 

He has a habit of not making a fuss out of simple problems. When people like me lose our temper, he magically maintains his cool. He would either keep a poker face or even laugh at the situation. God knows where he draws his strength from, but he is amazing at handling life. Otherwise being very loving by nature, my mother is a little high tempered by nature (I guess this is where my temperament comes from). I feel amazed to notice that my father has hardly ever got angry with her. Whether it was the matter of Self-Drive Car Rental Bangalore or several other silly incidents in their twenty-five years of married life, he has managed to handle their married life really well.

I am no one to judge anyone for their habits, nature, preferences, or temperament. Nonetheless, after meeting thousands of people in life, I feel proud to be the daughter of such a gentleman who knows how to deal with the toughest situations in life unlike others. After waiting for three hours that morning, the Self-Drive Car finally arrived at our doorstep, and the driver had a bouquet with chocolates tucked in it. It brought a cheerful smile on my face, and my father again established it that the company runs with humans. No robotic establishment could have delivered the car with such a delightful gesture as compensation for their little slip-up. I, once again, learned a lesson to let go petty matters and take delight in the present.