Meeting Anil & Exploring Downtown Bangalore

This morning I awoke at 8:20 AM which was perfect timing because Babu made us eggs and toast for breakfast at 8:30 AM which is not exactly Indian but I think he wanted us to feel comfortable.  I am still confused by the dynamic between Babu and the little boy that follows him, both of which have been wearing the same clothes since I arrived on Saturday.  The little boy does not speak which adds to the creepiness as he will watch you constantly, especially while making a phone call. They constantly offer us tea and coffee and literally spend the entire day in the kitchen.  The kitchen is their territory, I had yet to enter until this evening when I utilized the ironing board to with Babu, offered to iron my clothes but I declined.  I hope to gain their respect as currently the kitchen appears off limits.  Additionally they stand in the kitchen as we eat at the dining table.  I would much rather prefer them to join us or sit in the living room because the hovering is awkward

Peiran arrived around 2 AM last night so I met her this morning.  She is from Shanghai and goes to UVA.  Daniella, the fourth intern living at Prestige Langleigh arrives at 4:30 AM tomorrow (Monday morning) which is going to be rough since we start work that day.

After breakfast, Anil, a doctor for Avesthagen who has been in contact with Financiers without Borders, arrived at our apartment and gave us a chicken-scratched drawling of the local area.  He did provide helpful insights of where the Bazaars are and the local market and relative prices for Rickshaws and the bus so that was extremely helpful as locals will continue to try to rip off foreigners.  I am still confused about starting work tomorrow as Anil said people trickle in on Monday morning and may not arrive til 10 AM but I believe we are going to go in at 9 AM.  My project for Avesthagen is working on their legal licences for their products internationally.  I feel the company has high expectations of us so I hope I am able to meet them.


Drumsticks, Indian Restaurant



Once Anil departed, we called a taxi and Peiran, Troy, & I went into downtown Bangalore which is about 45 minutes or so depending on traffic.  I ate at drumsticks which is an Indian restaurant, however, the waitress keep trying to convince us to order from their American restaurant's menu, Calypso.  We repeatedly informed her that we wanted to indulge in Indian cuisine as we will be here for seven weeks so we ordered three plates and shared them.

Unfortunately, they were out of lamb and fish so we received three chicken dishes of which the Tandoori and the second was not spicy, however the third was spicy but the rice helped significantly.  I hope to increase my tolerance of spices over the summer and build up my immunity so I can venture from westernized restaurants to local venues and street vendors.



Lifestyle Center (they actually exist from Finance class)

 There are multiple Lifestyle Centers in Bangalore.  They are essentially massive 4-5 story westernized department stores with several familiar brands.  You have to go through a metal detector to enter the department stores, however, no one appears to ever be stopped by security.  Each mall has one or two large coffee shops, but not restaurants or food courts which is strange since there are few restaurants in the nearby vicinity.  Walking around downtown, I noticed more non-Indians, whether American or European.  Still minimal but more than the past two days.  I expected this international tech city to have more diversity but I have yet to see it.

I ventured into a couple malls with dim lighting and filled with local silk and cashmere shops.  I did not enter any, as I know from before, once you enter you can rarely leave without buying anything.  Yes in the middle of the city there was a cow tied to a post with a calf around the corner.  The pollution is terrible as dust and exhaust fumes fill the air along with odor from trash.  There are no trash cans along the streets and the sidewalks are dilapidated and mostly just dirt and trash which creates an odor throughout the city.


Polluted River

  

View from the 13th floor terrace one of the few skyscrapers in downtown Bangalore

  

Prestige Langleigh

This morning, I awoke at 6 AM and could not fall back asleep so I took a shower and had breakfast at the Bangalore Club before checking out and getting a Taxi to the airport where Troy received his luggage one day late.  The Bangalore airport is new and gorgeous, however, it is an hour outside of the city so pretty inconvenient.  Fortunately I have had no problem finding metered cabs so that I am not being ripped off as a typical tourist would.  After retreiving Troy's luggage, which was a hassel as security guards carrying large rifles would not let us into the arrivals area where baggage claim is so we eventually successfully communicated with a service counter outside the airport and they called for baggage claim to bring the suitcase outside.

The second cab ride was longer at an hour and fifteen minutes as Whitefield is a completely separate city from Bangalore and located an hour outside the city. Whitefield is where HP, Dell, and several other international conglomerates outsource their call centers and factories.  Much like the rest of India, the gorgeous, gated HP complex is surrounded by rubble and smaller stores located in concrete shacks.

Once arriving at Prestige Langleigh, I checked-in with the three security guards at the gate and met with Babu, the houseman for our four bedroom condo.  I am still unaware of his duties but he basically lurks around the apartment and constantly offers me coffee and tea.  The condo has 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, Babu's separate bedroom and bathroom, a living room, a dining room which leads to the outdoor patio, and a massive kitchen.  Overall, the complex is gorgeous, with gardens and a pool.  Prestige Langleigh is considered a serviced residential complex as in the apartment gets cleaned, bed made, towels washed; essentially it is a hotel atmosphere complete with room service.  I am currently awaiting the dinner I ordered through Babu...I really do find it awkward having him around but his is nice and I am sure I will get used to having him around eventually.

My bedroom

Courtyard and Pool

Security Gate



The complex



Living room, complete with three Indian newspapers in English

Dining Area

As of now, I am staying in for the night as it gets dark extremely early and Whitefield is in the midst of a terrontial downpour as this is monsoon season.

Arrival in Bangalore

I departed Gettysburg for Bangalore on Wednesday June 8th.  I flew out of Dulles via Qatar Airways at 11:00 PM and arrived in Bangalore at 3:00 AM on Friday June 10th.  The first leg of my flight from Dulles to Doha, Qatar was 13 hours...in coach.  The plane was full of families and multiple screaming babies but they calmed down after a while.  I got an aisle seat which was much appreciated so I was able to walk about the cabin.  I watched 3 movies, Glee, and slept for about 3 hours.  The food was actually pretty good and Ben & Jerry's was complimentary, ice cream makes everything better.  My layover in Qatar of 1.5 hours was just enough time to take the bus from the plane to the transfers terminal where I had to go through security again and then take another bus on the tarmac to my next plane.  The second leg of my journey was a 4.5 hour flight on which I was the only non-Indian. 

Upon arrival in Bangalore, I went through customs and retrieved my luggage.  I then waited for Troy, another intern, who arrived 45 minutes later.  We took a taxi from the airport to the Bangalore Club and finally arrived at 5:45 AM.  However, the receptionist made us wait until 6 AM at which we were granted an early check-in for an additional half-day charge.  Although I informed the receptionist I did not need the second night, I was still charged...so much for hospitality.  The Bangalore Club was built in the mid 19th Century during the British rule in India.  There is a taxidermed Panther greeting guests outside the dining room and several other animal heads and weaponry displayed throughout the complex.   The Club is extremely convenient as it is located in downtown Bangalore and walking distance to many restaurants and shops.

Men's only bar at the Bangalore Club

After a much needed shower, I indulged in their complimentary breakfast buffet complete with Corn Flakes, along with many Indian options.  Troy & I then left the gated sanctuary and explored Bangalore.  The sidewalks are crumbling and the air is thick and pollution is a serious problem.  Rickshaws sounding their horn fill the streets, along with countless motorcycles and non-AC buses at full occupancy.  Downtown Bangalore is filled with schools, each one in its on gated complex.  Unfortunately most shops do not open until 11:30 AM so I wandered the streets of Bangalore for a few hours before returning to the hotel at 10 AM where I utilized the club's internet cafe which is inside their library.  Surprisingly the computers were modern and the charge was Rs 10 or about 25 cents for the first hour, despite the internet being inexpensive, I had to put down a deposit of Rs 500.


I finally fell asleep around 12 PM and after a six hour nap, Troy & I departed the hotel for dinner.  Everything looks much closer on a map but after walking for an hour we arrived at Ebony, an Indian restaurant on the 13th floor of a dilapidated skyscraper complete with outdoor seating on the terrace with a gorgeous view.  I enjoyed Chicken Roulade (stuffed with cheese and vegetables in a white wine sauce)...not exactly Indian Cuisine but it was delicious.

Chicken Roulade

 After dinner I continued walking around MG Road and found a side street with 3 Pubs side-by-side, not to mention a Ruby Tuesday's and KFC.  However, all of these are surrounded by crumbling abandoned buildings.  One pub had five "doormen" but they said nothing as they held the door open and we walked inside to find a Hard Rock Cafe atmosphere complete with a motorcycle bolted to the wall and guitars and other memorabilia on display.  While sipping on a Pineapple Daiquiri, everyone continually sang along with 80s rock artists while the music videos projected on the multiple televisions.  Now is when a low key evening turned into an eventful night out.  Four Americans walked inside the Pub (there was no name on the door nor the menus so I will continue to call it the Pub) and after introducing themselves they invited Troy & I to join them which we obviously accepted.  Three of them work for Hewlitt Packard and are in Bangalore for two weeks and the other gentleman is a lawyer representing some company in the Tech Park this summer.  Bob & Connie are in their late forties and married with children and the other woman was younger, but they were all equally outlandish in their actions.  The evening included a tower of beer (equivalent to 20 beers in a giant King Fisher tube) and flaming shots (yes you drink them while on fire).

Flaming Shot

Me, my friends from HP, & Troy

After enjoying their company, I joined them next door to another pub which was more of a dark bar atmosphere.  Here we ordered more beverages and despite the waiter informing us it was last call, my new friends paid for the bar to stay open as we ordered a 2nd and 3 round.  The six of us clearly stood out as we were the only non-Indians.  After HP generously picked up the tab at both restaurants, I successfully walked back to the Bangalore Club and enjoyed 6 hours of sleep.