B’lore or Pune?

Well, I’m back after quite a long time and it feels really good to be back in Pune! Six months ago I was thrilled to be going back to B’lore, my hometown. I couldn’t ask for more. But when I reached there….good lord! The city has changed so drastically over the years. It’s just no longer the city it once was….’Bangalore-The Garden City’! Now it has literally turned into ‘Bangalore-The Garbage City’! The traffic is insane…. Especially the one I used to take to work….it was unbelievable.

The city is so populated at the moment. I guess it’s the whole IT thingy!!! People have poured into B’lore from all over….it’s so crowded that you’ll hardly find a Bangalorean there.  

Well, after six months, I’m back to Pune and am I glad to be back here! I find this city so much nicer compared to B’lore. Nowadays, I don’t even mind waiting patiently in the evening traffic at Holkar bridge. Thinking of the same at Hosur road in B’lore, this seems much much better. Its not that I no longer like the city. There are a couple of places I still miss in B’lore….like M.G. road, Brigade road, Forum….

But all the same, I feel much happier and calmer to be home here in Pune!!

   

Animations

I happened to watch ‘Madagascar’ (an animated movie), last night on Star movies. It was simply superb and so funny. All the characters were just too cute!! I was just wondering how much effort would have gone in making the movie. I’m an Instructional Designer myself and I know how difficut it is to just create a simple game online. To create a well-made animated movie should be quite a task.

In particular, the characters  of the lion, hippo, giraffe, zebra and the penguins were made really well. I wonder what are the ingredients of an animated movie. It should be difficult, yet interesting. I guess excellent graphics, voice-overs, artists….

I love watching animated movies. Some of my alltime favourites are Shrek (both part I and II), Aladdin, Finding Nemo, Ice Age, The Prince of Egypt, Shark Tale and of course Madagascar.     

The Crystal Maze

I remember watching this game show called ‘The Crystal Maze’ when I was young. It was the one of the most amazing game shows I’ve ever watched. I used to wait every week to watch it. The host was this guy named Richard O’Brien and he was pretty funny and entertaining.

The entire game was about these six contestants who move through five different zones…aztec, medieval, futuristic, industrial and ocean. They would have to collect as many crystals as possible whilst in these zones. In each zone they would play games classed as ‘physical’, ‘mental’, ’skill’ or ‘mystery’. If a player succeeded, a crystal would get released else he would get locked in the chambers. And then finally they would reach the “Crystal Dome” where they would collect gold tokens in order to win a prize.

I think I watched it so punctually for about 4-5 years. I wonder why they stopped telecasting the show… I would love to watch it again!! 

Home Sweet Home

I’ve finally shifted back to Bangalore and man, do I feel at home!! My two years in Pune was quite an experience, a memorable one of course. But twenty one years in Bangalore and it was difficult not to miss the place. Although there are a couple of noticeable changes… like the traffic has become  doubly crowded and a couple of new flyovers in certain areas.

My new job is just great and I can’t wait to hit the usual corners like central…brigade road…and of course a visit to the banerghatta zoo.  

Beware of “Street” Dogs

It was shocking to read about the four year old boy killed by a pack of street dogs. The photo of the desperate and weeping parents was even more sad. This is the second case that has happened in Bangalore over the past couple of months. I wonder what made the dogs attack the child. Its actually scary since I see children playing on the roads everyday with atleast about 7-8 street dogs lurking around.

The government though has done a good job by catching more than 500 of them and sterilising them. But the question here is, “Should they be killed?” I personally feel that killing all the street dogs would be a little too harsh. Sterilization is a more sensible option.

Parents should be a little more cautious about letting their children play all by themselves especially if the area has street dogs around. The little boy can never be replaced but my heart still goes out to his parents and family at this time of loss and sorrow.

Shimla: The Queen of Hill Stations

I finally got time to write a bit of all that’s been happening over the past few days. I visited Shimla in the last week of december for christmas with my family and it was aaawwwesome!!! I loved every bit of the trip. The train journey from here to delhi and then again from delhi to kalka was real fun. From kalka, we took a bus to shimla and the journey was scary to me. The roads were so narrow and twisted up that I started to feel a bit dizzy and sick. The cold began to creep in on the way to Shimla itself and in Shimal it was just freezing. I think the temperatures were really low and I shivered even under the blankets. But the scenic beauty of the himalayan ranges and the snow made the whole trip worth inspite of all the cold and the winding roads.

We were staying right next to ‘The Mall’ in a guest house. Shopping and eating at The Mall was real fun. ‘The Ridge’ is right next to The Mall from where one can get the best view of the Himalayan Ranges. We also visited ‘Kufri’ where there was a lot of snow and skiing. It was the first time I saw snow so it was an overwhelming feeling of seeing the snow and feeling it. The snow feels really soft and it’s very cold before and after it snows. 

We also visited the ‘Jakhoo’ temple. Its an old hanuman temple, a really nice temple with lots and lots of monkeys. Infact shimla is full of monkeys. There are monkeys everywhere like streetdogs. I had monkeys climb up on me and ckeck my jacket for something to eat. That was one monkey experience. Another one snatched a bag full of oranges from my mom…… so lots and lots of monkey experiences we had. There were streetdogs too, and they were the most healthiest and good-looking streetdogs that I have ever seen anywhere in India!

Shopping was good fun too! I bought loads of wooden and woolen stuff which is what most hill stations are famous for. And people too were extremely friendly and very helpful. On the whole, it was a very enjoyable trip and a memorable one too with all the traveling… eating … freezing … hiking … snowing … eating … trekking …. and shopping!  

The Game called Life

The complexities of life are infinite. I often get so blank in my mind just thinking about how to deal with each hirdle and its outcome…how it’s gonna end. And yet I find myself dealing with life’s different situations and working them out somehow. But what we face while dealing with each hirdle is truly one’s own experience…happy or sad. I wonder most of the time why is it that we tend to crib about our life even though we have everything that is sufficient for a happy life.

My grandma always said, “Think of all the poor and needy who don’t have what you have and be satisfied.” Although this saying is so true, we still don’t really seem to be sastisfied. We always want more of life.

My heart really pours out to see a child begging for alms when I wait in the traffic signal, an old man in rags, sitting helplessly in some corner hoping for someone to give him something…anything, a hungry little lame puppy, limping across the road… How we often ignore these things… and yet we do nothing about it.

I am happily married with a loving husband, kind in-laws, a caring mother, pets with unconditional love, a flourishing and promising career, a warm house, and sufficient money… it’s just almost perfect.

The game of life is funny. At the same time life is precious and beautiful.

Man’s Best Friend

A dog is truly a man’s best friend. Since childhood, I have had so many breeds of dogs as pets. But whether it has been a Doberman, Labrador, Alsation, Dashund, Great Dane, Cocker Spaniel, or any other breed, their affection for me as their master has never changed. Each of them have always shown me the same love and affection, which make them the best pets one can have. 

I am grateful to my father, who is a big animal lover himself, to have influenced me to love and care for animals just like he has been.

With animal-lovers on one hand, there are a few others who seem to treat animals with disrepect and contempt. It does seem very disappointing to see some animals being ill-treated. I have seen people throwing stones at street dogs and stray cats, which is a very unkind gesture.

I especially detest people who are so superstitious about black cats. It seems so ridiculous when they go so ‘ooooh’  and ‘aaaah’ whenever they see a black cat. I personally think black cats are beautiful and majestic in their stride. It is unfortunate for certain people to have stereotyped opinions about animals.

As for me, I enjoy being with and around animals. Its great to see a lot of animal-lovers around me who care and are kind to animals, and seem to make a difference in their own small way.

How I got Lucky

November 1st was a lucky day for me. My husband and I were driving back home after a long, hectic day. Just as we turned towards Baner road, I suddenly screamed and asked him to stop the car. There was a small, little kitten right in front of our car!

She looked scared and lost as I got down and picked her up. I couldn’t help but notice her cute, little frightened eyes which looked back at me. We decided to drive on a little further and drop her in some place safer.  We found a lawn-sort-of an area in Pashan and I dropped her there. But she just followed me back to the car. And then I realized that I just had to keep her.

It’s been two weeks now and I call her ‘Lucky’. She’s the most adorable kitten I’ve ever seen! She roams all over the house, playing with Kiki and bugging Lizzie. She’s about three weeks old now and is growing naughtier day by day. She seems to scratch everything she can get her paws on. No matter, she’s my sweet little kittie-pie!

The feel of Diwali!

Today was “Traditional Day” in my office and I can really feel the excitement of Diwali. It really is the festival of light! Most of my collegues are wearing traditional clothes today and the office has been decorated beautifully…it sure has risen the spirit of diwali in me. I have finished my diwali shopping and am looking forward to cooking some delicious diwali sweets. Relatives have come down to celebrate the festival with us. Two more days to go and I am only left with buying crackers for the big day.

At this point, I just would like to say a small prayer for all those people who are not as priviliged as we are…for those who don’t have any families to celebrate festivals with and for all those people who need just a little hope in their lives.

Wishing all my near and dear ones a very happy Diwali!