Showing posts with label Bangalore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bangalore. Show all posts

Monday, June 20, 2011

Ki(n)dling

Monday, June 20, 2011 41 Comments
My hubby’s cousin and family had come down from UAE. The family included my hubby’s cousin and two children. We had been to the airport to pick him up. On the way back I engaged a 4 year boy in the conversation. Here is a piece. (I should rather call a master-piece)

What is who?
Putta: is the 4 year kid. This is a nick name used in kannada to address a small boy.
Atte: is maama’s wife.
Maama: is maama :-D
Taata: any elderly man

-------------------------------------

Scene 1:

The kid was extraordinarily intelligent. His level of conversation had already illustrated that. I thought, “Let me kindle him”

Me: Putta... that is a bike! (I showed him a scooter)
Kid: Hmmm... What is that? (He was showing an auto)
Me: That is a bus.
Kid: Hmmm...
A bike zoomed by
Kid: Atte.. See.. the lorry is crossing speed limits!
Me: <Mouth zipped shut! >
 
Scene 2:

He saw a direction sign board. He turned towards me, patted my chin and asked.
“Atte… Look at that sign board, it shows upwards direction to go to a place; we will go to heaven like taata if we go up. Isn’t it?”

:-D Though, I laughed, I explained the reason to him. He did appear to be convinced.

Scene 3:

One of the tyres ran flat, so hubby changed that in 10 minutes (yusss yusss with my help) we resumed the drive.

Kid: We could not face any problem because you had one backup wheel for the car, isn’t it maama?
BH: Yes
Kid: Atte helped you while putting back the tyre.
BH: Yes. I did thank her in front of you.
Kid: Yes. But, What if atte dies? You also should have back up no? (Why didn’t he think about me? Boys are boys :D)
BH: I don’t have permission boss! ( Winking at me )

Scene 4:
On reaching home,
He suggested my ‘toothless’ grand-mother (who had come home to visit me) to drink horlicks. It seems she will get her teeth back!
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------


Now you know, who got kindled?
Update: I haven't got enough time with the permission seeker!  
Continue reading...
# Bangalore # BH
on 41 comments: quickedit quickedit
Labels: , ,

Monday, May 23, 2011

Scary Auto Experience

Monday, May 23, 2011 41 Comments
I left office; it was 6.30 in the evening. I had to take an auto to head back home. I usually do not take an auto in front of the office for the extra monetary demands.
So I walked unto a signal and stopped an empty auto and asked,
Me: ‘X’ place (devoid of the verbs)
He just nodded.

<image: From Google>
I got into the auto and just said ‘right’ or ‘left’ whenever needed. He must have thought that I am not a localite. As we stopped in a signal junction, he called someone; the conversation from the other side was pretty loud and hence audible. And I heard this. (AD = Auto Driver. )
AD: Yellidya? (Where are you?)
3rd Person: BTM. (Place in Bangalore)
AD: Naanu same jaga same place bartini. Inna 10 nimisha. (I’ll come to the same place, in 10 minutes. )
3rd Person: Yeshtide? (How many?)
AD: Ondu (One)

I smelt something shady in the tête-à-tête. I immediately searched for the driver information which will be put up in every auto. Strangely, he did not have. I searched for my phone. I did not have charge in my phone!!  By that time, we had already crossed the junction, we were almost in BTM.

He called that person again. And the conversation was,
AD: Inna 2 nimisha kano. ( In 2 minutes)
3rd Person: Siddha. (I am ready)

My heart was thumping inside. He had to take a right turn now! 
I shouted “Right”. 
He said “ Madam, Oil.. Oil..” (tried telling me that he has to buy oil for his auto)
I knew very well that there weren’t any shops in the route he was taking. Now, I knew for sure that I was in a grave danger. I had thousand thoughts in my mind criss-crossing. I saw the rear view mirror, there were some vehicles coming behind. He bent down to get a deodorant kind of bottle. I moved to my extreme left and just SHOT out of the moving auto! He had moved his hand vigorously to hit my head with that bottle, his hand just managed to pull off my ear-ring!

I gained control and started shouting ‘Kalla.. Kalla..’ (Robber, Robber) 
THANKFULLY!! Few cars and few two-wheelers stopped by and this auto fellow sped off into the dark. I was in a state of shock. People were asking so many questions. I was wobbly; so many things happened in a few seconds. I stood still. I was as cold as an ice. I remember uttering ‘I need to reach ‘X’ place’

Some family dropped me home. I was still not able to talk. I realized I had not noted down the number of the auto. No one else did probably.

Had I not understood the language, had I not been gallant enough, I would have probably been the newspaper headline the next day.


I learnt certain things the hard way. Please take care.
1) I did not do this, but you can pretend to talk on phone. Talk out loudly as to where you are. 

2) Note down the auto number and the name of the driver whenever you get into an auto. You never know when the information will be handy.
3) Carry a pepper spray! And keep that in an accessible location.
4) Learn local language friends. Please! I was damn lucky that day.. Not everyone is!
Continue reading...
# Bangalore # Experience
on 41 comments: quickedit quickedit
Labels: ,

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Missing from a few years: Sparrow.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011 1 Comments
   I remember, during my childhood, I would wake up to the chirping of sparrows.I would love to see the host of sparrows flying. I used to fill rice grains in a bowl and keep it in various places.
Sparrows came into my house, ate the grains kept for them. Their twittering excited me as they flew in and around the house. I used to jump and dance rhythmically to their chirp and wings flap.

There was a day when I saw a baby sparrow on the parapet of our house, which was putting all its might to fly. I wanted to grab hold of it. Amma told that baby sparrow’s mother will not touch the baby sparrow again. Baby sparrow will not have a house to live and it will lose its parents because of me. I got scared and I decided to watch the sparrow from a distance. It flew out successfully within an hour. I was so happy.
Now, I know that 'touching the bird' is a myth. But, I my excitement might have harmed that small bird then.

But now, where are the chmall cutie birds?
I don’t find them in Bangalore. I still keep a bowl of rice grains everyday, expecting sparrows to come. But, the grains in the bowl are eaten away by insects or it gets spoiled.

Where did they go? There are several reasons for their disappearance like,
Ø  Modern architecture which neither have holes or ventilators for houses nor do they have tiled roofs. - Sparrows lived there.
Ø  Sparrows would eat spilt grains near the provision shops where the grains were packed manually. Plastic packed grains have left no room for spillage
Ø  Sparrows would love eat insect and pest infested grains. Do we bother to keep that out for them? We are busy with our own lives
Ø  Electro magnetic waves from the cellular phone towers are a peril to the sparrows.

We have come a long way in the paths of modernization. And there is no looking back. But, we have overlooked our small chirpy partners, who were living with us in our homes, who were friendly, who were leading a social life with us.
We never gave a thought about them through our journey towards modern era.

Now, we can’t go back. And they don’t know the way to come where we are.

I feel bad that present generation kids don’t have a chance to watch and enjoy this bird. The day in the future is not far, when the only way to find a sparrow inside your living room will be to frame it up on the wall like Dodo.

But I don’t want these lovable birds to become extinct. We can still see sparrows outside the city. Please come back dearies. We are missing you hell lots.

PS: Photo Source <Internet>
Continue reading...
# Bangalore # MY TWO CENTS
on 1 comment: quickedit quickedit
Labels: ,