Sunday, December 2, 2012

Living in Bangalore

It has been a little more than a year, since i moved to Bangalore in 2011, searching for better opportunities and a better future. And, after having spent a considerable amount of time here, i still do not know, what it is that i like and dislike about the city.
Given the fact that i do not accept changes in my life too easily, it was and it still is difficult for me to survive in Bangalore air. There are a lot of things that i appreciate about a typical Bangalore city lifestyle, yet there are many things that i wish could have been better, just like in any other big metropolitan city. To start with the good things, i feel the city is full of opportunities for young professionals and has so much to offer in terms of jobs, since it is a hot spot for setting up base in India by all the big MNCs. While the smaller towns lack the infrastucture and opportunities, the bigger cities like my own city Delhi is saturated, or the companies are just too obsessed with highly qualified, experienced people to join them.

The other thing that i like about Bangalore is the professional attitude of the people, and the very formal culture. It goes well with me, as i find a majority of people can speak English well and it is the common language for conversation.I also appreciate the fact, that women here are more independent and educated than in any other part of the country. Something that i do not find so common in Delhi, where women complete their education and get married to become full time house wives.



But Bangalore has a long way to go still. I can't stand the fact that it is a highly unplanned city and commuting is a big problem here. I myself end up changing three buses in the morning to reach my office, which is just some 9-10 km away from my home. Negotiating with Auto-rickshaw drivers is another headache as they seem to dictate their own terms/charges to drop you to your destination. The bus conductors would take money from you, but not give you a ticket for small distances. The ridiculous part is that the Bangalore International airport, that is supposed to connect the city with the rest of the country, is itself located somewhere on the outskirts of the city.

I sometimes feel that the city is too lonely and all bricks and Mortar, because you can't find any place to hang out on a weekend. All you see are the grand malls, which don't really excite me for a weekend getaway. The major Indian festivals are a low key affair. You can't find many good places to shop at reasonable price.The city does not have the concept of street shopping. Even for daily groceries, you have to rush to supermarkets, which are convenient, yet expensive.


Had career and money not been so important, i don't think i would have ever landed up in
Bangalore.


Every now and then, i miss my own city Delhi, which is a truly colorful city, more vibrant, a haven for cultural programmes and art lovers, a shopper's delight, with a rich Mughal History to boast of, and a lot many other things that you can think of doing on a weekend, given its close proximity to the hill stations and beautiful landscapes.If you are hungry, you don't necessarily have to rush to a KFC or McD to grab a bite, you can just stop by a street side dhaba or stall and have your fill.To top this all,I definitely don't ignore the fact, that it is crime capital of India, and people are known to be loud and harsh here, but that is just a facet of any big city that has a huge lot of Immigrant population coming down to earn daily bread (By immigrants, i mean people who work here as daily wage labourers, unlike in Bangalore which has an educated lot of immigrants to take pride of).
Still, i would like to thank Bangalore for the experience and exposure it has given to me, and making me more confident to face the unknown terrains. Its a good city in many aspects.

And, here's hoping to get back to my own city someday.

Here's my scorecard for the two cities :

Bangalore                                                       Delhi
Career Opportunities *****                           Career Opportunities **
People *****                                                 People ***
Culture***                                                      Culture ****
Leisure **                                                      Leisure *****
Shopping **                                                   Shopping *****

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