Bangalore/Bengaluru/Bendekaluru/Home!

It's wonderful being back. The weather, for one, is unbelievable. Almost good enough to justify my mother's constant need to remind me, in every phone conversation, that while we're sweltering it out in Madras, it's pouring in Bangalore (With my father heplfully adding that his igoogle page tells him there's only a two degree difference in Bangalore and Madras temperatures). Now that I'm here, I completely understand my mother's sentiment, and would gladly provide weather updates to anyone in Madras provided they're far enough to ensure I won't have my face smashed into a frying pan or something.

The point of this post was to get nostalgic about Bangalore, but so far, I've just tried hard to be funny.

The rest of what I have to say will probably make no sense unless you're from Bangalore, but here goes.

You know you're in Bangalore when you're pulling out a woollen muffler to protect your ears from the cold in May. Okay, so maybe it's just my ears.

You also know you aren't in Madras any more when you get off a train at 5 am and the station isn't teeming with horribly awake people. And when you aren't drenched in sweat at that unearthly hour. And when you can sit in a room without a fan without proceeding to get drenched in sweat, no matter what the hour.

But all this is superficial. Bangalore is Bangalore because, well. Yes, I can be really articulate sometimes.

It's just this feeling I had. Walking through Jayanagar 4th Block. My sister and I pretty much lived our childhoods out there. And any friend visiting from, say, Malleshwaram or Whitefield was given a full tour.
Of course, Jayanagar was unbelievably different then. I know I'm not old enough to be getting nostalgic about something from just ten or twelve years ago (Ask Geeth. We can reminisce about events from last week, if you want.), but things really have changed. I'm certain this is a feeling most of us have about the places we grew up in.

So, yes. Jayanagar is really different today. As is every locality in Bangalore, yes, but this is the one I'm most familiar with. It's much, much fancier now. When we were younger, the highlight of our Sunday trips to Jayanagar 4th Block (all the way from Jayanagar 1st Block. Terribly exciting childhoods, we led!) was splitting a plate of Pani Puri for Rs 5. That chaat shop's still around, and a plate of pani puri probably costs just a little bit more now. But otherwise, 4th Block's exploded with shops and malls and spas, the works.

So that's that. As Kitchi would say, as I walked through 4th Block, one sad came off. But also lots of happiness at being back. The rain's lovely! May some of it cross the borders to Madras!

Welcome back :)

To me, that is. I've disappeared for almost a year now, and now I'm going to try getting around to this more regularly. As an opportunity to write, if nothing else.

As regards the events of the many months I've disappeared, there is too much to say. I've been happy for the most part. I have also discovered something about myself. I'm awfully lazy. I've done little apart from discovering the fact itself, but that's the first step, isn't it?

I'm rather presumptuous really, assuming anyone would want to read an update of the last year's happenings in Arundhathi's life, but oh well.

Music is going along quite well, but I simply do not practise enough. I had my first active December music season in 2008, and it was exciting, challenging, humbling.

I've watched lots of movies the last few months. Lots, by my standard at least. Some of them pretty silly ones, some of them very interesting. I'm no movie critic, the ones I found interesting might have been pretty silly, really.
For the lack of anything else to say, I will now list them out. Further comments will soon follow.
1) Get Smart
2) Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na
3) Bachna Ae Haseeno
4) Rock On
5) Via Darjeeling
6) Atonement
7) The Great Debaters
8) The Darjeeling Limited
9) Wall E
10) Poi Solla Porom
11) Vaaranam Aayiram
12) Dostana
13) Ghajini
14) Luck By Chance
15) Dev D
16) Naan kadavul

I've been reading quite a bit too, though not as much as I would've liked to. I put that down to sheer laziness too. I must compile a list of books I've read the last few months too. Lists are convenient things, they put things things in perspective.

As a cheerful sign-off, I'll put in a complaint about the sore throat I've had for the last week. It's a horrid thing, especially if you're trying to sing! Thanks to several glasses of warm water, spoonfuls of honey, and three kinds of cough syrup, it is finally showing signs of abating. Hurray!

Ubuntu

We have it, finally. I'm still getting used to it, and I'm determined, in the process, to learn more about open and free software, piracy and so on. Many thanks to George for introducing me to all this.

Fluff

I've been unable to write anything for quite some time now.
I know not why.
There are scores of thoughts swimming around in my head.
Swimming, floating, skimming the surface, delving deep into the waters.
Mangoes, fractals, Grey's Anatomy, love.
Rasgullas and Mishti Doi.
Vodka and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Thunder storms and learners' licenses.

Exams

Such nasties, really. I mean, the exams themselves aren't so terrible, but the day before one is painful. And study holidays are even worse, I mean, holidays to study?! They are nicely spread out over the next three weeks or so, and it's a very decent timetable, I must say.
Otherwise, Madras is hot hot hot.
Hot and absolutely clear skies.
Water melons and clear star studded skies.

Other random, and perhaps unnecessary, updates.

Git and I found ourselves with a free period today after break. So we headed to Selayur Hall, where the English Department has its classes. Rather ambitiously, we entered KG's II MA class, where a discussion on Post Colonialism was in progress. It really was most interesting.  

In other news, my physics practical exam went rather well, and I'm done with physics practicals 
forever! Hopefully, at least.

It's been rather cloudy in Madras the last few days owing to a depression in The Bay of Bengal.

Went for a play yesterday- 'Twelve Angry Men', put up by the Loyola Theatre Society. It really was very well done.

Finally, Sam and I ate lunch with Git and Isha in Martin Hall today. I thought the food was pretty good, but I suppose one would think otherwise if they were to eat it everyday.

Explanatory Comments

Now, since I have explained the 'Mary Poppins' part of my blog url, I suppose I should proceed to
elaborate on the rest of it.
Cream buns...well, if you've eaten one you'd know what I'm talking about. What is particularly worth mentioning is the delicate balance of chocolate and vanilla cream filling in the bun. It is perfect.
Music. Ah, I offer no explanations.
The same with Stars. Do not ask why.
Pugs. Funnily, that isn't a breed of dogs I particularly like. Give me a mongrel any day. They have the most beautiful eyes! But I liked the old Hutch advertisements rather a lot, and as you will recall, they all featured a pug in them.