Hope you all are fine as I am here in Bangalore, India still enjoying the warm weather.Well what can I say about Bangalore.
Bangalore is a booming city and considered fifth largest and the fastest growing city in Asia. Home to well over 6 million people, and a base for over 10,000 industries. Bangalore is a modern city and it is delightful with an amalgamation of various rich cultures, crafts and heritage centers. This city enjoys having the reputation of being called a high-tech city. It has grown so fast with no planning that there are often no paths to walk which proves danger for pedestrians. The climate is lovely all round the year. Plenty of palm trees and coconut trees. People from all over India have poured into Bangalore for the IT jobs, hence rented accommodation is in demand. I would love to live on the outskirt of Bangalore but the inner city has become really rundown by the haphazard expansion. I have just been to the Bannerghatta National Park and was greatly disappointed by the litter and garbage just thrown around.
I have been staying with my friend Sheela. She her son Sunil, his wife Sunita and their daughter Sunaina have been wonderful to me. They cooked a different South Indian meal for me every day. I am so touched by their warm hospitality and generosity filled with kindness and love. It has been a joy to be with them.
I have come to follow Sheela's routine bearing in mind she is 81 years old. We wake up at 7am. Go to the terrace and do a bit of gardening, exercise for about half an hour then go for a walk in the park which the Government has some how created for the people and they do really make use of it. There is even free yoga every morning. Anyway with Sheela I do 15 minutes of Yoga in the park, rest and watch people walking in different strides and doing different types of exercises. It is good and fun too. Then we take three rounds of walk and come home where Sunita gives us hot South Indian breakfast. After which I have my wash, bath and do a bit of reading or pc work. It is soon lunch time at 1 noon, bit of TV and siesta time.
Wake up at 5pm and go for another 3 rounds of walk in the park and people have learnt to know, bowing their heads to me with a smile and saying hello even though I have been here only for 12 days. Two days ago something very amusing happened in the park. Sheela and I were walking in the park - by the way everyone goes clock wise - and as we were walking a gentleman was walking towards us. That was odd and so I told Sheela why is he doing that to which she replied I do not know because he might bump into someone so why don't you ask? So when he came again I stopped in front of him and said excuse me please, he looked up and said yes. He seems nice and educated. I told him I am sure you can see we are all walking in the same direction and why are you being so awkward. He stopped to turn to go our way, then he stopped and said ‘but Ma’am I know why I am going the opposite way ‘it is because I have to keep saying excuse me please as I walk fast and he carried on. Sheela and I just kept on laughing. I noticed that he was not to be seen and I remarked oh that man might have felt very embarrassed especially being approached by a lady which is unheard of in some parts of India. Any way next I know there is a tap on my shoulder and he said I am following your instructions. I said ‘Good on you’. On the next round when I met him I told him how long are you going to walk for and he replied for another half hour. Sheela reckons when I leave for Bombay on Friday the gentleman is going to approach her to find out where I have gone!!. Will keep you informed. The park is lovely with various types of trees, flowers and birds. It is a soothing place. I am going to miss the park, the walk and the friends. Just lets hope I can keep up with this routine when I get to my normal life routine in Canada!!!
While in Bangalore I also met my niece and her husband Deepak and my other friends Denis and Maggie's daughter Marion who gave me a wonderful weekend, chilling out with walks in the Lalbagh park, food and playing cards. Something to remember for a long time. There was a bonus too meeting Jack's bcoz who is 81 and who I have never seen. It was a real joy getting to know various members of the family.
I saw a beautiful temple, such art work and there are more of it every where. Surely another excuse to come with Jack and explore the outskirts of Bangalore. I got an outfit stitched here and made friends with the tailor and Sheela and family are surprised how come I got my clothes back in a week when theirs take a month for the same price. They were saying that the tailor said this lady talks and smiles at us and I even gave them a packet of offering that a Hindu lady gave me in the park as I had already eaten one packet. The tailor was very happy and that amazed Sheela because no one does that sort of thing here.
I leave for Bombay on Friday and attend my coz Rowena's son Arup's wedding on Sunday the 22nd January. I will tell you all about it and of the other leg of journey in my next email. This email got delayed in sending. I am already in Bombay and I have also attended the wedding which was great but will tell you all about it in the next email.
Keep writing, keep smiling. My family in Canada and London keep in touch with me daily which is great. Some friends in London and Canada too keep in touch which is lovely. I thank you all for that. I also thank my dear friends and relations in India who have been so great to me and to add to the list is the Christian Brothers that came to my help and to Maryann's when we really needed. They are my family. Thanks to them.
With love and God's Blessing.
Mel
