Bye bye Bangalore

I was busy testing my application. It was the last day of support for the project and we were supposed to be released after that, not knowing what next. But all that was not on my mind, when my project manager read an e-mail aloud that said something like… send him to Pune ASAP, as there is urgent requirement… I turned my ears to him. It was sure about me.

I was in a big green. The day had arrived without notice. I thought how long it has been since I was thinking of going to Pune. I wanted to be with my parents. I wanted to be close to my friends. I wanted to be in my own ways.

For almost two years now, Bangalore has been the place for me. I now realize how difficult it is to leave something you are already habituated with! Here, I always used to complain about the traffic, high cost of living, a crowded workplace like Infosys Bangalore… Those who have been in Infy here can only feel it. Its like, for everything you have to stand in a queue. And, by that, I mean everything. From getting a coupon for lunch, getting a lunch plate, getting a seat to sit and have your lunch, washing hands, drinking water to withdrawing money from an ATM on campus, buying something from FoodWorld located inside canteen, even to throw the paper dishes after finishing your snacks (yes, it does happen); you will find a queue. I feel damn lucky when I see a single person or none standing in front of the ATM machine. I was fortunate just two or three times in my two years stay here to see such scenes!

But there are pleasures of everything. When I go to lunch in a canteen of my choice, the crowd reminds me of traditional weddings that happen in our region. If you know what pangat means, you would get it:). Lot of noise annoys, but when you are standing on roadside of a canteen floor (I am talking about LOTUS canteen, B18, for those who know Infy Bangalore campus; the space between Café Coffee Day and Kamath juice center facing Terminal), with a cup of tea while chatting with a friend, and you can see the sea of people coming out of TERMINAL (another canteen in front of LOTUS), people cycling on the roads heading towards there building after lunch, people chatting in groups, lush greenery on either sides… its an experience in its own! Nothing matches it. Well, I should be more precise in saying all these, as the word people might be misleading. It’s the number of beauties in campus that make it pleasant.

It sure is cosmopolitan. Bangalore city itself is cosmopolitan. I myself never felt the need of thinking whether I am a local guy or from some other state who doesn’t know Kannada. Bangalore has huge variety of people from different places across the globe, different cultures and professions… But they all love liberty, success (money, off course) and that work hard, stay cool attitude!

The best thing about Bangalore is its weather. It’s really cool. Summer doesn’t heat you more than 37-38°c. Winter will keep itself up to 13-15°c. And rain, which starts in May somewhere, is a friendly companion. Sometimes it rains heavily too, as it did last year; but that’s not the picture of Bangalore you take away with. My mental picture of Bangalore has always been a clean, dark black road heading a long way with lush green trees on both sides of it; a cool breeze. The recent additions, very friendly people and lot of beauties. :)

I did not intend to make this a write up on Bangalore, but I couldn’t help. It’s city you will love from your heart. And, I still didn’t talk about the gardens, lakes and nightlife here!
I have too much to leave here. I am surely taking some things with me.
I really feel thankful to all my friends and people I am attached to here…

When I was doing my engineering, I had a dream to be in Bangalore.
Thanks to life, I got chance to make it part of my life. That dream will never die in me.

I would always have connection to this city and will be keen to know when the BTM flyover gets completed and when the Hosur road flyover work starts...

See ya again, Bangalore!
Enjoy madi. :)