[Bigzero]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Bigzero! You? Here? Nice to see you.

Thanks Nick, and same here too! Been around for a while, posting only occasionally though.. Its been a long time!

Sorry for the OT.

Back to topic, specifically on Bangalore, for all the bad press its getting, its still a very decent place to live in. I dont have first hand experience, but I know a lot of people who live there and are happy though they crib a lot ( who doesnt have a problem with the cities we live in? )

[dev_kudle]

Originally Posted by prateekm

OT : Hey Dev, do you own the black Esteem with TBHP stickers I spot daily near Tuslidham?

Hi prateekm,

No, I don't have black Esteem. Mine is of Pearl silver and yes, of course with a TBHP sticker


And Guys, I think I should take this opportunity to move to Banglore as I'm sure it's for my and my family's benefit. I'm sure that, Banglore will accomodate me as smoothly as Mumbai and any other city accomodates any other Indian who sets foot on the soil.

So, BANGLORE here comes a Mumbaikar TBHPian with his ESTEEM

[e1t1bet]

There are absolutely no issues in Bangalore.I actually like to call it home, and I am Bengali.
Bangalore:
Positives:
(1) There is this youthful vibe about the city which is awesome.
(2) The city is very cosmopolitan.
(3) Lots of good places to eat.
(4) Pub capital of India
(5) If you like Rock music, no place like Bangalore
(6) The weather is unbeatable.
(7) Very good hospitals.
(8) For the same salary, you can have a much higher standard of living in Bangalore than in Mumbai.
(9) Very well connected, by road, to a lot of tourist places.

Negatives:
(1) The 11:30 deadline. One of the most idiotic laws in the country.
(2) Bad roads, horrible traffic. Auto wallahs rip you off. Hopefully, a lot should change with the metro.
(3) Some things are expensive. Schools, public transport, fruits, vegetables etc.

Thats pretty much it. It is a very safe city.
For your own convenience, learn conversational Kannada. You can do that in less than a week. You won't go to France and speak in Hindi. Why expect Kannadigas to understand Hindi?

[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by e1t1bet

You won't go to France and speak in Hindi. Why expect Kannadigas to understand Hindi?

Because Hindi is our national language.

[anku94]

OT :

Originally Posted by e1t1bet

Negatives:
(1) The 11:30 deadline. One of the most idiotic laws in the country.

What exactly is that ?

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by dev_kudle

Hi prateekm,

So, BANGLORE here comes a Mumbaikar TBHPian with his ESTEEM

I am from Pune and used to be a resident of Chennai for almost 5 years. Before I moved there, I was in a similar quandary as you are. But, contrary to my expectations, it was one of the most enjoyable periods of my life. So, I think you've made the right decision to move to B'lore. Don't worry about you not liking it there. If you keep an open mind, you will find that it's a city like any other, and the people are also like people everywhere. Like Scout says in To Kill A Mockingbird - I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks.

Be sure to make the most of your stay there by exploring as much of the beauty of South India as you can. You won't get a golden chance like this everyday!

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Because Hindi is our national language.

Correction. Hindi is the official language of India, not the national language.

From Wikipedia: The constitution of India states that "The official language of the Union shall be Hindi in Devanagari script." Neither the Constitution of India nor Indian law specifies a National language, a position supported by a High Court ruling. However, languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian constitution are sometimes referred to, without legal standing, as the national languages of India.

Cheers,
Vikram

[WindRide]

Originally Posted by dev_kudle

.....
So, BANGLORE here comes a Mumbaikar TBHPian with his ESTEEM ...

From one non-kannadiga to another - Welcome friend, its a move you will never regret!!

Originally Posted by e1t1bet

...
Negatives:
...
(3) Some things are expensive. Schools, public transport, fruits, vegetables etc.

My in-laws say veggies and fruits are even more expensive in Chennai.

Originally Posted by e1t1bet

...You won't go to France and speak in Hindi. Why expect Kannadigas to understand Hindi?

+1.
Iam a mallu, can't speak kannada to save my skin (something iam working on these days).
And i completely agree with you. When in Karnataka, it's basic courtesy to learn and try to communicate in local language. Won't you do the same if you are moving to a non-english speaking foreign country?

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Because Hindi is our national language.

India does not have any NATIONAL language, only an official language, which was ratified into a law by Hindi-speaking majority in Parliament - a judgement heavily resented and loathed by majority of South Indians to this very day.

IMO, a country like India shouldn't have any official/national language due to the sheer number of languages spoken here. But that's me and this topic probably deserves a seperate thread [which iam quite sure will be promptly deleted by MODS ]

[lohithrao]

Some views from a Bangalorean, Bangalore was a great city to live in but now i can say is it has got really CONGESTED! you can find traffic jams almost every where and about getting the car am not sure where will you drive it if yes make sure you have parked your parking space

[kaushik_s]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Because Hindi is our national language.

Sorry Blackpearl, it is not. This is a misconception many many people have. Hindi is one the many Official Languages that prevail in India. If I'm not wrong there are 18 or 21 official languages in India and all have the same status. There is no other special status for Hindi. And I think this topic has been discussed here in TBHP some moons ago.
@dev_kudle, welcome to Bangalore dude. I'm sure you'll love the City even though you'll miss your place.

[dev_kudle]

Hi All,

OK Gurus, it's official now.
I will be relocating within 50 days and joining hands with Banglore TBHPians and will be waving my hands to TBHP stickered cars while on roads
Untill I take my Esteem to Banglore, I will be wearing my TBHP T-shirt while commuting to office.
So, don't forget to offer me a handshake if you spot me.

[supremeBaleno]

@dev_kudle, any city has its quirks and so would Blore. If you think the relocation makes sense, go ahead.

@rohan, agree with most of your points except the language one.

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr

4. Language barrier is very much there. People like me, who don't know the local language, live in a shell within the city.

When we relocate to a new place, the least we can do is try to pick up atleast the basics of the local language, if not a decent fluency. Helps a lot and post it you can see the barrier/shell etc disappearing.

Anyone going up north, picks up Hindi in a matter of weeks/months. Wonder why it is so difficult the other way around. Lack of will or maybe the "I am not going to stay here long, so why bother" thinking ?

Originally Posted by kaushik_s

There are people who just can't adjust to another place then his/her native and instead wants everything else to change according to their wish. And that's not gonna happen. Adjust yourself to the City and enjoy living there.

True. The visitor needs to make adjustments, instead of expecting the locals to do so.

[Thad E Ginathom]

dev_kudle, Congratulations on your decision, and all best wishes for the move and the new job.

It's been interesting watching from the sidelines and hearing the different points of view on this --- as well as meeting up with an old forum mate along the way

[supremeBaleno]

@Thad, given that you have relocated to another country itself, would be interesting to know your views. How has Chennai been treating you ?

I came to Chennai 2 decades ago, did not know a word of Tamil, hated the garish movie-posters, the perpetual din from loudspeakers spewing movie/religious/political songs and the filth and just wanted to get the heck out of here.

Today, I speak & read Tamil fluently (self-learnt - was easy since my roomies at college were all Tamilians), am proud of the infrastructure (roads, 24-hr power/water, well-maintained parks etc) and would not relocate to any other Indian metro. If the crappy auto-drivers were reined in and if all future summers were like the one we are having this year (mostly rains and awesome weather), this place would be heaven. :-)

[issigonis]

To be or not to be - Hamlet, by arguably, the greatest storyteller of them all.

As Indians we can settle in any city of India, with the exception of certain politically sensitive areas such as J&K, Arunachal Pradesh, possibly Meghalaya and a few more perhaps, as mandated by the governement.

Settling in any alien city/town implies living in and adjusting to the local environment (language/dialect, culture, customs, cuisine, holidays and so on). It becomes easier if we try to adjust without any baggage (of the cultural kind) and without any snobbery.

Politicians will always try to find devious means to become powerful and grab power; we should not worry overmuch about that aspect. It is the educated middle class and the professionals within it, who will drive India forward in the coming decades- it is they who will mould India, hopefully into a more humane, fair, law abiding society which treats all sections of society well.

I feel India is a continent in itself with its diversity, of all types. If we do not isolate ourselves mentally, we can all live in harmony, in all cities.

Regards

[Thad E Ginathom]

given that you have relocated to another country itself, would be interesting to know your views. How has Chennai been treating you ?

Chennai treats me very well... but I am told by some that it is easier to be a foreign non-tamil-speaker than it is to be an Indian non-Tamil-speaker.

Although my pronunciation of place names is far better than it was as a green tourist, I still get lots of corrections from my wife. Lost, the other day, and seeking Thiruverkaddu, I found it very hard to get help: people just did not know what I was saying. My wife says that when I say "forest" it comes out as "ear"! A bit deaf anyway, I find the language very tough. For instance, just lately I realised that varen and vadai (the way Mrs G says it) sounds the same to me!

Language aside, the city has never given me any real problems, or made me feel unwelcome in any way: nor have I ever felt any negativity towards my having married an Indian woman.

I find the basic lack of care of infrastructure and environment very, very frustrating. How come a flyover and approach roads and service roads can be built with absolutely no drainage (I'm thinking Turnbulls Road: big water buildup, and the side road is disintegrating after a few months) and the decline in law and order (which may be just a shift in newspaper reporting: I'm not sure) worries me.

I wonder; what is the point of building parks when cutting down trees elsewhere, and having the rivers and canals in the state they are in? I don't share your optimism about the Chennai environment. I'm glad, though, that they got rid of the advertising hoardings. They should outlaw the political ones too!

Coming here on the first place, five years ago, was, of course, one huge adventure. I interacted with more people, and necessarily faced more challenges, before I got married. Having The Wife to deal with people (and other things!) is the easy way out.

So that, in a nutshell, is part of my city-moving, country-moving experience. As far as driving is concerned, I would now rather do it here than in London! I find that every other Indian city I visit seems to have better traffic, but the residents there always claim their traffic is worse!


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