Shop til you drop

I am not really a person who enjoys shopping sprees. So, this post will not give you advice on where to go and spend money in Bangalore… it’s more about my general experience shopping for our daily needs…

… which is not always easy. There are various convenience shops and little supermarkets just around the corner on 80 ft road. That’s where we go every day for our groceries. Meat I haven’t dared buying yet. Most people here are vegetarians, so meat is not particularly popular. However, there is a butcher and I poked my head in a couple of times to glance at a few skinless dried out chickens, a bowl of chicken livers (probably) and a variety of incredibly smelly fish hiding under a blanket of flies.

Fresh herbs at Madiwala Markets

Obviously the range of goods available is very different which alters my attempts of cooking European style meals into acts of improvisation. In return you get two million different kinds of pulses, rice, flour, etc. I guess I should take advantage of that… Cheese apart from Paneer is very hard to find and sometimes other little things like dental floss or a brush to clean hand and feet can take a long time to hunt down. Naturally I start wondering about a good few things I would buy regularly at home in Perth and can’t get here… do I really need that stuff? I think I am not too bad at the best of times for not buying superfluous stuff… here I get cured from any such like ambitions. And I wonder about all those adverts at home trying to make you feel that you definitely need such and such a product, because otherwise you are not… up-to-date, chic, happy or you could jeopardise your health. I wonder what people would think about these ads who live here in Austin Township, the poorest part of town I have seen so far. People who live in make shift huts, no running water, no sewerage system, big families in one little room, smell and dirt overwhelming. Looking down those lanes I feel too intimidated to take pictures and incredibly helpless… But I am trailing off…

I haven’t got my head round the pricing system yet. Anything imported seems very expensive (comparable to Australian prices) and with that unaffordable for most locals. Basic food, fruit and veg, Indian products are very cheap (for us) unless there is a western brand equivalent on the shelf. Labour is incredibly cheap… So when you buy clothes you might as well just buy the material and have it made by a tailor to your size. This comes out at the same price or even cheaper than buying a ready made garment. (Some luxury for me, I had never had anything made by a tailor.)

Money is usually handled only by one specific person. You get your normal supermarket layout with cash tills at the exit in bigger shops. In the smaller ones you might get your things scanned by one person and then walk over to somebody else with the bill to pay. Or you get served by one person and then he shouts the price you have to pay over to the money person.

Big fancy supermarkets / shopping centres seem to be operating only for the wealthy part of society. You have to hand in any bags before you go in and then walk through a security gate like in an airport. A guard might eye you more or less suspiciously. When you go out you have to be sure to have the receipt for anything you bought handy as you will have to present it to another guard. The latter is quite common in normal supermarkets as well. In those glitzy shopping malls you find a fair selection of international brands… I am not sure what percentage of the locals is able to shop here… not a very high one. Apart from that I am not sure where or when the women would wear what they buy there. You see shorts, short skirts and tank tops on the shelves… but in the streets I haven’t seen any women in these clothes – women here wear saris, salwar kameez and occasionally jeans with kurti (a kind of long blouse).

Flowers for offerings

Street stands and little kiosks are abundant selling everything from plumbing material and shoes to masala tea, lunches, fruit and veg. In the middle of the city we saw a lot of shoe cleaners as well, some probably Sean’s age… Around the corner from us is a market… three rows of stands going on for about 500m selling local produce fruit and veg, fish, offering flowers and some household items. Looking at the pictures I took there the other day it actually makes a quite idyllic impression… well, you don’t see the myriads of flies and can’t catch the smell of the rotting rubbish piled up between the stalls in a photograph, especially around the fish stalls where it is literally breathtaking. We have bought things there but only if they can be thickly peeled or are to be thoroughly cooked.

Ginger, chilli, garlic

At the markets one should have a good idea about the prices… it’s haggling territory. But even in an upmarket souvenir shop the other day the guy called me back offering a lower price as I was walking away.

Anyway, as said in the beginning, shopping can be a bit difficult… but I am getting used to it… as to a lot of things 😉

 

The Technology and Industrial Museum

Recently I went to the Technology and Industrial museum. It is the biggest museum I have ever been to, just one level (it had 5) is bigger than Scitech (in Perth) and it was way bigger than Science Works (in Melbourne). It had 8 exhibits. We went to 7 but unfortunately we walked through some of them quite quickly because we were running out of time.

My favourite exhibit was the fun science. In this exhibit there were lots of interesting displays including a whirlpool and one called “Head on a platter” (below). This display used mirrors to hide the victim’s body so only the head could be seen. The science museum was very interesting.

Revenge Time!

 

The Park of Pigs

Today, the 29th of March, is a very important day in the history of my life. It is the day that I first saw, in all its natural glory, the park of…pigs! Well, if you can call a dismal strip of putrid land, dotted with gnarled and stunted trees and piled with mountains of festering rubbish a park. It certainly wasn’t a pretty site to look at. But the pigs seemed perfectly content with their slightly less than humble home. They waddled up and down the rotting mountains of their kingdom and snuffled their happily through three-course meals of rubbish, rubbish and just a bit more rubbish for dessert. It was certainly an interesting, if rather unsavoury, sight.

Pigs in heaven 🙂

 

Common Cows

Cows are holy in India. In Hinduism, the cow is a symbol of wealth, strength, abundance, selfless giving and a full Earthly life. It is against the law to slaughter a cow and they are everywhere. They  eat mainly rubbish, grass and other green plants.

 

Jungle Safari

On Sunday we went to Bannerghatta National Park to go on a safari through its nature reserve. From the loud safari bus we saw lions, tigers, white tigers, bears, deer and wild pigs. It was very interesting although whenever there were animals everyone was always shoving to get a good view and and blocking everyone else’s view.

First we went through the section with stags and wild pigs. I was on the right of the bus and most of the animals were on the left. I would have seen them, just other people weren’t satisfied with their view and blocked mine.

Next we went to the bear rescue centre. There were two bears play fighting and a lot of bears in caves. In the middle of the play fight they both reared up. It was amazing to watch.

 

Then we drove through the lion area. Finally some animals on my side of the bus. Unfortunately they were all at least one-hundred metres away. My luck really wasn’t with me.

Last we went through the tiger area. Their was one of the rare white tigers and quiet a few ordinary tigers. The safari was very interesting and I hope to go on another one sometime.

 

 

Bangalore and beyond

India: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Sutton family. Their 18 week mission: to explore strange new worlds, to understand culture and traditions, history and life style, to boldly go where not many white men have gone before.

Well, no starship for us though, not even our own car…but  we wouldn’t even want to drive in this chaotic traffic. Funnily enough we haven’t seen a single traffic accident yet. I bet if Ian or myself took to driving here it would not take long to experience one. So for getting around it’s walk, auto rickshaw or cab, the last one being similar to hiring a car, just that it comes with driver.

That is what we did on Sunday to get to Bannerghatta National Park. The park is about 23 km outside of Bangalore, direction south. First obstacle is a blocked road forcing us to take a detour through the Bangalore outskirts of town. We see the usual mix of buildings people live in – little cottages / sheds, apartment blocks, normal houses… At the roadside people, cows, goats, rubbish. Every few minutes somebody spots a temple close by, they come in all sizes – little shrines no bigger than a coffee table up to magnificent palaces. Further out buildings make way for meagre woods. A few castle like looking colleges out here. Not long before we come to a town and just beyond it the gate to the national park. Grainne can’t help saying “This is it?” Well, it does look different to the entrance to some tranquil Australian national park. The level of noise, dust, rubbish and crowdedness is not that much lower than in the city. This is it. Our driver parks the car and we walk off to find the ticket office. We pass a long row of street stalls selling sun hats, corn cobs roasted over coal, ice cream, various other snacks, drinks, fruit, etc. After getting tickets for the zoo and safari we pass another gate and get pointed into the right direction to attend the safari. Everything looks as it is laid out to shove through thousands of people every day. The tour buses look quite grim, very defensive with bars in front of the windows. I can’t help wondering whether these are there to keep animals out or people in. Very fond memories of my safari times in Africa come back into my mind… Anyway, we enter the bus and are told where to sit. Ian is lucky enough to get the best seat in the bus – right in the front with a big enough gap in the bars to be able to take some pictures. Then we drive off through various animal sanctuaries. We encounter spotted deer, boars, white and orange tigers, bears, lions. Kids love it, even though it’s mostly hard to watch the animals through crowded people and bars.
After about 45 mins we are dismissed from the bus at the entrance to the butterfly park. We are greeted by some monkeys jumping around in the trees and trying to empty the rubbish bin. The main attraction of the butterfly park is a big pavilion with lots of exotic plants and obviously butterflies. Very nice… Just too many people.
Our last stop is the zoo. Large trees give shade to a vast area of pathways and cages. First section: reptiles. And there we also have the first difference to any other zoo I have visited in Europe or Australia – no reptile house! It is warm enough here all year round, that the enormous snakes can be kept outside in cages. Second difference we notice is the attitude towards the animals. A sad looking lonely zebra is resting in the middle of its enclosure. Some guy picks up a stone and throws it at the animal which is leaping up after being hit. Big cheers from the group of the stone thrower… Spotting the elephants from a distance I wonder how they can be kept in an enclosure with a feeble looking low fence. Then I realise that they are chained. A bit further on a couple of them are chained very close to the fence and keepers watch  people teasing them, pulling their ears, etc. We don’t want to watch that… and leave. And there is the third difference awaiting us at the exit – we don’t have to walk through a shop to get out! Now, that is a pleasant one.
The journey back is much quicker than journey here as the main road is open again. Everybody is suitably tired and we take it easy for the rest of the day.

All in all a great Sunday outing even though not quite as expected. Ian, having been here 2 weeks longer than us, had been the keenest to get out of the city. We had hoped to stock up on oxygen, find some quiet, peaceful spots, escape from crowded people and dirt. And indeed, the air was slightly clearer out there, but uncrowded, clean, quiet… well, I guess it’s gonna be a challenge to find that anywhere as near as the park…

 

Ugadi

On the 23rd March was Ugadi (Hindu new year). Ugadi is a bank holiday so it was very quiet. Many people also decorate their doors with fresh mango leaves. Others draw in front of their gates. Some Hindus may prepare a special chutney with different flavours to symbolise the different feelings to expect in the new year.

  

 

4 magical moments at Bangalore Botanical Gardens

1. Getting my first glimpse of the Botanical Gardens. I’d just climbed out of the cramped, sweltering auto rickshaw, and was delighted to be able to stretch my stiff legs. But what I saw made me freeze with wonder. Just up ahead were the towering iron gates that lead into the gardens. Behind them was a scene straight from a fairytale. There was a wide road leading up to a huge mountain of rock, into which a set of stone steps had been carved. At its summit I could see a small but ornate temple with intricate statues of the Indian gods, Shiwa and Garnesh, adorning its roof and pillars. In the middle of the road leading up to this masterpiece was a flowerbed bursting with vivid colours and vibrant life. And flanking the road were two tunnels, made of majestic wooden arches heaped with the most breathtakingly beautiful purple flowers. As I walked through one of these tunnels and stared up at the carpet of leaves and flowers above me I had the distinct impression of being in a dream. The sleek brown squirrel that scrambled across the flowers above my head only made everything seem even more surreal. And for that small moment I was completed separated from the noise and bustle of Bangalore and instead floating in a cool, quiet wonderland.

2. Seeing a bougainvillea and a jacaranda tree. We had found a tour guide for the gardens and he had just showed us the Chinese Gate, which had been decorated with twisting and writhing chinese dragons, and then led us past countless bonsai trees, where he had taken several pictures of us standing next to miniature  pines and other stunted trees. We had then moved on to a wide, ambling path where he would point out various trees and flowers. However, I was not paying a lot of attention. I was content to meander along at the back of our little group and gaze dreamily at the bright blue sky and the squirrels that chased each other playfully around. Suddenly our guide came to an abrupt halt. I followed the direction of his pointing finger and stared, transfixed. Right next to the path we were following stood a bougainvillea tree. The flowers nestled in its branches were a dark, vivid red and possessed a heartbreaking beauty that kept me hypnotised. When I finally tore myself away my eyes immediately encountered a jacaranda tree that stretched its willowy trunk high into the sky. Its gently swaying blossoms were quite the opposite of the striking bougainvillea. Instead they were light and gauzy, their petals fluttering in the slight breeze. Caught between the untameable fire of the bougainvillea and the graceful airiness of the jacaranda blossoms I could only stare and thank the earth for placing such beauty in our midst.

3. Seeing black kites circling above the lake. Our tour guide had just left us, and after a light snack of biscuits and water by one of the fountains we had set off for the lake. In order to get there we had to haul ourselves up a slippery slope made mainly of leaves, twigs and pebbles, all of which are great materials for avalanches, but the view at the top was worth it. The lake was glittering in the sparkling light of the sun and in its centre I could see an island connected to the park by two strips of land. This island was overgrown with some of the most dazzlingly colourful trees I had ever seen. It seemed that every shade of green was present on that island, as   well as a tree with bright red foliage. If you ever got bored of this spectacular view, you simply had to lean over the railing to watch a parade of imperious birds strutting along the sandy bank. The most interesting of these was a small bird in the shape of hawk, with an extraordinarily long beak that it used to peck busily at the ground. I was just marvelling at the unique little creature when a keening shriek pierced the air. Looking up I saw at least twenty black kites wheeling above the lake, their huge wings dark blots against the painfully blue sky. Kites are as fierce and beautiful as eagles and at least as big. As they looped, soured, dived and whirled through the air I felt as if one big jump could propel me up into the sky and then I could fly with them. It was a truly breathtaking display.

4. Seeing a family of monkeys. We had just navigated our way back down to the slope that led to the lake, and were heading down a shady, tree-lined path in the direction of the exit. We were all sweltering in the midday heat and exhausted from our walk around the park. We wanted nothing more than to grab an ice cream or a cool drink and return to our air-conditioned apartment. As we started walking I happened to glance over my shoulder at one of the soaring patches of bamboo that were commonly found in the gardens, as well as in other parks. Crouching in the shadows of the bamboo were two dark shapes. First I assumed that they were just stray dogs. They were quite a common appearance in the streets of Bangalore, and we had been told by our guide that were about 200 of them in the botanic gardens alone. But as I studied them more closely I noticed that there was a third, smaller animal with them and it was hanging from by its fingertips from one of the bamboo stalks! After another careful examination I finally came to my conclusion: they were monkeys! After alerting the rest of the family I crept quietly forward. Coming closer, I saw that there was a whole family relaxing in the shade. There were several youngsters who scrambled giddily around, chasing each other through the thick grass and up the bamboo stalks. Then there were the older ones who watched the youngsters with their world-weary gaze, as if to say,                                                                                                               “Were we really so immature when we were their age?”                                                                                 They were just like a real human family, squabbling good-naturedly over a plastic bottle one of them had found, the youngsters wrestling playfully with each other. But the most adorable thing happened only after we had been watching the monkeys for several minutes. I had been chuckling at a youngster who was attempting to wipe his mouth with a tissue he had found when one of the mothers rose from the ground and began padding towards the peace and solitude of a park bench. Clinging to her stomach with stubby fingers was a tiny, pink-faced, heartbreakingly sweet baby. It was a simply magical moment.

 

My love / hate list after one week

One week of Bangalore… what an experience! Quite overwhelming, sooo different! Chaotic, difficult, loud, rich, smelly, spicy, dirty. Some things I love, some I hate, some I find extremely interesting, some I just notice, some I take in, some I don’t like and simply have to put up with… A few examples below (seen, of course, through the narrow eyes of somebody who grew up in Europe).

 

 

Love it:

The food! I have always liked Indian food… but it seems now I have only known some watered down imitation of Indian food (apart from the lovely Indian dishes Ian sometimes cooks 😉 In the one week we had quite a lot of eating out, because a) it is cheap and b) the cooking facilities in the apartment don’t really encourage creative food preparation, more creative improvisation. We haven’t been disappointed a single time. Whether it is some super cheap lunch in the park at some kiosk with fried rice, dosas (kind of savoury pancake) and fried noodles or by Indian standards very expensive dinner buffet with a great variety of soups, cold and hot starters, main courses and deserts… it has always been delicious. Sometimes unexpected dishes turn up when I order something I have never heard of before, but I haven’t regretted being adventurous yet. Against all odds we’ve only had one slight case of tummy trouble so far but we have avoided food sold out of dubious looking holes in the wall / grubby street stands and we are very careful not to drink any tap water.

The differences. That is what we came for… the so completely different life style, culture, surroundings… everything. This is (along with Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, where I spent a good few weeks a long time ago) the most different place I have lived. What an enriching experience to take it all in, trying to understand it, learn about it… It widens your horizon, changes your perspective, makes you value more what you love and maybe question some things as well.

The oases. Stepping off the road into a relaxed, cool restaurant. Spending time in a nice park off the main roads away from smells and traffic. Our apartment, which is luckily enough at the end of a cul-de-sac and far enough away from the main road that the noise doesn’t disturb us at home and we are woken in the morning by the cooing of turtle doves and screeches of the parrots rather than honking cars.

Rich culture, religion, history. Only got glimpses, little scratches on the surface so far but I feel it surrounding me. Grand palaces seen from a distance, colourful temples hidden between ramshackle buildings. There is this shop keeper disappearing into a corner performing some religious rituals. The temple we pass going out for a walk… the priest or monk is very kind and tries to explain things to us… unfortunately not in English. Sqeezed between grocery sellers we watched a woodcarver today…

 

Hate it:

Having to watch out for tricksters. Haggling is part of every street deal even getting an auto-rickshaw to drive to the shopping centre. It helps to have a good idea what things are supposed to cost, otherwise one is lost. And even if I do know, I still feel I must be insulting the other person if I offer a way lower price in order to meet in the middle. In the botanic gardens (which were absolutely beautiful) I paid a guide probably about a weeks salary for an hours tour because he seemed so nice and asked for the money in the most convincing way and as if he was doing me a favour. I am sure Indian people are in fact very nice but I am getting the feeling that hardly anybody will do a white person a favour if it is about money. Yes they are poor and yes, does it really matter whether I pay 3 dollars or 5 dollars for that rickshaw fare… still, I feel that prices should be vaguely consistent and predictable for everybody. Even just buying some bananas… I know this price is way to high, but I paid it, too tired to argue. Haven’t gotten used to it yet and can’t see myself getting used to it soon.

Hm… not so great

Having to worry about getting sick. The water in Bangalore can make you end up in hospital. So you have to drink bottled water or boiled water. Obviously. You also have to clean teeth with bottled water, close your mouth in the shower, always wash your hands with soap and dry them properly, be careful crockery and cutlery is completely dry, avoid salads and everything else that can’t be peeled or boiled… So far (touch wood) we managed to avoid major tummy troubles… it is my nightmare to have the whole family sick in turns and spoil our adventures.

The rubbish… is everywhere! Pavements, alleys, streets, trees, lawns… every gap between building seems to be a natural rubbish dump. It rots and smells. Armies of stray dogs and the cows survive on the scraps they can find in those piles. I wonder what the rat population is like even though surprisingly enough I haven’t spotted any yet. Mixed in with the smell of rubbish and traffic you get pungent whiffs of broken sewers…

 

Pavements… do exist, but are often not usable. Rubbish, huge potholes, low hanging cables, loose stones and other obstacles such as cows and dogs can make the attempt to use a footpath lead to all sorts of unpleasant accidents. Therefore most people ignore pavements and walk by the roadside. This can be a bit of a challenge being out and about with three children. The traffic noise can be deafening, the fumes make you cough and every few minutes particularly close encounters with the side panels of a rickshaw or other vehicle make you jump. Touch wood (once more) no lost limbs or children yet.

 

 

Bangalore is AWESOME (except the noise)

The traffic in Bangalore is just so different, vehicles are everywhere. There are also cows on the road sometimes. It is mainly auto rickshaws and motorcycles but there are cars, buses and also three wheeled mini trucks. Auto rickshaws are vehicles people use to travel short distances. They have no seat belts, doors and can fit two to three passengers. However, if you go on an auto rickshaw, you will have to haggle about the fare.

In Bangalore there is also a botanical garden. It is much bigger than the one in Perth (it’s the third biggest in India.) We went on a long  walk there and saw kites (they’re big birds of prey) and even monkeys. There was also a nice tour guide who took heaps of photos, here is one of me with a bonsai: