Mouth shut are we about the traffic snarls?

Stuck in a bad traffic snarl and getting increasing impatient about the long wait, I glanced at this advertisement on the rear of an auto rickshaw.

And for the two wheeler driver and me the AD was staring in the face!

It struck a chord and had me in splits! It was so very true. Is n't it symptomatic of most Bangaloreans approach to the Traffic issues in the city (that includes me!)?

Are n't we mouth shut about the state of things?!

Incidentally, Mouthshut.com is an Indian website that allows consumers to critically review products and services.

The Bangalore Torpedo

Had a long day and need a refreshing break on a weekday? Head to the 13th floor (at Barton center, MG road) and get yourselves a Bangalore Torpedo.

That is precisely what I did recently. The fresh air and great views of the city sets your mind free after a long day. And its gets better if you have a bunch of friends or colleagues to chill out with.

I was thumbing through the menu and chose to try the Bangalore Torpedo cocktail along with you know what (see picture)?! I wasn't disappointed at all! The drink didn't quite Torpedo me but it was sure refreshing and probably become one of my favorites.


The Bangalore torpedo is made of beer, gin, anise and lemonade. Of you are in Bangalore get torpedoed at the 13th floor!

STOP PRESS: Superman sighted at Bangalore!!!

No kidding! This "Superman" was sighted in Bangalore! After the recent reports about UFO sightings in the city why not?! The young man with the bull adds to the classic touch!

Ok! Ok! Let me cut the suspense...
Look closer in the picture and this is what you see.... (photo below)


Superman is just a creation of "Classic Fibre works"! The flying cape made it look really authentic didn't it?! The have Vivekananda, Ambedkar and Sai Baba on their roof top!

This is a story NDTV and CNN-IBN would die for! given all the sensational reporting of late... If you report for them catch me offline to find out where? :-)

Dilkush is sure to make your heart happy!

"Dilkush" - This is the mango variety I seem to like best this season. "Dilkush" - in hindi literally means "makes the heart happy". You bet! it lives up to its word. If you havent sampled your "Dilkush" mango variety this season, you sure are missing something. Head for your nearest fruit vendor.

It costs Rs. 60 a kilo. Thats about 45 bucks a piece! But is worth the tab. I didn't tell you that the mangos are large, colorful and lip smacking!


The photo above is carton full of "Dilkush"! Maybe it should have been named "Lalach" instead (means greed in Hindi).

Inflation or business greed?

Bangalore is getting expensive. I happened to hop into a Shanti Sagar (chain of restaurants) in R.T Nagar (a popular residential area) . It was noisy and there was a lot of clatter from the kitchen and the fans weren't on. The restaurant managers did seem to care that the upholstery needed cleaning and upkeep.

The food was decent though. Then came to the bill. And I was shocked to see that an idli-vada (staple food in South India) was 30 Rs! And that was costlier than a plate of Pooris which is typically more expensive.

Appaling! Why are restaurant prices shooting up so much? And with the service levels and cleanliness going down.... its even more disappointing.

Guess it is a supply demand mismatch. It is simply greed of the businesses. And the Bangalorean who has no time to stand up and question. To top it all the cashier said "Sir it is 35 Rs. in Indiranagar for the same".

PMI Bangalore chapter networks PM practitioners fortnightly

PMI Bangalore chapter brings together in the city PM practitioners across industries. PM practitioners meet fortnightly to share and learn as part of the PM Footprints program.

Waste Management in Bangalore

Pourakarmikas collect waste every morning from every street in the neighborhood. These are shipped to the outskirts of the city in garbage trucks.

This post is made using Shozu on a Sony Ericsson 750i. Whew!

Poverty peeks at Prosperity

A poignant picture of a small street girl shivering in the cool monsoon evening watches the more privileged in the city chatting over a coffee at Cafe coffee day.

These are a sign of the times. Poverty and Prosperity are ofter staring at each other in the face...

Which parota? - Try the "Weechu" Parota!

The Weechu Parota is a type of flat-bread from the parota or porotta family of Indian bread. Photo above was shot at Pongal Cafe near Innovative Multiplex at Marathahalli. It is made of maida or refined flour. It is quite popular in south India and is available in some restaurants in town.

The Weechu Parota is a square shaped Parota unlike the others in the family - The Kerala or Malabar Parota (circular and layered) and and the Ceylon Parota.

A few other pictures to show you how it is made. The maida is rolled into balls in oil (as below) and kept for a while for it to soak a bit.


The skillful chef makes then rolls the maida ball a bit and deftly slaps the dough on the table in a circular motion till it becomes really a thin sheet of maida (See photo below).


It is then folded into a a square shape and placed on hot pan (see below) and cooked till it becomes brown.


And lo and behold the "Weechu" is ready! Weechu Parota is served with Kurma - a spicy gravy. If you haven't tried this you should when you get a chance.

The Weechu Parota or Parotta is not to be confused with the other north indian bread Parantha or Paratha also widely available and popular in the country.