Nanna Bengalooru

My Bangalore. I walked out of the airport after a surprisingly no-hassle experience with customs, et al...I walked into the early morning Bangalore air, cool, yet warmer than I was used to of late, about a hundred people already waiting outside, some 25 or so for loved ones having just landed, the remaining 75 of them taxi and auto drivers looking for customers. And then I spotted my dear brother, who drove me home. But really, I was home the minute the plane I was on for the previous 20 hours, touched the ground.

Its the familiarity of some things that hit you, and the absolute newness of others that have cropped up in the time that you have been away, that make for such an amazing combination, that you cant get enough of the sights, sounds and smells, especially in those first few days. My hungry senses took in the blue BTS buses tumbling down the road, the auto driving blatanly in the wrong direction on a one-way street, the stray dog following the little kid at the construction site, the shack in the corner of the intersection, selling tea in little steel tumblers to early morning hawkers and such. I took in the number and variety of cars on the road, most of them pretty sleek looking, the new multi-rise office buildings, the new malls, the new parks. I stared and stared, taking everything in. We even drove over impresisve fly-overs that were being constructed the last time I was here, but were now complete. There are now fly-overs as well as under-passes.

Then we turned down familiar streets in the direction of home...and I saw more new apartments, office buildings and shopping centers. We avoided certain roads because they were now one-ways, and others because they were not in good condition and still others because of the traffic. My Bangalore had changed in many ways, and in so many ways, it was still the same. I still saw the slums next to the IT offices. We still battled the incessant traffic on our way to anywhere. I still saw the blatant disregard of people towards other people, rules and basic civic behavior. But I also see how many more educated people have jobs, and have options to spend their money. I also see that there is nothing you dont get in Bangalore anymore. I see the egde that being educated and living/working in Bangalore gives you in a global scheme of things.

We drove on, towards home. My brain was in over-drive, processing everything that I was seeing, and my excitement knew no bounds. Excitement, to be with my family again, excitement of driving on the familiar roads and extensions, excitement at the chaos, the noise, the familiar sights. Excitement at being back in my dear Bangalore.