Thursday 14 April 2011

10 April: Enforced Shopping and Devious Rickshaw-wallahs


My latest adventure included a trip to Brigade Road, and Cubbon Park. Brigade Road is apparently the hippest, most modern spot in Bangalore, and Cubbon Park is a park founded by some guy named Cubbon. Reghanna had instructed me to get on the G4 bus, which I duly did. No air conditioning, but all the windows and doors are open.  A British health-and-safety inspector would have a fit, but it’s lovely and breezy and very practical – the bus doesn’t have to stop for people to get on and off!

When I got off I was, as usual, trying to figure out which direction to walk in (a curse on the city planners for not putting up street signs!), when an auto-wallah came up to me and offered to show me where to go.  It did occur to me to be suspicious of a man persuading me to get into his vehicle, but I was disorientated and he was persuasive. When we were on our way, he gave me the business card of a shop in Infantry Road, saying. “Very good shop. I take you there”. At first I protested that I wanted to go to Brigade Road, not Infantry Road, but the guy said that all the shops in Brigade Road have been demolished to make way for the new metro, which is, to give him credit, at least partially true.
Tourist that I am, I quickly looked up Infantry Road on the map and found that it was very near Cubbon Park, where I also wanted to go, so I gave in. The auto-wallah stopped in front of a small, very nice-looking shop. At first I was reluctant to go in (I had had visions of a mall, and pizza!), but I thought sod it, I might as well now I’m here. I’m glad I went, as it was precisely the kind of tourist-trap shop I quite wanted to have a look in, but wouldn’t have found on my own!
I ended up spending a fortune in rupees, but fortunately the exchange rate is in one’s favour in these parts. The salesman was brilliant, using a lethal mixture of charm, flattery and delicious cinnamon- and saffron tea to get money out of me! If you find yourself in Infantry Road, Bangalore, be sure to visit New Heritage Collection, #12/2 Plain Street, Infantry Road!
The auto-wallah, who was obviously in league with a veritable army of shop owners, tried to take me to some more shops, but as I’d already spent a criminal amount of money I was firm and demanded to be taken straight to the park! He then pulled the “you decide how much to pay me” trick. Rickshaw-wallahs to this sometimes. They tell you that you can decide how much to pay, so you quote him a price that’s reasonable. He then looks outraged and insulted, as if you’d just spat on his mother’s grave. Unless you’re hard-hearted and streetwise, you are then forced to give him more money! Fair enough - I’d probably do the same if I were a moustachioed auto-wallah!
On a side note, I have once again come to the conclusion that it is just lovely to buy things, instead of being the one selling them, for a change!

In Cubbon Park I continued my march of triumph in the capacity of tourist attraction. Not as many people asked to take my picture as in Lalbagh though – maybe it’s because Cubbon Park is smaller? Oh, and I also ignored the hideous statue of Queen Victoria. Spurned it, in fact, and refused to take a picture.


Lovely flowers in Cubbon Park
I’ve got my tickets for my excursion to Hyderabad next weekend. The guy selling the tickets asked casually if I wanted AC or non-AC, to which I replied, frantically, “AC! AC! AC!” You don’t want to go on a 10-hour bus journey in India without air-conditioning! (I don’t, anyway.)

If there are any rabid anti-feminists among you you’ll be pleased to hear that I have doctor’s orders to do kitchen work! However, it’s not some 1950s-style brainwashing at play, merely a wish to see how I cope with everyday chores. Consequently I chopped some beans today in the kitchen, with all the Tiny Friendly Ladies giggling! When I stopped for a stretch break they all said "Pain?" sympatheitcally - they are so lovely!

Manjula and I do yoga on the roof terrace every day now, sometimes in the morning and sometimes at dusk. It's lovely up there! Manjula reacts to sunlight like a vampire - Indian women are very careful with their skin!

Nirav, he of the hilarious instructions (“Don’t let your scapulas go flip-flap!”), turns out to be an absolute hoot! He tells me crazy stories from his time doing an MA in Australia, and we swap anecdotes about chavs (or bogans, as they’re known Down Under). Who knew that spine manipulation could be so much fun!

Thank you, come again!

1 comment:

  1. Åh så bra att allt är samlat här :) Hoppas att Hyderabad-turen går bra!

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