Under the Rainbow: Review

Kalamandir

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:22:57 GMT

Kalamandir arrived in Bangalore a few months ago and have thier show rooms in Jayanagar and Malleswaram. The advertisements in print and hoardings have been very attractive. And yes, I had been planning for atleast a couple of months to visit the Malleswaram store and it materialized only a fortnight ago. I solely and completely blame my studies for the delay. But there are priorities in life, aren't there?

They had a 'upto 30%' discount sale happening on the occasion of Ugadi. So, while researching for the electronic items and furnishings to be bought for the house, amma and I landed in Kalamandir. It is situated on the busy Sampige road. they have limited basement parking space but I saw that people preferred parking on the road instead. The store is a multi-storeyed building (more than three for sure) with garments ranging from kids to men and women. They also sell jewellery and accessories.

The ground floor has immitation jewellery and sarees - mostly daily wear and fancy sarees and salwar kameez dress material. Two levels up, they have traditional and party wear sarees. I liked most of thier stuff and I think they are competitively priced in comparison with thier contemporaries like Angadi and Deepam silks. However, thier traditional sarees didn't suit my taste. They do not have intricate designs, instead they have heavy sarees with large designs that would have probably worked a couple of decades ago. I don't know, may be this was because of the sale.

Well, I was only interested in browsing through the shop but you know amma. She coaxed me into buying a soft spun cotton saree with a lot of thread work. It is real neat and feels nice to touch. With 15% discount and priced at 700+ bucks, it was a good buy, I'd say. (Would I ever admit regretting a buy? Hmmm... will discuss this some time later :-) My next visit will be to check out the salwar kameez material.

Yucky masala bread from Daily Bread

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 03:41:09 GMT

I have been a great fan of the Daily Bread products. I like thier soft pastries and yummy sandwiches. I splurge on thier icecreams. I have been a regualr at thier Church Street outlet. (They have closed the outlet now and have made way for some other store). Not to mention of course that thier products are priced extremely high but the taste had me hooked.

So on Sunday, I bought Daily Bread's masala bread from the Food World outlet in Sanjayanagar for the first time. It was priced at 30 bucks for a pound. It contains, maida, garlic, coriander among other things. I have tried the other varities like butter bread and have found it soft, makes good breakfast.

When I had the first slice, I thought there was something crunchy in the bread. I thought it was just the crust and tried the second slice. This time, I was convinced that the bread contained more than the permissible ingredients. It contained all the mud and stones from the earth where the coriander was grown. They had not cleaned it properly. I had lost my appetite for the day as my stomach was growling all the while.

I promptly called the customer service number provided on the packing and was answered by one Mr.Renjith. He took my number and assured me that he would check with his team and get back to me about my compaint. No, I haven't recieved any call yet. I wrote an email too but I got it back saying there was message could not be delivered. This was Monday and today is Wednesday.

I am not going back to thier products again. Atleast not until I hear from them. And I suggest you avoid it too unless you wish to make your doctor richer.

Real Cane

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 10:31:48 GMT

Review time again.

I was in Malleswaram yesterday with mom heading towards Kalanikethan and we found this bright crowded shop. As we were both hungry, we thought of catching some snacks. Turned out that this was a cane juice store. Imagine? This shop sold only cane juice and nothing but fresh unadultrated cane juice. Reminds me of that corner shop in Majestic that buzzed with flies. Ugh!

Anyways, this shop in Malleswaram is called Real Cane. It is on Sampige road just a couple of shops before Kala Nikethan. They have two Can crushing machines that run on electricity and about five people to man the machines and serve the juice. They have one person to issue coupons and a couple of cleaners. The people there are real friendly and serve with a smile. The place is really clean and I was amazed that they were able to maintain that with the number of people dropping by. I didn't see a single fly in the vicinity.

They have various flavours like ginger, mint, chaat masala, salt and pepper and something else that I don't recollect now. They serve in a huge mug like the beer mug and the price is just 10 bucks. I was truly impressed. And they do not use ice and I didn't find any trace of water. They prepare it right in front of your eyes. It is real value for money. Compare it with that fancy little shop in Garuda mall food court that sells lesser quantity at 25 bucks, Ha!

Strong recommendation for the first visit and repeated visits.

BMTC smart cards

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 05:35:29 GMT

Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation is becoming tech savvy. It is not just about simputer ticket vending machines in the hands of conductors. It is about smart cards. These plastic cards are being issued as identity cards replacing the paper ones.

My identity card expired last month and the BMTC franchisee near my residence said we had to get our ID cards from the bus stand only; they were not authorized to issue the same. So, on the last day of the month, I was at Shivajinagar bus stand at sharp 8:00AM buying the form. What I like about BMTC is it is never too early in the morning. I mean, I understand that the drivers and conductors have to be on duty at sun rise but even the office staff is working. That’s good for me because I get to avoid the long queues and get to office on time. I paid Rs.100/= for the form and returned my old ID card.

Since, I didn't have a pen (bah!), I decided to fill the form and get the card that evening. The form had questions relating to blood group, phone number, daily commute route, type of pass (city, sub-urban, pushpak and vajra) besides the name and address. Considering the uncertainty on the roads, it is good if blood group is available handy in case of an emergency. I was a little surprised that the route information was asked. My immediate thought was that the ID card would hard code the route and I wouldn't be able use the pass outside this route. And that's unfair because if I change my job in these three years that the card is valid, I'll have to throw it and take another one for the new route.

That evening, I was directed to a basement office to get the card. I was surprised to see a queue there. There were two terminals with two monitors each. Each terminal had a data entry operator to key in the information to the system and takes a picture on the webcam. One monitor was for the operator while the other was for the commuter for verification. The commuter then had to go to another counter and take the printed card. I knew the card issue system was different this time. I thought it'd still be paper cards but laminated to avoid misuse but this was beyond my expectation. The queue reminded me of my school days when we'd push and shove the huge crowd at 18th cross bus stand to get the bus pass forms and then the card again.

After a wait of about 45 minutes, I finally got the card. The card has no bar codes or data that could be optically read. It is a simple card that contains my name, number, blood group, validity and type of pass besides my picture of course. It offers the following benefits for the holder:

1) 24 hour accident insurance cover of Rs.1 lakh
2) Medical expense reimbursement up to a maximum of Rs.20000/=
3) 50 lucky pass holders to get three months bus pass free
4) 250 lucky pass holders to get Rs.100/= off on the monthly pass
5) 10 lucky pass holders to get a free KSTDC package or Rs.1500/= cash
6) 50% discount on parking fees (This is the coolest. I like it)
7) The pass holder is eligible of annual mega draw.

I liked the system. They are trying to remove subjectivity and misuse by automating the process. I wish more people use the BMTC. It is getting better everyday.

Kaveri underpass

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 19:12:28 GMT

Kaveri junction magic box underpass is finally open for the public after much delay. Promised 72 hours turned out to be 33 hours, doesn't matter. Going by previous numbers, it is still a quick construction.

Underpass under construction. Pic Courtesy: http://bangalore.praja.in

The idea behind these six underpasses on Bellary road leading to Bangalore international airport at Devanahalli is to have a non-stop ride from Raj Bhavan, similar to the concept of express ways. So, all junctions that had traffic signals have been/will be dug up for the construction of underpasses. With Kaveri underpass is particular, getting to the city is faster compared to the reverse route. And that's a problem because people are already complaining about the amount of time it takes to get to the new airport.

Here's why I think it is a quick fix than a real solution:

1) The three partitions on the road - towards Bhashyam circle, towards Hebbal and towards Raj Bhavan are really narrow. They are all two lane roads. The underpass in particular allows only two vehicles in parallel. Agreed that the road is only six lanes, but may be some thought regarding the positioning of the underpass would have helped.

2) There are many trailer buses that use the road. Now, these buses require a larger radius to take a U-turn above the underpass. This means the buses have to be in the left lane. Taking a turn is going to slow down the following traffic.

3) We are a city with zero lane discipline. When I was in this bus (in the left lane) trying to take turn over the underpass, a car zipped past from the right almost scaring the driver. This is only going to get worse.

4) Once the operations at the airport commences, the traffic is going to immediately double on this road. Add to it, the plans of BMTC to introduce luxury buses to commute between the city and the airport.

5) Vehicles from Hebbal heading towards Bhashyam circle will have to get to the BDA junction and take a U-turn. This is going to chain the traffic jams on the road.

Basically, we have moved the traffic jam from one point to another.

So, what is my idea? I am thinking, what if this underpass was constructed in the same fashion as the Mekhri circle underpass except it would connect only three roads instead of four. It would give straight connectivity from and to airport. For vehicles that want to deviate, they could use the bridge that could be operated by the traffic signals. May be I am missing something here, but I don't see a reason why this would be any less effective than the newly constructed one. I mean we can avoid all the U-turns and thus the slow down in traffic as well.

The solution however, does not lie in the construction of underpasses. With the increase in the number of vehicles, no amount of road expansion or underpass/flyover construction is going to help. With the lack of connectivity, it is difficult to convince anyone to leave their vehicles at home. That is leading to a lot of other problems.

The focus should be on getting a better surface public transport system in place. And the one in sight right now is the Metro. With that becoming operational, we will only have to concentrate on having more tracks and increasing the frequency of the trains to provide rapid connectivity to people across the city. I hope the new government (whenever that gets formed) pushes for quick completion of the metro project.

Beijing Bites

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:35:22 GMT

New BEL Road is coming of age with some really snazzy stores opening their outlets and restaurants catering varied cuisines ready to serve palates. So, while the second Andhra restaurant on the road, Nandana Deluxe took over by pushing out Nisarga, Dominos just brought in good competition to Pizza Hut. And now adding to the list is Beijing Bites (BB). It's been there for a couple of months now, I think, bang opposite Nandini Palace and above Levi Strauss. So, as usual, I have wanted to visit this place for a while now, making a note of it in my mind every time I passed, but you know, convincing Shash takes some time.

So, there we were today at a little past 8 PM. The ambience is really nice. The entrance and the tables are partitioned by bamboo walls. I think the restaurant can seat up to 70 people. The tables were glass topped and with a maroon background and the seating was leather cushion sofa. The lighting was soft. I liked the fact that they had bright overhead light but covered it with bamboo mat making the space adequately lit for dinner. We got a secluded two seater table from here we could see the traffic on the road and it was nice. The walls are made of plaster of paris with something written in Chinese. They were playing soft English music which suited the atmosphere well.

I have never been to their other branches before and have been meaning to visit. So, can't really compare this one with those. Nevertheless, this is a good change from the Sagar Samrat and Nandini that have rocked the appetites of many on the road for a long time. BB serves Chinese and Thai cuisine is ideal for those looking for non-veg/sea food. For vegetarians like me, the choice is much lesser comparatively. I was disappointed to see the limited rice dishes. The waiters appeared to be hotel management students from the north east belonging to the Ramaiah College.

This is not your typical Chinese and Thai restaurant. There was no Kim chi or fortune cookies. They served mouth freshener (sonph) at the end of the meal. That's surprising and a little disappointing. But what turned me off were the menu cards. I mean, they have such a jazzy restaurant but the menus were stained, smelly, creased and had doggy ears. I think they just picked those from their other branches.

I had planned on having corn fried rice but had to settle for chili chowmein that was nowhere close to spicy and was very oily. The Pepsi was served was bottled one and not from the fountain and there were no ice cubes dunked. That was good as it lasted longer. The fried veg dumplings starter we ordered was very crisp and tasty although it contained only fried onion. Virgin pina colada however wasn't inviting. It seemed to be a mixture of lassi and coconut water and some didn't blend too well. All in all, the food was ok costing Rs. 195 for two people, inclusive of taxes.

I would try the place once more before making up my mind 'coz I liked the ambience but food wasn't too impressive. I hope they'd have changed the menu cards by then.

Khadi Exhibition - 2008

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 04:15:28 GMT

This is the first time I heard of a Khadi Exhibition being held in January. Normally, it held in October on account of Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. During a lunch discussion Vini said this year marks the 60th death anniversary of the Mahatma and hence they have held it in Jan.

The exhibition is being held in Malleswaram government boys high school grounds on Margosa road, behind CET cell and opposite 75 bus stand. It started on Jan 10 and is schedule to end this Monday, 11 Feb 08. As usual, I had been planning to visit for a long time and my exams were holding me back. I had to catch it this week before its close and so called amma along. Both of us enjoy Khadi exhibitions and have been patrons of it for a long time.

The entrance fee is a meager five bucks. On entering, there are various stalls, mostly Kashmiri, selling their trademark dress materials. There were also some carpet stalls and stalls that sold food items like pickles, peanuts, etc. Having crossed three aisles, I was wondering what all these were doing in a Khadi exhibition. I mean, normally Khadi exhibitions have cotton kurtas, pyjamas, sarees and slippers on sale. I did not see a national tricolor anywhere in the vicinity. This was disappointing. We get this stuff in regular stores, why bring it to the "khadi" exhibition?

And then there they were. Khadi stalls from all over Karnataka - Belgaum, Gadag, Davangere, Hospet and more. There were stalls from other states too - Chattisgarh, West Bengal and Orissa. Oh, how I love those cottons, those whites and those pale colors. Those bush shirts made me nostalgic. I remember gramps wearing them long long ago. I wanted to buy some jubbas (kurta) but you know, I never get my size in ready made. So, I ended up buying the material in various dull hues. After discount, it cost me 50 bucks a meter which is very cheap for the soft and comfortable fabric, especially now that the summer has arrived. I even wanted to buy our national flag. When I asked the person at the counter he clarified if I wanted the "Rashtra Dhwaja" (national flag). I felt so proud.

There was also a play being staged in the evening and I was surprised to see the house packed. Some didn't mind standing. I couldn't catch it as I was late. I wish I knew about it earlier. Actually, no harm done. May be I'll visit the exhibition again before it closes :-P

I was disappointed about one thing though. There was a grand main entrance that lead directly to the Khadi stalls. They closed this and made a side entrance that lead to the other stalls. My evil mind thought this was done to benefit the other stalls probably because they were paying a higher rent. I just hope that is just my mind.

All in all, a strong recommendation to go visit and buy Khadi. It is the best to wear for the next four months and it benefits the cottage industries and weavers in our villages.

Reliance Timeout

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 11:09:47 GMT

I love the evening after the exams. All the tension behind, it tends to be a relaxing one. Although really tired, I'd have missed so much during the previous weeks of study that I really would not want to let go of this evening. 'Coz another weekend is another five days away.

So, last evening, we set out to Reliance Timeout at Prestige Feroze's on Cunningham road. We had been planning this for over a fortnight. Looks very inviting on the outside, has a Java City cafe attached. And believe me, the content is just awesome.

It is a huge shop on two levels. The ground level has books, CDs, movies, cards, stationery and toys. On the first floor, they have mobile phones and accessories, laptops, music systems, car stereos and electronic goods. They sell eyelash curlers to flat screen TVs. The shop is not packed with goods. It is very spacious and convinient. At the time I went, it was not crowded with people too. Right now, they have some good offers on many of the products. I was really tempted to buy the jazzy G-Hanz music system but held myself back.

It looked like Best Buy and Staples in one store but there is much more. They have some personalised services like photo printing, making customised greeting cards, photo book, etc. They also have some XBox 360 and playstation terminals. But the best thing I liked was the karaoke room. On purchase of something, you get to sing in that room and I found many takers for that :-P

I strongly recommend a visit here. It gives you a very refreshing experience.