Time out

Twenty three years in Mangalore ...

A sense of pride, a sense suprise, a sense of longing, a sense of thrill, well, I love this place. A place where I was born-brought up-bread-buttered.

Honestly, I have been a true Mangalorean in every sense of word. From the roaring beaches to the ever flowing sweat, from the tempting ice-creams to the roadside food, from the car festivals to the Karavali Utsavs, I have lived it all. After reading Vinnu's mail on Mangalore, I could not resist the flashback of these 23 years and brew some interesting outings and eatings.

Majja maadi :

Taj Mahal
One stop of amchis for food and gossip, you get them all. You get the best tuppa dosa and coffee here. Its a hot favourite of amchis during the 'paschim-jagar' at Temple square.
The banana halwa is a hot favourite and lasts for 4-6 months when freezed.
I personally love the kashi halwa made on sundays.

(Carstreet, Hampankatte, Maidan Road)

Ideals/Pabbas
I have not come across any Manglorean who is not crazy about Ideals icecream. The all time favorite is gadbad, parafiet and chocolate dad.

(Lalbaugh, Market Road, Hampankatte)

Hangyo
The name is a synonym for softy cones introduced to Mlore. Their flavours and price go unmatched and so does thier location at Saibeen.

(Lalbaugh)

Temptations
Try the hot chocolate fudge here and you will be an addict forever. I always request for a liberal addition of the nuts.

(next to Hangyo at Saibeen, Lalbaugh)

Iceberg
My all time favorite as the crowd here is minimal and their menu is huge. When say huge, i mean in every respect. You could take soemthing like 30 mins to deceide on your type of ice-cream. I cannot talk about Iceberg with out mentioning Dev , we make the hitlist of the biggest patrons.

(Prolab building on the Jyothi road, towards Don Bosco Hall)

Baliga stores
Started in a humble cart, Suruchi(now known) is down right famous for its chats. My personal favourite is the samosa chat and dahi aloo puri. Mushroom chilli is also good.
It is open from 3.00 p.m. till midnight.

(KMC bejai road, a bit further ahead)

Balli's
This is a all time favourite for poodis(fritters). Try the cabbage ambado, batata ambade, biskut rotti and chatte ambade.
During season, you also get taikilo ambade but make it before 6.00p.m.

(opp Karnataka Snuffs, CarStreet)


Hingashtak
Nothing can quench my thirst better than hingashtak or indian coke. You also can take carry bottles and the drink is auyrvedic and good for health.

(Next to School Book Company)

Prabhu Bakery
Try the lime soda at prabhus and you will be there everysecond day. My personal choice is rose milk and pista milk.

(Mannagudda, opp Mission Gori)

Omlette Bhandary
If you wonder why his name has a prefix of 'omlette' , try eating his omlettes. I can bet on complete satisfaction.

(Mannagudda Gurji junction)

Smokies
If you are a stickeler for cakes, smokie is the right place. Try their chocolate tarts and black forest cakes.

(Kankanady junction & near St.Agnes college)

Bittu Dhaba
A favourite hangout at nights, it offers the complete kannada style punjabi food. The night time traffice makes it more fun.

(Udupi highway)

Mohini Vilas
Poori saagu here is the best ever tried in Mangalore, but nothing else has my vote.

(Market Road)

Junta Delux
My all time favourite for dinner ever since I have known. Dont ever do the mistake of trying ice-creams here.

(Near Yenapoya Hospital)

Ayodhya
If you are a amchi, you have to have lunch at thier ram bhavan. Everything and anything served here in amchi style is worth the money.

(P.V. junction)

Sukrunde Maam
I dont know his name but hes called so. He makes the best sukrunde in town. (Dev & Anitha will disagree, but I stick to this). Try his Pachudis during the mango season, out right yummy.

(opp to Venkatraman Temple)

Juice Maam
I neither know his name or his shops' but he makes the best mango juice and chibbad juice. The timings are known only to him, and its sheer luck if hes open when you go there.

(opp to old Balaji Theatre)

Gooda Chat
A sheer roadside goodangadi, but you get the best paani poori and masla poori here.

(opp the Temple katte, CarStreet)

Noodles Maam
This is what I call him, but you get the best watermelon juice and paneer chilli here.

(take the lane next to Vijaya Book house)

Hanuman hotel
If you like ladoos, try the hanuman soft mottichoor ladoo. Rs20 for quater kg, worth it.

(Market Road)

Madhura sweets
If you like junk food, one stop for all you need. Be lucky if you find it anyway.
Dry fruit laddo is my favourite.

(Bokkapatna, opp Mukhyaprana Temple)

Princess Bakery
If you like plum cake, try princess. Nothing else is great.

(On the Bunts Hostle Road)

Cochin Bakery
My adda for puffs, the most crunchy, crisp, hot and yummy puffs in the whole of Mlore. A must try for all puff lovers.

( AB Shetty Circle, Kankanady)

BonBon
My favourite stop for the amazing 'chocolate' gatob cake. The most delicious, sinfully rich cake one could ever taste. Try eating it at the hellipad, watching sunset, with freinds, and belive me, its the most tastefull experience.

(Paduvinangaddi road, next to Village)

Suragcane Juice
I like this place for the best original sugarcane juice although the chats are equally good.

(opp to Tagore Park, Light house hill road)

Vridavan
A cup of coffee, a bunch of friends, a lazy evening, spend in vrindavan. A great place to hang out.

(Kadri Park road)

Mangalore, I miss you...

Phew, Sigh, Uh?

“Systems down”, beeped the intercom.

Uh? Systems down? What the heck? I had to update this file and send out the notice, TODAY.
I gave a sigh, for myself, for my system, for my client. The whole process had to wait.

A brief call with the helpdesk confirmed that the whole west coast had the server down and we could not connect with the outer world for the next couple of hours.

One more sigh for relief and anxiety. Relief because I got a few minutes, sorry hours break to do the backlogs and anxiety because this would lead to few more backlogs, nothing new.

Well, this time could be used for a couple of ‘nice’ things, starting from a nice cup of coffee from Starbucks. Now, I love this coffee brewing stuff and the unmatched flavours. Coffee kicks my brain and keeps me going, so a nice cup of iced latte with lots of sugar, um.

Back at my desk, I call the Indian office. The topic of discussion as usual revolves around the case load. Who’s files are worse, who’s done with the review, who’s got the maximum closing, who’s client is a pain, so on. Well, to be honest we exaggerate the condition to sound worse than the other. After talking to a dozen of fellow examiners and repeating the same stuff to perfection, I am tired.

Meeting, calls my boss. Well, any distraction is a welcome. Sit in the conference room, crack a few jokes, laugh for the rest, and we are done.

Phew, what a day ??? More calls to Indian office with more chitty chats about US politics, currency, tax and weather. Well, even I get tired of the calls so decided to go for lunch.

When I say ‘lunch’, does not mean the wholesome filling Indian lunch. I mean a cup of instant noodles with liberal dash of pepper and salt. Nothing shows up on TV but some stomach wrenching recipe on beef rolls. Um, back to desk.

I sit and stare at my screen(it has one beautiful picture of my brother hugging me). I get a passing feeling of missing home, but noodles keep me occupied.

What next? A major question in hand.

1. Listen to music from my ipod? Nope-already had 2 warnings from my boss.
2. Play solitaire on my comp? Hell-that was never installed.
3. Mail all my friends? Shucks-internet server on strike.
4. File my mail letters? Oh- that’s more work again.
5. Clean my desk? Never-I won’t find the things when they are in order.
6. Go for a walk? Um- its cold outside.
7. Write a blog? Uh-no topic to write.

Heck, after 30 mins of ranting and raving, I still do not have a topic to write.

Phew, sigh, uh, what a day .

Risked a disc

It was saturday night, time for fun !!!

(To be clear, ' fun' means Indian type fun, naach aur gana)

Target--> Disc Downtown

A confession before I start: Once in a bluemoon, I get hit with 'when-in-america-be-american' bug. This gets me off my rational sense and I plunge into the charade.

I went there with 2 of my friends, a gal & a guy. After manovering the car for nearly an hour, we managed to find a decent parking space. With the chill blowing from the sea, I kept wondering if it was a better decision to sleep and watch a Govinda movie at home or...anyway....

$15 entrance, I am happy not to spend much. The crowd outside the disc looked pretty hot. Now, when I say hot, I mean H-O-T !!! in every sense.

Well, a guy sized like an ape gaurded the entrance and gave us a googly smile. Flash..second thoughts of coming...

Inside the disc, I was blinded; it was dark without doubt, but...other things got me into an occasional bout of blindness. Honestly, shock overode the suprise.

Music was some 'wham-wham-bham-sham', in simple words, the one I had never heard before. People dancing , sorry -moving their bodies had quite forgotten that they were not in the comfort of their homes. And I managed to find the solace of a table, to wonder the devil in me for coming.

Well, admist I did manage to tap my leg to the beats and move my hands accrodingly. But a gentle lady kept staring at me and my friend(gal)-so with the intention of not distracting her, we took to our seats.

One hour, thats all the devil in me could take, and we were out. It was an experience not to risk-a-disc ever, EVER.

Gems at night

It was 9.00 p.m. and I was just returning home. It was pretty cold and wind blew softly and I snuggled deeper into my jerkin. A glimpse above said it was pretty clouded. What caught my eye was a tiny star, shining all alone, high above, millions of miles away, in some part of the galaxy. I was fasinated.

Well, I can give 3 reasons:
1. On sunday I had seen a telescope at a friend's place and the thought of owning one greatly appealed to me.
2. I had discussed stars and universe with my friend the whole day long.
3. I was at the heights of my joblessness.

Anyway, I deceided to hunt for some stars on my beloved google and the results made see stars on my screen. There was one particular site that truely impressed me to such a stary extent that I kept reading it with all starey eyes.

The 10 most brighest stars, million of light years away, shining through millenniums, lost in the universe. The article indeed gave me a whole night of stary dreams.

Well, this ones my first learnt nursery rhyme, so could not miss on this one :


"twinkle twinkle little star
how I wonder what you are
up above the world so high
like a diamond in the sky "


* twinkle*twinkle*

A few waves

Come sunday and my spirits soar high. To speak as a matter of fact, my spirits soar high from thrusday evening waiting for the weekend.

Any way, this week was destination Pacific Beach. The drive to the beach was nothing in resonance with the other beaches I had seen in San Diego. You have the most glamorous shopping strips to you either side, leading to a roaring sea.

A extended wooden bridge stands strong as the mighty waves crash into it, giving an occasional jolt to the bystanders. The crowd enjoyed the sunset and the chill settling down steadily.

The only person unaffected by the whole windy atmosphere was a man diving into the cold freezing waves. I too had a passing phase of thoughts pushing me to get into the water but the resultant cold wind made me think twice.

On a simple note, the beach was fun, the people were having fun, am so was I.

(note: this bland peice is the resultant of the highly unavoidable bloggers mental block.)

Sky-Sea-Sun

If you like sky, sea and sun, you will fall in love with Torrey Pines.
March 04, 2006 :we decided to go to Torrey Pines, a Pine reservoir in San Diego, named after the naturally found pine trees in the length of the park.

The car took its trail from the base to the peak, the journey uncovering some of the most exotic pine trees. A hawk lazily circled us, as if patrolling its territory.
If the stretch of sea glittered to our right, the mighty hills stood tall to our left. We made our way to the peak as the windy weather made us clutch our jerkins real hard.

Torrey pines is the naturally preserved park for the pines in San Diego. The park is open for the public throughout the year for cycling, trailing, walking or just enjoying the lazy mood. We took the trails which lead to the seaside. It was a very pleasant walk. Families with children, old couples, young couples, each one was enjoying the mood in their own unique way.

The walk had not prepared me for the beauty that laid astretched. I was dazzled seeing the expanse of the sky, sea, soil. Everything was perfect, like that of a painter’s canvas. I tried to capture some wonderful shots in my camera, Kodak Z740, my latest passion. Each shot took 3-4 mins as I tried to adjust the lens to get “that” perfect shot for my memory book.

The gliding area nearby contributed some gliders who made me jealous with their adventure. I made a mental note to try the gliding game in the months to come. The gliders smoothly sailed in the air reminding me of Harry Potter and his magic car.

The time stood still for me as I watched the charms of earth, the wind blowing soft music and me greedily trying to take every detail of the beauty.
Alas, the time had come to move on, and we packed our bags.

I promised to myself, I shall be back, to the sea-sky-sun..

(for more pics on Torrey pines : Torrey Pines )

Dial 1-800-INDIA

Nothing could make me more happy than people talking wonders of my dear country, INDIA.
Yes!!! the world is talking INDIA !!!
Bush's visit to India has opened the doors to media to capture the progress of my country and let the world know, "India is booming".

This week the US media channels speak volumes for my country. And my colleagues give me a sense of pride as they discuss these shows and show a genuine astonishment on India's progress front. It makes me a proud citizen with my head held high, as my country shines success.

This article from the ABC news( march 2,2006) is an excerpt to add to my USA traveloge.

March 2, 2006 — If you call an 800 number for help the next time your computer crashes or your oven breaks, chances are someone in India will answer.

While you sleep, bits of your life — your insurance forms, credit scores and X-rays — are being processed in Delhi and Bangalore.

Many U.S. companies are outsourcing customer service, tech and other jobs to India, where they've discovered an educated, cheap — and with 1.1 billion people, huge — work force.
Keeping India's economy healthy and growing is crucial to the United States, which wants a strong ally in that part of the world. But many American workers are concerned about their jobs being moved overseas.

As President Bush makes his first visit to India during his presidency, ABC News examines the importance of the world's largest democracy, and how it affects everyday life in the United States.

Like 'Talking to a Child'

For a starting salary of $3,200 a year, a million upwardly mobile Indians spend their nights answering questions from confused appliance owners across the globe.
Customer service is a $23 billion-a-year industry in India. It empowers half a million women and forces the traditional society to accept the alarming notion of young ladies being out of the house all night.

Most who work in these call centers are highly educated. In his best-selling novel, "One Night at the Call Center," Chetan Bhagat exposes the frustrations of the job. At one call center he researched, workers posted signs that read "35=10."

"They'd say that a 35-year-old American's IQ is the same as a 10-year-old Indian's IQ. So imagine you're talking to a child. Don't lose your cool when you're talking to them. But this is exactly what is being taught," Bhagat said.
What Americans don't hear are the curses back. It's common practice to put the call on hold and unleash a verbal barrage right back.

Overseas Tutors

As time goes by, it is not just companies tapping into India's cheap brainpower. When Texas mom Elizabeth Mitchell saw her son Jason struggling with math, she hired a tutor — in India.

"I've wondered what kind of house she lives in. And I've wondered what her parents are like. But she seems really nice," Jason said of his 24-year-old tutor, Swati Chopra.

Chopra uses her computer and phone in Delhi to teach Jason algebra in Plano, Texas. She has to make some cultural adjustments to her teaching method, she said.

"In India, you can scold kids. But there you have to be very patient with them. You have to be very sweet with them. 'Let's play a game and maybe after that you'll feel like doing it," Chopra said.

While math is now Jason's best subject, Chopra has drawn a sobering conclusion from the rest of her students.

"If you teach a student in India who's in the seventh grade, and you teach a student in the U.S. who's in the 10th grade, their level will be the same," she said. "There's a gap of at least three grades between the students."

The reverence for education is strong in India, but the demand is so great, teachers are forced to innovate. One group has installed computers in the walls of Delhi slums so children can walk up, log on, and teach themselves English.

Strides in Health Care, Energy

Some Americans are even traveling to India for surgery.
Insurance wouldn't cover truck driver Dennis Berry's hip surgery, and he couldn't afford a $120,000 operation. So Berry flew to Delhi where a world-class surgeon replaced both of his hips for $20,000. That $20,000 included airline tickets for him and a friend, and the cost of staying there.

"The average person can't afford it anymore," Berry said. "And for a major surgery I'd have to sell my house to have it done."

Much the way Indians have revolutionized office work, one Bangalore hospital is re-inventing health care.
It's streamlined open-heart surgery procedures, driving the cost below $2,000 — with a mortality rate lower than even U.S. hospitals.

And some rural villages are on the cutting edge of cheap renewable energy. Solar-powered systems that cost about $50 are lighting huts and changing lives. With 80 million Indian homes still in the dark, the scale of the demand may eventually bring the cost of this technology down for all of us.

True to words, "meri desh ki dharti sona ugle, ugle heere mooti, meri desh ki dharti..."

Jai Hind !