Before I begin this post, my sincere apologies to K, Su and
the rest of the ladies who crave Mumbai/Pune
street food (you are about to be disappointed). Dudes, I am not apologizing to you,
you won't mind.
In no particular order, this is what I have consumed last
week;
Ragda Pattis, Pav
Bhaji, Chole Bature, Bhel Puri, Dahi Puri, Bread Pattis, Paneer Pattis, Wada
Pav, Aloo Paratha etc. and some of the regular lunch/dinner fare. My
weight, you would think, would have ballooned to proportions you can only
associate with such heartily oily, but deliciously tasty food. But, it is not
that bad, considering the heat I am
subjected to on a daily basis. My sweat glands are working over-time and are
asking for a salary hike.
Pune has been kind so far (with emphasis on the 'so far'),
with just a Bharat Bandh last week
that did not disrupt my schedule or travel to/from the office. Hinjewadi is
quite isolated from Pune city and so it was uneventful for us even though 13-15
buses in the city were not so lucky. Certain parts of India also suffered and has
resulted in a reduction of Rs 2/- in the overall cost of a litre of petrol.
This week, for the first time, I am scheduled for night
shift to support the client. This may extend to the next week as well but I am
certainly hoping this first experience goes in to the record books as
successful but not to be tried again. Judging by recent events, the work in the
graveyard shift is manageable and I get to spend time with the client whom I
have worked with over the past 2+ years.
Running off to Mumbai this past weekend was something of a
luxury that I couldn't afford from Bangalore .
Booking the ticket in advance was a huge blessing since the rush of IT folks
"wanting" to go to Mumbai without a reserved seat is quite
frightening. Maybe, it will take me sometime to get adjusted to the new
"reality".
Traffic is maddening in Pune and a
hair-raising/heart-stopping experience for someone unused to the "way of
life" here. But, I must admit, in the craziness of the non-stop hustle
bustle of the "honk your way out" traffic scene, there wasn't one
single accident, thus far.
The suburban landscape of Pune is also becoming quite
similar to Mumbai with newer constructions and high-rises covering the skyline.
But unlike Mumbai, there are quite a few town/row houses that lend a certain
charm to the city, a sight that Mumbai will most likely never get to see in its
lifetime. Unless of course, you are willing to move into the far north suburbs
and deep into Thane district, an investment a Mumbaikar like me will not (most
likely) make.
With the India Diaries sequence continuing, there would be
more to my journey that I will keep you posted with. Till we meet next time,
the Marathi Manoos in me signs off...
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