Did Video really kill the Radio Star?

Every time I hear the song "Video killed the radio star", I wonder how much it applies today or at least in the last decade, when radio has been largely popularized by FM channels. It is actually surreal to think that it was about 7-8 years ago when FM started off in India. Radio City, the then only channel in Bangalore, was one of the main reasons I would even get up in the morning. My mom would come and switch on the radio in my room, and being pleasantly surprised by one of my favourite songs playing on the radio, I would wake up with a smile on my face. This would really set the mood for the entire day. In fact, it is this surprise element which I like most about radios. You have absolutely no idea what song will play next, and more than one of these songs are definitely bound to cheer you up. This small thrill is definitely not experienced when you play a song off your playlist :)

I have been a radio listener all my life and I have to thank my mom completely for this. I know as many kannada songs as I do, only thanks to the radio playing in our room all morning when we were kids. I have grown up listening to so many kannada songs and bhavageethes, which led way to English and Hindi music when FM started. I remember completing all my record work listening to Jonzee during sleepy afternoons. I remember work math problems, one after another, during my 2nd PU, listening to the music Barker played all night long. My fondest memories of radio are definitely from 2nd PU, when my parents cut the cable connection and I would listen to the radio day in and day out while studying. I remember phases that radio stations went through, first playing English and Hindi. Then playing only Hindi, and then only Kannada. And through that last phase, where they played only kannada songs, radio was my only source of getting to know new music. Working full days, coming back and apping left me no time to watch Tv and the radio shows I heard on my way to work and back were serving to complete the music quotient for my day. After all, music is the magic that moves my world :) :)

Thanks Sindhu for the Radio City link, that brought back a lot of memories and totally made my day :)

A week's worth!

One place, four friends, five days - and memories to last a lifetime! Those five days were enough to set us into another world, another routine, another mood altogether!

Running to catch the bus to Peenya Industrial Village. Standing in those crowded buses where we could hardly see outside the bus; but craning from time to time to check if we missed our stop or not! On lucky days, sitting by the window seat and looking at B's mysterious muse of a house and planning on going there someday! Waiting for K to get off from the back of the bus and finding that he got off much earlier and had to walk a lot. Trying to find an auto at that place, gosh!

Walking on a to-become familiar route to reach the gates of ISTRAC. The same old routine security check at the gates. Parting ways with our cell phones for 8 whole hours - the thought itself was torturous, the act was pure agony. But the result - bonding time with B, S and K, just like back in an era without cell phones - simple and fun!

Sitting for hours on the sofa, waiting for the training to begin. Passing time by playing word games and planning class trips. K's (in)famous tryst with the air conditioning. Leisurely lunch breaks. Full meals for four rupees. Managing to finish the amount we put on our plates and thereafter wanting to sleep, in the already soporific surroundings. Wondering if work life would be dull, looking at the sad faces of the employees. Trying to determine just where the sensors started working on the auto-opening glass doors by walking back and forth. Hiding stuff in K's hair. Exploring the campus. Looking at a fresh entrant of trainees and wondering, how bored will they look after a couple of years at work. Waiting for the benevolence of Lakshminarayana and his assistant. The balloon guy who made us laugh till we cried. Soma and his friendliness. JV and respect! The TV lady who just fell in love with K. The beautiful flowers on campus, and how we wished we were allowed to get in cameras to just take pictures of those flowers. The inspiring talk by that man, whose name I can't remember, but whose words I can. The room from where they control launches. Watching the tracking of the satellites, live! JV's in depth and detailed explanation of the antenna system, which valued more than my semester worth of Antenna classes. The thrill of it all!

And then, after a long day, catching a bus again and returning back home, having learned, laughed and lived another day in ISRO.

DISCLAIMER: It is in no way intended that the work at ISRO is boring and hence the employees look dull. Infact, ISRO would be one of the most exciting places to work, and hence, we pondered about this fact. Also, a year later, having entered the corporate life myself, I realized that this is a general trait and not particularly caused due to any organization.

My Affair With Sankey

We have grown up together. Sankey and I. We have changed with the passing time; sometimes for the better, sometimes not. But what remains intact, even after all these years, is my love for Sankey, and Sankey's acceptance of me.

As a primary school kid, my brother once took us to Sankey. Having not ventured out much on my own then, this 'trek' to sankey, crossing the deserted temple and climbing up to reach the road was my own Enid Blyton fantasy in the city. Looking back, I wonder, was my life so sheltered, considering I have lived on the same road all my life and Sankey is but 5 minutes away and that was adventurous for me!! Well, I was excited to be so close to the water then, kid that I was, and surprisingly, that kid in me has never bid goodbye and I feel the same excitement each time I go to Sankey.

Other early memories of sankey are boating. Boating was the only way we could reach out to sankey. And of course, the viewpoints that were on the road: I would love cycling on the empty Sankey Road on summer afternoons, stand and watch the water for endless hours. I still remember the bougonvilla flowers adorning these viewpoints. I remember taking morning walks with Swetch on Sankey Road, discussing the weirdest dreams we dreamt the night before.

Adolescence arrives. Sankey still stays. I still remember, cycling around Sankey one cool summer evening, wearing shorts and for that reason not wanting to spot anyone i know en-route. And I remember better, bumping into not just my crush, but also his three sisters!! All the times I accidently wanted to bump into him, and it had to be the time I least wanted it! Walks around Sankey have also been special bonding times for me with my closest friends. Talks about life, love, ambitions, dreams and everything else under the sun. Talks about other people. Catching up. Craziness. Running(Walking actually!) away from home in anger, and taking refuge in Sankey. Sitting alone for hours together watching the insects on the surface of water. Singing to myself in happiness. Singing to myself in sadness. Crying and getting comforted in(by) Sankey. Morning walks and familiar faces. Crushes on unseen faces, just coz they looked good , observed from behind. Reading a book. Commenting on people. Immersing Lord Ganesh's idol after ganesh chaturthi. Standing outside the gates of Sankey, late in the night, and half wishing to climb over the gates and enter in. Seeing a dead body in the water. Analysing the behaviour of couples , watching live specimens in Sankey. Memorable one to ones with very dear friends. Messaging countless friends about how beautiful the sunset looks when viewed from Sankey. Giving advice. Receiving advice. Done it all. But Sankey still remains. Also remain countless other things I will do in Sankey.

The affair with sankey has lasted this long and this affair will never end, because here, I am myself and because this is the only place in the world where I do not feel lonely when I am alone. I always have Sankey with me :)

Why CTR Rocks

Today, I had the fortune of visting, what is probably CTR's longest standing rival, The Vidhyarthi Bhavan in Basavan Gudi. My 'very loyal to CTR' friends, were more favorable in going to CTR. But hell, we were so close to Vidyarthi Bhavan, I coundn't resist putting my taste buds to test and more importantly, see which is better.

What I thought was an Urban Legend, that people stand next to your table and stare down like "bakhapakshis", was really not!! The waiting space that this place offers, is next to a table. You have the liberty to choose your own table, stand next to it and wait for its occupants to finish eating and leave. Well, why??? It causes for an unnecessary lot of spiteful looks from either parties, no space for the waiters to move about, and a waste of the 'angala' outside the hotel where you can stand in the cool air smelling the lovely jasmines!! They ought to think about it. And also , in cases like ours, aunties who love eavesdropping on our interesting conversations, just don't want to give up their seats for us and leave!!! 

The place itself!! Why did they have to renovate it? The old building charm is entirely gone with an attempt of modernization. I love the old walls of CTR. The enter one room to enter another room to enter yet another room concept, like in Janata and MTR.  The old wooden windows painted a shade of dull blue or green. The very 'Old bangalore feeling'!! I love them all!! I'd never trade this CTR for a fresher look!! 

Then the most important part. The Dosa itself. The Dosa, I agree was good. But no comparison to CTR. CTR dosas are bigger and better. And yes, they do not POUR chutney onto your dosa and plate in CTR! A place that serves Dosa with 2 types and chutneys AND sambar, beats a place that makes it's own Dosas soggy, any day!

Today, once again, I realized, there is no place like home, and there are no Dosas like they make 'em in our CTR! :)

One Rainy Day

It all started on a fateful Tuesday morning. Waiting for class to begin [which never did eventually], we ended up talking about [duh!!] shopping!! How we fantasized about our walk in closets filled with ultra mod fashionable clothes and our dressing tables with 3 mirrors and make up and jewelry. Who ever said you need booze to take you on a high?! So on this high that we were, we decided to schedule a shopping trip on Thursday, right after KR’s class.

It has been ages since I shopped so guess I was more excited than most others. Seriously!! So much that most of what happened in today’s class was an OHT as far as I am concerned. Class ended and finally we could leave. Yay!! Well, the fact that I ignored Ravi’s ingenious comment about how passionate I am about shopping and studies just shows how much I was looking forward to this!

So we set out on our much awaited shopping trip on 4 bikes and it seems like I just have to differ from the rest at all times. I took the easier route via Cauvery and then again the only proper route I know to MG Road. And it turns out I need to take a U turn, a forbidden U turn at that, to park my bike. Well, can Miss.Ash ever do things patiently? Yeah, you guessed right. The turn I did take, escaping Maama’s watchful eyes. But what ever made me think I could get lucky twice? Apparently, the second time around I was spotted and Maama even wrote down my vehicle number. I might get my very first driving ticket soon then. Hmmm, something I’m so looking forward to!

So again I was distanced from the lot and I drove on to Commercial Street, our dream destination. It turned out Fate had other plans for us…it started pouring cats and dogs at 2.30 on a hot May afternoon!! “Surprise surprise” cried the skies. I took the shorter route to Comm St, a direct consequence of being a totally law abiding citizen. I was drenched thoroughly, and sought shelter at some Bank near Comm St after parking my bike. Sigh!!I had to be the one on my own when the others were together in a group. Who knows? Maybe they stopped at some cozy café on the way while I was stuck with strangers, all alone in this crazy world that punishes innocent girls for sticking by traffic rules!

So I decided to get in touch with my dear pals and tried calling them. And finally some calls later Viji picks up her cell. And here I learn that the pillion riders are abandoned by the more fortunate lot and the poor gals had to parade the busiest street of Bangalore before they could find an auto fellow willing to give them a ride. I gave them directions to come to “my shelter” and waited for them to arrive. I was talking on the phone talking to Viji when I could see ever hyper Miss.Rado’s arms frantically flinging out of the auto. They were trying to reach the place I was directing them to, little knowing that they already had! So now i had to try to get them to spot me. The crowd of strangers at “my shelter” suddenly seemed to be extremely interested in my conversation and when my friends finally did spot me, the little world around me was again a happy place! I left the refuge I had sought and after some crazy road crossing incident we ended up at another shelter. Everything that was happening seemed so crazy and bizarre and I was laughing so much.[ Big surprise, I know] .

We waited for the brainy trio who had left their cell phones with us to contact us, while we ourselves had nothing to do but wait for the rain to subside. It was unanimously decided that KFC would be our next destination, and we started off

to KFC. Funny things happen to us even then!! A man actually stopped Viji to ask her where she bought her Payals!! Apparently he had never found that design anywhere else. And I’m trying to cross torrents of flowing rain water, when a man rudely asks me to move to the side coz I was coming in way of the picture he was taking! Bangalore was once known to be a friendly place you know.

Another thing worthy of mention, hehe, I walked the entire stretch with my helmet on!

Now for once our plans seemed to work, thankfully! We had a nice time in KFC[Yeah, they actually did let us in]. The others joined us shortly. The only disappointment was not being able to shop after going so far. Not that we would mind shopping, but unfortunately the shop owners would. Still, we just couldn’t resist and we did browse through the stuff in Westside and Max. But our jeans were literally bogging us down and we had to end worthy tasks midway and head back home. The ride back was chill; we had actually stayed in wet clothes for 3 hours! Thankfully long hot baths awaited us at our homes, and in my case, mummy dearie made nice bajjis. Aaah, purrfect isn’t it! Funniest part is, even though we were unable to shop, none of us were really frustrated. Have we learnt taking things in our stride or what?J. Well, all is well that end’s well!

PS : Gals, fun it was;)