Month: December 2010

Old Bangalore – Down the Memory Lane

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
                                     ( Marble Memorial plaque inside St Patrick’s Church, Bangalore)

I found few interesting sites from old timers. There is a small tribe of people who still cherish the old life in Bangalore. I would like to meet them personally, hear their tales, and know how the life was in ’40 or ’50’s.

Somehow I adore seeing the old black and white pictures. There’s something in those pictures which makes me lost, or connected with those yesteryear life. Probably, it’s the fresh, innocent or naive way of life, which is portrayed in those old pics. On the same lines, I love collecting vintage stuffs, from books to items of the pasts.
Who talks of Old Bangalore
One Mr Ronnie Johnson has given wealth of details through pictures and detailed content on the life in old Bangalore. As he rightly the heydays of Bangalore as – those were the days
Mr Ronnie also writes content for websites or for online publications.

Pls contact him: Ronnie Johnson, 5/3 King’s Street, Richmond Town, Bangalore 560 025, India. Residence Phone in Bangalore: 080 2240145.

( update on 10/15 – Some time back I came to know from an Anglo Indian person that Ronnie Johnson has passed away). Now, I’m not sure who is there to track those vintage diaries. I feel sorry for not meeting Mr Ronnie in person. 

Corner House Bangalore

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
Today for a change, I went to Corner House, next to ESI hospital, Bangalore. I’ve passed by this buzzing ice cream joint, but never bothered to stop. Today, we dropped in for death by chocolate.

Even at 10:00 PM, this place was crowded with people, of all ages, licking and slurping from the white plastic bowl.

Now my question?
How do this brand attract so ice cream lovers?
Why are customers visiting this place? What’s special here?
How different is it from other popular brands like Baskin and Robbins?
What homework should you do to start another brand like this?
What could be the sales in a day?

Is it the brand name that attracts so many ice cream aficionados to this Corner house. On the same lines, do you attract people? Why is the secret to your popularity?

My Fiftieth Blog post

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After 50 boring all ‘me’ posts, I should be exploring new avenues in blogging. I think I’m taking a turn to  hospitality business blogging.

The first idea to write about small hotel biz segment sprung from the my earlier blog post I wrote about a guest house in Goa. The response from this post, triggered a new thought. Another shot in the arm came after reading the Daniel’s blog.
I was just mesmerized by the writing style of Daniel Edward Craig. My writing is a far cry from this hotelier turned blogger. He writes for Opus hotel. Read his post to taste the wonderful bouquet of information from each post.
Here’s a little peek into my nutty mind. >>>

See more

Benefits of blogging for Hotel Resort Travel Mart

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Do you know that more than 40k blogs are opened in a day?
Did you know that blog receive 55% more website traffic?

More website traffic means more people know about your hotel or resort. Now does it makes biz sense to start a blog right away.
Answer is Yes and NO.
Blogging is easy to start, but most often it runs out of steam. Most blogs dreams fizzles out in time. Lack of time, lack of ideas, lack of proper promotion, and lack of motivation.
You need is consistent blogging from an blog enthusiast!
I feel hospitality biz is the ideal platform for a blog. There is so much to write about.

  • You can write about the best of your rooms
  • You can boast about your menu
  • Talk of your special hospitality
  • Take them for a virtual tour around your hotel
  • Share unique stories from new guests
  • Talk about places to visit around your resort
  • Activities to add spice to visitors stay
  • Platform to engage with guests
  • Distinguish your hotel from others

Does these points strike a chord with the elements of your hospitality business. Now does it makes sense to share these points to potential visitor or repeat visitor.

If you think blogging is greek to you, or it’s a kind of technical stuff you can’t handle, then I can pitch my word for you!

I love talking of travel points, love putting your name on the web ( for a reason). Yes, I would like to get dough in return.

If it makes sense to hire an outsider to do blogging for you, then I’ll be of your service. Pls mail me at bcc2charles@gmail.com. Let’s chat or speak on how you can get started with a blog impression.

Jingle Weather in Bangalore

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I’m kind of high with this soft chill climate in Bangalore. It kind of adds more jingle to the coming Xmas. Today morning when I woke up she was playing myopusradio and my fav song for this season was on air – jingle bells.

Jingle bells from Jim Reeves takes me to me to my raging 20’s. This was one of the records I used to play in my LP. The red cover of Jim Reeve’s LP still comes to my mind. Don’t know what happened to those LP’s. Someone borrowed it and never got it back.
Yes, those moments will never be back. Only solace is to listen to his songs and chew on the old flaggin memories of another life at another time.

Does City Life Make You Lonely?

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Are you in the groove with city life or a misfit?

I see too many confident men and women in Bangalore. They work in polished office building, drive swanky cars, wear designer clothes, stay at apartments, give out an a air of superior well being. Their look give out an aura of confidence and wealth.
On top of these glossy facts, these people are connected with all kinds of gadgets – ipad, netbook, wifi, 3G, facebook, twitter, cell phone, land phone.

Despite these hi-fi facts, they still remain as elusive as ever. We live in a neighborhood where we hardly know the people sharing our walls.

  1. Why is this disconnect?
  2. Why does city life breed shallowness?
Colleagues are another breed of people we smile or laugh with, by still remain just as co-workers. We hardly know what they are?
Often I ask myself, if Bangalore life has made me a plastic like other people. All appear to be busy, running behind some schedule.
Facebook Phonies

In my last b’day, I got the most number of b’day wishes – well through Facebook.
Every phony in my Facebook slashed out a customary b’day wish. Too many well wishers to be true. Did it make me feel elated?
Answer is absolut – NO. Facebook promoted them of my b’day and they wrote a 2 second msg.
If these people had called me on this day, I would have really felt touched? But who cares to call me
Maybe, I’m old fashioned phony trying to get used to the new age shallowness in relationships? Maybe I’m a misfit in this society or the future to come. If you’ve a better answer you can tell me.
Forget what others do, let me focus on what I can do to others and with me.
Amen

Raja & Friends – CBI Probe

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The heading in today’s Times Of India newspaper went like this – CBI raids Raja & Friends.It’s apparently done to wriggle out any evidence around 2G scam. I feel this Raja will be too smart for the CBI sleuths. By now he has enough time to cover it up in some far off hills.

Anyways, let’s see how CBI probe goes.
Swami and Friends
Well this headline took my thought to another group of friends. Swamy and friends. Swami the young fella and his mischievous acts, along with the child like curiosity still makes me go back to those time in my life.

Do you miss Malgudi times on Doordarsan? It came at time when we had handfull of serials which has real quality.

Now you can watch it at youtube or from other similar video sharing sites… Tenali Rama.

Auto Fare in Bangalore

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I dread bargaining, more with auto drivers. At the same time I hate being taken for a ride by auto drivers. We often read in news about how auto drivers con or use bad language on commuters.

Most fellas have unique technique to fool people who are new to Bangalore. Some auto drivers act ignorant of the place, or some take unwanted detour. All just to make meter run around.

Here is an instance when I got down at Banaswadi railway station. When the packed train off loaded mallu folks, it was the familiar scene at the railway station.

As mallus flow down this station, a large fleet of auto drivers wait to pounce on hapless newbies. Most of these fellas don’t go with the meter rate. They have their own rate card depending on your looks.

One auto driver I inquired of the rate to Cambridge layout said Rs 150/- without any expression. It’s just leave it or take it attitude. I took the logical way to walk up to Banaswadi main road. From that Banaswadi junction I got into an auto who took me for Rs 60.
I’m not alone. Many fellas walk towards to junction to get auto in a reasonable rate.
During my walk, I see lot of people leaving my auto or car alone. If at all there was a safe way to connect with people who are going to the same destination.
Can some widget connect people going to the same destination. Technology can save time, and money. It’s could be made something like a vehicle pool. Maybe some iphone application or some twitter kind of tool can help.
Any thoughts on this..

Hefty Rent Is Back – Bangalore

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Apartment Rent in Bangalore
After going through a glut in house rental, the old rent is back in Bangalore. This time the rent wave is getting on a more bigger. Sleeping brokers are back to their familiar turf with more glee. Haven’t u seen more these fellas look more glossier.

One of my colleague who is hunting for a rent around JP Nagar, HSR layout, shares the harrowing tale of hefty rent. It looks like a 2 bed room house is going on the lines of 12k+ and 10 months rent. Most house owners are not even willing for any negotiation – flat rent. Take it or leave it kind of attitude.
How on earth can some fella like afford a house in Bangalore. How do other folks like me sustain in this reality. Sometime, I feel like leaving B’lore to my country side house in Kerala. But it’s not an easy option considering my monthly payments!

Bangalore’s Cillin

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Glory to the December chill. Bangalore cool climate at this time of the year mellows the life with it’s idyllic weather. Despite the growing pollution, this season bring in the old charm.

I love wearing thick jackets to work or just to curl around in my thick blanket. Bangalore weather is quite reminiscent of the English weather ( kind of).

Love to drive early morning under the canopy of trees. The stretch of road near command hospital, Bangalore gives a whiff soothing smell from Eucalyptus trees.

Do you have something to share about this season?