Chilled only till 11

October 2, 2008 ~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment

Pubs and beer culture in Bangalore is one lively stuff I love of this fast life . But recently political leaders are trying to clamp on these spirited live with a midnight curfew. The top orders are strictly followed by the high handed cops. Joints close by 11:00.

No doubt it’s archaic law and what really stuck me is the way it is religiously followed . While returning from work, I pass through many small time joints and most often I see Cowboy cops standing in front of these joints to ensure it’s closure.

I wonder how they get so strict about maintaining this part of their job, while you can see total inefficiencies in their day- today administration. I think it’s quite useless to write of these issues, as every day we see write up about in Times of India. In spite of all these public upheavals, these high handed creeps who lead us are just blind to some basic facets of individual freedom … Can’t blame them for we have had chosen them ….

All in all it’s a reflection of Indian democracy…..

Cowboys of Bangalore

October 2, 2008 ~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment

White Enfield, the power behind Bangalore Traffic Cops. Initially I was drawn by their looks.. White cowboy caps and those images are replaced by their not not good shader tales of corruption & ineffectiveness…

Can’t blame them entirely. Banagalore has gone for a spiral growth and with it the population of two wheeler and four wheeler…

Traffic is a mess, and the attitude of drivers is even worse. At any unmanned junction, you can see how drivers try to overtake each other.. .it resembles no less than the nature of the beast ….

At times I wonder if it b’cos of the rampant growth or the new culture of competition on the roads. People honk at every point. I’m a kind who hardly honks, for I think it hardly makes a difference. What annoys me is to see people honking even when the traffic is dead slow or just when the signal has turned green..

Wonder if the commuters are driving with so much of tension that they can hardly wait or just they are venting out the frustration through high decibel honks..

Often I hear reports in newspaper of action taken to reduce honking, but on the street it hardly makes a difference… I don’t see any immediate hope for people like me who detest honking.. only think I can do is to get drive away from this mess or If I was a tad richer I can buy a four wheeler: with windows shut, it will a little less on my ear drums..

Beemapalli : Teasure trove of classic DVD’s

October 2, 2008 ~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment

All familiar payment side store. Sale of pirate DVD’s and CD’s is done in broad street light..
The price of DVD’s goes around Rs 40 – Rs 50. After I bought a DVD, one of my first purchase was from a street vendor. I bought Indiana Johnes collection, Batman collection.. 4 movie in 1 DVD.

But my initial enthusiasm dried out as soon I saw the movies.. The image quality of these CD is very low and it robbed me the dough I spend and my initial euphoria…

After this incident I’ve moved from these street side pirates to the big time pirates in Trivandrum. Beemapalli in Trivandrum a erstwhile landmark for sale of foreign goods has now embraced movie piracy in a big way.

Now most of the shops has moved to piracy CD selling and from the row of shops, one shop has a good collection of classic movies. I’ve purchased lots from this place.. U get all time classics to Italian, Iranian, Japanese movies in here.. I’ve amassed Satyajith Ray’s collection and all these just for 30bucks including a plastic cover.

Of course some CD’s are incomplete… One DVD, My Fair Lady doesn’t have the last scenes and it’s disappointing.. It’s a fair chance to take, and the print quality is good. As long as I can’t afford the branded one, I’ve to stick to the offering from the pirated CD’s of Beemapali.

Next time I visit my hometown, I need to replinish my CD stock with all new stuffs… , Of course some hot stuffs in my shopping cart…

Cambridge Layout – view

October 2, 2008 ~ bjcharles ~ 2 Comments

Wildcraft outlet at Cambridge Layout. It’s located in the same road where Sai Baba Temple is located and next to Airtel office
This shop offers a wide variety of backpacks, camping and offdoor equipment…. It’s a kind of store you would love to revisit and check on the new product updates….

I’m looking to buy a backpack for a 3 day trip.. but somehow, I’m not getting to see the design in these bags… I’ve seen a bag with one of my friend, but now that model is not available… Well, got to revisit this shop for a new look ….

How Green Was My Valley

October 1, 2008 ~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment

How Green Was My Valley

This movie makes me very nostalgic .. It takes me to the green pastures of my life… “I’ve seen this movie long long back along with my Dad. I vividly remember watching it and as the movie closed on with a somber note of the family, I too felt heartened by the tragic loss time had made…

Now, as I think of this , it takes back in time .. those days with my Dad, who was the largest influence in my life.

Yes, Iconic father figure lingers on to me long well after his death. .. and it could be one of the reason why this movie takes me back in time….

An appeal

Now, I’m badly looking for the of this movie. Can any one help me out or give suggestion on how I can get a copy of this movie..

Pls Call # 9900114982 anytime ….

The Phantom – screen shots from Illustrated weekely of India

October 1, 2008 ~ bjcharles ~ 1 Comment

Yes, the hay days of Illustrated weekly of India, I used to read the main cover story and also the last page which often contained Phantom and Beetle Bailey. Yes, I use to follow these short columns was followed religiously. Dad used to bring this weekly home from his institution and I would wait for it …..

Sad to know that it has gone out of publication. One time popular magazine go out due to low readership… Sun, Mirror, Gentleman, Punch, etc are the few tabloids which gone with the times.

Yes, there were die hard readers and I wonder how they would have coped with the loss their reading companion. Time does not stop, it evolves, things which was held close looses out of our life..

Relationships too are like similar to such tabloids… Some fade away, some goes a flickering death and with it’s goes a part of your life… Looking back, you see how people has moved from your life.. Don’t you miss those people who had a larger say in your life…

Can’t help such partings, for its good and bad for your life. Like the seasons, changes too bring out new threads and life from new and renewed people.

The trick in life is to evolve wisely with the changes… thought it brings a tint of pain, the better prepared person will come with better and enriching relations

wonder, If I talk a little too much on the familiar topic of parting and losing.. Well, got to talk something else in my later blogs..

Early morning walk – Park story

September 24, 2008 ~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment

My love for walking has taken me to few parks in Bangalore. Of these the favorites are the ones close to my home. The closest one is the one behind ESI hospital. It’s just 10mts walk from Cambridge Layout, a distance that I choose to go with my scooter.

This park is maintained by BDA and I’m happy with the maintenance and the green cover it provides. There is a temple in this park and the path cris cross the rectangular piece of ground.

Who are the regulars and my timing

I’m a lazy bum and hence my daily walk starts at odd timings. Dressed in yellow or red shorts I would reach there between 8:00 and 8:30. Still then I get sufficient time to walk anti- clock wise in the park.

All sorts of people flock in here. There are young nubile ladies, married men and women and also very young mothers with the babies in the walkers. It’s a pleasant sight to see the regular people and how they carry themselves in their little world.

Often in the park I think about their private lives and occupation. Just a strange apparition about how and what there are in this small around me.

Hardly any one spares me a second look and I just continue my walk listening to my kind of music, ranging from Bob Dylan, Carpenters, Floyd or Fleetwood Mac or what ever there in on Rainbow 91/9 FM.

Yes, I would like to describe the people I see here, may in another blog at another time.

Yes, people are strange when you are a stranger….. so goes the Doors song and I better wind this up here.

Dead letter

September 18, 2008 ~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment

Found this dead letter from the BBC site. Just image the recepients and what she must have gone through after reading this letter. Did she have a forethought of such bad incidents?

It used to be a time when telephone was not very popular. Letter was the main way of communication and imagine how such letter brought pain to the faimily.

Wonder how the family look forward to any letter from the Army informing about their loved ones.

Now these are replaced by telephone calls. Often I hear of Army personnel falling in terror attacks.. Again the bad news is informed with voice. Does the caller inform it at one shot or do they pass a comforting call before speaking the ultimate news?

Carbon footprint

September 17, 2008 ~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment

Yes, women thesedays lean on with studs producing the maximum greehouse gases. Bigger 4 drive vechile, larger living room, fashy electronic gizmos, world wide traveller and offcourse with a fat pay cheque.

So, what’s with guys like me at the other side of the divide. Are we supposed to be spectators all the way and watch the game from the sidelines.

I think every living soul get’s a fair chance, jsut play along in the game of life and you’ll have more than good share of fun.