Bangalore Buzz: Concerts, Clinics, Boats and Bandhs

chillibreeze writer — KC Komal
(taken from our Expat Newsletter: Bangalore Breeze)

Lumbini Gardens Lake

I couldn’t resist. I know I said I would write about books and not my usual family update, but we have been having such fun lately. We stumbled onto Lumbini gardens a few weekends ago. Perched on the side of the Ring Road to Hebbal is a murky green lake with what looked like some boating options. We wandered over one Saturday morning, and found that the litter-free lake has pedal boats and aqua cycles for hire. There is a jet ski that you can go for a two minute ride on, and we spent a pleasant couple of hours there racing each other on the pedal boats while our thighs screamed in protest. There are a few food vendors there, a little bouncy house and some kiddie mechanical rides. Rides were inexpensive and since the drive there was only about 20 minutes, we made a note to keep this in mind for a short evening outing. Parents of little ones to note: their feet don’t reach the pedal, so really, you are going to do all the work. Lumbini Gardens is on Nagawara lake near Hebbal.

Don't miss the concert opportunities in Bangalore

My boy opted for tabla lessons at school, saying that it made sense to learn an Indian instrument while in India. So of course when we saw that maestro Zakir Hussein was in town for a concert we had to get tickets. Much alarm as on the night of the concert we take a closer look at the ticket and find it says over 12 only. Lower lip trembling, our 9 year old braces to be ejected summarily but we find babes in arms and careening toddlers waiting to be let in. Apparently age limits are not enforced and rather relieved we take our seats. The music is fantastic, the kids enthralled and we realize that with the price of concert tickets being so much lower, this is another activity we need to indulge in more frequently.

Good home time during Bangalore riots and bandhs...

What is a bandh?
Bandh, originally a Hindi word meaning 'closed', is a form of protest used by political activists. During a Bandh, a large chunk of a community declares a general strike, usually lasting one day. While often it means the closing down of a major marketplace of a city for the day, there have been instances of the entire city of Bangalore coming to a standstill.

The Cauvery water riots give us a short week at school, and we make the most of it. Apartment life has meant that kids have playmates round the clock, and they sheepishly ask if they can have a day without playmates over. I gape at them, and they say we haven’t had much time just being “us” and so we spend the four days behind closed doors, baking and cooking and doing crafts. While newspapers compute the financial losses incurred by the bandhs, in our house mom and kids are gleeful at this unexpected little break from the routine. The gainfully employed member of the family was chafing at the bit however, and actually takes a flight to Bombay to get work done instead of sitting around the house. It must be frustrating if work gets disrupted (we have been here 6 months and this is our third bandh) like this, and is a reminder of some of the issues high tech India faces.

Medical Clinics: a peek at the medical tourism potential...

BUY this guide and gain more information about medical options in Bangalore.

Meanwhile I get to experience first hand why medical tourism is on the rise. Standing on a plastic chair to reach a high shelf, I fall heavily on my ankle and gingerly get to my couch to make a call to the nearest clinic. An appointment a couple of hours later lands me with a diagnosis of a sprained ankle, some crepe bandaging and physical therapy. Everything is clean, swift and courteous. Physical therapy involves some ultrasound on my ankle (much hilarity as the technician keeps urging me to drink water, and I protest, till they realize the ultrasound I need is not for pregnancy but for physical therapy) some rather painful manipulations and then the bill: Rupees 450 including specialist consultation fees, medicines and physical therapy. California needs to sit up and take notice. The quality of the care and the facilities were world class, and the doctor unhurried and the prices definitely Indian.

So the city and I limp back to normalcy together, and to the collective relief of both police and citizenry the protests occur “without incident” as the newspaper puts it. The doom criers warn of a tough summer ahead with less water and electricity and I anxiously ask for reassurance from long time residents. “Only two months of real heat, right? Right?” But already the days are scorchers and the nights getting less cool. The children come home limp and crabby from school, and I google ways of disinfecting salad greens to my satisfaction. On which note, I have not found a way yet, and am washing raw veggies in dilute dish detergent, but the quest continues. Maybe I should write a book. Litter in my lettuce: Searching for clean greens in India!

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—About our writer:

"KC refuses to limit herself to one label. Among the many hats she wears are: Full time mom, part time writer, teacher, chef, art collector, gardener, quilter and extremely good vacationer. She has lived in Northern California for close to 20 years and has spent most of those years stopping frequently to smell the roses and plant some lavender. After two decades in Silicon Valley her husband will be working from Bangalore. KC has two children, a 12 year old daughter and an 8 year old son.