A New Beginning

A year since the previous post here, a year of anxiety and normalcy and general grinding on until the trip happened. Now it has.

My first international plane ride, while irritating and long, was generally easy. Air Canada has very comfortable planes at the economy level, individual screens with decent selections of movies, tv and music. The food left a little to be desired, but accented with a few different beers it was an enjoyable trip. Landing in Germany was fun, and after buying a beer in a convenience store for the novelty of it, I settled into a meal at the Goethe Bar, a decent sandwich and a few more drinks. I think the fact that I stayed slightly inebriated the majority of the trip made it easier. Don't ask me why, but I recommend it anyway. Lufthansa from Frankfurt to Bangalore was less enjoyable,. A lack of personal screen, bland food, a single choice of beer (which was decidedly unappealing) and cramped quarters made for a long flight. I slept through most of it though, and the excitement of soon landing in India made up for any discomfort.

I'm settled in Bangalore now, staying with a close friend who is slowly showing me the city. In fact, I've been here for over two weeks, and only recently got the internet up. The process to get that done was even more difficult than dealing with the major companies in Canada. I never thought I'd miss Rogers Communications.

I'm not even sure how to begin describing Bangalore. Chaotic, noisy, intimidating, but also comfortable, simple, and delicious.

For anyone who has been to the city, or any other in India, the chaos is immediately apparent as soon as you step onto the street. Traffic laws are treated more as "guidelines" and you realize how many cars can be packed in two lanes of road. (It's three average sized cars and a bike, or two cars and two rickshaws... and a bike) I enjoy the two wheelers that fill the streets, coming from a family of people who enjoy their motorcycles, it's refreshing to see them used in greater numbers than cars. Maybe I'll get one after some time, be the only guy riding around Toronto on a Royal Enfield Bullet. This traffic provides a soundtrack to the days and nights in Bangalore, constant honking and beeping, a steady roll of engine noise and movement. That in itself is intimidating, but its also the way I stand out here. I'm not just another in the crowd as I was back home, but a different sort of entity that stands out, not just due to the colour of my skin, but because I have an easy six inches and 50 pounds average over most people I see here. I get funny looks when I walk down the street, and it always takes people a second when I start asking them for services that a local would use.

At the same time, it's easy to be comfortable here. The weather is absolutely gorgeous, despite it being monsoon season. Every day is a nice summer day in Ontario (not the excessively hot and humid climate they have now. I feel for you all, I really do), and the hour or so of rain every other day keeps the dust down. This comfort is accentuated by the simplicity of operations in the city. Despite lacking the general look and veneer of a modern urban center, Bangalore makes life easy for its residents. The local corner grocery will deliver to your door, free of charge. Auto-rickshaws make getting around the city easy and cheap (as long as you know how to argue rate or know the general path to take, so they don't over charge on the meter. It's a bit difficult at first, but once you get it down it goes from the intimidating side to a little entertaining), and there are plenty of places either within walking distance or a few rupees away that are either interesting, fun, or as is usually the case, both. I'm sure that most cities in India cater to its citizens in a similar manner, but as Bangalore was never planned as an urban center, it's ability to fulfill the needs so well is amazing. And the food is remarkably delicious. While there is access to everything from Shiv Sagar's traditional South Indian fare, to Pizza Hut's taste of home, I never thought I'd be able to say I enjoy vegetarian food without laughing. Well balanced meals with great flavours and consistency, filling and healthy. Lighter than I'm used to generally, but great nonetheless. I'm still generally more partial to the Northern flavours and meat based dishes, though I get made fun of when I order my favourites: "Pff, all white people like butter chicken."

Bangalore goes from terrifying to a new international traveler to home in the span of a couple weeks, and I'm a decidedly unadventurous individual. Now that the city and I are well acquainted and on good enough terms, I've started looking into job opportunities for teachers. I'll keep you all posted on the progress, and post some pictures of my home and surrounding neighbourhood once I've had the opportunity to take them.