Bangalore - What a Surprise!

“I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world.” – Socrates

One of the few things that I like in the movie ‘Wake up Sid’ is the way Konkana Sen feels about having moved to a new city, rediscovering herself, and establishing new relationships and identity. Having moved to Bangalore six months back with a lot of apprehension and uncertainty, I can now relate to some of Konkana’s feelings in that movie.

We wanted to move to India, but which city, was the question. I’ve always liked Northern India. And from the 2-3 months I had spent in Bangalore a few years back as an intern, I remembered a few anecdotes of racist violence against North Indians. This is all that I had to form an opinion. Luckily the better half knew better, and she dismissed these fears immediately. She had spent a good two years here, which she still relishes as two of her best years.

So we took the plunge and moved to Bangalore. I was immediately astonished by people’s willingness to cooperate on the smallest to the biggest of things and get on with their lives. Compared to what I had seen a few years back, Bangalore had become a truly multicultural city with open arms for every one. This is true not just in terms of the population mix, but also the things you can opt to do while you live here. Name any kind of music, theatre, sport or art, you will find its followers here. And in ample numbers, ever ready to meet new people with similar interests.

Next, I fell in love with Bangalore’s love for technology. While it was always said to be India’s silicon valley, I never realized the extent to which this was true, till I actually settled here. Sit at a CCD with ears open for 30 minutes, and you would easily come out enlightened about the latest in Hadoop, Big Data or Cloud. Because that is what Bangaloreans seem to have for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner!

I also marvel the ease with which non-Indians can live a pleasant life in this city. No language problems (most of the people you need to talk to, can speak sufficient English), relatively safe for women, a well-connected airport and very accepting people make it a haven for expats to settle down or visit.

Last but not the least, Bangaloreans know how to make merry. The city is full of great pubs, restaurants and other fun hangout places. What adds to the fun is peoples’ happy and optimistic nature.

Of course the city has its own negatives. Bad town planning, bad roads and poor traffic sense are the leading causes of daily distress for me. Often greedy auto-drivers who want all your money add to the misery.

But the greatest thing about Bangalore, I think, is the fact that it is the clear frontrunner of India’s entrepreneurship scene. Folks here are early adopters of everything, especially technology. A lot of people would agree, that if you’ve got an idea that is probably ahead of its time, try it in Bangalore and there are less chances of failing!