The elections, with all its hoopla, hyperbole, posturing and power plays, have taken center stage
The elections, with all its hoopla, hyperbole, posturing and power plays, have taken center stage. But life for all us non-Member-of-Parliament-types and all us non-wannabe-Member-of- Parliament-types (depending on whether you're defending your gaddi or merely eyeing someone else's) has continued in its blissful chaotic way with just a few hiccups, given that the alcohol shops were closed for a couple of days.
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Wall-a-bye: The first casualty making way for the metro at Lalbagh was the wall along RV Road, soon to be followed by the trees |
In the midst of the IPL shenanigans, and the entire circus being moved to South Africa, the Zoo Zoos quietly gambolled in to our lives. Never before, have such ugly creatures, like these martian-like specimens, ever caught the imagination of an entire nation. Everyone from my grandmum to my ten year old niece want to know where, when and who thought them up. I wish I had, even as I'm glued to the drama of IPL only to catch the latest Zoo Zoo ad.
Shilpa may be screaming, SRK sulking and Preity sweating, but for once, the commercial breaks are far more riveting than the action on field.
I ambled off the other day, to one of these resto-bars that have a big screen (but fortunately not a re-named special menu that advertises cricket themed food: sixer sandwiches, off spin shakes and the rest of the horrific like). It's called Fresco's on Cunningham Road. This isn't meant to be a restaurant review of the highest palate but the Thai Green Chicken Curry I ordered wouldn't have been out of place at an Andhra thaali restaurant. I wonder why not-so-cheap restaurants still try and do that Chandni Chowk to Chiang Mai remix, Indianising un-Indian food. Today, if I didn't want authentic Thai food, I wouldn't even order it, thank you!u00a0
Speaking of green; the Chief Minister, I hear, is adamant about chopping those trees in Lalbagh so the Metro can cut its swathe through the only lung space we have. What is next on the anvil in his great blueprint to develop Bangalore? Erect low cost housing where Cubbon Park now stands? Or maybe build a couple of cement factories in the middle of Race Course? His reflections on religion and his leanings towards Mutalik morality aside, doesn't he have enough sense to see what most other citizens can: that Bangalore is being run to the ground. He isn't even compensating by creating green areas anywhere else.
The trees are going. The salubrious Bangalore climate is gone. Yet another money grabber will be elected to represent us. But at least we have one thing to cheer about: our boys are playing a good game or two, far away in South Africa.
As a Zoo Zoo would say: "awexfjcglfhxkhfnh!!!!"
