I am not a big fan of amusement parks. So I found myself thinking twice about going to Wonderla, even when it was an all-expenses-paid trip. But I did go after all. And I don’t regret it one bit.

Wonderla is quite a remarkable place, a different experience altogether. Supposedly the biggest amusement park in India, it has a huge variety of interesting and thrilling rides. If you are the daring kind, there are high-thrill rides which can really shake you up. If you prefer the milder versions, you have those too. For kids, there is an entire series of fun rides. Apart from exotic, never-seen-before rides, you have the old familiars too – bumping cars, etc.

The water rides are a big hit. As I was just recovering from an illness, I refrained from going on the water rides, and that was my biggest regret of the day. Everybody else who went on those rides, especially the Water Slides and the Wave Pool, obviously had a fantastic time.

The place is very well-maintained. The whole place is spotlessly clean. The changing rooms are cleaned and mopped constantly, and despite the huge number of visitors, the toilets are very clean.

This park is said to meet the highest levels of safety and hygeine. There are boards put up in many places that proclaim that the water used in the water rides has been purified through Reverse Osmosis techniques, and heated using Solar heaters. The rides themselves are supposed to have inbuilt safety features, and undergo regular maintenance, promising a safe and tension free ride.

The other attractions are the Virtual Reality Theatre, Indoor Musical Fountain and Laser show, a Giant wheel on a 300-meter platform, etc.

There are a variety of restaurants within the park, and there is no paucity of choice. But outside food is not allowed.

Details:

Location: About 40 km from Bangalore, near Ramanagaram.
Entry Fee: All inclusive entry fee of Rs. 380 on weekdays, and Rs.480 on weekends (includes Friday). Special discounts for students and senior citizens.
Timings: 11 am to 7 pm during weekdays, upto 8 pm on weekends.

Parking space: Lots of it.
Take: A change of clothes, sunscreen/cap.
Food and drink available in plenty. (Slightly expensive, though).

More info here.
Website: http://wonderla.com
Phone: 08113-394441/2/3/5

A visit to Wonderla can be real fun, especially when you go as a group.
So, as they say in their ads, “Banni, Enjoy MaaDi!”

[Photo taken from here]

It stood at the junction of Residency Road and St.Marks Road. Entering it was like stepping into another era. Sturdy pillars, a high roof, a mild smell that reminded you of your grandparents’ ancestral homes. Bangalore’s Cash Pharmacy.

The Cash Pharmacy was pulled down on Monday. And thus, another beautiful landmark of the city has vanished.

From the newspaper article:

The impending end was confirmed when the 12-year legal battle between the developer and the owner of the 20,000 sq ft land ended about six months ago. A plan for a three-storey building came in place with the ground floor to house Cash Pharmacy.
…

Irfan Razack, Chairman and Managing Director, Prestige Group, says “The new building will have characteristics similar to the old one.”

But it will never be the same!

Anitha has a nostalgic piece on her childhood memories of the beautiful old building.

The Event – The Bangalore International Marathon, 2006
The Date – Monday, September 17th, 2006
Venue – Sree Kanteerava Stadium.
Registration Fee – Rs.150

The rest of the information can be found on the website. You can even check out if you are eligible, download the registration form online, and send it by mail/courier ASAP!

If you are in good shape, the full marathon should be great for you. This starts at 5 00 am. Else, you can settle for the half marathon that starts at 5 30 am. If you really want to take it easy (lazybones!), it is the Celebration Run for you, which starts at 10 00 am. The route maps are here. [You can also send a mail to info@coindia.com for more information.]

Ready, Steady, Bang!

For a person who has grown up here, the idea of Bangalore will be totally different than, say, a person who has been living here for the past 2-3 years.

For the former, Bangalore might mean lazy summers, cold winters, green avenues, eating at MTR and shopping in Jayanagar. For the latter, Bangalore might be Brigade Road, the glass buildings of Electronics City, and Forum Mall. The city is the same, but the perspectives are different.

As a child, to me, Bangalore meant
- My childhood home
- School and college in Malleshwaram
- Boating in Sankey Tank
- Concerts in Chowdaiah Memorial Hall and Ravindra Kalakshetra
- Shopping in Malleshwaram 8th cross and SAmpige Road
- A Weekend visit to Lalbagh/Cubbon Park
- A visit to MG-Brigade road, with lunch at Mac Fast Food and a book at Gangaram’s…

Now, Bangalore to me means
- Electronic City
- The traffic of Hosur Road
- Potholes
- Flyovers
- Long walks in Jayanagar
- Movies in Inox,
- Restaurants and cafes

Two perspectives from the same person.

I would love to know what picture you have in your head … What does Bangalore mean to you?

Seventymm – is an online portal that offeres movie rental services. They have over 10,000 titles in Hindi, English, Kannada and other regional languages.

After you subscribe, you just log in with your username and password, create your own movie queue, and the movies are delivered to your doorstep, in the same order as your list.

What makes this service interesting -

* Ease of selection of movies. (At the click of a button). If you have a movie/director/actor in mind, you can find the right movie immediately – no hassles of asking the rental shop owner for a particular movie, etc.

* Free home delivery and pick up anywhere in Bangalore (2 movies in one go)

* No late fees, no due dates – Keep the movies for as long as you want.

* The CDs and DVDs are original.

What it costs -

There is a refundable deposit of Rs.999, and a registration fee of Rs.499.
With that, you can watch -
- 4 movies per month with a monthly subscription fee of Rs.199, or
- Unlimited movies with a monthly subscription of Rs.599

If you think that the rates are a little steep, you can avail of the scheme that enables you to watch unlimited movies for a lifetime by refering 6 friends.

If you are a movie buff, I am sure you will love this!

Not for nothing is Bangalore known as the Garden City! Many parts of Bangalore still retain the green cover. If you just care to stop and look, you will be overwhelmed by the beauty of the trees around you.

There were some beautiful trees that I remember from my childhood. In our school, there was a breadfruit tree under which classes were held sometimes. The other was a lovely Jacaranda tree just near the school gate. In season, it spread out its branches and showered us with lovely mauve flowers. Unfortunately, both these trees were cut down to make way for the expansion of the school, but both of them remain in my memory.

In our township, there was a huge Belada mara, under which we played most of our games. There were a number of tamarind trees too, the perfect setting for all ghost stories. These trees of our township, thankfully, still exist.

[Photo from here]

Some trees are just there. You would not have even noticed it, but if it is cut down (as it so often is), you can immediately see that something is missing. But there are some trees which somehow just catch your eye. You just cannot miss them. One such tree (my current favourite) is the magnificent 300-year-old silk cotton tree in Lalbagh (see photo). Its canopy is unbelievable wide, and its roots – mammoth!

So which is your favourite tree?

[Photo from here]

“Heegadre Hege?”, a play by Kriyative Theatre Trust, is a comedy based on the short stories of T Sunandamma, the first female humour writer in Kannada.

The play, which was staged at Rangashankara early this month, and will be staged again early next month, strings together a number of funny stories. Though some of the stories have been written long back, they have been adapted cleverly to reflect modern times.

Scripted by K.Y. Narayanaswamy and directed by Pramod Shiggaon, the brand of comedy is very simple, but it tends slightly towards slapstick in some places. But some of the dialogues are very funny – complete with a clever play on words. More than anything else, the story, the characters – are all very recognizable – you immediately connect with the protagonists.

The success of the play is a lot due to the the talent of the
two actors – the very capable Laxmi Chandrashekhar and Sundar, who carry off their roles with aplomb. Add to it, very catchy music, and excellent setting and direction — and the result is a play which had the audience in splits!

Perhaps on popular demand, they are staging it again. The details:

Date and Time: September 1, 2, 3 and 5th at 7 30 pm, with a special 3 30 show on Sunday, Sept 3rd.
Venue: Rangashankara
36/2, 8th cross, JP Nagar,
2nd Phase, Bangalore – 560078
Tickets: Rs. 49
Contact:
Phone: 26592577/26494656
Email:rs@rangashankara.org.
Kriyative Theatre — 94495-44675

If you have an evening free, and are in the mood for some light entertainment, do check out this play!

Ganesha Habba is here. And every self-respecting locality has a Ganesha Pandal. And they announce their presence by blaring music through loudspeakers in the name of celebration. I wonder if they think that God cannot hear if they don’t turn the volume up. Or maybe they think that all the devotees go deaf in unison this week. Whatever the reason is, the music reaches ear-splitting levels.

What is funny is that almost always, the music played is from the latest blockbusters. At least if it had been Bhajans, it would have made some sense (though that is no reason to turn up the volume either).

Even as I type this, I hear music playing simultaneously from two Pandals, one in each locality on either side of our area. The result is a cacophony which we try desperately to drown by playing loud music of our own at home.

The music goes on all day, sometimes even through the night. Yes, there is a ban on loudspeakers in place between 10 pm and 6 am (If I am not mistaken), but it apparently does not apply to these people. Last year, my parents had to telephone the police at midnight to go and make them turn off the music. When asked how those people could flout the ban, the answer was something to the effect that there was a rowdy in that organization, who had political connections. Same story.

If you are involved in an organization which is celebrating the Ganesha festival, or if you wield any kind of influence over such an organization, please spare a thought for people living around the area, and turn the volume down.

Thank you.

[Photo taken from here]

The importance of banning plastic bags cannot be stressed enough. But while the authorities tie themselves up in knots debating on the consequences, we as citizens can do our little bit for a greener Bangalore.

Even if plastics cannot be completely done away with, you can always minimise its use. And it is best to take upon yourself the onus of spreading awareness about avoiding plastics. And before you know it, you will have others imitating you! I wanted to share a few things with you all- little things I have been following, which have resulted in persuading people around me to avoid plastics.

– Always, and I mean always, take your own shopping bag with you when you go out shopping. You could also keep a couple of bags in your vehicle. The catch-line is “Get your own bag!”

– When the shopkeeper makes a move to put what you have bought into plastic bags, say no, thank you, and explain why. You could say something like, “I have my own bag. I want to avoid plastic, you see – it is not good for the environment”. It’s even better if the customers can also hear you. It might seem awkward at first, but it gets very easy and conversational later on. Sometimes, a customer even nods appreciatively and strikes up a conversation about plastics and the environment – and the other customers are drawn in with or without their will – and that’s a good thing! Even if a tiny little seed is planted in even one person’s head, you have done your good deed of the day!

– If you see your friends/relatives/neighbours/maid using plastic bags in excess, then you could tell them directly, or casually in conversation. For example, when they offer you something in plastic bags, decline the bag, and explain why. Explain. That is the key.

– The best thing is to teach children to avoid plastics. Tell your kids, your nieces/newphews, the kids next door. Kids understand it much better, and once they do, you have a convert for life! Also, once an idea takes root in their little heads, they are equally good at convincing their elders :)

– Ah, forgetfulness! It might happen that you forget to take along a shopping bag. Then if you are forced to accept a plastic bag at a shop, then avoid taking another bag at the next shop you stop at. Try to fit it all into the first bag.

The power of the above actions cannot be taken too lightly. I have seen, with delight, my friends and relatives start avoiding plastics, and telling others too. It does spread, slowly but surely.

[This list, of course, is only with regard to plastic bags, the major polluting factor. Please do add to the list!]

Here’s to a plastic free Bangalore! :)

Another week has gone by, a week in which we were appalled by the rise in polution in our city and questioned the soundness of the Cola ban in the state. We debated whether the announcement that Bangalore is to be the first wireless broadband city is worth crowing about, and wondered whether TOI’s surveys are to be believed. We looked at the helmet rule from a different angle, and were awed by the surreal look of the display outside ISRO.

We told you about Subhiksha, a new retail store that helps you stretch your money to the maximum, but how will you cook what you buy, when getting a gas connection seems so fraught with difficulties?

We urged you to try out public transport – it doesn’t seem that bad after all, and you will be aiding in reducing both pollution and traffic congestion. An added advantage – it will not be you who will need to negotiate the bone-breaking speedbreakers.

There is a lot of material here for you to have a fun-filled weekend. We save you the trouble of planning what to do by enumerating all the options. You could attend the Thirty Eighth Music Conference of the more-than-a-century-old Bangalore Gayana Samaja, or you could take Salsa dance lessons – they seem to be the latest craze in the city! You could attend a reading of Shakespeare at Rangashankara, or attend any of the great plays that are staged there.

If you’d rather just eat out, or if you want more information about the city, here are two useful websites for you. If you want to sit at home and just listen to some good music, then you have a couple of online Kannada radios! But if you think you really want to get away, then head towards Angsana Resort for a rejuvenating holiday! Talking about travelling, if you are a single woman who loves to travel, but is hesitant about travelling alone, we guide you to a WOW solution.

But if you think you’d rather get to know more about your own city, then rediscover Bangalore with a fantastic must-take Heritage Walk. If you are too lazy for that, but you still want to know about Bangalore, you could just sit at home and continue listening to the talk with Suresh Moona. Or if you are the kind who wants to experience Bangalore first hand, what better way to observe humanity than from Jayanagar’s Somari Katte? ;)

Do you love Bangalore? Do you have lots to say about it? Then why don’t you be a Metroblogger?!

While you chew on that, goodbye until next time! :)