Also can’t believe that one of Bangalore’s most sought after shopping destinations can have its awkward sights. A garbage truck right in the middle of your frame, with a trail of big brand signs on either side of the road.

“Eat’N’Drink” is arguably the best chai kadai / tea shop in the world. They’ve got over thirty items on a menu that covers some great variations on Chai, Coffee, Sandwiches, Bunwiches, Samosas, Vadas, Bondas and …  a Kerala Banana Fry that’s a complete meal in five inches.

There are two things that really make this a great stopover*. One : the taste factor which is 10 on 10. Two : the price factor, which is absolutely drop-your-jaw. Who’s it run by? No marks for guessing: a bunch of enterprising, young Malayalees:)

While regular chai is Rs 3 a cup, Ginger, Lemon and Special Chai are Rs 5 for a small cup and 10 for a larger cup. Black, Ginger and Mint Coffee come at the same kind of pricing. A “Bun Omlet” as they spell it, is Rs 10; a “Double Bun Omlet” is Rs 15. A Vegetable or Egg Sandwich is Rs 15. A cup of Maggi Noodles is Rs15. Vadas and Bondas are Rs 5 each; Egg / Veg puffs are Rs 7 each. Check out the Vermicelli Sweet Milk (also 15) if you want something that tastes like Kheer.

Location : Kammanahalli Main Road – a little past Sathya Hospital, if you’re driving towards the Ring Road. Just look for a huge Banyan Tree to your left and go roughly 30 yards beyond that. Eat’N’Drink is a corner shop, to your right. (I think it’s across the road / opposite Kanti Sweets.)

* Open from 5.30 am to around 11 pm. This is a stand-by-the-counter-and-drink-your-chai kind of place. The interiors could be a wee bit smoggy, if you’re the fussy type. My advice : forget the fuss and enjoy your Chai and Kerala Banana Fries.

Google Maps Link

This is Dr Jaiprakash, my regular chai buddy
at this chai kadai.

Easily the most boring sign I have seen in the city, but it seems to have done its job.  Wasn’t greeted with foul smells when I parked.

Saw a very unusual sign the other day, in Kodihalli – off the old airport road. Art gallery? Take-away? Restaurant?

Your guess is as good as mine.

Didn’t have the time to explore this interesting “business combo,” but will do so one of these days and add a post script.

Every time I drive by MG Road, or CMH Road for that matter, I wonder how long it’s going to take before we see an actual “Namma Metro” flag-off. I’m not keeping track of it every day, but here’s someone who is. Ravi Kumar who was on the author team at Metblogs is so driven about the Namma Metro project that he has two dedicated blogs – to give you regular updates. This way you can track the progress made, wherever you are in the world.

Workmen fix a gantry with the aid of two cranes near the Old Madras Road station on Route 1 of Bangalore’s Namma Metro project. Photo contributed by former Bangalore Metblogs author, Ravi Kumar, as he tracks the progress of Bangalore’s Metro project: Namma Metro at http://nammametrotales.wordpress.com. You can also see pictures of the project at his photoblog: http://nammametrophotoblog.wordpress.com

Tickets
Paid event / Tickets available at the Cafe de Liberté,
Alliance Francaise de Bangalore

I now see a new and encouraging trend in a company’s efforts to be visible in the marketplace. And I’m not talking about press, outdoor, film or television. The new recipe has carefully hand-picked ingredients that can even get a steak to sizzle : bloggers. Bloggers, specially invited to a freewheeling session that is informal, interactive and informative.

I was recently invited to a product curtain raiser for bloggers and my invite gave me a sneak preview of two new Lenovo products. The new IdeaCentre A600 and IdeaPad Y650 – just off the blocks from the Lenovo launch pad. After the presentations were concluded, the bloggers were invited to test drive the two machines and interact with the Lenovo team on features, specs, support and compatibility with typical user profiles.

One of difficult things about a bloggers’ meet with a corporate agenda is the actual handling of the event – especially in terms of presentation logic. It can’t be orchestrated, or formal. It can’t be to a script. And it can’t be blow-dried. So, it has to be open-ended, freewheeling and meandering – with no timers set on presentations and discussions. And that is exactly what this bloggers’ meet was all about.

“Kindly pay cash to cashier only.” Who else would you pay cash to?

Typically, most South Indian restaurants – the smaller ones – have a cash counter at the entrance. So you decide what you want to order and pay up in advance. What the restaurant owner doesn’t want you to do is pay the chap at the food counter by mistake. That’s when you might get what you want, but the owner doesn’t get the money.

Another sign I’ve seen at a restaurant – which I must shoot one of these days – is a sign near the wash basin, just under the mirror. It says,  “Please don’t comb your hair here.”

There’s possibly good reason why that sign’s out there. I have seen teenagers take a good 10 minutes getting their locks in place, while other people are patiently waiting to wash their hands, after a good masala dosa.

But how do you know where the wash basin is, if you’re new to the restaurant? Just look for the sign that says “HAND WASH”  with an arrow pointing you in the right direction.

I now come here for computer hardware.

For starters, you can get the latest, latest configurations on assembled systems, at sensible prices. What’s more, your machine is up and running in 30 minutes or less – with all the peripherals that you could be looking for, in terms of printers, scanners, audio plugins and gizmos that might just get your computer to warm up your coffee.

I first noticed the trend to migrate into electronics in the seventies, when I went there to pick up those huge bulbous valves for my radio set. With the advent of the two-in-one and drastically priced “Dilli sets”, SP Road became a popular haunt for anybody looking for a good deal in electronics. But the shift to computer hardware was the biggest thing to happen here, largely enabled by the enterprise of second and third generation shop owners.

Another thing you can come here for is a great second-hand market for laptops* and systems, bought by the “kilo” by smart traders who pick up stuff from companies looking to upgrade on a large scale.

Believe me, this stretch is managed by young business gurus who could give you new business models on hardware retailing. And yes, they even give you bills with taxes deducted and prompt you to think legal on start-up software – which is also available.

Worth a dekko if you have the time.

iReboot has engineered a program called ‘What Next?’ to help students discover what they could be good at and empowering them to make an informed decision when the time comes.

Here is an overview of the program:
· 5 days of interactive sessions and field visits
to help students explore the possibilities.
· Introspection and counseling sessions
to pair talent, aptitude and interests.
· Exposure to more than 50 career possibilities.
· Tools to learn about career possibilities.

Do you know a student who is at crossroads, wondering which path to take, which courses to study? Do spread the word and help make a brighter future for our younger generation.

* Dates: May 18th to 22nd /  Venue: St.Joseph’s Boys High School, Bangalore.

Mukta of iReboot can be contacted on 9886295353 for more details.
www.ireboot.in

The Indian schooling system and academic environment isn’t structured to pair an individual’s talents and aptitude with academic choices. That’s the reality. Hence students end up doing what is accepted as a natural progression of one’s academic life. Medicine, Engineering, Science, Commerce or Arts, with the latter options being more a compromise than a planned decision. An obligatory MBA then follows more to create a level playing field than to develop an intimate understanding of management thinking.

The world has changed! And along with it career options and opportunities. This is where iReboot comes in.

Mukta of iReboot can be contacted on 9886295353 for more details.
www.ireboot.in