Blackberry in the Washing Machine

BlackBerry in the Washing Machine

About a month ago I bought my first Blackberry (BB); BlackBerry offered more in security and also awesome features.
Though it was priced more than an Android or Windows phone I decided to go ahead and buy a BB.
Soon the BB and I became inseparable, it was my constant companion for my Email and Twitter streams.
BB had an awesome  camera and I put it to work to capture some wonderful pictures; the music player was ideal for my morning walk.
The Blackberry controls grew as an extension of my personality.

I was shattered when I discovered that my Blackberry had gone through a full wash cycle in the washing machine.
It looked normal and there was not a speck of water in the phone and there was no damage since it was in the case.
It was a nice long walk in the morning and somehow the Blackberry made it to the washing machine with my laundry.
I tried to revive the Blackberry but is was a non starter, it was not going to wake up it was dead as a doornail.

I  rushed my BB to the Blackberry support center, they told me they would tell me in a week whether my BB could be saved or I need to buy a new BB.
Meanwhile my fingers twitch for my Blackberry Phone, the spare phone does not measure up to my BB.
My children tell me I should buy a waterproof phone, but I am confident that my BB will be repaired and will be back in action soon.
Meanwhile I used my twitching fingers to pen this blog post, hope you enjoyed reading it.

Indiranagar 100 Feet Road Revisted

Last week I was in Bangalore again and was on the 100 feet road Indiranagar before day break on a walk with my sister.
The weather was beautiful and with a good amount of chill in the air after the earlier nights rain.
Nature had taken upon herself to clean the roads and remaining trees on the 100 feet road, everything was looking freshly minted.
The pavements are not fit for walking, was surprised to see such poor engineering in India's  Silicon Valley.
So most walkers walk on the road and we too decide to follow in a single file, which meant limited conversation with my sister.
My sister showed me the site where some early morning walkers were mowed down by a speeding car a few months ago.
The positive was the presence of policemen patrolling the area, this was reassuring, kudos to the Bangalore Police for their constant vigil.
A young  biker skidded on a T junction and within minutes the police came on a motorcycle and began investigations.
There were more stumps of the  chopped trees , one stump had ferns planted on it, maybe a tribute to the dead tree  since it was Ash Wednesday.
The side streets of Indiranagar still retain their pristine beauty with trees which have still not met the power of the AXE as yet, the question is how long.
The trees around the metro route have been retained which was reassuring  exception I am told was when the poor tree stood on the way of the metro.

[caption id="attachment_168" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The city transforms from sleepy Bangalore to Vibrant Bengaluru!"][/caption]

The 100 feet road today seems to be a hot spot for chain snatching especially among women walkers and the police ask the women to walk with no jewellery.
This visit I accepted that the old Bangalore  was also dying just like the trees of the 100 feet road and in its place was springing up a Mega city.
My only prayer was that Bangalore still retain its soul and beautiful climate in this wanton growth of this once garden city of India.
RIP old Bangalore, Welcome to the World Bengaluru the new Global Mega City.

A quick link to my earlier blog post on this stretch of Bengaluru/Bangalore.
http://subramanianls.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/bangalore-musings-100-feet-road-indiranagar/http://subramanianls.wordpress.com/2011/04/09/indiranagar-100-feet-road-in-pictures/

A Pedestrians Right of Passage in Powai

A Pedestrian has NO right of passage in Powai, why single out  Powai this may be true for most parts of Mumbai /Bombay.
It is a wonderful experience to take a walk in the streets of Powai in the evening, not only it energizes you but it also keeps you alert and makes you combat ready.
The first rule  is to look on the surface of the road more than you look ahead, since you will have to navigate through the doggy  and human poo on the road.
Since there are no walkways for pedestrians you will have to walk on the road, competing with bicycles, motorcycles, cars, auto rickshaws, trucks and also pedestrians, you need to be Agile to overcome these obstacles.
Also you will have to be  alert for a speeding vehicle whose driver owns the roadway, so one has to be careful and give the vehicle right of way.
After this hard negotiation of traffic, people and excreta I finally manage to reach a pedestrian walkway which is beautiful and nice on the banks of the Powai lake.
There are enough dustbins provided but people still believe it is their birthright to litter the pathway, then there are the various vendors who sell peanuts, bhel and what not and occupy their positions on the walkway. But still is I think the only place where the pedestrians right of passage is possible in Powai.
Of course you need to be tolerant to the pollution from the road in the peak hour and hooting of horns as the traffic trundle through this congested road in the evenings.
Certain sections of the Powai  lake walkway is reserved for couples who are quite active in the evening, the police  sometimes arrive and take the couples in their vans for more rest and recreations until the judge is done with them.

Sunset and Fountains at Powai Lake

  The most outstanding aspect of the Powai walkway is the beautiful sunset and the musical fountains which  add life and glamour at the end of a tiring day.
Of course over the months I have become a veteran and have started enjoying my evening walks in Powai, after all adaptation is the name of the Game.
But still there are days when I wonder whether it is time to move on the from this  Urban hell to a Rural setting, maybe the poo with its smells maybe more pungent in the village, but I think the roads are cleaner and people nicer.

Indiranagar 100 feet road in pictures

I was in Bangalore/Bengalooru on Thursday morning, used my mobile camera to capture  photographs of the destruction of the lovely trees on the 100 feet road, Indiranagar.

"A picture is worth a thousand words
[slideshow]