“Ride my See Saw…”

“…Take my place. Take this seat. It’s for free.” -  Moody Blues

These bikes deliver Dominos pizza. There were about twenty more parked nearby. Eating out has become very common place  for the middle class.  There are many options.  Some pricier than others.  KFC’s, MickeyD’s, Dominos, PizzaHut etc.  are expensive by local standards.  They do maintain a higher level of hygiene.  The other small eateries that have sprung up usually leave a lot to be desired in cleanliness.  But we all know taste kills the germs, right?  

Dominos Pizza, Deccan Gymkhana, Pune.

 The rules for picking a place to eat are pretty universal.  Always pick one with the highest amount of local traffic.  There may be little to no service because the “usuals’ know what they want, so just point to what seems to be most popular and order .  If there are public servants eating there, Off/On duty Police, Municipal bus drivers/conductors, office clerks it is a good sign that the food is consistently safe to eat.  On a recent visit to Bangalore I found a vegetarian restaurant next to my hotel . It mostly served the staff from the Bangalore Police Comissioners offices.  Great tasting cheap South Indian food.  Excellent filter coffee.
Hordes of College students are usually not a good sign.  They fall sick, recover quickly and never seem to draw the connection between what they ate/drank at a street corner and their severe amoebic dysentery.   “But it was tasty and cheap!”. :)

Frangipani and dosas.

This is a popular restaurant called "Vaishali".  It sits across from the  British Library on Fergusson Road.  Close to Deccan Gymkhana area.   College kids spend many an hour there, hanging out, eating crisp Dosas and drinking coffee.

Vaishali, Fergusson Road, Pune.

It's usually crowded and hard to find a spot, especially in the garden section in the back.  Tasty vegetarian "Udupi"( South Indian) food is served fast and hot. The wait staff is polite and efficient.  Alumni of the nearby 150 year old Fergusson college are very fond of this landmark from their youth.  Generations of Fergussonians return to this restaurant when they visit Pune.  Some don't seem to have left.  Go there in the late afternoon to have a relaxed snack before the evening crowds pour in.

Go Goa

 I went and ran the Goa Half Marathon.  Goa was the reason, running was the excuse.  A colleague from Goa accompanied me.  This is my third visit to Goa in the last three years.  I have always stayed in Panaji. This time near the start of the race ( Campal Grounds) at Viva Goa International.  This hotel was a bit rundown. But at one time someone lovingly had decorated it with brightly painted ceramic tiles.  Wrought iron work. The rooms were large and opened into a small balcony.   My balcony looked onto the rear of another building and it was bristling with TV dish antennae and other stuff people don’t want seen in the front.   The shower head in the bright and spacious bathroom was the size of a steering wheel.   But years of hardwater had choked it limiting the flow it to about twenty holes still open against the odds.

Hotel Viva Goa 

The run was good.  Started at 6:00 am. I loved running on the causeway to old Goa as daylight broke.  Mangroves along the bank.  Early birds heading out over the river. On these predawn runs I hear bird cries and song. Crows sometimes dominate mixed with the sound of footfalls and breathing.  The light changes ever so subtly over the water.  Pink and orange streaks, blue greys, misty whites all evaporate as the sun comes up.  Even in early Feb the sun is harsh by 8:30 am.  21.2 km in 2 hours fifteen.

State Bank of India, Mandovi.

 After the race I had breakfast with my colleague who had run the 5 km “Dream run”.  In the afternoon I wandered around Panjim market,  Fontainhas,  and along Mandovi river.  At about 2:00pm took a break at Mandovi Hotel.  Sat and drew the bright blue colored building that houses the State Bank of India across from it.

Nice trip.  Later that evening met a schoolmate and his wife after many years.  We attended a monthly Quiz at the International Center where I have stayed on my past visits.  It was a lot of fun.  At about 8:30pm went back to Panaji Bus Stand and took a “Sleeper” bus. We reached Pune early next morning.

Paddle boat casino on the Mandovi river.

Monday morning you looked so fine...

While there were no posts, there was a lot of drawing going on.  I traveled to Hyderabad on work, and then immediately went on vacation.  These drawings were done on the flight back and forth.  What is of interest is the perspective mess up in my head when I look to draw.  The airplane insides are full of challenges, curved walls, with intricate repetitive seats and other paraphernalia.  And the airports, given regular delays, ensure my subjects stay in front for long periods while twisting and turning in their place.

Ahab Flex pen with Noodlers permanent black. Koi waterbrush

Exorcise the confusion

Spent two days at a "Chief learning Officer Summit" in Mumbai last month.  We didn't have a booth and I was attending a few sessions.  The "take away" was that Indian companies need thousands of employees to sustain growth and that the potential employees are just not skill-capable to do almost anything.  Hence employers need to train the ungroomed and incapable masses that the Indian School systems churn out.   This unhappy task belongs to the Chief Learning Officer.

I drew the horrified onlookers as every speaker drew a gloomy picture of his or her challenges that he or she then overcame triumphantly.  It was great drawing people who seemed transfixed and held their poses.
There was a lot of "Nurturing", "Mentoring", and "Leadership inculcation" mentioned.   Further, assorted "Aspirational" motives of the aforementioned ungroomed and incapable youthful masses were also identified.  Good lord.

Drew these with a Ahab Noodlers Flex pen, a new yellow one.  I lost my older one the day I met Matt Groening ( Creator of the "Simpsons").  I met Matt Groening at the INK conference in Pune.( !!) Noodlers Bulletproof black ink and a Sakura Koi waterbrush.

Ink and pen and paper

It has been awhile since I went out and drew.  I just inked this tonight to mitigate the guilt.  The old city has some strange structures. This one was bristling antennae for a reason I could not fathom.  They didn't look like the omnipresent mobile phone towers.  And the building was a really acute slice in an angled narrow lane.  And the dark rain stains that dominate all Indian architecture.
Was listening to "Miles runs down the voodoo".  14 minutes of driving bass with Miles trumpet on top. Most excellent.  And then "Jean Pierre".  It was one of those "Essential" music albums that I never thought I would buy but that's what you get in music stores in India currently. Compilations, "Best of's", and other selections " Dance Party XXX".  I also possess "Essential Bruce Springsteen".  You can order stuff on-line now but browsing for music is always nice.

Six Blade Knife, do anything for you.

"..Do anything you want it to. One blade breaking my heart.
One blade tearing me apart."

Today was Ganesh Chaturthi. First day of the Ganesh festival.  Took the day off.  In the afternoon went to the  old city to draw and look at festivities. Found this stone facade that was quite ornate.  "Nagarkar "Dagdi" ( stone) wada".  This doorway encloses a traditional courtyard and homes around it in a contained neighbourhood called a "wada".  The colorful banners line this really narrow street in Budhwar Peth.  Close to Appa balwant Chowk.

Started a new sketchbook.  Also found my "Legend" CD.  And heard my "Dire Straits: Dire Straits" a few times over on my drive to a  trek to Visapur this weekend.  "Six Blade knife".  The whole album is so laid back and great to hear.