Of Mus Musculus and Men

Seller of Java Plums ( Jamun)

We have a small garden along the back and side of my house.  Behind our house is a large piece of land that belongs to the Indian Military.  One small barrack and a laundry facility sit in one corner.  The rest is covered with scrub and a few acacia trees and provides a home for many birds and small animals. These creatures regularly make their way into my garden.  Mongoose(s)( geese?), bandicoots, snakes, lizards of  many different types are frequent visitors. One shiny lizard beauty locally called “A snakes aunty”, these regularly occupy my shoes in the winter.   Various birds also come to our garden.  One red eyed crow pheasant, Greater Coucal or Bharadwaj ( local) cocks his head and stares at us through the upstairs bedroom window from his perch on our coconut tree.   But these are the welcome visitors.  The last four years I have spent in this house, we have had mice come indoors for nesting. Some small, cute and brown, some large field monsters.  Mice babies are also really ugly, naked translucent with no fur, closed eyes and tiny claws.  The past winter I successfully barricaded all openings and diligently closed all doors and windows at night and we have not had any mice!  A  personal  victory for me over those... rodents!   Damages include: Innumerable packs of tea leaves, soaps, motherboard/controller washing machine,  books, book case, clothes, wiring, wooden furniture etc.

Not walking away from THIS one.

Forum Mall Foodcourt, Bangalore.

Temple, Deccan Gymkhana

Sometimes I see a scene that looks like it could make a great drawing but my heart sinks at the work involved or its a challenge with intricacies of lots of stuff, moving people, perspective etc.  I used to walk away before, but these two times I HAD to sit down and get my book out and make the drawings just to prove to myself that I could render that scene.  Lots of mistakes but they look interesting. And they didn't take that long.

"If you say no to champagne, you say no to life!"- Deerhunter

Burger van, IISER.

On my way back from my haircut at the National Chemical Laboratory shopping center.

IISER ( Indian Institute of Science Education and Research) is a new Institute set up by the Govt. of India to create generations of scientists. It provides an interdisciplinary curriculum comprising of Math, Physics, Chemistry and Biology in equal measure in the first two years and a research based specialization in the last two.

The hills are alive with the sound of jackhammers.

Baner biodiversity park.

The hills around Pune are protected.  Developers would love cover the hillsides with apartments with a "Hilltop view".  However the local environmental activists have been successful in protecting most if not all hills. This one behind my office is also a biodiversity "park".  I dont really know what it means. But there is a lot of tree planting going on and I along with some enthusiastic colleagues go to the top of the hill and water some plants during the dry season.    From the top of the hill the view gets depressing.  As far as the eye can see in almost all directions are large concrete apartment complexes, most of them at least ten stories high.  Who knows where the water for all these people will come from? Power?  Where will all the sewage go?  ( You knew I would wonder that didnt you?).

“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.