Electronic City Bangalore

After our weekend in Mysore it was back to business in Bangalore.

As you may recall we were staying there at the Crowne Plaza in Electronic City, where my husband was working.
Initially I was a bit disappointed to learn that Bangalore city was over an hour by car away and that there were only office buildings around me.

But one day I went for a short stroll. First I came across some small ‘shops’ and food stalls. And when I turned around the corner at the end of the street, I almost immediately found myself walking in what felt as the lanes of a small village. I was so surprised!

There was the small poultry shop, the mutton shop, three temples, a village-farm with three cows, two barbers and what not. As if I was deep in the countryside….amazing! This is India, I guess. You never know what you come across next.

Apparently they did not get much foreign visitors exploring the neighborhood, because I was heavily stared it.

Walk with me and I will show you around:

Barbershop

Another barber across the street;-)

Mutton and chickens

TV service center. I love the advertisements painted on the walls of small businesses. It has a real retro look;-)

Poor chickens….

Small shop or office for…??? Don’t have a clue, but they wanted their picture taken.

Grocery store

Another small stall selling …???

The pork stall was empty.

Drying rice? Seeds? Spices? With the cat lazing in the sun…

The lion needs braces, I believe;-). No, seriously, I really loved this small temple and the wonderful lions on it’s roof.

After my first neighbourhood stroll, I made some sketches of what I had seen there. I then made some prints, made copies and went back a few days later, showing my drawings to the locals there. Trying to explain with hand and feet that I made those and that they could have one, if they liked it.
This got me some more smiles and I felt a lot less uncomfortable this time.

There were various animals roaming around, from stray dogs to cows.

“Wooh, what do we have here? I spot a prey!” Hahaha…

“What? What are you looking at? This is MY trash belt! All mine and mine alone.”

“What did I tell you? Go away! Hm. You don’t seem to want to leave. Well, then I take this piece of trash with me and don’t you try to stop me.”

“Hey, what did my canine compadre just tell you?! GO AWAY. This trash pile is for me and my chicks.”

“Yeah, and don’t bother trying to come here. This is OUR playground. Filthy or not, it is!”

“Oh, so now you try to approach me and my dinner plate? Think again, missie!”

“I am a sheep and I know nothing.”

“Hi I’m a rooster. And me and my hen have a brick attached to our leg to prevent us from wandering of.”

A ‘farm’ in a city house. Unexpected!

Well, as you can imagine, I am not disappointed anymore, realising that ‘the real India’ is always around the corner, wherever you are. Never a dull moment!