Deepa's Jottings

The resilience of birds never ceases to amaze me. All around us, in the face of "development", I see so many birds which manage to adapt to urban life, and live amongst us. The crow, the kite, the myna, the pigeon... these are the common examples, as are cattle egrets and pond herons. But yesterday, at the busiest of places... the Silk Board junction, I saw these beautiful Red-rumped Swallows flying and perching on the wires! Long may our urban birds last!

One of the trees that flowers profusely right now is "akasha mallige" or the Indian Cork Tree. I collect a few flowers each morning while on my morning walk, and put them in a small bowl or glass of water... the sweet, heady scent fills the home and keeps me in touch with the outdoors even when I am not outside! Here is the Wiki entry about the Indian Cork Tree. 

It's fun spotting the various signs that surround me as I walk around my city, and tryto understand what they might mean!  Here's one on a pushcart that was passing my front gate. Can you guess what it could be? My subject title gives a clue! Yes... indeed, it's 'Cutlets'!   Bangalore, October 24th 2015

I clicked this bus stop being constructed, and it seems like a good time to ask some pertinent questions. When there is so much space for advertising, why cannot BMTC (or BBMP if the bus stops belong to them) have two vital pieces of information prominently displayed; 1. The name of the bus stop, and 2. A list of the bus routes that stop there? Why does BMTC not give these essential pieces of information?

There seem to be no rules governing how we use our valuable resources... our avenue trees. When the city is becoming increasingly wireless, why don't we follow suit with our trees, too, instead of subjecting them to this?  Wires wound up around a gorgeous tree Pic: Deepa Mohan

Sneha Jain writes:  My ideal India experience I lost my DL recently and had to go file an FIR to get a duplicate DL from the RTO. I was thinking of getting it done from the Koramangala police station. Given my past experience with the Police, I was not sure if I wanted to go through this on a Monday morning, and spoil my day and the rest of the week ahead. But I went ahead hoping things might have changed. It was my best experience with the Police so far and it has in fact made my day today.…

On the one hand, we have organisations like the Department of Kannada and culture, promoting the use of Kannada, and trying to avoid its being interspersed with words from other languages. On the other, we have the everyday Kannada language, a vibrant and constantly evolving means of communication. However, one wonders if it is Kannada at all, sometimes... here's a message I saw in Adiga's on Kanakapura Road.  Only  two of the words in this message are Kannada? It made me laugh!

After a long absence, it was refreshing to enter my favourite theatre space, Ranga Shankara, once again, this time to watch a Hindi play, "Rocky Ka Insaaf", staged by Mashaal.   The play has been expanded from a ten-minute vignette that was staged as part of the "Great Galata Festival" at Ranga Shankara in 2013.     The main protagonist, Rocky, takes a journey into the world of the common man today; a world where “development”, while raising the standard of living in material terms for some people, leaves others untouched in India. Rampant corruption, the me-vs.-you attitude of the…

Surely by now the Horticulture Department at Lalbagh knows that there are a very large number of walkers early in the mornings, even more so on weekends. A very tiday and neat-looking toilet has been provided, close to the Siddapura Gate, by the authorities...but when my friend went to use the facility, it was tightly locked. What is the point of providing a facility if it cannot be used? Lalbagh, I find, has too many things wrong with the administration.

A house made of glass That belongs to times past. Dreaming in the sunshine In a world now paced rather fast. The sun, however, rises Just as it used to do When people from other shores Walked around and watched the view. Twice a year, it gets filled With an array of dazzling flowers. But it looks just as beautiful In its peaceful, empty hours. Oh, house of glass, lying beneath A bluu, cloud-mottled sky... You were a jewel before we were born; You'll be a gem after we die.