Bangalore

On January 17th I arrived in Bangalore after a 21 hour plane trip. I flew Air India from Chicago to Bangalore.

I knew I was not in Kansas anymore when I arrived! Bangalore is bustling even at 4:00 am.

For the first 3 days I was getting over the jet lag. You read about jet lag, and you think you experience it flying from Cleveland to California.... No. at 10.5 hours time difference your body tells you that noon is 1:30 am.... You wake up feeling OK, and then about mid day you crash....

I am going to be working in Bangalore for six months Bangalore is in the state of Karnataka (car-nah-tah-ka). It has a population of 6.2 million people.

Bangalore is not for the faint at heart. It is a very beautiful city with many cultural and historical sites.

It is also India, and not the United states. It is very crowded. Walking down the street you are amazed at the number of people. India is 1/7 the land mass of the US, and has 4 times the population.

Everywhere you go you will see people selling. It is almost as if Bangalore is a city of Merchants. Anything you can imagine is sold here.

There are downsides. There are beggars, some of them with heart wrenching conditions (Or seeming so, as many are scam artists). It is very dirty at times. Garbage gets piled in areas. People throw trash over the wall. The air pollution is so thick you can cut it with a knife. If you have asthma, you might want to minimize you time here. You will encounter smells, sights and sounds that may cause you to recoil if you are not prepared for it.

Overall, I am loving it after the first two weeks. I am being careful to only drink bottled water, and and being very careful about what I eat. Luckily we have several very nice restaurants near the apartment. Right across the street is an acclaimed Continental restaurant that serve some of the best steaks I have ever had.

Bangalorians are on the whole friendly and helpful. It is a pretty city, with many trees and parks. Part of this is because it is a major Indian Army post.