nanagu kannada gothappa :)

Those recent immigrants to Bangalore, oops sorry sorry sorry, Bengalooru, should be able to identify with this little tit bit :)
To all others who can understand Kannada: Its my pleasure if you had a hearty laugh! :)

The first word that you learn when you set your foot in the garden city: Gothilla (meaning 'I dont Know')
2 weeks: Kannada Gothilla pa!

After about 2 to 3 months your vocabulary to the Auto Man builds:

Left hogi
Right hogi
Stop madi

6 months? Its high time you started correlating words to your own language and start picking up the meanings. This applies to even food items that you get in the Special 'Sagar' hotels.

For example, I learnt that 'bisi' means 'hot', while having 'Bisi Bele Bath'

Karnataka is famous for its 'bath' items in the menu card.
My resident friends or the typical bengaloorian friends told me that 'Vaangi Bath' was rice made out of 'Brinjal'

Comparing, 'bisi bele bath' and 'vaangi bath' on a similar basis, i have come to the conclusion that 'Vaangi' is Kannada for 'Brinjal'.

I decided to experiment my new learnt vegetable name in the vegetable shop. Sadly, i had a 'Bengaloorian friend' with me.

Me: 'Ardha kg vaangi'
Translation according to me: 'Half Kg Brinjal'
Bang friend: 'What?'

I gave the analogies (GRE'ian me? sil vous plait pardon moi) that I had derived.

Laughters.
Me: Blank!!!

My friend came back to senses after the peals of loud laughter!

Bang Friend: Brinjal is 'Badhanae Kaai'! and not VAANGI!!!

The next level of innocence:

Day 1:

Me: Teach me some bad words in Kannada na?
Blr Friend: What do you want to know?
Me: I will hit you with my slippers?
Blr: Chaplili hoduthini

Day 2:

B friend: Hey remeber the word i taught you yesterday?
Me: (finding it difficult to recollect) chaplilllll.... oh yes... chaplil haduthini!!!!!!!!1
Bravo!!
B friend: Bursts of Laughters....
Me: Baffled
B friend: haduthini is to sing!!!

Derrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.......

Heights:

Went to a Sagar Hotel and asked for 'Bajji'.
Was imagining the spicy mirchi bajjis that you get in the beaches of Chennai! My mouth was watering already!
Waiter: Bajji
So saying, he placed 2 round ball shaped brown colored items.
Me: Hey meinae bajji order kiya. Bonda kaadhu!!
(Somehow, every language other than kannada will come into your mouth. Not English or my mother tongue(Tamil), but, Hindi and Telegu!! Irony is my Hindi and Telugu are definitely no better than the Kannada i know. And yet, the language that i need will not come into my mouth when i am desperate)
Waiter: Idhae Bajji
Friend: Hey dont fight. This is Bajji only. Its the Mangalorian Bajji.
So, saying he went rolling into laughter.

Well, Karnataka is the only place where you get Bondas when you ask for Bajjis, and its my fault for not knowing that Bonda was Bajji and not Bonda!

Some translations:

Sambhar = sweet tamarind brown colored liquid
Parota = Kerala Parota (as if we dont get in TN?) made of Maida
Paratha = stuffed parathas made in Wheat

Ever heard of these fat Dosas?
Kaali Dosa (Durga matha save us)
Cucumber Dosa (Where is Cucumber in it?)
Set Dosa
Wheat Dosa


Today, after 2 and half years of hard work:

Me to Auto man: BTM hogbekku
Auto: Aivathu rupai aagathae
Me: Meter aakki (in a loud commanding fierce tone)
Auto guy continues with something in Kannada that i understand. I want to blast him back for his attrocity. Me: Minimum 12 rs aagathae. Aenappa aivathu rupaya?? (In a more 'am ready to fight you' tone!)
Auto guy continues. I get the gist: If you want, come. Else leave (not get lost).
But then thats all the Kannada I know. So i decide to take another auto that stops right next to me.

Me: Right thogolli bhaiyaa
Me: Illae stop maadi

Office Canteen:

Me: Bajji eshtu
Waiter: Hanniradu
Me: Blank!
Waiter:(with a smile) 12
Me: (sheepish Smile) :D

Some easy words to learn:
Anything that starts with 'Pa' in Tamil, will start with 'Ha' in Kannada.

For Example:

Milk in English= Palu in Tamil = Halu in Kannada
Sing in English= Padu in Tamil = Hadu in Kannada
Flower in English = Poovu in Tamil = Hoovu in kannada?
Go in English = Poga in Tamil = Hogu in kannada

How i wish all words in Tamil started with 'Pa'? :)

Unpredictable tomorrows!!

Its a pity we never realise that life can take new paths. What is important today may become silly a few months later. Your best chum who once understood your feelings, emotions, whom you had considered your soul mate, in whose eyes you saw your reflection, may some day become a stranger you recognised with voice, when you happened to meet in a shopping mall- by chance or fate, whatever you may call it. Once a soulmate! Now a stranger!
People change. Jobs change. Ideas change. Values change. Friends change. Family(ies) change.
If anything at all, i can see only CHANGE is permanent. And we adapt and mould and move along. In this material world, if you can find joy and have a hearty laugh, call up an old friend and have a peaceful chit chat - I d say your the luckiest.
Take a break from your schedule. Have a cup of coffee. And just sit and ponder. Sans tension. Just those pleasant careless laughter sounds will remain. And all your pains and miseries and problems will seem like void all of a sudden.
Miss you all :) Miss those fun moments in college- cutting class, making noise, getting punished and grounded by HOD, group study, laughter sounds amidst exam tension- those precious 4 years. But to relive those carefree years in your mind- simply a bliss!

Thank your friend - for having given me these pleasant memories. Thanks for having been a part of my life. It is a pleasure that our paths have crossed. Thanks to time. And cheers to fond memories!

Is raath ki subah nahin? Part 2

I had written about one of the most pleasant memorable night outs here before...

This was something different. One night that saw - a proposal for one.. denial for another.. bachelor party for one.. and jail bars for another..

It was the bachelor party for Priya's marraige. Dreams in her eyes, mehndi, bangles, chains, saree, she looked the bride and all set for marriage, melting away in the arms of her man!!

It was the night when finally Diya had met the man of her dreams..

It was the night when Rathish's dream of marrying Pavithra had been crushed like a castle built in the air..

With mixed feelings all friends set out for a walk, to get fresh air at 1.15 am in the night. It was a 5 min walk. But a walk to remember!! A walk that set marks on everyone of their lives forever!!

Priya, Preethi, Diya, Rathish and Ranjan were singing songs and walking away in bliss.
Music!! The ruffling sounds of leaves against the gentle wind!! Moonlight!! Empty roads!! Street lights!! Stray dogs sleeping by the side of the road!!!

Nothing could have been better!!!

Fate it seems, had better plans for them !!

A jeep came by and stopped in front of them. 10 police officers got down from the jeep and started questioning as to why they were all out. They got nasty cursing the parents for bringing up such irresponsible spoilt brats.

The peaceful night had become a night of terror.

All that was left was.. Panic!!! Fear!!! The seriousness of such a simple act dawned upon them!!

They took away Ranjan into custody. They asked all of them to come to station the next day with their identity cards. And the jeep just disappeared.

If the intentions of the police had really been the safety of the girls, one of them should come till their homes to drop them back. Instead they were asked to report the next day??

The entire world turned topsy turvy and scary in a matter of 2 minutes!!!

Silence.

They walked back home unsure of what to do. All they had done was to go for a walk. In free India.

The great poet Subramania Bharathi said that it was free India only when a girl can walk the roads on the midnight with no fear.

Well, 3 girls walked. With no fear. Was that free India? And an arrest for walking on the roads??

Silence. Injustice. Frustration. Helplessness.

Is raath ki subah nahin??

P.S: Ranjan was released with a fine of Rs.600 and kicks from every boot of the officers who crossed him.