My Place in Bangalore
September 12 2007 William writes:
I have moved into my apartment and although the first 24 hours was from a bad dream, the place is growing on me. On Thursday evening William, my new/former friend and local catholic social worker, stopped by my room at Citizen Lodge and told me we had to go now to sign for the place because the realtors were leaving town the next day. Though I should have caught this lie, I went with him and his favorite rickshaw driver. I was to pay the agent, William’s friend, one months rent as commission for his “work” finding the place and the rickshaw driver a tip for his 2 hours driving.
The realtor, Syed was not leaving town the next day and was not expecting me until tomorrow, so he and I road around town on his bike looking for a mattress. We purchased a mattress and rode back to the apt with it stuffed in my lap sticking out both sides so our bike was as wide as a car. The place reeked of paint, the window was broken, and there is no toilet seat. I stayed awake, swearing never to be rushed into a deal again. At 11pm, the rickshaw driver showed up stumbling drunk asking for money. We talked a while; he said I shouldn’t have paid a quarter of what I did for the place and that I should take care of him, the “little man.” Having spent too much money already, I sent him home. A repeat of that incident happened at 1am with his even drunker friend.
At 6am awoke to the sound of laundry being slapped on the washboard and a screams from a soiled baby running and pissing around the roof. Several people were making passes by the window to peak inside. To top off the 24hrs, it turns out there is a peephole in the bathroom.
The place now is much better as all of the people of the first 24hrs have not returned and my view is the best in the neighborhood.
Today, I met with Jack from London, who is here working and studying carbon finance. He was first working for a biodiesel company but they were very disorganized and corrupt so he will soon go to work for an NGO on a reforestation project 3hrs outside of Bangalore. It was interesting to hear that excel is used to model the carbon credit system. Excel is not designed for modeling.
Took a walk around and got lost and found an auto body shop. From the looks of it , if you take your car here it will end up in a pile on the roof.
Categories: Bangalore and India
Norman on 24 Jan 2008 at 3:59 pm #
Sounds interesting! Have you anything (good or bad) to say about the Citizen Lodge? I ask because I’m probably going to pass a night or two there next month.
William on 24 Jan 2008 at 11:18 pm #
Norman, The citizen lodge is an average place to stay that is within walking distance of Commercial St., MG Road, and Brigade Rd. Do not expect luxury, but for 300Rs / Single it is one of the better deals I have heard of in Bangalore. If you book the room on a booking site (hostelworld.com) the room price will be much higher.