Before I blather on about my first night out in Bangalore, India, with my ridiculous use of hyphens and superfluous adjectives- I would like to tell you about the generalities and the fallacies of the generalities of Bangalore nightlife...
True: *Bangalore has a curfew
False: The party ends early.
True: The party ends early at the pubs. Last call is 11:30, and you have until usually 12 or 12:30 to find a way home.
False: The party is over once the bars close...
True: After parties are there for those whom like the night life...
Me? I am quite liking the early curfew... gigs start earlier, so I can still get my music fix, and we all know my 3 drink limit... I prefer to drink delicious drinks and drink them slowly... so why do I need more time to drink? I have a very nice time, and then, I get sleepy... Hey! It's time to go home! Great! I fall into bed and wake up NOT hungover but refreshed and happy that I had a great time out the night before... moderation is my cup of Hot Toddy... I kill me.
True: **It is illegal to drink alcohol and dance in Bangalore.
False: You cannot drink and dance in Bangalore.
True: Depending on the venue, you can drink AND dance in Bangalore, trust me. Otherwise, I would not be able to survive, nor try to seduce my boyfriend into moving here with a clean conscious. That dude likes to get his groove on, and dang it, I do so love to watch and carry on too!
True: Kingfisher, Kingfisher, Kingfisher, it's everywhere.
False: Kingfisher is the only beer you can drink in India.
True: Kingfisher is abundant but so are the crappy States' brands... and Foster's can be located without too much brain pain. In Bangalore, there are even breweries- WHAAAAAAA???!!!! Yes, and the dark beer ain't too shabby. Praise Dionysus! I cannot live without a delicious, stout mug of beer every now and then. I love many, many, many things about my beloved Ecuador, but if I had to live without dark beer and blueberries indefinitely, well, it would end in divorce and tears... in my dark beer. I know, I know, I really should stop while I'm ahead... but I am a certain man's daughter, and I come by the cheese rightly... and because I love him so, I'll never change that part of me.
True: The music scene is limited here.
False: The music scene is limited here... if you don't take the time and energy to find it... So, it's no Austin, TX, with music every single flipping minute of every night, but at the same time, I don't feel guilty when I stay in and work on my own art and other projects... I go out when necessary, and yes, that usually includes fun with friends AND awesome music, preferred. I am still learning the whole nightlife shebang here, but like all cities, it's just a matter of interest and time. I am learning all the venues that play the music I enjoy, but I also use this site often: http://bangalore.burrp.com/
Back to our story, soooooooooo... I finally meet Elizabeth in person, and I hug familiar, but never a dull, Flo. They show me some secrets of the apartment, like how to heat up the water for the shower and tricks for remembering what all the switches do (There are switches for the lights, fans and any appliance you plug into a socket- that's a lot of switches, readers. Switches are either turned off or on- if energy is wasted, it is your fault). We make quick plans to go out that night for snacks and drinks, and I can, at long last, meet Christina and Andy, two other residents of my apartment complex and fellow coworkers. Let's call us Purvs (we live in Purva Venezia) for fun.
We make a plan to meet out front of the complex at 7 pm... I think- heck, it's been a while and some of the details are hazy... I take my first shower in India. It lasts all of 10, luxurious, hot minutes before it gets cool and then cold, a minute after that... reminds me of showering in Ecuador, except without the fear of electric shock. I learn that it takes approximately forever to get to the front gate of my apartment complex from my particular apartment building, and I meet the PURVS up front and center. What a handful we are!!! A lot of "strong personailties" here, but you know what? I'm into it!
We are all from very different parts of the States and also, Romania. Christina is the outlier, yes, in terms of nationality, but jeez, she is fabulous and more independent/strong than most North American women. What a force! The lady is ever direct but with grace, always... I have a lot to learn from her. She is lovely, single, exactly the same age as me and speaks a slew of languages. She reads books in about 4-5 breaths, and she will outwit your wit without batting an eye. Okay, so I really should write her dating profile... if she had a dating profile. Sorry, hot men, lusting for Christina after reading my vividly accurate description.
Andy is the last card I have yet to reveal... he's the river, if you will... a boiling pot of sarcasm and simply a ton of fun. He's a good, solid friend and a wealth of excellent advice. A man with an intense presence, who looks like a retired rugby player. He likes to pretend he's an ass, but he's just a total sweetheart and a really great person. I hope to learn more about him in my time here in India... then I can metaphor/simile the crap out of him in his horror on this blog too.
So yeah, we meet, grab a couple of rickshaws and begin our journey into Bangalore proper. My first rickshaw ride? Absolutely a breeze. Barely any traffic, for some reason. Nothing too crazy at all. It was kind of miraculous, turns out. We end up off of Brigade Road, somewhere, and decide on a venue called Le Rock for snacks and beers. Hilarious bar... hilarious, yes, in a horrible kind of way-much like the thrill of watching a B movie. "Hair Bands Galore" is kind of the theme at this joint. Snacks were edible, videos on the boob tubes were a fun mix of frightening familiar and then, "Who the hell is this?,"*** and the company was great!
Then, the Purvs whizzed out of the 80's and into the night air of the 13th Floor Bar- Shi-shi wannabe bar, hehe. The view is nice, won't deny that... and I love open air venues... but drinks are decidedly overpriced and NO ONE is allowed to dance. This is a travesty for an inebriated Jo.
Flo and I took our first selfie together in Bangalore and began a tradition of event selfies of FloJo. Oh lawd!!!! Watch out facebook, fake world. All of this evening was cute, but nothing beat the ride home... the rickshaw driver offered to let Christina drive us back!!!! Stupendous and frightening all at the same time! I mean, it's my first night here, okay... and my new Romanian friend is going to drive a rickshaw for the first time... WITH ME IN IT! I do believe the pictures tell the story better than I could ;)
*http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bangalore/After-MLAs-nudge-CM-to-review-Bangalores-nightlife-curfew/2013/09/19/article1791564.ece
**http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-02-17/bangalore/27748203_1_live-bands-dancing-excise-officer
***https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyeKTMBFeyE
True: *Bangalore has a curfew
False: The party ends early.
True: The party ends early at the pubs. Last call is 11:30, and you have until usually 12 or 12:30 to find a way home.
False: The party is over once the bars close...
True: After parties are there for those whom like the night life...
Me? I am quite liking the early curfew... gigs start earlier, so I can still get my music fix, and we all know my 3 drink limit... I prefer to drink delicious drinks and drink them slowly... so why do I need more time to drink? I have a very nice time, and then, I get sleepy... Hey! It's time to go home! Great! I fall into bed and wake up NOT hungover but refreshed and happy that I had a great time out the night before... moderation is my cup of Hot Toddy... I kill me.
True: **It is illegal to drink alcohol and dance in Bangalore.
False: You cannot drink and dance in Bangalore.
True: Depending on the venue, you can drink AND dance in Bangalore, trust me. Otherwise, I would not be able to survive, nor try to seduce my boyfriend into moving here with a clean conscious. That dude likes to get his groove on, and dang it, I do so love to watch and carry on too!
True: Kingfisher, Kingfisher, Kingfisher, it's everywhere.
False: Kingfisher is the only beer you can drink in India.
True: Kingfisher is abundant but so are the crappy States' brands... and Foster's can be located without too much brain pain. In Bangalore, there are even breweries- WHAAAAAAA???!!!! Yes, and the dark beer ain't too shabby. Praise Dionysus! I cannot live without a delicious, stout mug of beer every now and then. I love many, many, many things about my beloved Ecuador, but if I had to live without dark beer and blueberries indefinitely, well, it would end in divorce and tears... in my dark beer. I know, I know, I really should stop while I'm ahead... but I am a certain man's daughter, and I come by the cheese rightly... and because I love him so, I'll never change that part of me.
True: The music scene is limited here.
False: The music scene is limited here... if you don't take the time and energy to find it... So, it's no Austin, TX, with music every single flipping minute of every night, but at the same time, I don't feel guilty when I stay in and work on my own art and other projects... I go out when necessary, and yes, that usually includes fun with friends AND awesome music, preferred. I am still learning the whole nightlife shebang here, but like all cities, it's just a matter of interest and time. I am learning all the venues that play the music I enjoy, but I also use this site often: http://bangalore.burrp.com/
Back to our story, soooooooooo... I finally meet Elizabeth in person, and I hug familiar, but never a dull, Flo. They show me some secrets of the apartment, like how to heat up the water for the shower and tricks for remembering what all the switches do (There are switches for the lights, fans and any appliance you plug into a socket- that's a lot of switches, readers. Switches are either turned off or on- if energy is wasted, it is your fault). We make quick plans to go out that night for snacks and drinks, and I can, at long last, meet Christina and Andy, two other residents of my apartment complex and fellow coworkers. Let's call us Purvs (we live in Purva Venezia) for fun.
We make a plan to meet out front of the complex at 7 pm... I think- heck, it's been a while and some of the details are hazy... I take my first shower in India. It lasts all of 10, luxurious, hot minutes before it gets cool and then cold, a minute after that... reminds me of showering in Ecuador, except without the fear of electric shock. I learn that it takes approximately forever to get to the front gate of my apartment complex from my particular apartment building, and I meet the PURVS up front and center. What a handful we are!!! A lot of "strong personailties" here, but you know what? I'm into it!
We are all from very different parts of the States and also, Romania. Christina is the outlier, yes, in terms of nationality, but jeez, she is fabulous and more independent/strong than most North American women. What a force! The lady is ever direct but with grace, always... I have a lot to learn from her. She is lovely, single, exactly the same age as me and speaks a slew of languages. She reads books in about 4-5 breaths, and she will outwit your wit without batting an eye. Okay, so I really should write her dating profile... if she had a dating profile. Sorry, hot men, lusting for Christina after reading my vividly accurate description.
Andy is the last card I have yet to reveal... he's the river, if you will... a boiling pot of sarcasm and simply a ton of fun. He's a good, solid friend and a wealth of excellent advice. A man with an intense presence, who looks like a retired rugby player. He likes to pretend he's an ass, but he's just a total sweetheart and a really great person. I hope to learn more about him in my time here in India... then I can metaphor/simile the crap out of him in his horror on this blog too.
So yeah, we meet, grab a couple of rickshaws and begin our journey into Bangalore proper. My first rickshaw ride? Absolutely a breeze. Barely any traffic, for some reason. Nothing too crazy at all. It was kind of miraculous, turns out. We end up off of Brigade Road, somewhere, and decide on a venue called Le Rock for snacks and beers. Hilarious bar... hilarious, yes, in a horrible kind of way-much like the thrill of watching a B movie. "Hair Bands Galore" is kind of the theme at this joint. Snacks were edible, videos on the boob tubes were a fun mix of frightening familiar and then, "Who the hell is this?,"*** and the company was great!
Then, the Purvs whizzed out of the 80's and into the night air of the 13th Floor Bar- Shi-shi wannabe bar, hehe. The view is nice, won't deny that... and I love open air venues... but drinks are decidedly overpriced and NO ONE is allowed to dance. This is a travesty for an inebriated Jo.
Flo and I took our first selfie together in Bangalore and began a tradition of event selfies of FloJo. Oh lawd!!!! Watch out facebook, fake world. All of this evening was cute, but nothing beat the ride home... the rickshaw driver offered to let Christina drive us back!!!! Stupendous and frightening all at the same time! I mean, it's my first night here, okay... and my new Romanian friend is going to drive a rickshaw for the first time... WITH ME IN IT! I do believe the pictures tell the story better than I could ;)
*http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bangalore/After-MLAs-nudge-CM-to-review-Bangalores-nightlife-curfew/2013/09/19/article1791564.ece
**http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-02-17/bangalore/27748203_1_live-bands-dancing-excise-officer
***https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyeKTMBFeyE
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