I intentionally left out most of the details about my afternoon in Garuda Mall in the previous post. If my memory serves me right, the garuda is like the phoenix, rising from the ashes kind of mythical bird.
The cinema was nice enough. The cost for a ticket is almost the same as that in the Philippines at 110Rp or S$3.5. The commercials before the movie had these permits that were shown with the commercials. At the middle of the movie, there was a five minute break during which people are encouraged to buy more food.
I spent most of my time in the mall outside of it, just sitting and walking, enjoying the strong cool winds. Every now and then, it would drizzle and I would have to enter the mall and sit on the benches inside. I loved the weather in Bangalore. It's almost like Lipa's (Batangas, Philippines). Walking around during our afternoon walking tour was a very pleasant experience due to the weather.
While sitting in the food court and fiddling with my phone, pretending that I am waiting for someone, I overheard this three people talking about me. I was sure they were talking about me because they all looked at me at the same time. They were trying to guess my age.
People kept on staring at me because I don't look like them. I loved it.
Garuda Mall
Bangalore Day 3: Malls
The third day of my Bangalore trip was a free day. When I checked out of Park Hotel, I didn't have anything planned as I just didn't do any form of research. I didn't even ask the concierge at the hotel for information which worked very well in the past trips I've had.
Having no Rupees, I tried to find a money changer which proved difficult. It's funny that I only changed money 12 hours before my flight. I asked several banks and they all pointed me to a far away place that requires riding a tricycle but then I don't have cash.
Thankfully, Bangalore weather is not that hot so walking under the sun was okay. When I saw a +PLUS sign on Deutsche Bank which indicates I can use my Singapore ATM card, I immediately withdrew money instead of searching for that elusive money changer although it would cost me S$5 more.
I continued walking until I reached Central Mall, a 5-floor department store. After perusing all the floors, I walked further down the road and saw another mall: Garuda Mall. I saw up close a Nano, the very low cost Indian car. I watched Aliens vs Monsters and sat at the Food court and the benches that were all around.
I left the mall at around 4.30pm and walked around near the hotel but decided that I wanted to go back to Garuda Mall but I can't remember the name at that point. All I had was this brochure of a store which doesn't even mention the name of the mall. I got overcharged by the tricycle driver but I just wanted to really ride one. I went back to the hotel at around 7.30pm by tricycle so that I could go to the airport already.
I wish I knew that there was another mall nearby Park Hotel: Lido Mall. Refer to this map
Bangalore: Last Minute
Everything about my trip to Bangalore was very last minute. I thought that it only takes 2 days to get a visa to India because somebody told me, without knowing that the processing time is different for non-Singaporeans.
The formal invitation letter was sent to m4 on a Monday (13 April) afternoon. Upon receiving the letter, I checked the embassy for all the requirements and found out that for non-Singaporeans applying here in Singapore, a minimum 5 working days is required which means I could only get it by Tuesday (21 April), not in time for the conference. The website even states that emergency services are not provided to non-citizens. So I panicked and thought I could not go anymore. But then, Tuesday was an embassy holiday because of the Indian New Year.
Earling morning Wednesday, it took me three hours to just queue and convince the embassy people that I really have to fly by Sunday and I therefore need the visa within 2 days. There were other people who were there with me but got rejected and were asked to go through the normal process. I went back to the embassy last Friday to claim the visa. I booked the plane ticket that afternoon.
On the night before my flight, I was convinced by Jhoana and Smile that I have to make business cards and so I did. On the day of my flight, I bought new leather shoes and had my haircut so that I could look my best.
Environmental Awareness
I did not participate in the Earth Hour last last weekend. It's not because I forgot or anything but because I think I already am contributing enough awareness about the environment to those around me and using environmentally sustainable practices in everyday activities.
Several times during the day and the days before and after that, I brought up the topic of Earth Hour in most of my conversations. I believe that its main purpose is to create awareness. I don't think that one hour of turning of your lights will contribute much but it is the awareness of our effect on the environment.
It was mentioned in one of my "Environmental Sustainability" lectures that awareness should also be stressed in the universities not only through specific courses but integrated in the curricula. Like for example, in design projects, the effect on the environment should be stressed.
It was thus interesting when one of the words we were asked to use during one of our French classes was Natural Reserve which was the topic of the guest lecturer for my Environmental Sustainability on that same day. We were supposed to think of forbidden and allowed things to do in different places and the natural reserve was one of them. Of all my subjects, French was the one I least expected to have environmental awareness.
Preserve
Holding on to a past or to a heritage is something considered by nation builders and by ordinary people.
On the frontpage of the Philippine Daily Inquirer the other day was a historic house being sold to a mall developer. Conversationists pointed out how important it is for future generations to remember the past by having reminders. And in remembering, it would foster a sense of identity that malls would not be able to impart.
In a module I am sitting-in for, the issue of erasing a terrible past, like mass gang rapes in Indonesia, was discussed. Should people try to forget as it is too painful or should people try to remember so that it will not happen again?
Baron Haussmann who lived from 1809 to 1891 is largely responsible for how Paris looks like today. He created this long wide straight avenue (among other things) that required the destruction of a lot of buildings and put the city in a lot of debt. Although we could not for certain know his reasoning for doing so, a lot of people agree that it improved the quality of life in the city.
It is important to remember the mistakes of yesteryears but is also important to be able to adapt for the challenges of tomorrow.
