India Lite

Nov 21-23

(Rob)

Bangalore is known as a high-tech and airpline hub, and we were ready for a dash of this promised "new" India. Luckily, Bangalore really did the trick. We were able to enjoy some modern conveniences and shopping before we headed further south. We found a hotel right in the thick of the shopping junction of MG Road and Brocade Road, the Empire Hotel on Church Street, which was much cleaner than the hotel we'd left behind in Mysore (though far from spotless).

We enjoyed browsing (and restocking our reading material) in the many English-language bookstores in the neighborhood. We ate mainly Western food, even the dreaded KFC and McDonalds got their due, I'll admit. We went to a couple of malls, including one that had free wireless everywhere in the mall. Luckily, we had our laptop with us. We went to a couple of coffee places, used the internet, got laundry done, etc.

We also succeeded in seeing two Bollywood movies in vastly different theatres. The blockbuster "Om Shanti Om," we took in at an old-fashioned single screen theatre, where we sat in the respectable balcony seats. The (mostly young, male) crowd in the "stalls" (i.e. the first floor seats) cheered and whistled with the entrances of Shah Rukh Khan and their other favourites. The ticket-taker was nice enough to tell us the movie was an "Indian film" Yes. "In Hindi." Yes, we said. "With no subtitles." Yes, we said, thank-you. It was really easy to figure out the story, and even easier to enjoy. In fact, "Om Shanti Om" was the most enjoyable Bollywood film I've ever seen.

Not so with "Saawariya," the other Bollywood film we saw, this one in a mall multiplex - very modern and clean, almost as nice as Hong Kong, actually - but the movie wasn't as good nor as easy to understand.

Anica with "Om Shanti Om" display outside movie theatre in Bangalore

Nov 21st

(Anica)

"Om Shanti Om"

(Warning: SPOILER ALERT, Aunt Stevie and other Bollywood fans - editor Rob)

Today we went on a long drive to Bangalore empire hotel, after a 3 hour drive we arrived in Bangalore empire hotel. Got checked in and saw our room. Very nice big bedroom and bathroom. after that we went and had lunch at ruby tuesdays (sort of like TGIFs) Then we were just walkind down when we saw a movie theatere playing Om Shanti Om in 20 mins! So we got tickets and popcorn and saw it. very good. there's this superstar and his girlfriend shanti. But then when shanti gets pregant, Om who likes her tries to save her because her boyfriend set fire in a building. Om dies in the hospital but shanti dies in the building so her ghost stayed in there (you may not guess why a ghost has to do with this but your wrong). Om though dies as soon as the man who killed him (his wife) had a baby. so Om got reborn! the man who killed Shanti was still alive and they wanted to spook him so they took this girl who looked like Shanti and wrote a SMS to him then girl looked up and she was evil! Then they wanted a girl for the song or movie Om Shanti Om and the girl who looked like Shanti took the job! Then they had a party at the place where Shanti got killed. The ghost though apeared, this time invisible, and set fire! Luckily they got out okay thought and then they showed movie he made before he killed Shanti but when the girl looked up it wasne't Shanti. Then they had a big party and the ghost of Shanti appears and kills the man who killed her! the fake Shanti apologizes for what she did and they married. The End. Then we went to Pizza Hut and had dinner. Good night.

November 22 "Two Malls and Another Movie"

(Anica)

Today I woke up very late, so late we had go have breakfast at a cafe coffee day! Then we took a tuck tuck to a mall. Went to their movie theater and got tickets for Saawirya. After that had lunch at MdD then we got candy for the next night. Then we headed up to movie theatre but we had to leave our laptop! No! GIVE US A REFUND! Okay! So then we went home, had dinner. Good night

November 23 "Another Mall and Saawirya!"

(Anica)

Today we went to another mall to by movie tickets to Sawirya. Then we bought me a new t-shirt that said Girls Rock on the front. then we had subway for lunch and went to a bookstore. after that we saw Saawairya. really hard to understand though. After that we went to our Epire hotel reastrant, gross men staring at me and mommy and no good food, then we looked at Cocoa grove, nobody three, then we went to a rolls place, just pop. so then we finally just went to Ruby Tuesdays.