Bangalore is often called the “Silicon Valley” of India because of its booming and seemingly ever-growing tech sector. With 10 million residents, Bangalore is a bustling, dense metropolis of colour, sound, and ambitious people. Here are five observations from my last visit.
5 Things About Bangalore
It’s a City in Transition
First off, the city is officially called Bengaluru. The government changed the name in 2006 from the anglicized version “Bangalore.” No one seems to call it Bengaluru, though. Everyone is still getting used to the change.
Bangalore is teeming with people in the tech sector. Its high number of engineers and focus on technical education has drawn multinational giants like Cisco, Yahoo, Microsoft, and others to the city. Historically known as a garden city with a temperate climate, it’s now known for startups and migrants from all over India hoping to make their mark in IT. It seems that everyone is incredibly ambitious, works hard, and is on the move.
Bangalore’s boom over the past couple of decades has resulted in a strain on infrastructure that just isn’t keeping pace. So as you traverse the city, you’ll see shiny upscale shops and restaurants fronted by uneven sidewalks, stray dogs, and sometimes piles of garbage.
It’s a jarring contrast. One of the hotels we stayed in, Aloft in Cessna Business Park, had this view (above) from the pool rooftop. On the left is rudimentary housing (Bangaloreans readily call these areas slums, but the word is so derogatory in North America, I have a hard time calling them that). On the right is a brand new Cisco office. This kind of side-by-side contrast is a common sight.
People Are Very Welcoming, And Hotel Customer Service Is Exceptional
Everyone I met, from Steve’s colleagues and contacts to those I met on the street, was exceptionally friendly, helpful, and hospitable.
That extends to the standard of customer service in Bangalore (and in Mumbai where we also visited). It is over the top! To a North American accustomed to average attention in shops, restaurants, and hotels, service in India takes some adjustment.
As soon as you walk into a retail store, you will have one to three staff members greet you and promptly seek out and present items you may like. In one restaurant we had three staff hover about a metre away from our table, anticipating when to dish out more food from serving trays on our table.
Hotel staff surprised Steve with a birthday cake at dinner one night.
Don’t even think about unloading or carrying your luggage upon arrival at a hotel.
It’s starkly different from customer service (or lack of) in North America to the point that I just can’t get comfortable with the attention. I find it less unnerving the more I have been exposed to it, but that almost concerns me more. Should I feel comfortable with the pool attendant carrying my towel for me to drape on a lounge chair?
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Things Are Changing For Women – Maybe Not Fast Enough
I always read the local paper that arrives at our hotel room door when I’m travelling. I got a good two-week diet of The Times of India and saw a lot of commentary about women’s equality – especially around International Women’s Day. There was also a lot of coverage about the issue of sexual assault and harassment in the workplace. I got the sense that women are taking their place. Certainly, the women I met during our stay were strong, confident and independent-minded.
Women living on their own before or instead of marriage appears to be a growing new trend in Bangalore.
Still, I noticed routine deference to men in everyday life. In the parks, it’s all boys playing cricket, volleyball, and soccer. You never see girls engaged in sport. If they are around at all, they are watching from the sidelines.
Whenever I was with Steve, service personnel frequently addressed him exclusively. When a bellman helped us with our luggage to our room, I was ahead of both him and Steve. I turned the wrong way, and the bellman addressed Steve saying, “Sir, the room is to the right.” Hello? I’m the one who needs to be redirected.
In North America, we have many ridiculous and repressive female beauty standards. Surprise; so does India. I noticed that almost all of the women in advertisements and on Bollywood gossip pages are fair skinned, but on the street, most women have darker complexions. Reading the personal ads seeking marriage matches in the Times, “fair” is a term frequently mentioned as an attribute of the potential bride—often just before it says she’s an engineer or doctor. Sigh.
There Really Are Cows In The Street!
There is something joyful about seeing a cow in the midst of city life. A local told us that these cows (which Hindus consider sacred) are not strays (as we had assumed), but owned by people. I’ve read other reports that they are sometimes abandoned by dairy farmers after their milk has dried out. They are certainly part of the fabric of the community. I’m not sure how great life on urban streets is for the cows.
Traffic Is Unbearable
Bangalore! Stop honking! This sound is likely the first thing you will notice in Bangalore if you visit. A growing middle class and in-migration have resulted in a crazy increase of cars on the road. Every driver honks – as a way to let others nearby know where they are positioned on the road as well as out of frustration. Travelling just 5 kilometres by car can take more than 45 minutes. And trying to cross the street with all those honking, weaving cars is a daily act of courage. Lanes are a mere suggestion as are stop lights.
Visitors view a new city through the lens of their own cultural and life experiences. Have you visited or do you live in Bangalore? What are your observations?
