As a denizen of both, Bengaluru and Austin, I had to indulge in penning down the similarities between them
Just like Austin, no one is from Bangalore. Most people come here for work or are looking for work. During my recent trip when I was working in my local office, people asked me where I’m from and when I said “here, I went to high school 4 kilometres from here and to undergrad a lane behind my house”, they reacted the same way when you hear someone says they are from Austin.
The ones that move here haven’t put much effort in learning the local language. While ‘Kannada gothilla’ might not be a ‘no hablar English’, we’d still like you to make the effort.
The infrastructure in Bangalore is terrible, takes forever to get from one place to another. They city was not built to be the Indian IT capital it is today, companies and people came nevertheless. Sounds familiar? Bangalore has its silk board junction and Austin its highway 35
There is construction everywhere – houses, apartments and office buildings. This one needs no elaboration. And yes, they are expensive. While I wouldn’t say its gentrification in Bangalore, it is getting difficult for the less fortunate to get by.
You will meet old timers who will reminisce about their city. My lovely mother, “You know Raja, in 1985, I would walk back from work in Lalbagh Westgate to home and there would be absolutely no traffic “. She doesn’t bother to make that attempt anymore
While both cities are gastronomic, like Tacos is Austin, Masala Dosas are consumed and critiqued seriously for its flavor, crispiness, and condiments – Sambar & Chutney (ala Salsa)
It all comes down to, PEOPLE. I can’t be more proud of growing up in Bangalore and being a part of a welcoming, assimilating city. I get the same feeling when in Austin, I don’t think I’ve ever felt like an outsider here and love this city.
You read that right, I did use the previous name ‘Bangalore’ and not the ethnocentric recently officially updated ‘Bengaluru’, It will always be Bengaluru for us locals, there needs to be nothing official about it.
5th February, 2016
