Namma Bengaluru

I flicked the idea from here but of course it's all about my city.

- Cubbon Park, Cubbon Park, Cubbon Park. Thank god for the People's movement that happened in the 80's that stopped further construction within the park premises. Apart from the lush green trees, the park has some beautiful buildings including the Sheshadri Memorial Library, The high court and the Vidhan Soudha. When you visit my city, take a drive through Cubbon Park. Hopefully, you'll understand why it tops my list.

- MG Road. I hate the fact that the road no longer has a boulevard on one side but nonetheless it's still my favourite place to walk. Or just sit at a coffee shop by myself and watch the world go by.Parallel to MG Road is Church Street and that is one place that will never cease to amuse me. There are a few pubs and countless eating joints. Food lovers can pick from Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Continental, roadside thellawallahs.... And for the book lovers, Blossoms is the place to go. I'm not exaggerating when I say that the bookstore is stacked with books from floor to ceiling. There's also an interesting magazine store. For me, MG Road and Church Street bring back old world charm.

- The weather. Although it's extremely unhealthy for some people, Bangalore's weather is wonderful. It's always just right and definitely helps me get by bad days. Quite aptly called Pensioner's Paradise.

- The Breakfast and Dessert places. Yes, I meet people for breakfast because there are places that serve a delightful meal at 7 in the morning. Some even have breakfast buffets. Throw in a light conversation and great company and my day's made. oh and at Koshy's, the menu card still mentions Goldspot. How about that? Coming to the dessert bit, I don't mind the extra kilos I put on after indulging in those mouth watering cakes and bakes served at Fresco's and Painted Platter. Sinful!

- School. How can this not make it to the list? I believe that school was like a second home to me. In fact I would've loved to do 13th, 14th and 15th standard instead of college. What amuses me is that right in between two of the city's busiest roads, you'll find a green campus with old British barracks that have seen batches after batches pass out. Well, the batch of 2003-2004 can never get enough of school.

- Commercial Street. Paradise for the avid shopper! The road and its gullies offer enough and more for retail therapy. Right from the big brands to the roadside maal, shoes, bags, belts, dress material, stationery, decorations, food, jewellery, sports equipment.. you name it and it's available. It's the best venue for a girl's day out :)

- William Penn & Itsy Bitsy. The mad child loves stationery. Period.

- National Games Village. Ha! Founding the Loafers club, Aunty's shop, the bakery, the park, the benches, forging friendships, Hindi movie drama, bus rides, the rooftop, summer parties, tears, fears, heartbreaks... Those buildings have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. It was the perfect place to spend my wonder years.

- 335 E. I love bus rides. And seeing that huge, red vehicle turning round the corner makes me very happy. I get to spend a lot of time by myself in the bus and I'm very thankful for it. Besides, it's the best way to avoid the traffic and all that honking. The government should introduce more Volvos on the routes.

- The concerts. Thanks to the crowd, Palace grounds has hosted Mark Knopfler, The Scorpions, Iron Maiden, Bryan Adams, Sting, Uriah Heep, Elton John, Roger Waters, Aerosmith, A R Rahman, Lucky Ali, KK etc. My city and I have something in common. We love music.

We, the people. Bangalore is a friendly city. The policemen are approachable and the people are helpful. The trick - Be polite and it'll get you anywhere you wish

Ten years ago, when we moved here, I HATED the place. It was a sleepy city where nobody seemed to want to make things happen. Compared to Delhi, this place was the pits. But it grew on me. Yeah, there is a lot of room for improvement. But even after having seen a lot of places within the country, I would like to settle down here. After all, there's no place like home!