Day 28, Bangalore [Monday 31st December 2007 - New Year's Eve]
Previous day: Day 27, Bangalore [Sunday 30th December 2007]
Next day: Day 29, Bangalore [Tuesday 1st January 2008 - New Year's Day]
We're panicking somewhat about what to do for New Year's Eve - we came to Bangalore because we thought that, as a big city, it would celebrate the new year in some style, and there would be plenty of options. But people have told us that the main areas of Brigade Road and MG Road won't be safe - especially for Kate. They are being sealed off to traffic by police and will be full of partying people.
We walk the length of MG Road to the Oberoi Hotel, who are hosting a special party with dinner and a live band. The hotel is gorgeous, friendly and luxurious. The dinner sounds good but we choke up at the price tag - Rs. 8000! We decide to think about it, and stop for some iced tea at their Polo Lounge. The bill comes to Rs. 270, more than the cost of our whole lunch yesterday.
We decide to skip the parties - it seems like most of the hotels in town are putting on an unlimited buffet, disco or dinner, but not a single one will have any Indian music. They all laugh when we ask, and say it will be Western disco. We decide we'll have dinner at the Shelton Grand Hotel then walk down MG Road to see what the party is like.
We go to Cubbon Park, which is scruffy in places and full of litter, but well tended in parts. The High Court is nearby, an imposing red ochre building facing the park. We move on to the Botanic Gardens, which are extensive and beautiful, set around a picturesque lake, and with a greenhouse modelled on Alexandra Palace.
We head to Brigade Road around 9pm and it's already busy with lots of men wandering, whistling and staring. We stop for a beer in the Shelton's laughable 'lounge' - it's more like a Tesco's coffee shop than a lounger bar. We have a great dinner downstairs, though - masala papad, palak paneer, dal makhani, peas pulau, roti, pickles, jelly and ice cream! Towards 11pm there's the feeling in the restaurant of the staff barricading the place around us - they're sweeping up, putting chairs on tables and hurrying everyone out. It seems most places close up early unless they're hosting a party.
Outside the police actually stop us from entering Brigade Road - they have formed a physical barrier across the road and take one look at Kate and tell us it's too dangerous. I talk to a man nearby who is standing with his wife and 2 children - he advises us to leave the area by 11.45pm as it will be very dangerous to stay. The atmosphere feels restless, and Kate is being leered at a lot by drunk men. We hang around for a few minutes but it all seems a bit volatile.
Unfortunately we can't get back to our hotel as Brigade Road is the only sensible route back - there's a route through dark alleys but we don't really fancy taking that one. Eventually we end up knocking on the door of the Shelton restaurant and asking to be let through to the hotel on the other side. Luckily they recognise us and let us through. We take refuge in their lobby, and sit on the steps watching the crowds of men steam past, noisy and drunk. I never really feel scared, but the volatility of a drunken crowd and the obvious language problems mean it's a little bit unnerving.
Some students who were celebrating New Year's Eve in the lounge bar come out and join us. The girl says to Kate that the street is a much too dangerous place to be. She points out dismissively that the crowds are not good people, they are lower caste. We're a little taken aback to hear her talk so frankly. They're friendly enough, though, and make sure we get a rickshaw home safely, haggling with the driver to get us a halfway decent price.
It's been an interesting and revealing evening, and highlights for us the sharp divide between the castes and classes here, something we haven't had any direct experience with until now. It offers a dilemma, too - is the lower caste status of these leering, uncivilised men an excuse for their behaviour? Is it because of a lack of education? Or is basic good nature towards women, foreigners or even their fellow countrymen an inherent quality in all of us which they choose to ignore.
It's a complex situation, and we don't understand enough about India yet to fully appraise it.
Next day: Day 29, Bangalore [Tuesday 1st January 2008 - New Year's Day]
Previous day: Day 27, Bangalore [Sunday 30th December 2007]