Someplace Else

Landed up at a pub in Park Hotel Kolkata called Someplace Else. A little noisy, but enthusiastic band tying out their act was a highlight. The hotel has three or four different bars, apparently, with Trinca's and Tantra being the other two. Saw a bit of the unwashed match between Pak and India too.

Met Siddharth Agarwal, a Kirloskar alum from Kolkata from a decade ago, and took a little tour of some places with him. Kookie Jar, a pastry shop on Rowden Street being one stop. A South Indian joint called Jyoti Vihar near the American consulate was the other.

The weather was decent, with rains making intermittent appearances, but not heavily. Also explored a Crossword near the Forum Mall (yes, like Bangalore, there is a Forum here too). Bought some Bill Bryson books along with a biography of Leela Naidu. First time I will read about an actress whom I have never seen on screen except a song here and there. Appears to have been a beautiful woman.

Malling in Delhi

Malling in Delhi versus malling in Bangalore - Space is at a premium in Bangalore. Not so much in Delhi.

Malling in Saket- Select Citywalk- is reasonably comfortable, though the book collection in bookstores is not too inspiring.

Most foreign brands of everything you always wanted to buy- perfumes, garments, are available at a mall near you, if you are in Delhi. So now, how do the Singaporeans (or Dubaians) reposition themselves. I can go to a Delhi mall without spending the airfare to Singapore or Dubai. Ok, maybe I can still get a good deal on a 43 inch LED TV there!

Malling in Gurgaon versus malling in Delhi. It's a capital against a provincial town. But Gurgaon is the pioneer in malling.

Obviously, all these observations are born out of a recent trip to the Saket mall. One interesting thing I saw there was a simulated golf range where you can hit a ball into a screen which calculates/simulates the flight path of the ball and so on, for a fee of course! 150 bucks for 15 minutes. I did not try it.