If one could ‘Not Die and Go to Heaven’, I think thats what Ive done.

Im at Chandigarh, have been here for a week now. And every morning while commuting to work, Im struck again by the serenity. Ita pleasure to go to work. Broad Roads, Greenery on either side, actually every shade of green u can imagine, and very pleasing to the mind and the eye. It took 4 days or me to hear a vehicle honking behind us. Traffic (non existent in the eyes of the Bangalorian) is disciplined. Lots of nice upmarket cars. The buildings we pass are a treat to look at. Nothing jarring or glaring or out of place, everything blends with the scenery, the roads.. The houses are gracious, aesthetically appealing, lots of brick and muted colors.  No high rises. We stay in apartments at the outskirts, almost in Haryana, 2 large complexes, one being the Rail Vihar and the other the Army Flats.  A fabulous Park within our complex, not that we get the time to bask in the Park.  Well Basking is not a good option, its humid, at least 80 most of the time. But when it rains, its great.

There are Malls dotting the different planned sectors, and a market place inside each Sector. We have explored a few, and caught a movie at a very nice Theatre. At Sector 17, near our work place, is the City Centre, with Elegant shops and brands galore. The people we interact with at work, are softspoken, very polite, pro active. And this is a Government Department! Definitely my idea of Heaven: A blissful commute to work each day, peace and quiet and a client who gives you Data, what more could one ask for.

 The one disappointment is, Chandigarh doesnt seem to be Punjab, at least, not the  Butter Chicken in Ludhiana kind (that was one book I enjoyed!). Our cook at the Guest house makes basic UP food. And Im not able to find a convenient place for Dhaba type of food: Sarson Ka Saag, Maki Ki Roti, Rajma of the real kind. Im informed that its not Sarson season, but am trying to locate a nice place where i will get Parathas with Makkhan, and Baingan ka Bartha, and Palak Paneer, with a huge glass of Chaas. All the eateries I see are non Punjabi:  Sindhi, Udipi !, and a KFC and  a Mc Donalds. Definitely non Punjabi! Im informed that the items served at KFC and Macs, are Punjabi friendly!One of our new friends have recommended a vegetarian place in Sector 27, and we will try and find it on Saturday.

We also need to go to a Gurdwara or two, pray certainly, but definitely taste the Poori and Halwa served! We are just a couple of hours away from Simla, wish we had the time to drive there!

With so many distractions, its surprising I get any work done. But this is place is so charming, I come refreshed each morning and we put in long hours. Weekends are for exploring the town, the markets and of course carry on our search for Punjabi food!