From village to metropolis
For some strange reason, my life has taken me on a journey to places which are increasingly populated. Perhaps this would not be so strange were it not for the fact that the changes in my case have been extreme. My childhood was spent in a small village on the west coast of Scotland called Duror. Perhaps “tiny” would be a better word – during my first seven years of school, there were only three of us in my class, one of whom was my twin sister! I even remember, on one occasion, conducting a ‘census’ of the village for a school project – all the pupils gathered together and between us we managed to count every single person living in the village. Imagine trying that in Pune! On sunny days in June, if the teacher was tired of trying to keep twenty restless children in the classroom, she would tell us to put down our work and take us on a ‘field trip’ to the beach, which was ten minutes’ walk away. I think you get the idea.
I then progressed to High School where there were over twenty pupils in my class (i.e. roughly the size of my entire Primary School). Following that I moved on to university in Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, which at that time had a population of 448,624. Then, after a brief stint in Paris (population 2.2 million), I ended up in Pune (population 4.5 million in 2001 and I suspect the figure is a lot higher now).
So I think you’ll agree that my case is somewhat extreme. I often like to shock rickshaw drivers, when they complain about the traffic, with the revelation that the population of Pune is about the same as the population of my native country (ca. 5 million). Another good jaw-dropper is the fact that, until recently, the population of Scotland was decreasing!
The challenges I have faced in my transition from village to metropolis have been many. However, I think the hardest thing I’ve had to come to terms with is the lack of green spaces, especially here in Pune. During my first few months in Pune this was extremely difficult – I just didn’t know how to ‘get away’ from it all. And then I discovered two places that would turn out to be lifelines for me.
The first of these places was Hanuman Tekdi (hill). I often go running there and I love the feeling of being able to run or walk without constantly having to concentrate on the path ahead. I also like the view across the quarry, which has a slightly sinister feel to it but is breathtaking, especially when the sun sets behind it. The view from the top of the hill is also spectacular: we were once lucky enough to witness a lighting storm taking place across Pune from this vantage point (although we then had to run extra hard back to the car to avoid getting drenched).
The hill is extremely popular with Punekars, many of whom go there several times a week (or even every day). Not many foreigners can be found there and so, during the Commonwealth Youth Games, I flattered myself with the thought that I might be mistaken for one of the foreign athletes (flattery on two counts: the first that I look fit enough and secondly that I look young enough!) I have heard rumours that the government is planning to build a road across the hill and, whilst I sympathise with the authorities over the need for better infrastructure, I can’t help feeling that building a road there would destroy what, for many Punekars, is a refuge from the stresses of city life.
The second place I would like to bring to Punekars’ attention is Japalouppe horse-riding centre in Talegaon. I only discovered this place recently but I am so glad I did as I feel completely at home there. I didn’t know why this was until I read in one of the numerous newspapers articles in their reception area that it has been used as a film location and was meant to look like, you guessed it, Scotland!
At first I was a little apprehensive about actually learning to ride a horse – I was quite happy to sit on the horse’s back while someone else led, thank you very much. And so, for our first two lessons, half of each lesson was spent on a guided trek into the forest. This was an extremely relaxing experience and, on entering the forest, I felt like a character from Harry Potter or the Chronicles of Narnia. However, this week my husband (who used to be a professional cricket player and so is a little more serious about sports than I am) insisted that we had a full lesson. By the end of the lesson we were trotting around unaided for the first time, an experience which was nothing short of exhilarating and we are now hooked. Our friends, who are regulars at Japalouppe, have told us that cantering and galloping are easier than trotting so watch this space! Now wouldn’t that be a novel way to avoid the traffic jams in Pune?
So, the obvious question is: where next? Bombay? Seoul? Mexico City? Or perhaps it is time for me to begin the reverse journey: from city to town to village? At the moment I am quite happy in Pune and intend to make the most of it. And especially now that I have found some little oases of calm, life in Pune has become much easier and more enjoyable.
More articles by Anna Pande
- From Anna Banana to Andy Pand(e)y! - April 8th, 2009
- A day for pandemonium - April 1st, 2009
- Restaurant review: Prems - March 27th, 2009
- Don’t kiss kisses goodbye - March 25th, 2009
- Restaurant review: Malaka Spice - March 20th, 2009
