Monday, June 20, 2011

What's New in Hyderabad?

Another Hotel Crops Up and Another Waits To
To begin with a topic now become too frequent on this blog, another hotel has opened in Hyderabad. Last Thursday I opened the Metro Plus supplement of The Hindu only to find an advertisement announcing the opening of ‘Le Café’ an ‘Europen Style Sidewalk Café.’ ‘Le Café is located along the corridor connecting Novotel to HICC way out at Madhapur. It sounds like just the sort of thing the neighbourhood in Jubilee Hills lacked so I am rather glad for those Jubilee Hills folks. Now they have yet another place to go to in case they miss such a place in Hyderabad.

Yesterday while going towards City Center Mall in Banjara Hills I noticed that another hotel –The Banjara Gateway- is coming up. Since from the looks of the place it might be another month or so before it finally opens, the Jubilee Hills folks can go easy on the drooling for the time being. However, The Banjara Gateway looks like the sort of place the Jubilee Hills crowd may not think of much because for one thing, it is located bang on the roadside on the busy Road No. 1 and another, it doesn’t sound exotic enough for them to drive all the way from Jubilee Hills.

The Longest Wait for the Shortest Book Launch
Meanwhile, I attended a book reading at the Crossword store in City Center Mall on Friday. I had been looking for a good excuse to drop in at a bookstore so when I read about the book reading of Kanika Dhillon’s ‘Bombay Duck is a Fish’ I made plans to be present. Like a sincere government bloke I reached the place well before seven in the evening. After waiting for forty five minutes I was just planning to leave irritated by the announcements of a screechy compere when the author made an appearance at a quarter to eight. In the meanwhile all the 30 odd chairs were filled up with the press people carrying enormous camera bags and tripods like they were going to a war. When the stylish author walked in the cameramen began their photosession right at the entrance that lasted longer than the actual book launch which lasted not more than ten minutes. During those ten odd minutes exactly four questions were asked and answered. I was glad I dropped my plan to buy the book since I saw another book that I picked up. I will write about it in The Sunday Haul post on Friday.

A Unique Expo
I saw an ad on the back of a bus sometime last week. It seems Hyderabad is hosting a ‘National Expo on Obesity Treatment’ somewhere in Ameerpet sometime in the coming days. No wonder with so many hotels and so much to eat in Hyderabad they’ve chosen our city for the event. I wonder how many of those visiting this expo will be from Jubilee Hills.

Next post on Wednesday: Morning Calm and Father's Day Thoughts

4 comments:

W.D & H.O said...

Loved reading your experience at the book reading, especially the 'screechy compere' and the 'stylish author'. However, shouldn't you say "Un-like a sincere government bloke I reached the place well before seven in the evening..."?

Vinod Ekbote said...

Uma, Had you heard her English, you would have fled.
Sincere govt blokes reach on time :)so it is correct.

Anonymous said...

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Vinod Ekbote said...

Vijay, thanks a lot for your encouraging words. Also, thank your friend on my behalf.