Worst experiences you may encounter while moving

Namma Bengaluru is undoubtedly one of my favourite cities as I grew up here. It will also be my first home although my native is Kerala, and for various reasons. The fast-moving crowd, the unstoppable energy and lively spirit from the people, the amalgam of cultures in terms of food, places and more. All these add up to give a unique experience and living alone here sure in this city can be exciting. But at the same time, it sure is tough especially when one must fit into a new place as it can take a toll on you.

Church Street night lights Credit: Ivan Michael

There are pros and cons when it comes to living alone be it in a PG or an apartment in my experience. At the end of the day it’s all about how you make do with what you’ve got. Here are a few experiences shared by some respondents.

“I moved in with two people that I did not know very well enough initially, and it wasn’t great. I felt uncomfortable and unwelcomed most of the time which resulted to me always going back home (Kerala) or crashing at a friend’s place nearby. The locality also didn’t feel safe for me because I was so used to Shanti Nagar and suddenly moving to a place like Madiwala felt like a huge cultural shift,” said Angelin Jose, a close friend of mine/junior when I interviewed her.

She further added, “To top it off I did not get my full deposit back and whenever I asked the landlady about it, she always gave lame excuses. This was very mentally traumatizing for me and ever since then I’ve decided not to move in an apartment. I’d rather stay in a PG instead despite the inconveniences like curfew, privacy etc.” Angelin is currently staying at a good PG in Shanti Nagar.

Bengaluru commuter's beloved Shanti Nagar Bus Stand Credit: Godwin Emmanuel E

Along with Angelin, few more friends of mine have fallen into this trap of deposit by landlords and landladies. They also faced several illogical complaints such as friends are not allowed to come over even during the day.

“The first apartment that I moved in with my roommate was a 2bhk but for a decent price. However, the broker did not mention any rules or restrictions (friends coming over, especially girls) before we took the place. So, we decided to shift, and a lot of money was lost from the deposit. We barely stayed in our first apartment, yet they deducted a huge sum. Then the last two places we were at had ridiculous architecture! The bathrooms were made horribly would be an understatement,” said Chethan Sindhu Jayan, my present neighbour who is currently in between jobs. He used to shuffle between PGs during his undergraduate years due to poor food, unhygienic condition of common rooms, and bad maintenance of bathrooms.

So, there you have it folks. Here are some of the worst experiences told to you by people who have been residing in Bangalore which Anjali Menon’s film claims to be “A rockin’ city yo!” But movies are not reality, and this is what the real deal looks like if you ever thought that PGs or apartments are amazing. Hence, think twice before settling down independently, stay hydrated because house/hostel hunting is exhausting, and most importantly do not fall into any sort of scam when it comes to money.