Preeth mentions in
his post on Bangalore how he likes to hang out in the Airlines Hotel parking lot but apparently some people think this is strange because its a parking lot. I happen to love Airlines for many different reasons but i have to disagree with anyone who calls it a parking lot. It is so much more than just a parking lot,
it's an entire city, unknown to the rest of the world ... until now.
There's the restaurant of course and the lodge. Some people call it a hotel but really its a lodge. There's an ice cream shop and a play area for the kids [and grown people who think its cool to sit on tiny swings with bucket chairs and look all giant-like] and a book stand that turns into a bakery overnight and later into a fruit stand. Last time i checked it was back to being a book stand. There's also a beauty parlour and an STD booth but STDs are um easily attainable anywhere on the premises... especially in the lodge.
My favourite section in Airlines happens to be the astrologer booth. It is very odd looking with every inch of the wall covered in pictures of different Gods and conspicuous right in the middle a humongous picture of Mother Theresa! Photographer friendly Astrologer Swami for a sum of a hundred and one rupees will make very general assumptions about your life and then make up a bunch of nonsense about your future. Your job is to try not to giggle, nod and ask lots of questions.
The seating arrangement at the restaurant is divided into 4 main sections. The main area is under the trees. So yes, very shady. This is called 'Tivoli Garden' for some reason and was last seen on Channel V Panga where VJ Yudi or some other incredibly short dude [possibly the surma wearing boy from that Falguni Pathak video who later went on to become a veejay who later went on to become an actor who later went on to disappear from the face of the earth] dared an innocent person to eat other innocent person's idli. No one likes to sit here for fear of catching some deadly disease. A variety of fluids can be found on the tables ranging from sambhar and jelebi juice to bird dropping and used handwashing water. There's a small
"water filter
" at one end but no one uses it except to wash their hands. This is why the parking lot is a way more popular hangout.
The parking lot is pretty cool actually. You sit in your car and the assistant waiter will call the main waiter who depending on your luck that day will show up within 5 or 40 minutes to take your order. He will recite the entire menu upon request within 30 seconds and will do so as many times as you wish, sometimes even while you record him on your phone. There is no makeshift car table to put your food on unlike in Chalukya Hotel where they actually bring you a wooden plank to put in between the windows. Plus that would never work in Airlines. Most people keep their windows closed. The water and extra chutney/sambhar cups are kept on top of the car. If you happen to be sitting in the 'lowwers an dowwers' sections do not be alarmed if you see a hand coming out of the top of a heavily tinted window. They're not going to shoot you, they're just grabbing their chutney.
Other sections of the restaurant include the 'family and friends' section and the 'narcotic dealer/pimps and ho' section where many local politicians and thugs like to conduct business. Very interesting section this is however for your own personal safety I recommend you park in the family and friends section. Not to worry it has a good view of the other sections for your viewing pleasure.
If you happen to visit Airlines late in the evening you will be entertained by the lovely Tivoli night time band 'JustNim UlsoorLake'. The band is made up of the young assistant waiters who use various utensils to make a nameless but unique genre of music.
The assistant waiters also double up as messengers because the kabootars are busy crapping all over the tables. Say for example some lame boy wants to send a grammatically horrendous love note to you he will use the help of an assistant waiter who will even provide a pen [from behind his ear] and hotel stationary [paper napkins] for this very purpose.
The last and most important job of the assistant waiter is to catch the attention of the main waiters to make minor last minute changes to your dosa/coffee order -
"boss one benne masale no oil, dry chutney no sambhar, coffee one by 2, sugar haakbedi, seperate aag tankodi". He will also bring [in one go] all the occupants of your car and your friends in the next car, water in glass tumblers without using a tray. This wonderful blend of drinking water + waiter finger juice + other mystery fluids is then used for hand washing right outside your windows. Do not ask for a finger bowl. Those do not exist in the city of airlines.
Rbr claims there are many more secret hidden sections at the back and one must trust Rbr. After all he has part ownership in airlines
stalk stock.
Apart from the pimps and ho's, waiters and assistant waiters, college kids and families and lowwers and dowwers you will also see lots of foreigners, mostly in bright orange. They make up almost 40% of the lodge occupants.
And finally the man who controls this mad circus - the wonderful and talented Bahadur. You might know him from
here. So do visit Airlines Hotel the next time you're in Bangalore. After all it's all about the ambiance.