Pune - how is it, really?

findy

Hi Guys,
How is Pune? Is there anyone around who has been living, is living or is planning to live in Pune? I've got an opportunity to go there, but very unsure how it will be. Is there anything to do in there? Sports? Nightlife? Anything?

I would be living there alone. Just below 30 years old guy. I've got plenty of experience in living in Asia... but in bigger cities before.

All comments are much appreciated!

the opoponax

I have kind of an obscure question about Pune, myself.

So one of my best friends has a good friend in Pune. He really wants me to stop in and pay her a visit. But he can't get in touch with her. So he wants me to go there, find her house, knock on the door, and introduce myself.

I'm uneasy at the idea of showing up in a strange city where I don't speak the language, trying to find some obscure address I might not even understand. Not to mention that she could be out of town! She might have no interest whatsoever in meeting me!

Is this worth doing? Should I just tell my friend it doesn't seem meant to be? Or should I take my chances, go to Pune, and hope serendipity ensues? Is Pune worth seeing for a day or so regardless of whether I complete the task at hand?

edwardseco

To the first its a great college town. However, it has grown with industrial expansion like so many other perfect towns. Can be polluted in the evening. Civilized bus crowds, interesting people near the colleges, good food if you know where. Best area, my bias, the Deccan Gymkhana or on the fringe. I dated there but can't tell you about nightlife. There is a red light area but grungy to the max. Don't take pictures. You should have your own transport if you want to get out. Not much in tourist content. My favorite spot was an underground temple near the Deccan. But, there is another on the fringe of the city that was clean and beautiful. Its more of a base to go to other places, Ajanta/Ellora, etc.

Second query, actually this the standard way of finding someone in India and its the same at universities or at least at JNU. You make a lot of friends. You don't need a lot of language skills. Just ask and show the address/name (Hindi: Kaha Hai or in Marathi its really apppreciated). You may well find better friends that way, least wise I often have. Serendipity is India so..

vir

Your friend might not know that India is a huge country. On top of that moving around is not that easy. I have met lot of people who think India is a small country like any other south east asian country.

May be your friend should post a letter to her and ask her to email back. Basically get in touch with her. She might not live there anymore.

If you are going to Pune anyway, then its worth to try and go to the address.

the opoponax

Yes, both my friend and I know that India is a huge country. He is Indian, has family there, and has visited extensively. And I've done a lot of studying up in advance of this trip. This is why I'm a little hesitant to arrive in a big city and try to find someone I've never met. As I put it to him, "I would consider this an impossible task if I was supposed to find her in Seattle, which is smaller, completely Anglophone, and in my home country!"

Though I should say that I will be flying into and out of Mumbai, and also have room in my itinerary to loop back up from Hampi before heading north). I have 2 months in India. It's not a matter of time or distance, really, but whether it's realistic to find someone this way.

vir

If you have the address you can just hire taxi/rickshaw and go to her house. With little searching you will be able to find the house. I don't think she will mind you stopping by like that. I won't.

ChocolatNY

pune is ok.. there's not much to do there really. it's for people who want some tranquility. weather wise it's very pleasant, however in recent years the traffic and pollution have got really bad. MG Road camp is a nice place to hang out, koregaon park also has a lot of restaurants. the most fun i had in pune was when i went to sinhagarh.. the views are spectacular from up there. and we ate at the village huts on the top of the hills. the food was delicious rural fare, but the utensils were not clean. luckily i know enough to always carry plastic utensils with me at all times. in deccan there's a shop Chitale Bandhu Mithaaivaale, they have delicious sweets, esp of the Maharashtrian variety. And Pune is famous for a spicy namkeen called Bakharvadi, which is first of all hard to find in India, and secondly, no one, NO ONE makes it like Chitale. everytime i go to india, i travel to pune just to buy a few kgs of bakharvadi. If you want some nice shalwar kameez tailored, get it done in Pune, the prices are cheaper than in Mumbai. as far as restaurants go, Pune has a nice variety including a Mahesh Lunchroom, great for seafood fans. When I'm not traveling, I like living in Pune, it's great for recuperating from the mad rush of life in big cities.

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