'We owe a lot to the City'

Melting pot

Over the years, the City has seen lots of people come and go. In the process, many settle down here for good — some for their professional commitments and others to complete their education.

Angshusmita Baruah Segra and her husband Sabak Segra, who have known each other before they got married, settled here for similar reasons. While Angshusmita is from Guwahati and works with a software company, Sabak is from Dehradun and works with Oracle Financial Services. They are residing in the City for 3 years and currently put up in Bellandur.  
               
Bengaluru, the couple say, is more ‘cosmopolitan’ in nature than both their hometowns.
  
“People here are welcoming and never hesitate to help others, especially those who are new to the City. It is also a much bigger place in terms of the facilities and infrastructure available when compared to home. And even though the people here are from every corner of the country, there is still a sense of security among them. Since there are many from every community as well, it is easier to connect to your place and people,” says Angshusmita.

“There are plenty of career opportunities available here. It is amazing to see how even a small startup can grow in a couple of months,” she adds.  
     
The couple loves having a good time when they have some to spare. Giving a glimpse of their weekend, Sabak says, “On a weekend, we usually stay at home and have house parties; it is a way of catching up with friends even as we are relaxing at home. After a hectic week, one doesn’t really want to go out anywhere, so house parties are something we all look forward to.”

“Apart from this, I love cooking, so weekends are the days I get time with my kitchen and crockeries,” Angshusmita quickly pitches in. 

As for a perfect weekend getaway, Coorg is a favourite of the couple. “Nandi Hills, Munnar and Wayanad are the other places we love travelling to. So whenever there is a long weekend or holidays, we are sure to go to one of these places. However, Coorg will always be on top our list,” says Sabak.

Angshusmita’s sister is in the City too and stays close to their place while their parents come and visit them once a year.

And how do they manage the food here? Is it very different from home?

She says, “Since both us are from different culinary cultures, food is something we are interested in. I either cook at home or we go out to a place of his choice or mine.”

Describing the two cuisines, she adds, “The authentic Assamese cuisine is bland, usually cooked in mustard oil, and we include a lot of fish and vegetables in our diet. Moreover, we don’t use ‘garam masala’ and ginger garlic in our daily cooking, but when it comes to Punjabi food, it is more rich — ‘ghee’ and ‘spices’ are the main ingredients. I love ‘sitol maasor tenga’ and also ‘dal makhani’.” Some of their favourite restaurants in the City are ‘Toit Brewpub’, ‘Sahib Sindh Sultan’, ‘M Cafe’ at ‘Bengaluru Marriott Hotel’ and ‘Shiro’.

Bengaluru, the couple says, is a relaxed place and since there is a cultural mix happening in the City, people here are becoming more open-minded and accepting the beliefs and practices of others.

A few things, Angshusmita says, she misses here are, “My parents and the culture and celebrations we have back home. Celebrating ‘Bihu’ and having the traditional sweets with family are some of the things I miss in Bengaluru. Nevertheless, Bengaluru has given us a lot and we also owe a lot to the City. It has become a second home for both of us,” she adds.