The Smoking License!!!

It's been 9 yrs since Nishant and I got married - though it seems like we still don't know each other :-) ... may be because in this constant 'upgrade' age ..we also keep on changing/upgrading :)....Anyways, this analysis can be a separate series of blogs....So, we completed 9 yrs of our marriage on the 27th Nov...and we decided to celebrate. Nothing much was on the cards, but we just wanted to relax and have food. Though we do this every weekend but it never seems enough :-)

Bangalore weather was at its best that day and it being a Saturday, we could plan to have a lunch together from our otherwise daily routine of having it in the office. Finally after a little discussion (we wanted to avoid any discussions on that day at the very least!), we decided that a resort nearby was a good option. We could sit outside and it has some interesting ambiance, which Myra would also enjoy. 

Its a short drive, so no traffic stress -- we were are charged up with a growling stomach. 

Now started the series of disappointments -- first of all there was no valet parking and no parking within the hotel(nobody ever plans parking!!). Anyway, this is a common issue, we parked in a rented parking lot behind and walked the 300 mts to the restaurant. 

There is a kind of beach shack at the very center of the resort where the food is served. We decided not to go for the buffet -- as we wanted to eat our choice of food. Started with ordering the soup and the waiter told 2-3 names which were not there in the menu. I think he just wanted us to have what was available in the buffet!! Anyway, we specifically asked for minestrone soup which he finally agreed. We asked him for starter suggestions and help  and he just gave a blank disinterested look...I thought -- "may be no tip for this one today!" Anyway , Nishant was more generous and wanted to give him a second chance as we had just started ordering and our appetites generally are hearty :-) 

I forgot the rude waiter with Myra's chatter till a whiff of smoke disturbed me...The table next to ours had somebody smoking. The solution was simple...just ask for a change of place. So, thats what we did and moved a bit away..Within a second, there was a fresh whiff again of the same family of smoke! I asked one of the hotel staff (he had a coat on instead of an apron, so we thought may be he was a senior or something.) that if this was a smoking zone? He said "Yes mam"...I couldn't agree less...and hence asked if it was a legal to smoke in public places...He said quite stubbornly that they had a permit!! Permit to break the law I thought. He directed us to sit inside(which is a very small area), but then we hadn't come to sit inside..we wanted to sit out in the open. I requested him to cancel the order and said that we would leave..to which he rather rudely declined that the order was already placed...Strange, so we were stuck to have food either in the smoky outside or stuffy inside! By this time, Nishant jumped in saying that as they had license for smoking, he would talk to Bangalore Mirror that in fact there is a license to smoke in public places(just to add-- this is not a 5-star hotel). So that was it, within a minute we were given a good table outside , a bit away from the beach shack (which earlier they were claiming was reserved) and then a good service by a smiling steward...Had a good food and good time finally...Was it the mention of the newspaper or sudden realization by the hotel staff to be courteous ...but yes we finally got a no-smoking area to sit within the "so-claimed" smoking zone....

Sometimes I wonder -- am I misinformed or is it that law breaking is not very difficult these days!!!