Good Morning Bangalore!

When I was six years old, my mother took me to see a matinee production of My Fair Lady at the Kennedy Center, in Washington DC where I grew up. I vividly remember the lights dimming, the curtain rising, and the feeling of being transported to another world of extraordinary human talent. It’s fair to say that afternoon changed my life, and I’ve been chasing the high ever since. Having just spent the summer traveling throughout India attempting to write my own musical–a Bollywood meets Broadway mashup of Indian classical and folk sounds about the Buddha–I can’t help but reflect that embarking on this fellowship journey feels a lot like an opening number. In my humble opinion, one of the great opening numbers of the musical theatre canon is “Good Morning Baltimore,” from the Tony and Grammy award winning Hairspray. Hairspray opens with protagonist Tracy Turnblad introducing the audience to her world, 1960s racially segregated Baltimore, and her dream of earning a coveted spot on a teen dance television show. As it just so happens, Bangalore and Baltimore have the same number of syllables, so I thought I would channel my inner Tracy and reflect on my first two weeks here in an homage to “Good Morning Baltimore.”

“Good Morning Bangalore”

Oh, oh, oh

Woke up today

Somehow already running late

Oh, oh, oh

Hungry for dosa

And filter coffee

But I’ve got traffic to beat

The insane congestion

Makes me question

How the people here

Get anything done

Oh, oh, oh

Grab an auto

Short sleeves

‘Cuz the weather is so perfect

Good morning Bangalore

There’s always a pooja next door

Around the corner is a brewery

But honestly this traffic is killing me

Good morning Bangalore

I know you’ve got much in store

By the end of this 10-month journey

I’ll be a Bangalorean, hopefully

Oh, oh, oh

I don’t have change

They say why can’t you pay with UPI*

Oh, oh, oh

There’s always a paan walla to the rescue*

Praise allah, thank you!

The cows on the street

Keep staring at me

They seem to say

“Lord Krishna’s looking out for you”

So, oh, oh

It won’t take long

‘Cause in no time I’ll earn my dues

Good morning Bangalore

Scream the kids with a deafening roar*

On my field visits to the schools

Why can’t I convince them that I’m cool

Good morning Bangalore

I know you’ve got so much in store

By the end of this 10-month journey

I’ll be a Bangalorean, hopefully

I’ll know every park

Have tried all the chaat

Don’t worry I’ll only risk if it’s cooked hot

And trust I’ve stocked up on Odomos spray

No mosquito bites for me

I can’t get dengue!*

(I can’t get dengue)

So, oh, oh

I’m getting the hang

The trees in the “Garden City” keep me sane

Oh, oh, oh

It’s almost 5:00 and my phone my rings

Europa’s calling me!*

She says meet at Bob’s?*

Let’s have a drink and goss

The absolute best way to end the day

So oh, oh

Don’t make me wait

One more moment in this crazy traffic

I love you Bangalore

Every day’s a doozy for sure

But every night feels like a party

I’ll figure out work/life balance, don’t worry

And I promise Bangalore

That by the end

I’ll have a decades worth of lore

And speak perfect Kannada and Hindi

Can we be best friends already?

Bangalore and me

(Best friends, already?)

Bangalore and me!

*UPI – As a foreigner, I can only use UPI to pay registered businesses. Most auto-wallas have personal accounts.

*Paan Walla – In my never ending quest for small bills, I’ve come to rely heavily on street-corner paan wallas.

*Roar – Whenever I walk into a classroom the children greet me with a unanimous “Good Morning Sir” that is so loud it sounds like it is going to blow the roof off.

*Dengue – My first time in South Asia I got dengue, and have heard that getting it a second time could be fatal.

*Europa – AIF Co-Fellow also placed in Bangalore.

*Bob’s Bar – A famous chain of local Bangalore bars.

Author

Nicholas Lampietti

Nicholas Lampietti is a passionate storyteller committed to advancing narratives that promote self-reflection, civic engagement, and peace. Originally from Washington D.C., he has lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and studied in India, the U.K., and Iowa, where he graduated from Grinnell College with a B.A. in Sociology and Concentration in Peace & Conflict Studies. While at Grinnell, he launched “Going Forth,” a career-focused podcast conveying Grinnell’s mission and ethos to a global audience of 2000+ unique listeners including students, their families, and alumni. He also worked for the Wilson Center for Innovation and Leadership Catalyst Fund, where he guided startups and creative projects through a competitive microgrant incubator program. Nicholas is skilled in policy advocacy, business development, and social science research methodologies, with a particular focus on ethnography and discourse analysis of religious nationalism in countries like Myanmar and Sri Lanka. A life-long lover of theatre, he served as a Marketing Intern for the critically acclaimed international theatre company the Neo-Futurists and as a Government Affairs Intern for Americans for the Arts, the leading arts advocacy organization in the United States. He was also the captain of Grinnell’s long-form improv team and a member of their children’s theatre troupe. Most recently, he spent the summer collaborating with musicians and theatremakers across northern India to develop an original musical about the life of the Buddha on a Projects for Peace Grant. In his free time, you can find Nicholas exploring museums, hunting for the best kulfi, and chasing his Broadway dreams.

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