Another Name Bites the Dust

Greetings. I'm back in India after a brief stay back in the States. Can't you just feel my excitement?

The trip over was uneventful, with the exception of the clutz sitting across from me on the Frankfurt to Hyderabad flight. Not once, but twice, he managed to trip over the guy sitting across from him and send glasses and papers all over the floor. He either was wearing clown shoes or was drunk. Either way he woke me up both times. Moron.

Ok, so some of you may be familiar with the city name changes that have taken place here in India over the last ten years. In an effort to shed the last remnants of colonialism (and drum up political support for local politicos looking for a wedge issue), Bombay became Mumbai, Calcutta became Kolkuta, and Madras became Chennai (side note, has anyone seen my Chennai shorts?).
The name changers struck again yesterday. This time their target was Bangalore. Yes, perhaps you've heard of it? It's the center of the IT job boom that has pulled the Indian economy roaring into the 21st century. So it's a billion dollar brand name. The new name? Bengalooru! Loosely translated, it means "City of cooked beans" in the local Kannada language. Pretty catchy, huh?

My guess is the name will only be used in official circles and by localists intent on preserving whatever it is they're preserving. The rest of us will still call it Bangalore or maybe I'll just call it Beanbai.