Treading gingerly...

Saying Goodbye - Part 1

2011-08-27T15:10:00.000-05:00

Location: Burger King, 2^nd Level, Stuttgart Airport, Germany.

Time: 1.15 pm.

Date: August 23^rd, 2011.

The raised skin on my palms hurt. Clutching the large coke with both my hands provides a little relief. I rather not do it often. It’s already half full and I need it to last for three hours.

I wonder what precisely about novelty excites me. Is it merely the fact that it is the causative agent to ‘change’? That would definitely not explain my random bouts of love for laziness. On that note, I think I would love pottery. The more clay you add, the better you can mold, the better it can transform, hence, the more choices you have to make your creation even more beautiful. I find the metamorphosis of the human mind similar. As a staunch believer of man being an eternal student, I completely agree with Darwin when he said that only those organisms most adaptive to change, survive. Yes, only those pots most inclined to change, to withhold the new clay, make it out into the market for sale. Now that I think of it, I probably took it upon myself to start loving change. The human mind is a mysteriously vulnerable organ. It can be misled into believing almost anything that one deems right. I made my mind believe that change was good, always. Isn’t experience the best teacher? Any change that works to our disadvantage always comes with a hidden lesson which can be learnt to prevent the occurrence of a similar change in the future. The pre-frontal cortex is responsible for these actions which relate to the future.

She is back again today. She reminds me of my co-traveller on my way from Krakow to Berlin. I wish she would speak in her classy English accent again, but all of her clients till now knew German. I wonder if she would recognize me. After all, I’m wearing the same clothes.

There is a default network in the brain which has received much of the gung-ho lately from neuroscientists around the world. It is believed that the brain doesn’t rest even when it is believed to not be performing any neural actions. In simple terms, the default mode activity of the brain is at its peak when we get bored. The restless person that I am, I’m sure my brain is as averse to the default network as a touch-me-not plant to pressure. That also explains why I love staying out of the default mode by being more responsive to change and hence love this change/novelty.

I smile after writing this last part. I love what science has done to me.

I remember walking west through Wishnick Hall back in November 2010, looking at the multitudinous posters on the bulletin board to my right. One stood out clearly: the map of Germany with the German tricolor. The DAAD Rise program sounded very coveted then. A change of location for the summer would definitely be welcoming. I would get a unique opportunity to immerse myself in the plethora of novelty that would surround me in a foreign land.

She looked at me and smiled back, a tinge of recognition in her eyes. Why does that make me happy?

I took the chance and applied. My parents are firm believers of the power of experience. If I didn’t get accepted, I would at least stand a better chance the next time I apply. I could relate to that easily. Maybe it was just genes. Regardless, it definitely sparks a good nature v/s nurture debate. Debattieren. I didn’t realize debating would stay with me for so long. I wish my university had a debating club. On retrospect, I guess I started debating in high school only because all the top students did it; and it became fun along the way - to the extent, that I was actually considering law school. This year I will be a part of the Student Government Judicial Board in our university - my first tryst with law. I also hear there might be a possible vacancy in the Finance Board. That appeals more to my mathematical brain. Love for mathematics will definitely be a pre-requisite in my choice for a potential partner years later. Love. I remember the seventeen year old sister of my flat mate ask me what love is when sitting below the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. How would I even know? It is a word I’ve used to describe my emotions for my family. I know I would do anything for them. Is that love? On the other hand, I wouldn’t do anything for chocolate but I do love chocolate. Hmm…paradox. Oh, what a feeling it is to be in love when you are in the city of love. I was in love with life. I embraced change with open arms and appreciated even the smallest cobwebs that adorned the Pere Lachaise Cemetery; after all, they were the nouveauté in my life. Contrary to one’s belief, this Parisian cemetery was not at all eerie. It was just like the rest of Paris – beautiful, gorgeous and fashionable. Yes, it took me some time to digest the fact that a cemetery could be beautiful. It took me two hours after having set out from the Louvre Museum, to find Oscar Wilde’s grave. The note in front of his grave pleaded tourists to respect the author by not defacing his gravestone. The number of lipstick kisses on the stone was yet another rather artistic display of how mankind absolutely enjoys thwarting rules. I thought of the Happy Prince, I thought of the Nightingale and the Rose, I thought of the Picture of Dorian Gray. I wished my brother was there with me. All three days in Paris, I looked at the brother – sister duo who accompanied me to Paris and missed my brother a lot. We stopped going on adventurous family trips ten years back when my brother started high school and education became priority #1. My father always made us notice sweepers when we were young. He would say, “If you don’t study, you will become like him. Look at his clothes, look at his appearance. He will keep sweeping the floor all day throughout the year but will steal not earn as much.” I remember the countless number of times my father clasped my hand tightly when he said this. I miss the warmth. I miss the feeling of security. It wasn’t as much about the lack of luxury that interested me when I saw those laborers, but more so the lack of luster in their faces. Browner than the standard Indian brown, tired, helpless, monotonous yet driven by the hunger in their stomachs, these people believed that the show must go on always. I always looked up at my father and noticed the stark contrast. The crisp ironed shirt, well groomed beard, sauna-scrubbed face, smiling worriless down at me. Of course the comparison wasn’t completely legitimate as it was during one of my father’s relaxed moments while it was the laborer’s workplace but I was young then and didn’t understand this fallacy.

My right knee has begun hurting again. The tight skinny jeans are not doing my scalded knee any good. Half an hour more.

As we crossed the light, the peak of the tower was visible. It was golden. The contrasting black night sky increased the illumination. My pupils dilated, lips slightly parted. As we continued walking, I remembered it was another 150 meters till I would be able to see the entire Eiffel Tower which was covered by some residential buildings currently. I grew impatient with each step. I could see my destination but my short legs could speed up walking only to a certain limit. I told the brother – sister, “Ugh, I can’t wait!” and sprinted the 100 meters. I was back in grade 5. I had to run the fastest. No thought in mind, except that I had to complete these 100 meters as fast as I can. I felt the familiar whiff of wind gush past my hair. Only, this was the Parisian wind. And then, I saw the 2 pizza boxes I was holding, fly into the air. My dash was interrupted by a chain which camouflaged itself against the darkness of the night. I felt scratches on my knees, shins and palms as I found myself face down on the ground. I looked up. Fortunately, our pizza slices didn’t fly out of their boxes. I looked beyond them. My destination was still a couple of meters away. I got up, picked up the boxes and ran again only to be halted by my sharp intake of breath. It was there. Complete. In all of its glory. The Eiffel Tower. My mouth opened wide enough to make flies happy. I went numb. I looked to my right to find my co-travellers a long way ahead. I decided to wait for them. I looked down at my murky dress and the thin stream of blood running down my left leg. My dream lay in front of me. Nothing else really mattered. I was finally there. It looked just like the pictures, yet was better than anything I could ever imagine. And then, my mind stopped thinking. It was one of those rare moments in my life when no thought polluted my mind. Not even a simple, ‘This is so beautiful’. I waited.

I see a BA personnel. I need to go. I might be back soon.

Saying Goodbye - Part 2

2011-08-27T15:09:00.000-05:00

Location: Gate 113, Stuttgart Airport, Germany.

Time: 4.45 pm.

Date: August 23^rd, 2011.

Third boarding pass, second security check, change of clothes and a new Band-Aid later, I’m back again where I was yesterday. Two more hours.

As they came closer I started walking further ahead so I could see it from exactly in the middle. That’s when all the hormones surged enthusiastically. How lucky was I to finally see it in person, to have touched it earlier, to have climbed all the way to the top. While we were sitting there for some time, a group of middle aged drunk women camped not very far from us, had employed two guitarists to sing for them. At the stroke of the midnight hour, to my astonishment, the Tower started dazzling in white sparkles. Imagine the great big Eiffel Tower, in all its golden glory – but, also sparkling white all over, as though a string of pearls suddenly came to life just so they could dance over it in jubilance. Just to make the moment even more magical, the guitarist started singing Cheb Khaled’s Aicha! Now, that’s coincidence! Think of the only French song you know. Now think of the only time you visit France, you actually get to hear a real Frenchman singing it right in front of your glittery dream. All this thanks to my parents. I wish they were here to see this with me. If they hadn’t sent me to study abroad to the USA, I would never have applied to RISE. If they hadn’t been encouraging enough to build the confidence in me to travel alone, I would never have seen this at the age of 20. Some people wait for years and years to fulfill their dream travel destination. The old man in the movie ‘Up’ waited his entire lifetime before completing his dead wife’s desire to visit South America. Teeny little me, am just 20. I don’t deserve this right now. My parents do. They slogged for years and years unceasingly just so we, their children could live happy lives. It’s about time they stopped, and enjoyed their lives now. I felt my eyes welling up. Is this the cycle of life? Man enters this world dependent on others, and then spends his life by returning the favor - bringing in more men to see the beauty of his world. Our earth is buzzing with this constant activity. Cycles of birth result in evolution. Cycles of evolution result in a different species. I wonder if there is indeed a species so highly evolved that they alone were responsible for the birth of our universe. I wonder if we have been living in a vicious cycle of universes wherein our universe is born every time this species does something which causes the entire realm of space to explode and hence be responsible for the Big Bang Explosion. Karma would then indeed be true, wouldn’t it? Universally, every action would then definitely have a reaction. Unfortunately for Newton, not necessarily opposite; but a reaction, yes indeed. I wonder if the objective of life as we know it, is nothing else except completing this cycle of our universe. Birth of the universe, evolution of the universe, destruction of the universe by its own organisms and then death of the universe for the cycle to restart. That would still not solve the timeworn origin of life conundrum, but would definitely tantalize us more.

Ding! “[Some German Announcement]. Attention Please! The gate to Lufthansa Flight 0925 to Paris has been changed to Gate 310.”

Yes, I was in Paris, excessively homesick. It didn’t help walking down the famous Champs de Elysée from the Arc de Triomphe as it so reminded me of North Michigan Ave in Chicago. Great, now I was missing both my homes. And then I saw a Louis Vuitton store. OH yeah, I remember the label: ‘Louis Vuitton Paris.’ My eyes count the number of their store windows. Six windows and then the store turns. But wait, they have a second floor. Oh no…the entire Louis Vuitton building was at least fifteen floors high! I was indeed in Paris. We passed a Peugeot showroom, a Mercedes Benz showroom and a Renault showroom showing off their snazzy cars. I thought to myself, this was where the high flyers of the world shop at. Now I know the secret of the French economy. The French government loves their people. Strategically located beautiful parks, play grounds for children, well lined roads, pretty buildings, pollution control; it would be an absolute pleasure to live here and contribute to the economy. Even the many beggars who crowded their train stations were better dressed than the average middle class strata of people in India. The nouveauté of Paris charmed me. I thanked all the forces of the Universe, yet again.

I see another BA personnel. The chairs are filled once again. The screen says expected take off time is 7.15 pm. We’ll see.

The last time I would see the brother-sister duo – ever. I said many good byes this summer knowing fully well that this was the last time I would see them, unless we were destined to meet. I wonder how destiny fits in with Karma. I don’t believe in chance. It is too chaotic and random. I do believe in ordered chaos though. The bus back to Stuttgart was scheduled to reach at 7 am. Although, I made it to Stuttgart at 8.30 am. It wasn’t till 10 am that I finally reached my dorm room back in Tübingen. I hadn’t even started packing then. I was leaving Germany in 9 hours. 135 minutes of uninterrupted packing later, I called the Housemaster to hand over my keys to him and set off for the last time to my lab. I hated leaving. I kept mumbling to myself how I didn’t want to leave. I told my supervisors that I didn’t want to leave. I hated leaving. I could continue saying this on and on. Tired of handling my super heavy bag, I fell asleep in the bus. A nice co-passenger woke me up to notify me that we had reached the airport. I spend about an hour trying to repack my considerably overweight bag so most of the weight is carried by my poor shoulders on the flight as carry on. A surprise vegetarian burger at Burger King later, I faced security check which didn’t work to my favor considering I had to unpack my carry-on bags and stuff everything all over again. They took my Speculoos!! Speculoos is a really tasty gram cookie paste that is available only in Belgium and The Netherlands. I wanted my family to taste it! Slowly, I made my way towards Gate 113 where I would board my flight to London Heathrow and then to Chicago O’Hare tomorrow. I waited. I didn’t want to go back. I waited some more.

Still waiting. Should probably pack my laptop in. 6.49 pm.

Two hours after the scheduled time for my flight, we received a notice that our flight to London had been cancelled and that we should see the BA personnel at the ticketing desk for further help. I saw people dart back into the airport and without knowing any better, I followed. Yes, I panicked. I had never faced a cancelled flight before. I had no idea how I would make my flight to Chicago the next day. Where was my checked in bag? I didn’t want to pay more. I felt helpless. I checked my phone but I couldn’t call any one as I didn’t remember any numbers. The last call I had made was home. It was 1 am in India. I thought to myself, if not now, then when. Scared and stranded, standing at the front of a long queue at Stuttgart Airport, I called home.

The gate’s opening. Can this be it?

My brother read out all the legal fine print from the British Airways website on cancelled flights. Better aware of my options, I faced the lady at the help desk who gave me a new itinerary for a flight which would make me reach Chicago 8 hours late. I didn’t have an option but to accept it. From there, I stood in another queue to collect my hotel voucher where BA had agreed to give us accommodation and food for one night. 60 passengers stranded in an airport scurried to reclaim their checked-in baggage and then head to the hotel. There was another queue to get into the airport shuttle which was taking us to the hotel. I started chatting with an old English lady and a pair of teenage brothers travelling alone. We planned to meet for our free dinner in a few minutes. Luckily, it was a four star hotel and they had arranged us well. I dropped my bags into my spacious single room and headed down. Queuing seemed to be the order of the day as we stood in another queue for dinner.

I need to go!!! Yayy!!

Saying Goodbye - Part 3

2011-08-27T15:07:00.003-05:00

Location: Terminal 1 bench, London Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom.

Time: 4.20 am.

Date: August 24^th, 2011.

I just found out my laptop didn’t auto-update the time. Another hour more.

The sign post outside the restaurant area in the hotel read, ‘Please wait to be seated.’ Although there were quite a few empty seats, we couldn’t take them as we were not a part of their group. It felt kind of outrageous that single travellers from our flight group occupied a table for three, reading. We waited. After a while, one of the servers walks up to us to let us know, regretfully, that the kitchen was now closed. Oh, the brouhaha she stirred by saying that! There were at least fifteen of us waiting for dinner after a long day at the airport and we were told that we couldn’t get it! What followed was a lot of haggling with the receptionist, the managers, the kitchen staff and the BA professionals. Finally, some of them had to work overtime, while some of the reception desk staff doubled up as servers. We were given 20 euros to spend on their a la carte menu and it sure was a great meal! The first sip of coke after about 5 hours of talking and convincing different people, felt blissfully relieving. The conversation itself turned out to be particularly interesting when I happened to share the table with a lady from Surrey!! THE Surrey from Harry Potter! I told her about how excited I was to meet someone from Surrey and she wouldn’t believe it. She also told me that she worked right across from the street which is used as Diagon Alley in the movies!! How cool was that! Another lady I met was this recent Masters graduate from the Cass Business School who didn’t have any positive things to say about the job market or the economy in London. Good luck to her. So after that very wonderful meal, I went upstairs to my inviting bed and couldn’t fall asleep. So, I flipped through some German TV channels for the first time ever while in Germany. One of the channels was playing Inception in English and I let it stay on the sleep mode while I slowly drifted off into deep slumber. Maybe it was just the great four-star bedding, or the fact that I hadn’t slept really well for the past few days, but all I remember was waking up with a jolt when I heard room service knocking on the door. Check –out time?! Where was I? Paris? Tübingen? I don’t get room service in my dorm room. I opened my eyes groggily and it all hit me. I scuttled for my phone amidst the sheets to check the time and good golly, it was 11:54 am. My flight to London was in 6 minutes. I was going to miss it. And, possibly the one to Chicago at 3 pm. Grim silence.

The inter-airport shuttle buses are back in service. I leave London in three hours!

I called the reception to order a taxi for me while I got dressed and rushed downstairs. Ugghh, even more delays for check-out later, I got into the cab which seemed to stop at every traffic light there was between the hotel and the airport. Gotta hate Murphy during such times when his laws actually make sense. I made it to the ticketing desk at half past noon and explained my situation. They wanted to give me the same option of 12 noon, 3pm for the next day. Although, this time, they refused to arrange for my night stay. Of course, it was my mistake then. I really should do something about my sleep, or invest in a new alarm. So I asked them if they could hook me up with the same connections I was originally confirmed for, a few calls later, I got a new itinerary for my flight(s) to Chicago. The third in 24 hours. Way to go, Shefali! Check – in was after 4 hours and going out into the city was futile so I decided to find a good spot in the airport to chill at. Hunger took me to the Burger King on the 2^nd level and I opened my laptop to start writing…

I couldn’t believe when the gate finally opened and I was walking down the sky walk into the plane. That’s when I finally felt only sadness. I was leaving Germany with no concrete plans of returning. Germany, the country that did more good to me than I can ever imagine. In some very dramatic words, I perhaps found my inner calling there. This summer was definitely one of the turning points in my life. The number of people I would physically never be seeing. All I wanted to do at that moment was to turn and walk back…

Terminal 3 is lit up again. It looks like the middle of the day now although its only 5 am. Hunger pangs again and I need to catch my last flight to Chicago. I should really leave now. Spending the night on the seats here has been no fun. I see there are more flights to India in the morning, than to the U. I just wish I could take one of the three flights to Mumbai and go to my real home. This has been quite an ordeal. Left a country grudgingly to go to another country, equally grudgingly. But, life’s been good overall. I guess that’s what matters, right? I guess you can always call life, good. It’s just your perspective that changes your outlook. To quote Dumbledore from one of the Harry Potter movies, “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of the times; if only you know where to turn on the lights.” It is where and what phases of your life that you choose to look at, that make the difference. After all, it’s all about basking in happiness, innit? Hopefully, this thought stays with me in my final year of college. Bring it on, senior year! I’m ready. InshAllah!

The Charisma of the Cologne Cathedral

2011-08-13T23:16:00.002-05:00

It's been more than a month since I wrote and today marks the beginning of my last week in Germany. I realized I should get over my inertia and laziness for the sake of my poor memory and document my summer in pictures and word equally. Pictures, I have been. But, I stopped writing and now I start again. More so because it will keep haunting me that I haven't completed my summer blog and I hate leaving things incomplete. So, here goes --

The hiking trip at the black forest really left me sore all over, yet I was determined to continue visiting most of Europe. One of my friends from Berlin was interning at Juelich, a town at the border of Germany, France and Belgium. Dider, a red-headed French Canadian (haha 'DDA', I'll always remember you this way!) planned to visit Brussels the following weekend and considering my love for Godiva, I knew I had to join him for this one. So, I go onto my favorite website - Mitfahrgelegenheit to search for ride shares from Tuebingen to Brussels for that weekend. I freakking even had the name of my Brussels blog post ready (From the land of the finest chocolate-Brussels) !! Little did I know that I would never be seeing Brussels this summer...

Come Friday, my itinerary consisted of 4 ride shares, complete with their license plate numbers, car colors and a 4 hour midnight stopover at Cologne. As planned, I took off on Friday evening and reached Cologne late Friday night. I still remember clearly the moment I stepped out of the Hauptbahnhof: I was both intimidated AND stupefied. My brain did an elaborate search to find the right words that describe the exemplary piece of architecture that lay before me - but it failed. My English vocabulary failed me once again. I was looking at the Cologne Cathedral. The moment my eyes fell on the majestic masterpiece, I was speechless. My mouth dry, lips slightly parted, body stiff; I stood there transfixed for three whole minutes before finally pulling out the camera from my bag. The sheer grandeur of the humongous cathedral coupled with the brillant illuminance left me dazed. Never before had I seen something this magnificent outside of the pages of a book. In that moment, I knew I had to travel all over the world to see many more sights as these. In that moment, I knew all my bookish knowledge woud never compensate for the mesmerizing experience that I might have when I'm physically travelling through the world contained in my history and geography books. In that moment, I thanked God twice; First, for creating mankind who built such a magnanimous piece of art like the Cologne Cathedral. And then, thanked Him for helping teeny little me travel across the cliched seven seas just so I could stand in front of it and gaze in astonishment.

The Magnificence of the Cologne Cathedral.

The Hauptbahnhof with the missing 'O'. :-O :-P

Anyone who knows me by now, can most definitely bet their life on the fact that I have pictures of the cathedral from every angle...aaand yes I do!! Because I reached Cologne really late in the night, I had arranged to crash at a fellow RISE student's place till the morning. While waiting for Chris and Srishti to show up, I must've taken a minimum of 30 pictures at the very least. Chris is an unconventional frat boy from Tucson, Arizona while Srishti is this totally calm and composed Indian from Massachusetts. The were such awesome hosts! They took me around Cologne in the night to some of the most happening places. Lucky for me, Cologne is the 4th biggest city in Germany and unlike Tuebingen, isn't dead at night. We had a great time talking throughout the night about life in general, till it was time for me to meet my rideshare at the Hbf. With many thanks and a promise to friend each other on facebook, I left for the main train station early Saturday morning. A couple of unanswered calls to my rideshare driver later, I decide to walk around inside the station and do a little window shopping while I wait for the driver to turn up. Wait. Wait. Wait. Call. Wait. Call. Call. Call. Wait. After two hours of exploring every nook and corner of the Cologne Hbf, I receive a call from the driver saying he had canceled his trip to Brussels that day. :-| I wished I could scream and swear at him, but that really would have been futile. We really had no agreement apart from our word and of course men's words can be broken as easily as 0.1mm lead pencil. So there I was, at the Cologne Hbf with no clue of how I would reach Brussels and it was already Saturday afternoon. Just one and a half day more. A train ticket would cost 5x times as much as what I would have otherwise paid had my driver not ditched me. I sent a quick text to Didier apologizing that I wouldn't be able to meet him in Brussels. I looked around. The city seemed nice. Going back to Tuebingen right now would be a waste of time and money having come this far. And, I'd heard Cologne had a famous Chocolate Museum!! Needless to say, I decided to spend the rest of my weekend in Cologne. =)

Wandering around the Cathedral

First thing I did was get myself a map and find a good hostel for the night. By now, I know check-in times for most hostels in Europe are usually 2pm/3pm. So I killed time by wandering around the cathedral and taking more pictures. I even ended up climbing the 596 winding stairs to the top of the cathedral to get an aerial view of the city. Yeah, that ascent was really tiring after my hike in the Black Forest the week before. On my way down though, we passed by the church bells and incidentally, it was time for their hourly ring. Try to imagine metallic bells thres times bigger than your little self, ringing right in front of your eyes. Not one or two, but five!! Clang, clang they kept on reverberating the entire dome. It took a while for my ears to get accustomed to the tremendously loud sounds before my hands could once again fish out the quintessential camera!

Look at the size of the bell in relation to the men.

By the time I got downstairs and found a cheap hostel for myself, I was totally drained of all my energy. Even so, because I hadn't slept at all the night before. So I rested for a few hours before going back into the city to explore Heumarkt and Neumarkt - the two main markets of the AltStadt. Neumarkt is where the big shopping destination is - H&M, Fossil, Marco Polo, Zara, Adidas...you'll find most of your favorite international brands here while Heumarkt did the locals. Of course every other store in each of these markets was a bakerei and of course I had to try the 'Berliner' this far away from Berlin! The sugar coated donut is deliciously soft and sweet with fruit jelly surprisingly gushing out of the donut into your mouth. I had two of those. =)

Oops! A giant ice cream just dropped from the sky in Heumarkt!

I'll write about day two in Cologne in the next post! Till then, thanks for reading and below are a few more pictures! :)

Such intricate gothic architecture!

Beautiful.

Stained glass windows covered the cathedral from inside.

Inside.

Inside Again.

Through the land of the Black Forest Cake - Schwarzwald!

2011-06-29T19:02:00.010-05:00

My triceps hurt when I pull a door to open. My ankles feel better when I rotate them. My calf muscles stretch uncomfortably when I bend to pick up something. The backrest pillow is suddenly not appeasing enough. There is always this constant need to stretch...Yet, every inch of my muscle ache is worth a trip to the Black Forest!

The Black Forest, locally called Schwarzwald, is a wooded mountain range located in southwest Germany. It was named such because the coniferous trees are so dense that they end up blocking most of the sunlight rendering the forest to be pitch black even during the day. Trust me, reading this fact on Wikipedia is way different from actually stumbling over rocks, balancing your foothold amidst the trees through the darkness at 2 pm in the day. Ever eaten a black forest cake? Well, this region is where the original recipe of the cake came from! :-D

So my adventure started at 6am on a bright cool Saturday morning at the bus stop when I saw that the next bus to the Hauptbahnhof (Hbf) or the main train station was scheduled to arrive in 50 minutes! I was supposed to meet two other RISE students there at 6.30 am and I didn't even have their phone numbers to let them know that I might be late as I had decided to walk it. Having never walked the 45 minute walk to the train station before, I was already thinking of alternate plans for the weekend in case my co-hikers decide to ditch me. That's when it occurred to me that the fastest way is probably to hitchhike to the train station. Now, having grown up in India where girls are conditioned to think that every unknown man is hell bent on mugging you, raping you and then killing you, I was really skeptical about asking random cars for a lift. But then I thought of Kasia, my Polish co-traveler from Krakow to Berlin, who said that single girls often hitchhike in Europe and as long as you look confident enough to kick their balls, you should be fine. Just confidence, eh? Sure I could pull that off! I decided to give it a shot. First two cars I thumb signaled at, had aged drivers who wouldn't stop for a black-haired foreign girl at 6 in the morning. An asian man passed by in a van and I lowered my hand as soon as I saw that it was a work van. I don't know what made me do that but it definitely didn't look like a good idea to get in that van. Ten minutes and a couple of cars later an Audi slowed down on seeing me. I got excited and nervous at the same time!! My first time hitchhiking and that too in an Audi! I kept hoping constantly that the man doesn't mess up. A late 20s German man opened the door before I tested my language skills with him! I did convey the message across that would he please, as to drop me to the station if he is going that way, please. Note the repeated use of 'please'. 'Bitte' in German literally translates to 'please' and that's the one word Germans would use in every single sentence if they could. Bitte is surely the metaphorical mother of all the magic words out there. So, even while the Audi cruised through familiar roads, I didn't let go of the Swiss Army knife that I had clutched fast in my pocket. At one point I swear I felt as if my pounding heart was competing with the Audi to go faster. Retrospecting, I guess I just got lucky with the hitchhike - probably shouldn't do that again! :-P

The beginning of the trail at Pforzheim

The route that we chose for our hike was to go to the northernmost city of the Black Forest and keep going south till we reach a town called Forbach and then we take a train back to Tuebingen. Two transfers later, my co-hikers, Patty, Nick and myself reach Pforzheim. A nice little town with really pretty flowers and fountains but the buzzkill was the paid bathroom. After a little exploring around the town, we finally hit our trail - the Westweg. It's one of the popular 14 day hiking trails through the Black Forest and is about 279 km long. We had decided to cover the first 2 days of the trail which would take us to Dobel in 25km and Forbach in another 25km.

I've never really hiked 25km in a single day before so this was quite a challenge for me. The trail to Dobel was not as densely covered as we expected it to be, although it was beautifully scenic. The triangular tree tops of the Forest cutting into the clear blue sky in the distance looked like out of a postcard. The white water river gushing over mossy green rocks, drowning the noise of the city traffic felt oh so sublime. I suddenly didn't miss my cities any more...
One of the co-hikers, Patty is really adventurous. She grew up in Alberta, Canada at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and has been cross country skiing, multi-day backpacking and mountaineering ever since she could remember. My other co-hiker, Nick grew up on a farm in Western Michigan and still lives there with his family, his horses, ponies, cats, dogs and potbelly pigs . Clearly for both of them our weekend nature trail was more like finding a home in Germany. For me, it was quite the opposite. And I loved it!

Half way to Dobel, we came across a castle called the Neunberg Castle. The castle looked really old and the doors were locked. The windows were a little too high for us to jump in through. Yet, we decided to climb up the rocky window and get into the dilapidated castle for lunch. If that wasn't enough, we even end up climbing up to the second floor window of the castle!

Try to find Nick(in red) and me(in gray) in the first window

The window we climbed to get into the Neunberg castle

Dobel is a cute little hill station and our hostel turned out to be really nice. I was totally exhausted by this time and fell asleep as soon as I hit the bed. All I rem is Patty asking me to wake up the next morning saying it was my second wake up call! :-D Yeah, I still take ages to get up in the morning, tired or not. After seriously considering in the shower if I should just abandon the hike and take a train back to Tuebingen, I settle on testing myself to hiking 25 more kilometers! When am I gonna get a chance to hike in THE Black Forest of Germany again?! I shouldn't succumb to my laziness when new places are waiting to be discovered! =) So, a really heavy complimentary breakfast later, we set out on our way to Forbach. The forest patches got denser as we climbed the hills further. We even spotted many fellow hikers on this trail. Germans live really healthy lives. Here I was massaging my foot at every opportunity while people aged 55+ coolly overtook us with their walking sticks in tow. There were also people aged around 70 biking the trail! Yes, I did feel ashamed at my lack of physical fitness and that served as one of my motivations to complete the trail.

Our hotel, Gastof Zur Linde, in Dobel

The awesome restaurant of the hotel

At the highest elevation, we reached a watch tower built by Kaiser Wilhelm in 1897! It overlooked almost all of the northern Black Forest region and the view was amazing! I was really happy to see that in today's concrete jungle, this forest was preserved through the times. I felt a really cool breeze evaporate all of my sweat away and I was good to go to complete the journey! There are some times in your life when you are so engaged in doing something for a continuous period of time that you feel completely empty and void once you're required to stop. That's precisely how I felt when we only had to cover 650 m to reach the Forbach Hbf. I wanted to keep walking...

Forbach is a very very scenic location. It is located right in the middle of Schwarzwald and the local S-Bahn train makes it's way from between the forest hills. I was reminded of this Hindi Bollywood movie song video because the train ride shown is very similar to what I rode. The Black Forest hike definitely took me even more closer to nature than before. There is something about temperate forests which is just so alluring and peaceful. The tropical forests in India are kinda chaotic and intimidating as compared to these. Definitely worth a visit if you're in Germany! Oh, and don't forget to try the tastilicious AUTHENTIC Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte! ;)
I'll let some of my pictures do the talking now! :)

2:37pm. Really?

Look at the Forest behind me!!

It's so dark!

Patty and Nick

A witch chilling by a drinking water tap in Forbach

Cheers!

Max Planck, my first love in Germany.

2011-06-22T19:51:00.003-05:00

Sounds scandalous, eh? ;-)There have been many things happening around here lately, one of them being me extending my work hours. I realized that I don't end up doing anything really constructive by coming home at 5pm everyday,so I might as well stay in the lab for a longer time and take more breaks whilst there. So, now I officially have a 55 hour work week and I'm absolutely loving it! :-D
Talking of work, apart from sitting on a chair all day and staring at a screen, I've even been eating a lot lately. I've started eating breakfast and even follow my meals with a dessert!! So much so for living like student, huh! I've also been cooking Indian food for dinner considering I'm left with no other option other than fine dining. Although a university town, Tuebingen doesn't have any late night dining options. I asked some of the students where they go to satisfy their 3am cravings and they all say they go to their own kitchens and conjure something. According to them, one can't really expect something extravagant in the middle of the night, right? Oh, the disillusioned dears! They don't know what they're missing out on - the euphoria of a 4am Sarpino's delivery! :-P

Aloo mutter

Rajma chawal

An irritating aspect about cooking here though, is that Germans don't use gas stoves. They have four circular metallic hot plates which can be heated electrically. The problem with this is that firstly, they take forever to heat up to the maximum. Secondly, being strong conductors of heat they remain heated to the maximum even after the regulator has been lowered. This may often result in one's food being prone to burning in spite of a lowered heat setting. Now that I come to think of it, even the water heater in the shower is messed up. The most annoying part of my mornings is trying to set the correct temperature! Here is an apt cartoon to exactly describe what it is like.

The past weekend, I was supposed to visit the RitterSport chocolate factory with some fellow RISE interns. Instead, I spent the weekend with my flatmates. On Saturday, we went to a house party filled with Americans who have come here on a German language program - friends of my flatmate, Amy. On Sunday, we attended a monthly Sunday Night Worship session at an International Catholic Church - an invite from my other flatmate, Srijana. Both turned out to be interesting nights considering I hadn't done either before.

A cool looking house on our way to church

Interesting reminds me, Hiranandani (my residence in India) is on the front cover of the bi-annual research magazine of the Max Planck Institute! I've shared the link on this page - it is on the top right side and is titled Max Planck Research. I procured the English version of the magazine from somewhere to keep it on my desk so I can show people where I live! It also serves as a great motivator when my eyes wander off to facebook while at work. It's not as if I work all the time, either. Everyday after lunch, all of us end up playing foosball for at least half an hour. So, when our PI joined us for lunch on Monday, I presumed we would meekly go back to work after lunch. Instead, he joined us for a game! Oh and does he suck at it! :-P I thought I was the worst player in the lab, and I think that day he gave me some serious competition! He even played with us yesterday and today! In fact, we even celebrated his birthday today by opening two bottles of sparkling wine served with muffins! Wine at work?! Definitely, a 'neues' experience for me! That's the best part about working here. Not only is the job satisfaction great, but the working conditions are equally awesome! I don't even once feel like leaving the lab cuz I'm bored or overworked. Yes, I do get frustrated at times when my code doesn't carry out its magic, but all I do then is talk to one of my uber interesting colleagues and I'm suddenly rejuvenated again. The Bio Breakfast Tuesdays are another example of why this place is so engaging. Our entire lab gets together every Tuesday morning for a 'bio breakfast'. One person is responsible for bringing the breakfast, and another for discussing an interesting paper/article that they recently read. The others just relish to their stomach's content - or mind's, which ever they may please. I attended my first bio breakfast yesterday and it was so filling. I hadn't eaten so much breakfast in a long time, moreover the topic of discussion was, contrary to popular belief, the transcriptomes of RNA and DNA are actually different! In the midst of these games and discussions, I suddenly realized just how young I was in comparison to the entire group. The age difference between me and the next youngest person is at least 8 years! Yet, they are not at all intimidating. It's as if the age difference just disappears somewhere. :-)

The path that I take to work everyday is so beautifully scenic. I take my camera to work just so I never miss out on capturing these gorgeous moments which never fail to enthrall me.

Ugghhhh..I want a full time position at Max Planck after I graduate!!!! :-D

P.S. If you heard about the hype surrounding the total lunar eclipse a couple of days back, you would appreciate the fact that I actually got to witness it here! Here are some pictures that I could manage! Note the timestamps. :)

Cheers! :-)

Patriotic much?

2011-06-16T06:32:00.000-05:00

Last night I had a really interesting discussion with one of my flatmates, Konrad. It started off with me talking about my Berlin trip which of course had to even involve a delicate subject like World War II. His German perspective of the War kind of threw me off. Apparently, German kids study World War II multiple times while in grade school. They read about it twice in German class, twice in History class, once in Social Sciences and once in Ethics. I'm not even including the random references that teachers throw in throughout their schooling. This means that when the average German schoolkid goes to college, they are absolutely bored and frustrated of hearing how Germany was the reason the war turned out this gruesome, over and over again.

Understanding why and how the human brain thinks has always fascinated me, so when I heard this I asked him for more. If you have ever repeated a school year, or have studied the same syllabus again for a different exam, recall how pathetically disinterested and impatient you were to get done with it. Now try to imagine the impact that an over dosage of a topic such as this, could have on young minds trying to start afresh - devoid of war. Moreover, the excessive history is taught from a highly biased viewpoint, where every German is forced to think that Hitler was completely the worst thing to have ever happened and anything and everything associated with the Third Reich is negative. Does a back fire seem evident even to you here?

It's not just me, a recent poll shows that a quarter of Germans agree that Nazi rule had some positive aspects. The weekly Stern magazine commissioned the Forsa agency to conduct the poll after talk show host Eva Herman was fired from Germany's NDR public broadcaster last month for her comments on how the Third Reich was pro family life and motherhood. This is probably bubbling inside the inquisitive minds of young thinkers who just cannot take it that all of Germany could have been bad. A strange kind of awe towards the Nazis is bound to arise due to the constant negativity that they are surrounded by. Think about the same kind of awe when you as a kid, saw the local punkster in a garage shop and your parents forbid you to talk much to him to avoid any possible influence. One of the positive aspects which arose from such a backfire, that Konrad pointed out to me was the flawless execution of the concentration camps. It was out of sheer mastery in logistics that they were able to operate a mass extermination camp, where they killed and disposed millions in an astonishingly small time scale. More people died in the Auschwitz-Birkenau gas chambers (the metaphorical mother of all death camps) than those in the initial atomic bomb attacks at Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined!! Pure evil genius?

But this is us hearing it for the first time. Imagine, if this was drilled into your head for as long as you can remember. Imagine, if you were never once allowed to appreciate what your country has done for the world just because they made this one grave mistake. Imagine, if you could never be patriotic towards your country just because patriotism is confused for extreme nationalism which may translate to another Hitler. Imagine, if you were never allowed to impartially analyze the causes and effects of the War and were tired of being held responsible for all the deaths. Imagine, if you were always forced by your country to express strong emotions of love and hate for certain communities without free will of your own. Imagine, a time where being in the military does not stir a sense of pride in your heart...nor does singing your national anthem. Imagine a time when you can even barely remember your national anthem, leave alone sing along on national holidays. Imagine living in a country which is prejudiced for eons to come - stunted from achieving excellence in any field, only for the sake of international peace and retribution. Imagine a country which still opines for forgiveness and wants to say, "Yes, we learnt our lesson, but please let us be free from any accusations." That is Germany, today. They are world class in many things, but there is always this fear which hinders them from from being the best that they can. The after effects of the War have indirectly shaped the psyche of the next generation of Germans which renders them stoic towards anything to do with their nation. Is patriotism really that big a deal for a nation, then?

Haha, not to forget, Konrad very aptly gave a disclaimer warning that he thinks it was really sad and nasty that the genocide took place before he started with this conversation.

Prost! (Cheers in German)

The Auschwitz - Birkenau Death Camp - Must Visit.

2011-06-14T05:37:00.001-05:00

I don't think I will be able to give enough justice to the horrors that I saw in Auschwitz with my amateurish writing. Hence, what I have here is a plea to anyone who ever visits Europe, please don't miss out on Auschwitz. You will be helping the human race continue its existence by educating yourself in Auschwitz.

Is it really that difficult for humans to learn from our mistakes? One of the most shameful sights in the history of human living - Auschwitz should be visited by all of humanity today to prevent any recurrence of a similar event in the future.

May their souls rest in peace.

A magical adventure called Kraków.

2011-06-14T05:23:00.001-05:00

Think of that absolutely perfect fairy-tale wedding which you read about in grade school. The long flowing gown of the bride, the sparkling stones worn by affluent guests, the picturesque castle over the rock, the gliding river nearby, luminous stars in the night sky, plush-white horse carriages driven by uniformed coachmen, the grandeur of a Gothic cathedral in the background, the soothing melodies of a street opera singer performing at a distance, and to top it all, a casual breeze that makes your hair dance to the opera music. Let me welcome you to Krakow, Poland - where one is transported to the medieval times to physically live in the grandiose of their royal dreams. Don't believe me? Have a look at these..

Random church

Market Square

St. Mary's Basilica

Random theater palace

Going to Krakow, more known for its Nazi history than it's beautiful landscaping, was like a field trip for my camera! Everything was so breathtakingly beautiful that I took a picture of anything that my eyes could see. To the point when we bumped into a bride's wedding gift of sky lanterns for the groom, my camera betrayed me by dying. Sky lanterns are paper balloons which contain a waxy cake or burner which can be lit up for the balloon to fly. "Fire balloons" in the night sky over the Wawel Castle accompanied by music - a magically surreal night.

Fire balloons over the Wawel Castle

You know how I've started travelling cheap by using Mit Fahr, the car sharing website. Well, I finalized my 3 different car rides from Berlin to Krakow, Krakow to Berlin and Berlin to Tuebingen all on Friday morning. My trip was to begin on the same night at 9pm! I hurriedly packed my bags, found the Indian store and got some bangles for my host, left her a note and said my final goodbyes to Berlin with a heavy heart. I was so relieved to see my "driver" accompanied by a female friend. The six-hour road trip to Poland was sleepy but hey I reached at 3am and he was even nice enough to help me search for my hostel. Btw, my hostel in Krakow was called Hostel Mosquito - and no, contrary to what its name, logo and mascot would suggest, it was immaculately clean and unquestionably comfortable. In spite of check in being at 1pm, they allowed me to stay in the common room, help myself to the free all-you-can-eat breakfast, freshen myself up and use the internet. My friends who were taking the bus to Krakow were scheduled to arrive at 10am and I had a good chunk of time to read up on the city that I was in and google, "10 things to do in Krakow, Poland." I think that was one of the most bizarre moments in my life. You know when you are young and your parents take you out on a vacation, they give you a little background information about the city/country before you leave. They kinda prepare you to appreciate and acknowledge what the city may have to offer. And there I was sitting in a completely different country for the first time with little to no knowledge about its historical significance or its current international position in the world. I knew absolutely nothing about Poland except for the fact that 'Polish' is a pun also used to describe the substance which cleans your shoes. Angered at my own ignorance, I took charge of the opportune hours to familiarize myself with the wiki page of Poland and set out exploring Krakow with a map and a tourist guide book in tow.

The Quidditch Pitch aka the Barbican

The first thing I see? Krakow has a Quidditch pitch!!!!!!! The Barbican is a fortified outpost that once served as the entrance leading into the old city of Krakow. The old city is in fact a UNESCO recognized World Heritage Site. The entire city is a world heritage site!! Most of the night pictures that I posted above are from the old city. Amazing, huh?? Walking through the streets is a sheer pleasure as there are street performers at regular intervals who are either singing /dancing or doing both. Random young and old men,women playing melodious tunes on their electric guitar or harmonica or violin...It makes you want to stop walking and immerse yourself in that music.
Oh yeah and Poland doesn't use Euros, their currency is called Zlotys. Sounds like sluttys, eh? :-P It's actually pronounced as zwotys.
After going around a little more, reuniting with my friends who arrived later in the afternoon and checking out Polish restaurants, I finally concluded that finding vegetarian food was going to be a massive problem for me. I ended up trying their traditional Pierogi (dumplings) with cottage cheese for lunch and potatoes and polish noodles with cheese and butter for dinner. Yeah, if I return to Chicago as an unrecognizable, obese female who can barely walk, you know who to blame! ;)

We then walked through the Jewish area of Krakow as a part of a free walking tour where the guide explained the entire existence of Jews in Poland tracing back to the 14th century, to their mass extermination by the Nazis during WW II. I visited the Ghetto where Jews were imprisoned for two years before being sent to concentration camps and and and for all the movie enthusiasts, I visited THE Schindler's factory!! Remember, the movie Schindler's List?! Directed by Steven Spielberg, the movie was shot in Krakow, centered around the fate of the Jewish workforce in Nazi occupied Poland.

Schindler's Factory

The next day we visited the site of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and death camp. The epicenter of all the concentration camps operated by Nazis, Auschwitz was the deadliest and the most cruel of them all.

It was a really long day for us, so we decided to treat ourselves to a fancy dinner at a traditional Polish restaurant. Of course, I ordered the only vegetarian dish on the really extensive menu - a Greek Salad!! :-P It was surprisingly delectable and guess what, we got served complementary on the house glasses of Wisniowka cherry vodka. Apparently, they were homemade and a Polish specialty.

On my car ride back the next morning, one of my co-passengers was this female doing her MA in Liverpool studying Performance Arts. On the bus back from Auschwitz, I was talking to this guy from Leeds who was studying Music Technology when he wasn't traveling all over Europe. It really surprised me to realize that Indian kids are inadvertently pushed into this stereotype of making a living out of conventional fields of study only, like Science, Finance, Law, Computers. I guess its safer that way but when I meet all these people and ask them what they plan to do after graduation, it appalls me when they casually say, 'where the world will take me'. Now, am I being too judgmental there?

You wouldn't believe when we crossed the border from Poland to Germany, I was oh so relieved to hear/read German everywhere! It's hard to believe I was introduced to this language just two weeks back! I am definitely gonna make every effort to learn German now! Luckily, my 'driver' from Berlin to Tuebingen spoke as little English as I spoke German and I tried my best to keep the conversation going in German. I think I must've made my German teachers proud then. Oh, how I love to brag! :-P

Back to my lab again and I suddenly find myself missing my bed - not the comfortable one in Krakow, not the royal one in Berlin, nor the familiar one in Chicago - but my simple wooden one in Thane. Home is definitely where the heart is. Hopefully, in 6 months, I'll see you.

Cheers!

Where did the two weeks go?!

2011-06-09T19:52:00.001-05:00

Travelling cheap in Europe is both exciting and nerve wrecking! The fact that you just get one weekend off doesn't really help your case when you have to be in lab at 9am on the following Monday morning. I must say that we bombed our first weekend plans to Prague and learnt quite a lot from it. Planning ahead helps, but planning continuously and constantly revising your plans, ensures that they actually happen. For example, currently I am engaged in a group chat since the past 3 hours trying to figure out a trip to Krakow, Poland for the coming weekend. There are many options, but the cheapest bus/rail trip which makes us reach our labs on time are expensive. So then we have to scrape our mini holiday to a day and a half, but hey we get to see Krakow! :-D

At Bibim - the Korean restaurant. From left: Wallace (Scotland),
Erin (NYC), Clarence (Iowa), Ben (Scotland),
Hugo (Montreal), Didier (Montreal) and myself.

We. I love using that word, especially now cuz I'm suddenly surrounded by a bunch of people who are in the same dire state as me. They are all budding scientists which means that they're all super interesting to talk to. They are all lost in a strange land which means that they're all adventurous. They're all international which means that they all love to travel and explore. In the past two weeks, we bonded so well together that we feel like we have known each other for ages! We just had our last dinner together as a class in the best Korean restaurant in Berlin! It was a great meal accompanied with great company - not to forget the hilarious innuendo jokes that totally elevate the atmosphere. So as I get ready for the last day that I'll get to spend with you guys in Berlin, I would like to thank each of you for making this trip the best ever for me! It has truly been an honor in knowing each of you and hoping we continue to keep in touch - in Deutsch! Yeah, I can get emotional after class tomorrow! :-P
I think we really needed that dinner tonight. I, for one certainly did after the Holocaust memorial trip.

The Holocaust Memorial

The Holocaust memorial was built in 2004 for the 6 million Jews who were mercilessly killed during the Third Reich. This visit was one of my most heaviest visits of all time. We knew the facts and the history associated with Germany by now and our memories are constantly refreshed after every monument visit in Berlin; but this place was different. For the first time, I heard the voices of individual people recounting tales of how they were the only persons alive amidst the mound of dead bodies around them, waiting to be taken to the crematory. How they had escaped the dead pit when no was looking and survived. There were some survivors who spoke about having to burn about 10,000 bodies each day, knowing the next could as well be you. A picture of hundreds of corpses cleared out of the road by tow trucks which would normally be used for clearing snow, was undoubtedly moving. Preserved letters, post cards and even toilet paper which had been written upon telling us how apathetic life was in Europe 70 years back. Almost all of these letter writers were either killed or their fate was unknown. I learnt an important lesson today from a quote by Primo Levi, an Italian Jewish chemist and writer. Levi was imprisoned at the Auschwitz concentration camp in Nazi occupied Poland. He survived the experience and wrote several books on his account of the year he spent as a prisoner in the most deadliest extermination camp in history. To quote him, "It has happened. Therefore, it can happen again." Is mankind really that naive? Aren't we the most intelligent species on this planet because of the ability to learn from our mistakes. Analysis and retrospection is a stereotypical human characteristic. If we never learn about the futility and misery associated with genocide and war, our intelligence is really not worth it. To err is human, but stealing someone else's right to live is just cruel.
I'll definitely be visiting the Auschwitz ex-concentration camp while in Poland. Amen.

On a lighter note, we had a different teacher come and teach us today. He has taught us only once before and that day has been the most intensive ever. Today we learnt how to use the past tense including the participle and perfect in German. A whole lot of googly German grammar does not make a great start to the day. Also, guess what?! We received our first official homework for the language school today! It's due tomorrow i.e. the last day of school!! We have to paraphrase the story "Hans in Luck" from the Grimm's Fairy Tales in German. I'll do that in the morning, lol. I can't believe where the days flew by. In four days, I will be back again in Tuebingen and shall miss Berlin dearly. I'm already thinking of applying to grad school here! :-D Their McDonalds' sells freakking McAloo Tikki (veggie burger) for only 1.10 Euros! I felt like I was back in India!! Talking of India, I totally forgot to get gifts/souvenirs for my host and my PhD supervisors! So, I thought I might pick up something for them from here. I mean Berlin is an international city and they have some really good Indian restaurants. So I took a trip down to this Indian restaurant named Amrit, where our class had dinner for the first time together. I thought I would ask one of the waiters if they knew of an Indian store in Berlin. To all my Pakistani friends, I met this really nice server from Sialkot who came to Berlin 6 years back in search of work. I could see that Papu felt as happy as me to talk to someone in Hindi! Yeah, he is from Pakistan and his name is Papu! :-P But yeah, that was quite a random rendezvous which led me to an hour long search of an Indian store which ultimately didn't bear any fruit cuz I couldn't find it! So now after having Google Mapped it, I will be going there tomorrow. I also need to buy Berlin souvenirs tomorrow...hmm..

Amrit Restaurant. Epic.

Last day of language class tomorrow. Time flies the fastest! I don't want to leave Berlin!!

Every age has a keyhole to which its eye is pasted. ~Mary McCarthy

2011-06-07T21:17:00.003-05:00

There are some days in your life that specific moments render you speechless. Rarely though, would you find yourself speechless for consecutive days at a stretch. I am currently living those. It probably also explains my inactivity on the blog for such a long time. Let me tell you why.

Germany, as you may already know is a treasure trove of history. Over 170 museums and galleries in Berlin alone attract visitors from around the globe. And why shouldn't they? After all this place has been through. The first World War, the second World War, the Cold War, the Fall of the Berlin Wall...and this is just recent times. The archaeological wonders from Rome and Greece found buried beneath this land only give us a tiny peek into the many more secrets that we are yet to discover. Everyday since the past 5 days, I have been walking around the entire city in search of newer things to learn, to see, to feel, to experience. Starting from the Altes Museum (literally translating to The Old Museum) which displays precious artifacts from the three Ages - the Stone Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age to the exemplary display of the Greek antiquities which include the likes of Artemis, Athena and Hermes. The Neues Museum (The New Museum) which houses the Roman and Egyptian excavations - the notably acclaimed original bust of Queen Nefertiti being the celebratory highlight.

The original bust of Nefertiti at Neues

Market Gate of Miletus at Pergamon

The Pergamon Museum with original excavations from Turkey including the Ishtar Gate of the Babylonian fame and Islamic Art from the Shahnameh. Having never been so close to history before, I actually felt time rushing through me when I touched the very same floor tiles that were used in Roman houses in 1st century BC and posed in front of the stone walls of the Market Gate of Miletus, an ancient Greek city. Give your imagination a little jog and think of a world where the stones not only have eyes but also a photographic memory to document all that they saw over the decades. Changes in weather, changes in people, changes in their outlook, their mental capacity, their behavior...am I tending towards anthropology, now? Hmmm...my host is an anthropologist with a love for travelling, but more on that later. So many changes, and all we need is a compilation of these in the form of a time lapse video. If you ask me to list out some of my favorite technological advancements, time lapse videos will definitely feature in it. Imagine a video of our planet morphing and transforming into what we know of it as today. Starting from the big bang theory to the chaotic origin of life conundrum, and thence to the evolution of man as a highly intelligent species - all in an hour long video. If at all there is a God, it would be like watching over from his shoulders. Enthralling, isn't it?

If that wasn't enough, race ahead to recent times into the Topography des Terrors which is located on the site of the headquarters of the Gestapo - the official secret police of Nazi Germany or the Third Reich. The land where the most cruel men in history gave orders for the torture and execution of thousands. Their blood having spilled on the very soil that I stood on; the stamping of the heavy boots as they marched in fear/delusion of the power that ruled over them; the silent, muffled tears of millions then and billions now - all came pounding down upon me. I felt very lucky - and grateful. Although, I don't know to whom I should express my gratitude. My parents? Or a mastermind up there who ensures that the cycle of Karma and rebirth continues? But, I do consider myself exceedingly fortuitous. I can never begin to imagine what I would've gone through had I been born during those years in this land which again, got extremely unlucky due to one power hungry man. Would I even have been as courageous enough to do what these martyrs did for us? Can I even imagine surviving the hell that Nazi Germany was, yet dream of studying art history in Paris while writing what would be one of the most renowned pieces of literature? I find myself speechless again.

The Topography des Terrors

The diary of Anne Frank

Yes, I was referring to Anne Frank above. I had the opportunity to visit the Anne Frank Zentrum and did it appall me or what. One of the most intricately organized museums, it had one long hallway tracing the entire 13 years in Anne's life on one side and the state of Nazi Germany in those 13 years on the other side. It really provided a convincing comparison of the progression of the two timelines. The most fascinating part was a facsimilie display of her diary!!! Yes, that was it. As true as it got. With her writing. So neat, slanting and cursive. In German that too. I never knew she wrote in German and what I read was a mere translation. I will definitely learn enough German one day to read her diary in original. Otto Frank, her father's video was playing where he said that the diary of his daughter was a revelation for him. He encouraged all parents out there to read their children's writing. :-) I'm sure it would be very illuminating. If Anne Frank were alive right now, in four days she would turn 82. To all those aged 82 or more, I truly and genuinely respect you for all that you have lived through in this evil world of ours. Darwin conquers again. Survival of the fittest, it is.

But sadly, Germans had more written to their fate than just the Fuhrer's rule. The division of Germany, and consequently Berlin into four blocks - one for each of the Allied Powers - US, France, Great Britain and Russia was explained thoroughly at the Alliierten Museum and the DDR Museum. The onset of the Cold War and how drastically it affected the common people of Berlin was awful enough to hear/read, forget living through it. The autocratic rule that started to build up over the years upon the dark regions of East Berlin, created an oppression in the minds of the people for 28 long years. People weren't allowed to travel, have access to basic sanitary facilities, or even food. Cars, and other expensive goods took a waiting time of 10 years from the time of booking to actually buying. They were given guaranteed jobs, but at the opportunity cost of their freedom. Undoubtedly, man is a social animal who loves freedom. Try to chain him up or cage him, he would do anything and everything possible to escape. That is how the imposing Berlin Wall finally fell down 20 years back.
How do I know this? First hand accounts of people having lived through the time. No museums there. Plain conversation. Beat that.

Actual pictures from my host's album from the day
the Wall fell and about 2 million people
tried to enter the forbidden land of West Berlin.
Click for a magnified view.

The Wall that bound the people in East Berlin was not unlike the North Korean bubble of present times. They weren't given the freedom of free will. My host from West Berlin was full of tales of how the East Berliners were naive to the advancements of the world. Saying that they were forced to live in modest houses would be an understatement. My Berlin Wall tour guide, an ex soldier from East Berlin, who guarded the Wall agreed with her. He recounted a personal incident when he found West Berlin astonishingly colorful compared to the dark East home of his. He spoke about how his then girlfriend was ignorant enough to assume that West Berlin would even sell tropical seasonal fruits during an off season time. He spoke about how he held an AK-47 rifle and stood for 8-hour shifts everyday guarding the escape of East Berliners running away from the oppression. He spoke about how he considered himself lucky enough to never have attained the chance to carry out his general's orders of shooting a potential fleer. He spoke about how it took him at least a few years after the wall fell down, to clear his mind from the autocratic rule and be open to a newer life with an unemployed beginning. Oh my, and the pictures they showed me! My host and him, both visited the wall during the initial days of the fall and to see the actual pictures from 20 years back, of the place I stood on with a wall in between, seemed unbelievable. Of course, the fastest demolitions can take as little as 30 seconds to change the landscape of a place, but the emotional upheaval it causes is worth far greater than the mere 30 seconds of destruction.

Our Language School group with the soldier Jan in front of the Wall

History has finally entwined me within its mysterious chambers. Should I look for a way out? Not so soon...
Not before I visit the Auschwitz concentration camp near Krakaw in Poland this weekend!

Cheers!

Merlin's Beard, I'm in Berlin!!

2011-05-31T20:18:00.005-05:00

Excursions, trips, vacations, journeys, picnics, and any other synonym of the word 'adventure' always make me super excited and super nervous. It's like eating schokolade. (notice my newly found proficiency in German!) You love it so much that it excites you while eating, but it also makes you super nervous while thinking of its effect on your health. The night before I left for Berlin, I was in a similar state of mind. I could not get myself to start packing till one of my friends from Chicago asked me how many hours till I leave and I replied, "Omg 3 hours! Shit, gotta start packing!!" :-P And, boy, do I pack fast!

I'm sure all of you must be aware of the infamous rail service in Europe and how people can "country hop" in amazingly speedy trains. The Eurorail or Eurail has received much publicity even through movies but when you try to book a ticket from one corner of Germany to another and it costs you 130 Euros one way, you lose all faith in them! So, I did some scouting around for the best deals to travel in Germany, German style. Inside secret, I have a knack for spotting good deals. For everything. I memorized two words that my Tuebingen flatmate told me: "mit fahr" and googled it later. Mit Fahr literally translates from German to read "with travel". It is a special kind of car pooling service where people who travel on long distance road trips, offer the empty seats in their car to some other people who want to make the same trip on the same day in exchange for cash which mostly covers a portion of the gas price. It is not really reliable in terms of urgency, but if there is a car listed going to the same place as you and on the day you want to, it could work out - as it did for me. Now you understand my nervousness before the trip, don't you? I didn't know what to expect. I had a train already in mind and had a back up option planned out in case the person who was driving turned out to be a nasty looking dodgy person. That is very important though, chalking out a plan B while using mit fahr.

Random German countryside I

Random German countryside II

Yay! Berlin!

As it turns out, I was lucky. My driver was actually a German family man who was driving with his wife and 3 kids to Berlin in a big van. He had 3 empty seats at the back and could find only me and one other student to fill em so it was a comfortable ride for the 700 odd kms that we traveled. Germans are really nice people. People misunderstand their blunt, direct nature by calling it rude. I call it, "to the point." Considering it is even safe to walk on German streets at absurd hours like 2am and 3am, I am definitely planning on using mit fahr more often this summer. Imagine such a service existing back in your own countries. Any chance of it working safely? :-P

So, I remember this distinctly: 2.5 hours later, we had 440 kms to reach Berlin. Between sleeping and eating the sandwiches that I had packed, I was able to get a few pictures of the countryside. In case you haven't figured out already, you can click on the pictures to view them enlarged. Destination Potsdam - 24 kms southwest of the city of Berlin. Potsdam, is a small town with a rich historic significance. To the bottom left you see the Hauptbahnhof or the Main Train Station of Potsdam and on the right the city center of East Berlin - Alexanderplatz. Notice the very famous TV tower of Berlin in the back. Over the last two days since my arrival, I have been going to Alexanderplatz quite often.

Potsdam Central Station

Alexanderplatz Train Station

Ah! Berlin. Phonetically, Berrleen. Just so many things about this city have already caught my attention. Nummer 1, it is a city!!
Nummer 2, when a Berlin local says, "I'm a Berliner" to a German outside of Berlin, he is actually saying "I'm a donut." This is because Germans outside of Berlin call a particular kind of donut as the Berliner. That donut is known by a different name in Berlin!
Nummer 3, little pieces of the famous Berlin Wall are sold as fridge magnet souvenirs - trust their credibility at your own risk.
Nummer 4, American football in German is called football. Soccer in German is called foossball. Foosball in German is called fooskicker.
Nummer 5, they have many gardens.They have more than twice that number of beer gardens. Beer Gardens are random gardens with shacks that sell different kinds of beer to people who come there to hang out and drink beer. A typical beer garden is below. It looks empty cuz it was actually raining at the time the

A typical beer garden

Call-A-Bike service

picture was taken. I'm sure no one wants raindrops in their beer.
Nummer 6, when non-German speaking 20 something year old research interns find themselves lost in Deutschland for 3 months, they turn into friends for life within 48 hours of meeting each other. True story.
Nummer 7, Germans love their bread, their beer, their cars, their parks, their trains, their meat, their science, their language and some more things that I'll find out soon.
Nummer 8, my host has traveled 35 countries in the world and still counting.
Nummer 9, the public transport is so advanced that they offer "Call a bike" services where you can rent out bicycles for specific periods of time. Isn't that super convenient? And Expensive! :-P
Nummer 10, when you touch the stones of the holocaust memorial, the Berlin wall, the Bundestag and other monuments that have lived through time, you are in fact, touching history. It is an enthralling moment that no words can describe.
Nummer 11, your servers in a restaurant will look at you funnily if you ask for water as your accompanying drink with your meal.
Nummer 12, traditionally, Germans drink soda water or fizzed water in stead of plain water everyday.
Nummer 13, Berlin has a Canadian Pizza place whom my Canadian friends plan to sue, just cuz there is no such thing as Canadian pizza in Canada. It's just normal pizza. :-P
Nummer 14, Ping pong tables in the park are made of stone fixed to the ground and men carry their hot dog restaurant with them on their backs called as "grill walker".
Nummer 15, everyone is surprised I speak such good English and I'm amazed at their surprise!

Now for some pictures:
The formatting is messed up, I apologize. I don't know know how to work around it, any help will be highly appreciated! :-)

Brandenburger Gate. Spot teeny tiny me!

Grill Walker: A hot dog salesman who carries the grill with him everywhere

My classmates from language school

Random 4 wheeled 'spider' bike

My apartment in Berlin

My apartment balcony in Berlin

Go Green.

2011-05-26T18:32:00.005-05:00

Aah today was so so good!! Knock on wood, my days keep getting better as I learn new things and explore new places. I scored not one, not two, but THREE goals in foosball and they were not flukes!! I even exclaimed "NIIICE" out loud after my third one, lol! Yea, I was totally impressed with myself. I think I must've made my brother proud. I want to master this game in 3 months now. No, don't underestimate me, it's possible. One of the newer PhD intakes in our lab just joined this April. His name is Berouz and he is from Iran and he keeps saying "Ya ha." (Sorry, random trivia about him! :-P) He picked up the game in the last two months and he is one of the top players at the lab now!

Movie frame: nucleus in a cell

The fitted circle is the red line on the black nucleus

On the work front, I completed my project in 2-D. So, for all the inquisitive people out there, I have some pictures here from lab. I get my data as a video file and I convert it into frames using MATLAB, that look like the top blue picture. It represents the nucleus of a yeast cell. I have to then fit a perfect circle on that nucleus which I do in Fig 2. I use this to get the equation and radius of the circle - and hence the nucleus. I don't want to go in depth into why I exactly I need those parameters. Just ask me separately, if you're that curious. Next step is to go 3-D cuz hey these things are ultimately 3 dimensional, right?
I've been eating a lot, I found out. Moreover, my supervisors and colleagues eat more than me! They have breakfast at 8.30am, lunch at 12.30pm and snacks at 3.30pm. I'm not even including the espresso coffee shots they have about 4 times in this time frame. Haha, yeah being an undergraduate in the university has the potential to pretty much screw up your eating schedule. Pizza for breakfast? Hell yeah!!

Pizza reminds me, my Nepali flatmate, Srijana, took me to this store called Kaufland - a la D-Mart or Target. I can't express how good it felt to actually go inside such a big departmental store here in Tuebingen!! I think that statement alone surmises all the doubts any of you might have had about how small this town actually is. I actually felt excited upon entering a Target/D-Mart. I bought frozen pizza from this place and I'm just waiting for a really hunger stricken night to award myself with it! Srijana even took me to this dingy little store in the town owned by an African man. The store sold all the spices and masalas (read: Badshah, MDH, Everest and the likes) for Indian cooking and incidentally it also sold Haldiram's Soan Papdi for 2.99 euros. Lol, quoting the price was so gujju! :-P

I think the buses are longer than the Chicago ones.

Oh and on the bus back, I finally bumped into Conrad - the German flatmate who I still hadn't met cuz he was out of town. Conrad studies Rhetoric at the University. Rhetoric?! No, wait seriously, did I just hear that?! I'm sorry but it took me quite some time to digest that someone can possibly want to major in ONLY Rhetoric. Hey, I'm just being Indian. I don't think most Indian parents would ever agree to majoring in Rhetoric, however interesting that may sound. Well, he has a minor in Economics but I think he said he doesn't like it. Apparently, after graduation with a rhetoric degree, he can train people for public speaking. Hmmm...imagine getting to say that I trained Obama to speak like that! As my dear friend would call it - intewesting.
Later, I went to the forest to run with my flatmates! Tuebingen has many forest trails but the one near our dorms is the largest. They have about 4 trails with increasing distances starting from 4.6 km - which I ran. Oh, the back aches that I have now! :-P The forest here is just like a national park - only without wild animals. It makes for a beautiful long evening/morning walk. There are students running, jogging, the few old people walking, talking. It feels great to return back to nature. I don't remember the last time I was so close to nature but I definitely liked the forest for all the greenery around. I always wondered why Thane/Mumbai never did anything for the environment. We have such great weather all year round and we should definitely use it to our advantage. I dream of a city where all the roads will be lined with tall trees, pathways lined with the season's most colorful flowers, sit-out restaurants and cafes demarcated with flowerpots and the ruling party actually giving a damn about the environment. The current ruling political party of Germany is called The Green Party and they were strong in Tuebingen since a long time. That's probably one of the reasons why this place is so green and well maintained. People dig cleanliness and I hear some even go to the extent of cleaning the moss from between the floor tiles of their parking lot!

On the right is this AWESOME BMW convertible that I saw and just had to fish out my camera. Mark my words, I'm definitely going to buy myself a convertible some day. Blogger, you stand testimony to that. On the right is just a route on my way to lab. It looked really pristine today with the wind blowing and the trees canopying on the path. I felt lucky. Knock on wood! :-D I also took pictures of my dorm room and the town view that I get from my balcony. Here they are:

View from the balcony. My room is on the 8th floor.

That's my room. It faces the west and hence the blinds.

The kitchen. Try to correlate the 'day' light outside with the time stamp!

I'm gonna watch the UEFA final - Man Utd v/s Barcelona on Saturday, who's joining me? :) Also, I reserved my ticket for Berlin today. Unless something super exciting happens in the interim, my next blog post will be from Berlin! =D

Cheers!

Ain't I just the perfect food loving social animal? ;-)

2011-05-24T17:54:00.001-05:00

I must say, today was a very satisfying day for my stomach. I started off with buttery toast for breakfast, and the people who know me, can vouch when I say that breakfast for me is indeed a luxury! Lunch was a 3 course meal beginning with the usual salad and then a soup made of onions, chives and asparagus at the institute cafeteria. Yes, I took the soup only cuz it reminded me of the onion & chive cream cheese from Einstein Bros. Bagels. ;) You know you're missing something dearly when the most mundane things from back home prop up in your new place of inhabitance AND bring a smile to your face. French fries!! I didn't know I miss them so much till I saw fries for lunch today and that too with mayo and ketchup! My first bite of those crispy, hot, salty fries dipped in Heinz tomato ketchup was enough to make my day go from ordinary to awesome! :-P All those freshman year memories of hogging fries in the Commons came rushing back and I found myself loving fries all the more. Oh, and did I forget the cheese? The grated Parmesan cheese on top of my rotini pasta was heavenly! The butter and cheese here taste really different. The butter is not salted and the cheese is creamy. Perfect, if you ask me! End it with upma and nutella for dinner and dessert respectively, and you get a very happy stomach!

I didn't mean to make most of you hungry but you see, food is always a problem anywhere I go. There are some people who can eat anything and everything and yet manage to stay healthy. I'm definitely not one of those. I am a vegetarian who doesn't eat eggs but hey I just found out today the German version of mac n cheese that I loved - kaese spaetzle, is a pasta made of eggs. Well, whatever. :-P

I socialized a bit today and that's how I found out the ingredients of kaese spaetzle, haha. You see, the way the dorms are built here is, each floor has 2 apartments with 7/8 rooms in each apartment. Every student gets their own tiny room and instead of roommates, one has flatmates. There is one tiny addition, though. These two apartments are connected via the common bathrooms and the kitchen balcony, which means that each floor is one big house of 15 or so people. Although one would expect the house to be thriving with activity, it's pretty quiet where people don't "hang out" with their flatmates, rather just "bump into" each other while using the bathroom or the kitchen. So when puny little Shefali got too bored of staying in her own room without meeting any new people, she decided to go and knock on people's doors! Don't judge me; I work with people aged 26 or more from 9am - 5pm every day and it would be pretty pathetic if I ended up hanging out with them even in the evenings. I don't attend classes where I can interact with my classmates or don't even go downhill to the university. Here are the stats - Tubingen is the youngest city in Germany in terms of the median age of its inhabitants. Max Planck is the oldest area in Tubingen. So there. My point being, my dorms are the only place where I can find people my age and what better way to break the ice than "love thy neighbor"! ;-) My flatmates are pretty interesting. We ended up getting everyone out of their rooms, except one(who is not in town) into the kitchen to have a nice talk and apparently all of them had never had a sit down talk with the rest before! It was the first time that each of them was seeing the other 6 together! Most of them know a little or broken english which I considered encouraging because I could at least communicate. An interesting thing that one of the girls pointed out was that none of us except the missing person, were German natives. My flatmates are from Poland, Nepal, Yemen, Russia, Oregon and last obviously is the German I haven't met till now . So, it's very diverse and great for me to practice my German when I get back from Berlin! I even got to know a few people from the opposite flat while just hanging out in the kitchen balcony (it's pretty huge and the view is great!) Oh I'm sorry I don't have a picture of that view! Next post, definitely. One of the guys called Matt is on a year and a half long exchange program from Oregon!! He's doing his Computer Science degree in German. How cool is that?!

What impresses me most is the fact that Germans study all their life in their native language. They even go to university in German but they still have a good command over English. It's almost as if they are forced to study English for the sake of international ease. They can communicate scientifically and that too comfortably in both German and English without having to take any English as a Second Language (ESL) course like some of the other Asian countries. I wish India would stop imitating the Brits so much especially in terms of language. It's been 65 years, why wouldn't you develop some originality already! That reminds me, haha, after each of my parents had separately inquired what the other Indians were doing around me, my brother had to ask - "So, what about the other Indians? Have you met any? What are they doing?" I ask, "What are they doing about what?". All I get back is, "In general, you know...". I have to say at this point, please, please, PLEASE understand this thoroughly people: Indians are no longer a niche nationality who you can cling on to for help when in a foreign land. Thanks to our over exploding population, we have gotten sucked into the race called Humans, if you know what I mean. Wherever there are humans, you are bound to find stores, toilets, houses, and Indians! If you want to know how to manage or settle in a foreign land, it's as good as asking any international who you can talk comfortably with. Nothing exclusive there. Now, if you ask me, "So, did you find any Indian restaurant or an Indian grocery store?", then that would be saying something! :-P
But yeah, the Indian who lives in the opposite flat is an M.Phil student from Pune University studying English Literature. Now that I think of it, I haven't come across many Maharashtrians who love English to the extent that they have taken it up as a career choice and come to Germany for an exchange program in English! He was very amused and relieved to find a co-Marathi speaker living in the house so I guess I made someone's day! :-)

Oh, Today, you were so eventful. I finally finished the first project that I was assigned to do ever since I came here. It took 2.5 working days and by the end of it, my computer was so hot and tired, MATLAB kept freezing and my 2 second compilation took 397 seconds. That's when I knew I had to pack up and leave! ;) It's kinda tricky sometimes cuz neither Philipp nor Chris have given me a specific time to leave. I know I'm expected to be there at 9am but do I just leave at 5 or wait till I've shown them my stuff? They don't even show signs of caring, lol. Today, both of them just left before me like it didn't matter to them how long I stayed there for, as long as I was at work tomorrow at 9am! But yeah, I missed my bio breakfast today cuz I had to go to the "Alien's Office" popularly known here as "Burger amt." No, sadly they don't serve burgers there. I even looked. :-P I'm now a registered resident of Tubingen, Germany. Apparently every "alien" has to get it done upon arrival in a German city. I wonder if they would even make E.T. get it done...or Paul, or whatever they're calling those creatures nowadays. Bio breakfast happens every Tuesday morning at 9 where our entire lab gets together for breakfast and someone presents an interesting paper that they might have recently read. That's one other thing about labs here - they're so social. I have lunch with at least 8 people from lab everyday and have played foosball with them twice out of the 4 days that I went to work. People talk, laugh, chit chat, play and work together. Oh yeah, I found out that the knocking the table thing that I mentioned last time, is a substitute for an applause used at most places in Germany. It's really good exercise for the wrists, foosball. You know you have those phases in your life where you just can't get enough of a game? For me, it's foosball phase now. :-P

Tomorrow, my Nepalese flatmate will take me to the African store from where I can buy Indian masalas. Sounds dodgy? You bet!

Cheers!

P.S. If you're wondering where my pictures went, look back at the text. Do you really think it would've been a good idea to put pictures of my food and of random people(read: new flatmates) on my blog? I'm sorry, I felt too awkward to ask them for pictures for my blog, the first time I met them, and hence, didn't. :-P

Hallo, Deutschland! :-)

2011-05-21T18:18:00.004-05:00

It has been 2 days since I arrived here and a lot has happened already. Number 1 being, I'm already facing the second phase of culture shock - disliking any and every difference between my home country(s) and the new country. I wish ice-cream could cure that, but hey, I have a cold so no ice-creams to save me either! Let's go back to the time when I started off from Chicago. Ah, Chicago... :-)

The Chicago skyline from my airplane

I was showing my parents the photos I have taken so far and my mom noticed my face light up when I showed her the aerial view of "my city" taken from the airplane. Of course it is my city! It is A CITY! But, more on that topic, later. So yeah, I started off on my journey to London, and then Deutschland with a clogged nose (I have a cold, remember?) and a much more clogged and rather heavy suitcase. Excited? Of course! I think I was more excited about travelling in and around Europe than actually working in Germany! ;) At this point, let me advise you strongly to NOT fly American Airlines at any cost. How was I to know that if I book from the British Airways website, they would put me on a code share flight?! The legroom is just not enough even for a 5 footer something like me. The seating is just hell for your back but they ended up serving deep dish cheese pizza which earned them some brownie points but not quite enough. It would also be helpful to note that British Airways ain't any good either! They (the two evil airline partners) make you stop at London Heathrow during its closing hours. There is no stable accommodation anywhere around on the terminal. They make you get a transit visa when you know going out into the city is out of bounds at 11pm in the night. All you can do is curl up on a wooden bench (yes, bench!) at your terminal without any food till the airport opens again at 5am. Well, that's life I guess.

I did meet an interesting lady named Marion in the middle of one of my naps who loved criticizing anything and everything related to Heathrow. Quite a companion, she made as I resonated her thoughts! :-D She was very amusing about the way she compared Germany to Great Britain and then of course, out of courtesy to me, America and India. We ended up talking mostly about how capitalism in America has been shaping the psyche of the common American consumer. She gave me her email to contact her in case I needed something while I'm in Germany. I think my journey was more like a prelude to what I should expect later on in terms of food. I read the staple diet of Germans is meat, potatoes and beer - only one out of which can I have comfortably. Both of my flights offered egg dishes as the only vegetarian options and I had to eat them although I don't eat egg and this was kind of a big deal for me considering how picky I am about food. :-|

The first frightening moment was the twenty minutes after I landed in Stuttgart which obviously seemed like 3 hours. I couldn't find my PhD supervisors, Philipp and Chris and I obviously was smart enough to not have taken down their numbers to contact them. I could see no one holding a placard with my name and the lady at the coffee shop in the airport refused me from using their internet. I had no idea how I would reach Tuebingen from Stuttgart or about what I would do in case the two never turned up. I also had thoughts about whether all this DAAD RISE thing was a mistake and/or a prank that I'd fallen for and that no one was ever going to turn up, but I guess I'm just crazy like that. There was absolutely nothing that I could do there but wait and that's what I did...till the two finally arrived!

Boating on Neckar River, Tuebingen

Yes, yes I drove to my institute in a BMW coup on a freeway without a speed limit, which means we were averaging about 170 kmph. Willkommen in Deutschland is what they said. How cool was that?! The public transport buses and taxi cabs in Tuebingen are Mercedes Benz. There is the Mercedes factory about 30 kms from this town which is on my visit list now. The countryside is beauuuutiful. I remember telling my family that it feels just like vacationing on a hill station. Only difference, I'm here to work. :-| There is a calm river flowing through the center of the town with Venice-like boats where people can barbecue/party/read/study nature/do whatever they please. People row, canoe, kayak and the likes. There is a garden in the middle of the river with trees on either side which has become more like a jogger's park now.

Just water, at a resta

Haha, for lunch I had what looked and tasted like mac n cheese topped with sauteed onions which was named kaespalte. Apparently, it was an exotic dish! Also, when I asked for normal water along with my food, this is what I got~
Neat, eh? Oh and Chris had orange lemonade mixed with Coca-cola?! I should try that sometime. I think I was just starting to discover what Germany is. They had a beer garden in the back of this restaurant where people go to just enjoy their beer amidst the trees! The people have been really nice, though. The guy from O2, where I got my sim card, the man from the bank who helped me open my bank account, the random people who helped me get a bus from the city to my dorm room and the computer store guy who gave me a free cable for laptop charger, have all been real forgiving that I don't know their native language. All I need to do is get to know their language. Philipp and Chris have also been really helpful and I hope I am what they expected me to be.

First day at work and all I'm hoping for is that my brain doesn't let me down. After having arrived all the way to this strange land, if I don't end up excelling in what I came here to do, I would end up being a big disappointment to myself, my family, Philipp, Chris and all the teachers I've ever had. Yes, the project is a little challenging for me but I hope I'm able to pull it off. I hope I'm going on the pace they want me to go in. On a completely different note, the road from my dorm to the institute is enthrallingly peaceful and lovely. Here, have a look.

Cafeteria at the Max Planck Institute

The cafeteria is even more amazing. It feels like a perfect vacation spot where you can just relax all day long to rediscover yourself and find your inner calling. Only, in this case you're expected to work! I played my first game of foosball and I was pathetic at it! I can't believe having come from the land of FRIENDS, I'd never played or even attempted foosball before. True, the only foosball table in my dorms in Chicago didn't have a ball and we were too lazy to go buy one from the store but hey, it is one hell of a game!! I would suggest all those Fifa freaks out there to go try it once. Give your wrists some exercise too, your fingers have had enough! The cafeteria food is pretty good for it's price. They send out an email every morning with their dessert menu for the day which is looked forward to by most people. I also attended Philipp's biannual progress report presentation which ended with people collectively knocking on the table for at least 15 seconds. It looked like a substitute for an applause but I'll figure out the significance for it soon. Haha, a note of caution for future travellers, the water heater can get really hot. So hot that it's possible to develop heat burns off it! Experienced, trust me! ;-)

Picturesque skyline of Tuebingen

Yes, withdrawal symptoms. I almost finished my 10oz bag of chips in 2 days, my only pack of cream cookies, one bag of korean snacks called peppero and am on my way to make maggi. I miss my city life. There, I said it. I grew up in a city and studied in a city and now find it difficult to live in a town with all this plush greenery and picturesque environment. Where is my concrete jungle? Where is my beautiful night skyline?! All I get is, this-->? Yeah, but I'm not complaining about this place. I just miss my home(s)! The initial attraction is over. The whooaaas have long gone. Yes, Tuebingen is breathtakingly gorgeous. But there are only so many times that I can see the place over and over again. I lived for 17 years in Thane and I still cannot say that I've seen it in entirety. I lived for 3 years in Chicago and the same statement holds true. I fear I will not be able to repeat the same experience in the case of Tuebingen. Will I have different ones, then?

Today, I know exactly why I like the city life. Let's see how well this city girl adapts in a small town. Challenge Accepted. Tschuss!

Undesirable Things To-Do before Germany 2011

2011-04-15T16:41:00.005-05:00

I suddenly feel as if I’m hauled into this tornado, spinning around continuously, wandering aimlessly without any idea of where. Causing destruction everywhere? Probably not…but tornado, yes.

In the midst of being in this tornado, I got transported to a very interesting place, a la Dorothy style. I received the DAAD RISE scholarship to intern as an undergraduate researcher at the Max Planck Institute in Germany for the summer of 2011. I’m sure Germany will be just as promising and exciting as the Land of Oz. I plan to write of my travels and travails here and maintain it for the benefit of capturing every special and exotic moment that I come by. I know this is going to be THE Eurotrip of my life and I don’t want to leave any stone unturned to make it happen!!

It was soo eventful when I learnt that I got it. March 1^st, one of my friends from school plastered it all over her facebook that she got the scholarship and she was going. Since then, I checked the DAAD RISE page every day and my email multiple times a day for updates. They said they would also email rejection letters so after March 10^th, my anticipation shifted from acceptance letters to the opposite. And then, by March 15^th, I forgot everything. My spring break was already ruined when someone replaced me on an epic road trip to Florida. All I did was sleep and catch up on all of the Bollywood movies that I’ve been wanting to watch since the beginning of the semester. March 17^th, 2011, my brother’s birthday. The night before, I remember telling my brother how awesome it would be if I get my acceptance letter the next day on his birthday and what he replied literally translated to Insh’Allah. I again slept into oblivion. The morning I wake up with no DAAD on my head to bother me. I pull out my phone to check my email while still in bed. I read congratulations in the subject line. I fear cruel deception and hence go on and read the whole email and although I couldn’t comprehend a single word at first, the second reading confirmed the fact that I was accepted. I jumped out of bed like a ninja who had been alerted of his enemy or like a firefighter whose alarm had just gone off. A shout of joy and many jumps and crazy dances were halted by the piercing pain of an ankle twist. I smiled and took up my phone again, checked the time in India and called my family back home. They were going out for dinner. Suddenly, I didn’t want to go to Germany. Suddenly, all I wanted was to go back home just so I could accompany my family to dinner. This summer was supposed to be spent at home taking online summer classes. One email changed it all. One email tossed my "plan" into the bin. Yes, I'm happy I'm going. But I'm equally sad that I won't be going home for a long time now...My project is a bioinformatics one. One of the leading research fields in the scientific world; and saying no to a fully funded scholarship opportunity to research in Germany would be something my parents would definitely revolt against. So yeah, summer in Germany it is.

One day, I was getting bored in class and was going through some high school pictures. I spotted our present principal in one of the pictures and all the memories of my arch-enemy, History came back. The Parliament, the Partition, the revolt of 1857, the World Wars…and then Germany again. Realization hit me that I should probably brush up on what exactly happened in Germany during the World Wars and what should I not say or do with regards to that, whilst there. Trust me, reading up on the Versailles Treaty on Wikipedia after so many years is no fun. This placed #1 in the award for undesirable things to-do for Germany.

The second position was taken by an hour long “hold” waiting for a British Airways customer care representative to respond to my complaint. Due to some bizarre reason, while booking my flight online, BA had a problem in their server and obviously wanted me to call them to fix things. Apparently, my funds from Citibank were deducted but they never reached BA. I was forced to believe for an entire day that one grand USD were stuck in limbo, possibly somewhere in Web 2.0 where no one will be able to extract them from. That would’ve definitely made it to the NY Times Bestseller’s list for Science Fiction. Hmm..I should’ve told the customer care representative that. Haha, the Citibank rep was speaking to me from a call center in Mumbai and we happened to share an awkward moment where both of us were satisfied at the fact that we are somehow related to each other through Mumbai. Outsourcing Zindabad?

#3 goes to me getting a “fake” legit ISIC card for my trip to Europe. Apparently, the possession of an International Student Identity Card (ISIC) gives you access to many discounts and sales all throughout Europe. With the pure Indian Guju blood in me, I of course took the first trip between classes to go downtown and get it made. I was astounded to see the lady cut the ISIC paper and stick it on a thick credit card material board. She then wrote my name on it and stuck a hologram sticker on top of my name and an empty space where my picture would otherwise be placed. She handed that over to me and I look around for a photo booth. Upon asking, I find out that I am given the liberty to stick any of my favorite pictures of mine below the hologram sticker and just paste the new sticker on it. The audacity of it all, when I am freaking charged $22 for it was beyond me. I just stared at her for a whole minute when she finally agreed saying, “Yeah, I know it almost feels like I made you a fake id, but it’s the real thing. Don’t worry.” Gah?! I’m almost sure that someone in Europe will look at the ID and accuse it of being fake. I should probably paste my receipt on the back of the ID so I have proof of its authenticity everywhere I go. lol.

2 weeks to summer. 4 weeks to Germany. Life’s going on. Danke. Tschuss und einen schonen Tag! :-)

30 Reasons NOT to get married before 30

2011-03-15T03:35:00.005-05:00

Has the potential to boost the self confidence of all the romantic singletons out there. 30 reasons you should think again before deciding to marry if you're waayyyy below 30!

1. Because you have one life to live, give yourself time to grow, if not fully at least mature to the place you need be...... it won't be perfect but at least you'll have few regrets.

2. Marriage is not for trial and error, it is just as important as any major surgery. You must be in the know as well as plan and prepare yourself mentally, financially, etc.

3. In this day and age, not too many people in their 20's are equipped to start a family. Are you somewhat secure in who you are as a man or woman, are you ready to totally commit to one person? For those of you who believe in open relationships, as well as those of you who follow beliefs that allow you to marry more than one woman. How the hell are you going to be an asset to two if you have no idea what it is to be loyal, love, respect, appreciate and communicate with one. Come on people you set yourself up for people to see how crazy you are, regardless of "what you're claiming to believe"!

4. Do you have a stable job, are your finances secure enough to go beyond your needs?Do you have a savings you are capable of living on?

5. Unless you just happen to be fortunate, the odds of finding someone that is mature and committed is hard, especially if you live in a big city. Everyone wants to have a "good time" for as long as they can.

6. People who are usually below 30 consider themselves young, beautiful and a good catch. You don't need to deal with that kind of mentality for they will find it hard to commit due to the fact that they are so "desirable" and "Gods gift to the universe". In some cases they may feel that you are deserving of them and wonder into wonderland to try marriage. I can bet that in less than 2 months they will be back on their high horse in wanting to be luved by the world.

7. Before turning 30, living life in your 20's allows you to know you. Your likes, dislikes, desires, passions, everything that makes you the mature man or woman you desire to be. So that when you do enter a relationship, you enter one that allows you to be true to you as well as your partner, making your relationship less stressful and life more relaxing.

8. You have more than enough time after graduating to settle in your career. This doesn't always apply because some people are fortunate to be successful sooner than others. If you are a late bloomer, don't be dismayed, good relationships aren't based on if you have a job/career a handsome bank account or a corner office. More than likely your essence and what you can bring to the table besides your genitals, a bank account or a nice car. If you are ambitious, you are bound to succeed financially making yourself as well as your new found family happy.

9. Only a select few (in their 20's) know what they want in a marriage and actually practice and live it when they get married.

10. Is anyone thinking about only being with one person when there is so much to do, so many people to meet and have a great time with. Yes you can be married and do this as well, but there is that thing called jealousy, or maybe control or insecurity. Where your better half thinks you're having way too much fun and may immaturely go seeking fun elsewhere. It's something when you can love and allow one to be free, be themselves as well as be in your life! (btw you dont have to be from another planet to do this!) when you LoVe and you're LoVed there is a freeness that comes with it, not threatened that NO one, or anything will come between your relationship. Yes jealousy may surface every now and again, but this jealousy is healthy.

11. There aren't too many people that marry before thirty who can have a relationship that involves, respect, trust, loyalty, unconditional love through an open relationship. What would you know about that? Then again there are exceptions to the rule!

12. You'll be at an age where you are ready, able and willing to bring children into this world. Having the energy and wisdom to educate as well as raise them, if need be by yourself!

13. You would have had more than enough time to date, as well as know what you indeed nEEd in your relationship. You may have even made mistakes, but if you are fortunate the individual you made the mistake with, may be the one you'll end up marrying.

14. Gives you time to travel, do all that you desire to do, whether by yourself or with friends. You get to let your hair down in ways that you wouldn't if you are married. Not to say you can't do all of the same things when you get married, but everyone's schedule and finances doesn't always allow you to experience that which you would being single.

15. You are able to save, instead of spend, spend, spend. Whether for a home, a vehicle, investments, travel. You're not working in order to live, your reason for existing precedes a paycheck to pay bills and buy groceries. You will have money prepared and ready for whatever plans you have for YouR future.

16. Gives you more than enough time to be reckless, if you survive those reckless years and just so happen to be disease free, try commitment and maybe you'll be content. If commitment doesn't work for you, 30 more years of recklessness is coming up!

17. 30 means to have arrived, whether mentally physical, spirituality, financially, it differs for each individual, take advantage of your life prior to thirty to perfect one of the above areas.

18. You don't want to make the same mistake twice or thrice. Who wants to be on their second much less third marriage before thirty! Failure as well as immaturity is written all over that!

19. At this point there will be no need for excuses, if there is, only you will believe them! If anyone else does---you're gOOd!

20. If you have been amazingly dishonest prior to turning thirty, you should be quite content with who you are at this point as well as with your choices, actions and intentions. Work on improving you, if that doesn't interest you, don't continuously complain when shit doesn't work out or backfires.

21. Following the leader is not going to work when having your own to contend with, just because your friends got married out of college, doesn't mean you have to. Be a trend setter and do something that makes sense as well as has longevity. How are you going to handle what you are not ready for?

22. Your better half as well as yourself will be more accepting/understanding due to maturity and experience. Finding the right person may be hard, but being able to exercise fairness, patience and understanding when you meet the right person, takes you to another level where loyalty consideration and unconditional resides. Rushing into a marriage does not confirm anything neither does it magically bond you. Time always tells a true tale and if it is meant to be.....it will be! Trust and believe this!

23. More than enough time to Vent!!! everyone has their own shit to deal with. Keep your baggage to yourself!

24. Marrying to escape a situation is more or less voluntary imprisonment, just at another location.

25. You made it this far.....your tolerance for handling stress should be a piece of cake. If not you'll be a nervous reck for life!

26. Being lonely or broke doesn't mean get hitched immediately! For those of you who fall for these types, this is one scar that will be permanent! FYI: Finding someone to be with does not get rid of loneliness, insecurity, self destruction, envy, jealousy, laziness, and Vices. Before you know it they will be blaming all of their ISSues on you!

27. Less regrets, chances of being scorned is slimmmmmm

28. Because I said so LoL!!!

29. Uh so what your parents got married when they were 17, one thing has nothing to do with the other. Pressure from anyone is unacceptable! Need I remind you the era they lived in is completely opposite to now---- Everything has changed. Before options weren't available, women didn't have "choice" and stayed at home. Today women have taken on so many responsibilities, inside as well as outside the home. Single parents, entrepreneurs, laborers, the list goes on......face it so much has changed. Next time someone pressures you, send them an itemized list ie: $50,000 for wedding, 500,000 to purchase home, $100,000 for vehicle (that's just for you), and another cool $1,000,000 for petty cash.

30. Last but not least....you shouldn't be having unprotected sex with someone who isn't marriage material.......yeah yeah yeah ...it happens to all of us, but be on top of your game and try not to slip up! Soon you will be wondering.....How in the hell did I get caught up in this? I didn't sign up for this. I was suppose to be having fun, now you are miserable, broke and only 25.

"Marriage" or whatever word you choose to use is for two people who have found each other in the midst of this life and know as well as understand how they enhance as well as can be enhanced by their better half. It is a union where two halves come together and become one. This can only be understood and experienced by these two.

P.S. For those of you who really believe, and I don't mean the kind of belief that causes you to believe because you heard someone say it and now you want to do or try it just to prove you can also do "it"! Nooooo---- For those of you who truly have found your other half, you're finally connected and the power and force behind your connection has projected itself and fear is no longer there, by all means if the feelings that you have for each other is indeed MuTuaL, work your magic! For there is no power that is greater. No need for me to explain, if you know what it is to truly love and you are loved unconditionally - you know exactly what I speak of. Skies isn't the limit because it will definitely go beyond that. Best of wishes to you and yours------->ciao

Vonda G. Nelson

Adios

2011-03-15T01:32:00.005-05:00

"Poyum":

i just can't resist saying bye even though i cannot see ur eyes

i can't imagine saying bye even though i know there will be a time when i will be online and you nay

i cannot say by for i know that whilst we are separated we cannot be one

i cannot say bye for.......frankly speaking ............i dont know why

Read 26, how many have you?

2010-12-09T03:14:00.004-06:00

BBC's Top 100 Books to Read!

Have you read more than 6 of these books? The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books listed here.

I've read 25 from these, 75 more to go. Should keep me busy for life! :)

Instructions: Copy this into your NOTES. Bold those books you've read in their entirety, italicize the ones you started but didn't finish or read an excerpt. Tag (at least) five other book nerds. Tag me as well so I can see your responses!

Disclaimer: This list is from the ‘Books you can’t live without’ poll done by UK newspaperThe Guardian on the top 100 favourite reads.

1. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

2 The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien

3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte

4 Harry Potter series – JK Rowling (all)

5 To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

6 The Bible

7 Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte

8 Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell

9 His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman

10 Great Expectations – Charles Dickens

11 Little Women – Louisa M Alcott

12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy

13 Catch 22 – Joseph Heller

14 Complete Works of Shakespeare

15 Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier

16 The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien

17 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks

18 Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger

19 The Time Traveller’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger

20 Middlemarch – George Eliot

21 Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell

22 The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald

23 Bleak House – Charles Dickens

24 War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy

25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams

26 Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh

27 Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

28 Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck

29 Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll

30 The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame

31 Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy

32 David Copperfield – Charles Dickens

33 Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis (all)

34 Emma – Jane Austen

35 Persuasion – Jane Austen

36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis

37 The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini

38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Berniere

39 Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden

40 Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne

41 Animal Farm – George Orwell

42 The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown

43 One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving

45 The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins

46 Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery

47 Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy

48 The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood

49 Lord of the Flies – William Golding

50 Atonement – Ian McEwan

51 Life of Pi – Yann Martel

52 Dune – Frank Herbert

53 Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons

54 Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen

55 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth

56 The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon

57 A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens

58 Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon

60 Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61 Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck

62 Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov

63 The Secret History – Donna Tartt

64 The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold

65 Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas

66 On The Road – Jack Kerouac

67 Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy

68 Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding

69 Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie

70 Moby Dick – Herman Melville

71 Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens

72 Dracula – Bram Stoker

73 The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett

74 Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson

75 Ulysses – James Joyce

76 The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath

77 Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome

78 Germinal – Emile Zola

79 Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray

80 Possession – AS Byatt

81 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens

82 Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell

83 The Color Purple – Alice Walker

84 The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro

85 Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert

86 A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry

87 Charlotte’s Web – EB White 88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom

89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

90 The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton

91 Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad

92 The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery

93 The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks

94 Watership Down – Richard Adams

95 A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole

96 A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute

97 The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas

98 Hamlet – William Shakespeare

99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl

100 Les Miserables – Victor Hugo Share

Have you read more than 6 of these books? The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books listed here.

Hindsight is 20/20

2010-04-09T01:23:00.014-05:00

A 'Show don’t Tell' Assignment:

He felt the earth press onto the soles of his feet at every step. His right toe accidentally got caught in one of the crevices on the road and he fervently tried grabbing the air to keep balance. He felt a tiny bead of sweat trickle down from his right temple to the long overdue side lock that he sported. He used the back of his right hand to give one quick swipe across his forehead. His head had started to hurt by now. He turned back and looked at the road he had just traveled. He could see a thin sheet of still water at the horizon. He stopped and started rummaging in his knapsack for a bottle of water, just as his mouth began to water.

“Funny how even the mere mention of water is enough to get one thirsty!” he noted. He sloshed a mouthful down his throat careful enough to not spill even a drop down his overalls. His once bright blue overalls now looked unrecognizable. He had a big blotch of mud on his left knee cap, a few paint stains on the chest, soiled pants tearing at the ankle and a general faded color that screamed out loud – ‘I have been washed a million times now already so please let me go!’ He resumed his journey again on the straight road that he saw ahead. He knew he had a long way to go but couldn’t afford rest till the night. He felt like looking back again but he knew the sheet of water would tantalize him rather mischievously. It had already cost him the first quarter of his bottle and he reminded himself that he had ages before he would reach Timland. One step after another he continued.

“I really hope that this heat goes away soon…I have been walking for hours at a stretch now…I wonder why there are no birds around here…Flying in such weather would be fatal…I remember the Greek father son-duo who flew at the sun in wax wings and the son fell down as the wax melted…Oh, that’s too many suns! I wonder what their names were…I wish Father were alive, I could’ve asked him…On second thoughts though, it is good he never got to see me like this…O, how I loved his fountain pen…I wonder where it is now...If it is anywhere in the rubble that I’ve just bid goodbye to, I’ll never get it back…Rubble! It strikes a bell somewhere…Barney? Was that his name? Barney Rubble…I remember hearing his name somewhere…oh yeah at the Electronics store down Merrill Street! The things that children watch these days…at least they would have learnt how to live with rocks and stones now that the time has come…wish I had stayed a little longer at Merrill Street, but I had no choice…His eye patch scared me more than anything else…I wonder what his eye looked like below the patch…The normal eye looked sinister enough to terrify people…His call couldn’t be ignored though…He would’ve killed me...”

He moved his fingers delicately from the bottom of his left ear lobe to the opening of his lips and down to the chin. He felt a chill through the back of his spine and shuddered so violently that his toe got stuck in the crack on the road once again and he stumbled. A kick on the ground and a loud swear in the air made him at peace for the moment. He turned back and found the sheet of water staring at him, as though inviting him to trace back his path. He tore himself from the sight and turned around to face the horizon.

“I don’t want it, I don’t want it…Even if I take the name of what I saw or anything related to it, I might feel like taking some! And I can’t afford to as I have very little of…Don’t say it, I don’t want it…I wonder why there is a mirage only at the back though. I should see one in front of me too…All I see is the boy with the big brown eyes looking at me…the boy who was meant to be my next victim…the boy who I saved to get the scar…I remember how his eye patch was the last thing I saw before I fell to the floor…blood dripping across my face and hands…the glare of that one gray eye that I still cannot forget…But then I saved the brown eyes…those beautiful innocent eyes with which he looked at me…smiling…I couldn’t do it, I’d decided…After all the tasks I’d done for him, I wouldn’t do this one…his eyes were too endearing for me to even take a step ahead…Oh, did this paint scrape off from the wall? I remember seeing a lizard crawl by…I hate lizards…Now I remember why I went to the Electronics store…to get away from the lizard! I hate the man who had come to give the call…I wish the call had never come…I could’ve died…I escaped with only a scar the first time, second would be next to impossible, I’d thought…God’s ways helped me though! O what would’ve happened to me had the earthquake not taken place…I wouldn’t have lived to see these ants scurrying away on the road…How different was I exactly two weeks back…nothing called God in my life to ponder over…those beady brown eyes have saved me today…This is His way of saying thank you for not harming His child…I feel lighter now…”

He stopped again to rummage in his sack, but this time to take out a tiny flask. Took one generous gulp, smiled and kept it back securely. There seemed to be a spring in his step now. He did not turn back this time.

“God made alcohol…O how thankful I am of Him! What would I do without it?! Timland shouldn’t be far ahead now…I remember his gray eye tell me once that they never had anyone in Timland…all I want to do is get away from him and his people…Wow, where did this cool breeze come from? Funny how alcohol makes you feel so happy in a minute…Funny how the weather always agrees with your mood…The sun is on its westward journey now…Timland shouldn’t be that far…She said I ought to reach before the sun sets…She looked pretty at her age…Maybe I should’ve spoken to her longer…Maybe she would’ve liked to join me to Timland…I would’ve had some company at least…Strangely her voice seemed familiar…comforting more like…I don’t remember my Mother much, although now that I think of it, her voice singing me to sleep form some of my earliest memories of her…the primary reason why I even carried on my talk with that pretty-faced lady…I wonder what her name was…Lily? Yes, it was Lily as she reminded me of lilies too…I haven’t seen a single flower on this road…I guess they got uprooted…or were they never there before?! I haven’t seen flowers in a long time…I remember the gray eye peering at me, ordering me to pick up the single lily that was on his table and go to the graveyard and place it on a gravestone…I couldn’t read the name etched on the stone…I wonder who he even cared for so much…If he did, he might as well have gone himself…The graveyard was eerie…I remember I came back from there drenched in rain thinking of my next victim…the brown eyed boy was the one after him…What would my epitaph be? I hadn’t cared a darn about it when I exited the graveyard…I was so different then! I’m thankful now…more thankful than ever for my life…to start over…Oh, I see something in the distance…it looks like a store…”

“Hey I want to write something, can you write it out for me?”

“Wassit you wanna write?”

“Epitaph: He was born twice.”

“There ya go mister! You new here?”

“I’m going to Timland.”

“This is Timland, Sire!”

He took the paper, folded it neatly and kept it safely in one of the many compartments in his sack. He happened to catch his reflection on a mirror in the store and saw himself smiling after a long time.

For Sale: Baby's shoes, never worn.

2010-01-19T00:43:00.003-06:00

Before you start reading this, just ponder over the title a little longer. Poor lady who's baby died...before birth? or after? Who would even sell baby's shoes? Was it that tragic? Just those 6 words convey a story that can be elaborated upon. Fact remains, that it still is a story. The first 6 word story ever written. This was written by Ernest Hemingway while at a pub in a small contest amongst friends of what are the least number of words in which you can write a story. Of course Hemingway's was the best in the lot.

My introduction to 6 word stories? An assignment in college. Day two of school and I registered for this completely random professor as I have to get done with this class before next year. And oh gosh what a professor!! My first words upon entering the classroom? "Holy Smokes!!!! He is my teacher??" Truly, he could give Brad Pitt competition ANY day!! Well, Tom Cruise not quite as he has the cutest daughter in the world and that gives him brownie points! ;) But my Humanities prof...my advisor asked me if I was finally gonna take the class till the end and my answer: "Hell yeah!!!" My advisor is pretty awesome too but hey this guy is young!! He is "dateable"! =D I'm sure the guys are getting bored by now but seriously...I wish I wasn't born an Indian, that way I could've had a go at him! ;)

There are two ways for someone to take your breath away. One, they do things. Two, they don't do nothing at all..they are born that way! My teacher (why oh why is he a teacher?!) falls in the latter!

Apart from him, I'm doing java 2, circuits 2, biomaterials and i/o psychology. Pretty balanced, if I may say.

There are times when you get the feeling that things are moving too fast for you. This is one such time. It has been 2 years since I decided that I can even think of coming here. Now that I'm here, it doesn't feel any different from any other college away from home. Whether you are 3 miles away or 30,000 - you are away and that is what matters. I've often been told rather asked: "Now you must've settled right?" By 'settled' if you mean, I must've overcome my teething problems, then yes I have 'settled'. Ask me if I still miss home - I do. Ask me if I still long for the rains to lash so hard that they pound on your windows and make noises - I do. Ask me if I still crave to go the local chaatwalla in my pjs ask him for a bhel - I do. Ask me if I wish to eat ice-creams/golas without being afraid of falling sick - I do. Ask me if I wish I could call up friends and decide to meet them this weekend - I do. Ask me if I wish I could accompany my parents at the marathon as always - I do.

Yes, the lifestyle here is much better. I know I missed Chicago while in India but hey I loved the time I was there. I would gladly move if given a chance but after graduation probably. College in India is kind of sad. Hehee sorry guys, but seriously. I study hard and party hard (if not harder!) It isn't party always and study right before the exam. It's this continuous process that taught me time management if not anything else! But Mumbai is and will always remain my first love. Chicago comes only as far as second.

Oh for Chicago! Such a lovely place you will never find! There is something for everyone. Romantic, adventurous, nerdy, crazy, subdued, hardworking, right-brained - every person finds something to their taste here! Love the summer or the winter, Chicago is the place to be! The best part is, it teaches a lot. It teaches that work is not and should not be the most important thing in your life. There are better things to do like the opera, theater, ice skating, skiing, shopping, trying out different cuisines, museum hopping, art, brewing your own perfume, photography, sailing, kayaking, walking!

If ever I move from here, I wouldn't miss only Mumbai.

Tick tock tick tock...boom! Help!

That's my submission. :)

An Ode to My Writing

2009-12-29T03:55:00.005-06:00

This is only to rekindle my interest in writing.

I can't believe there indeed was a time when I loved writing. I used to just take a pen and start writing all the random things that came in to my head. Then there was a time when I used to take a computer and start typing all the random things that came in to my head. Now there is a time, when I just stare at my blog once in a while to see if there can be something interesting there. One day, I am greeted by some one else's writing on my blog and I hate to realize that some one knew my password!

I am on a break from school. Winter break they say. Yes, I work but then it is more like getting paid to watch movies! How cool can that be?! The catch is the number of hours that I work at a stretch. So if you can survive sitting at the same place for hours more than 8 without bathroom breaks ( as people are usually sleeping during the unearthly hours that you work ), you have the job my friend. It is going pretty uneventful if you may ask. Last night, I was so near to breaking my own record in sleeping. The reason? Hunger. It was hunger, among all those things that could possibly have woken my sleepy state, that finally resulted in me waking up and texting my friend: "I'm sorry I couldn't make it today, I just woke up right now!" Yes 16 hours is unbelievable, but compare that to 18 hours that I once did and you'll sigh as much as me that I was so near. Or not.

Well, the entire purpose of me writing this out, as I mentioned before is to rekindle my interest in writing. My interest was never recognized I figured. It came to the sorry state when my professor had to ask me whether I was plagiarizing as my writing was so well and he was under the impression that I hate writing! That was most insulting to my writing, if not anything else as I had completely lost all interest in it. The devil was of the feminine gender from last Spring who happened to teach me Life Stories. I'd rather make her the cause than be the cause myself. I conveniently dropped out of her class when I noticed the profound effect she had on me and my endeavor to pursue writing which she clearly did not appreciate. As luck would have it, my next job, if I get it, makes me her employee. I just hope she is a better employer than she is a teacher.

If anyone watches Family Guy, I'm sure the resemblance of my style above, and that of Stewie's should be remarkable. Please do agree even if it isn't as I am watching a lot of Family Guy these days. His behavior and his language most of all have entertained me ever since my initial interest in the little man. Also add, The Big Bang Theory to it, but to its dismay, neither Dr. Sheldon Copper nor Dr. Leonard Hofstadter have been as influential as Stewie. Penny, might have only as far as her clothing is concerned.

Wardrobe change. I think that is in shape currently. I see a major revolution rising in my closet as summer arrives. It is already coughing up some good dollars for really great looking dresses that make me look like never before. If I keep watching Penny till the summer, I'm guessing she should be my sole inspiration. Of course, I must not forget my great friends here, who think it is their primary goal in life to dress me up before they dress themselves. I have no other option than to oblige and be their toy in this regards. Thank you, my friends for making me look so good!

I guess that should be all. I should get back to writing some serious things now that I am getting the hang of it.

I hope to see you soon, Blog.

Soliloquy

2009-10-14T10:48:00.001-05:00

It's been 2 days since it started raining and hasn't stopped. The dark clouds and the impounding rains fills a sense of gloominess in me. The outside climate deviates my mind on various thoughts. Leaving aside all the topics my mind reaches only on one thing that is keeping me engaged most of the time.
The dark round clouds remind me of her deep dark round eyes boring into me trying to tell me a secret.
I can feel her reaching out to me but something holding her back. I wish I knew that.
I can feel her, she is trapped between her personal intersts and the current situation she is facing.
She will not ask for help ever,always trying to do everything herself if possible.
She needs someone to support her , someone on whose shoulder she can lean on.
My heart goes out to her...... I feel like holding her and guiding her. I want to see her enjoying and dancing on this rainy day.I have not felt like this about anyone before. I think I may go mad by just thinking about her.
Why can't she realize this? Am I so unlikeable that I can't even get atleast a fake smile from her.
I don't want to see her getting hurt nor in any difficulty. I can't even express this to anybody else not even to her. She will never believe my feelings. If only I had come sooner ....
I'm ready to walk a thousand miles just to see her smile.......ready to do any mistakes just to see her glance towards me with twinkle in her eyes and mock me with that half a smile on her lips. The way she talks is so pure and so simple that it makes me wonder whther she is trained under some yogi.
Her line of thoughts is on a whole new level unmatched with anyone. She is like a wild tigeress always independent and aggresivly dominant. Fiercefully loyal to the one who she cares is what makes her more wanting......am I part of that group I don't know. I just to want to go on looking at her , she may not be the most pretty girl around but she has that raw magnetic personality which attracts you towards her.

What should I do

2009-09-06T15:21:00.001-05:00

I don't know what I m doing nor what I m going to do now.

On Getting Lost

2009-07-13T15:42:00.004-05:00

I love getting lost. It is as much fun to me as playing a tough game and beating your brother's high score. It as exciting as going for a much awaited movie with all your friends. It is as satisfying as a large glass of cold water after a day spent in the sun.

'Lost' - the word itself ignites a kind of a fire within me...a fire burning now with renewed energy. The very word had been my name on Orkut for more than a year! Until of course it got replaced by the very obvious - 'found'.
It signifies many things and can be used in diverse ways. One can lose material objects or can also lose their sense of understanding. Some other may lose their eyesight or may also lose touch with the outside world and be immersed in thought. Others may just lose in a game or race or have no idea of where they are. When I spoke of loving to get lost, I meant just two things - to be lost in thought and to be lost geographically. Although the former is financially more viable always, I do make it a point to exercise the latter once in a while.

Getting lost in thought has been one thing I have always indulged in. I love thinking as much as I love getting lost, and often times the two go hand in hand. Looking at things but not seeing them usually culminates into a good past-time. The power of thought has the ability to transport one's mind from the place they are physically at, to anything from the neighbour's house to the dense forests of Amazon to the stars millions of lightyears from our galaxy and also to the miniscule world of quarks. Like someone rightly said - think wisely as your thoughts form words, your words form actions, your actions make your character, and your character defines your life. It is only thoughts which maketh or breaketh a man. Being so immersed in thoughts helps improve one's ability to concentrate because if one can think so deeply without any disturbance, then surely they can do any thing in the world with the same passion. One man's thoughts have the ability to change the views of the entire city, nation or world. Thinking helps.

The joy obtained when I know that I am in an unknown place surpasses my fear. The very idea of experiencing a different environment altogether gives a high. Although fear does take over if the place turns out to be shady and it is the middle of the night but it is not of those times that I speak of here.
I guess I probably love travelling and it is in my blood as even my parents love travelling. But my love for travelling hadn't surfaced as yet till I began college. Exploration makes me feel like one of the great explorers of the world - Vasco da Gama, Neil Armstrong, Tenzing Norgay and Amerigo Vespucci. They stepped foot on places never before treaden by those back home. They made chronicles of their travel. They accomplished the task of reaching back safely from where they had begun. I have unfortunately been to very few places which were never stepped upon by those at home yet the excitement of experiencing something new never dies down. It is always the new that excites. Probably explains why most people love knowing the 'news'. For me, any new place that I go to is akin to getting lost. Knowing more about the place and making me feel at home is one major task I undertake once lost. The high of understanding stuff from scratch about anything, prevails also in this.

Oh well...I got lost writing this! ;)
Happy Losing-It Day!

Privacy

2009-03-13T18:38:00.004-05:00

If the photo allows you to become a paprazzi,

and the blogger allows you to become a reporter,

and youtube allows you to be a film-maker,

then what's happened to privacy?

- Eric E. Schmidt

CEO, Google Inc.

Member, Board of Directors, Apple Inc.

I thought thought and wrote thunk.

2009-03-12T12:24:00.004-05:00

I’m sleepy. Yawn.

I woke up at 7am today. I had a lab today at 8.30am and 7 seemed a bit too early for me to get up and get dressed. I went back to sleep. One of my friends called me at 9.12am and the first thing I say even before a courteous ‘hello’ is ‘dude, what’s the time right now?’ I rush for my lab class. The TA asks me to come for the make-up lab session which takes place at the end of the semester. I receive my previous lab report. 29 – not too bad without a data sheet.

I’m hungry. Growl.

Yes, it’s making noises – my stomach that is. I ate at 6pm yesterday and not had anything since. Today is Taco Thursday! I plan to make an enchilada. How cool can that be! Well, not quite as I don’t know how to make and I’ll probably just mess it up. Talking of food is making me hungrier. My aunt makes really good enchiladas. She makes better than those at Taco Bell and that’s saying something as I love Taco Bell. I love Mexican. I like Greek too. Yesterday for dinner, I had a Spinach Strudel – Greek style. Did I say “a spinach strudel”? Actually I had 3 of ‘em. Sweet, right? Well actually spinach strudels as rarely sweet and if they do turn out to be sweet some day, that wouldn’t be spinach that you’re having sir.

I’m lazy. Stretch.

This is what happens when I’m nearing the end of something. I feel like rushing it so much that I end up spoiling the finale. My mid semester end is near. This means that Spring Break starts from this weekend. I don’t have classes on Friday, which means my Spring Break starts from tonight. I am so utterly lazy to go for my classes today. I have a Biology Lab quiz in an hour and a half. I have to identify the muscles on a fetal pig. Something which we have been doing since the past 3 weeks on our female pig called Smelly Poo. It stinks every single time! What else could we have named it? I’ve finished doing the neck and upper limbs. The last part and revising is left. Short term memory works best for things that reek.

I’m shopaholic. Clink.

I have shopped a lot in this week. I think I will have to shop more as the spring break progresses. I don’t like this side of me though. Every time I spend over something, I feel sad. I don’t care about the ‘hard-earned’ money that I’m spending as its not exactly hard-earned by me, is it? All I do is sit at the desk and ask for IDs. It’s my parents’ hard-earned money. After all, I’m here because of their money and this money is also theirs as I haven’t given them back their share as yet.I hope he would be happy. I hope my parents don’t shout at me. I hope he likes it. I’m super excited about going home and giving it to him. His 21^st birthday, I couldn’t stop myself. My parents’ 25^th Anniversary and I don’t know what I should get them. I’m really confused. I first thought of silver rings for each but I don’t know my father’s ring size. I don’t want him to never wear it. I wish shopping for my parents could be as easy as shopping for my brother. I can buy my brother gifts anytime rest assured that he would use them and love them. I am still clueless about what to buy my parents. I’m thinking along the lines of watches. Let’s see.

I'm thinking. Bzzz.

Biology lab quiz still tormenting me and I need to study. Not exactly tormenting, but I hadn’t use the word since ages!

Solutions by me :

2009-02-02T00:49:00.004-06:00

I could think of some solutions for our country. Here they are :

SECURITY: All of the national borders should be well guarded 24*7.The sea, land and air routes that enter and leave the country should always be monitored for any unfamiliar mode of transportation. Every vehicle should be well checked before allowed to enter the country borders. This requires extensive use of man-power and hence an increase in the number of labor opportunities.

SAFETY: There should be specialized police responsible for public safety round the clock positioned in every street and public place to handle any sudden unpleasant situations like blasts, firing, eve-teasing and keep a check on any suspicious activity or people. These should always be one phone call away and should be well coordinated amongst each other in times of emergencies. They should also be trained to be accessible and approachable.

LEADERSHIP: Half of the security offered to each of our politicians should be used for the common man and his safety. The politicians do not make up our country; they only represent the most important aspect of a nation: its populace. If the country wastes its security resources in protecting the representatives, the people are in danger while the former aren’t. If all of the supposed ‘leaders’ have reduced security which can be devoted for the people, the question of any partiality would not arise and the nation would indeed be much safer than before.

SINCERITY: Laws should be made to sack or punish or fine any bureaucrat or politician who is lax about their duties. If their “job requirements” aren’t met with, they are entitled to be removed from their post and they should be made aware of this. This also includes the Judiciary if they delay in their judgments or are in any way unjust.

If there are any glitches in this, which I’m sure there are and I may have overlooked, please feel free to let me know. Then again, if there is something which needs to be added, do let me know.

Help your country to help yourself. Many thanks.

Que Sera, Sera? I pray not...

2009-01-15T16:50:00.002-06:00

Sometimes I have so many questions brimming in my head waiting to be answered. They just form like those tiny bubbles in boiling water which wait to be surfaced and then go plop. There are some which burst and others which remain unanswered. One day, I am sure to burst them. One day I will unearth the mystery behind them. One day I will know the reason why it is so difficult for Indians, educated or not, to understand the importance of voting in the governmental general elections.

Yes, we all know that a democracy is a government of the people, by the people and for the people. Where are we missing out on the point then? If you ask me, at this point of time, I do not see how that above line is true for the State Government of Maharashtra. The State Government of Maharashtra is clearly not of the people. If it were, there wouldn’t have been the nonchalant attitude of don’t-I-have-enough-on-me-already-than-to-even-worry-about-the-Govt.-now prevailing in a shocking eighty-seven percent of the people today. The Govt. is definitely not made by the people as the people absolutely detest, if not act indifferent to the MLA’s of Maharashtra. If the resignation of the Chief Minister does not prove this, then I don’t know what does. And the Govt. for the people? Ask anyone that question down the streets of the State and four out of five times one is sure to get a laugh. Where have we gone wrong then? Yes, we. It’s not about ‘them’ anymore. It never was.

How does it feel if I say, “Don’t I have enough to worry about in my job, my daily quest to get a square meal per day, my lousy sleeping patterns and my dear ones to add an extra baggage of worries regarding the house, the bills, the maintenance? Can’t I just live on my own terms and have someone else take care of the household?” Sounds atrocious, doesn’t it? After all, taking care of your house is your own responsibility, your own duty. Right?

Well, the fact is you do choose someone to take care of these minor nitty-gritty’s of your life, which are no way less important than your other chores. It may be your spouse, a maid, a butler, or just a domestic help. The important aspect here being, “you choose”. You cannot afford to leave the house at the hands of any one less able to take care of it according to you. You feel you hold the rights in sifting the most appropriate candidate for the job.

Why is there such a big issue then, when it comes to choosing a suitable person to run your country for you? Isn’t your country, your state, your city, your neighborhood, not your home? Haven’t you ever referred to your country as “home” after having stepped out of it? Some might say that they don’t own the country like they own their houses. Building the house, buying it out of their own hard earned money is different from the country and hence the worth of the house is understood. These people have clearly not paid their taxes then. If you pay your taxes, you own the country as much as you own your house. No one can take that right from you. Now, if you are just dying to tell me that you are not sure how the money obtained from taxes is being utilized, all I can say is, its still your fault. To explain further, if you were to hand over the exact amount of your monthly electricity bill to your domestic help and yet receive a fine for incomplete payment in the next month’s bill, you are sure to put your help to task. If provided with unsatisfactory answers combined with a detailed study of the help’s past endeavors, you also reserve a right to fire her if you may so wish to.

So now if you feel that you’re taxes aren’t being utilized the way you wish them to be or rather the way they ought to be, why do you shy away from confronting those who are responsible for this? Why don’t you feel robbed or cheated the same way in this case too? After all, its your hard earned money again.

Probably this is the reason why some abstain from paying taxes and are always on the lookout to minimize their taxes. Well, to you, I’d say, you are in a state much worse. You know you are being robbed continually and instead of trying to nab the culprit(s), you keep less money in the house! How foolhardy could that get!

So now that the importance of being accountable for your country and its welfare (which also means your own welfare) has started to sink in, it should be quite evident why choosing the right people for this job becomes the top priority of the day. This leads us to a single four-lettered word, touted to be possibly the most misused word in India at this stage: VOTE. There remain only a few millions out of the populace of one billion in this country who exercise their right to vote. Out of these, at least half of the people vote under the influence of incentives and do not use their own judgment. How then would the country fare well, if it runs according to the whims and fancies of a few thousands out of the one billion? How then would the entire nation be happy as most are even not represented? How then would you be happy?

There was once a time when this country chose its own future. A time when the people of the country chose to change, chose to be happy, chose to choose their own people once and for all. They decided to go republic and be responsible for their extended home – their country. A century ahead, the people of the same country no longer feel the need to be responsible towards the country’s future, their future. The zest of the yesteryears has gotten lost in time. The fervor suddenly returns at times, but only when danger smacks us hard upon the face. Why does it take a mass firing or a bomb blast to unite us, to ‘awaken’ us? Were we sleepwalking all along then? If yes, why is there this frequent, intolerable knack of going back to sleep as usual without any meaningful amendments made to stay awake as should be natural? No answer? Thought as well.

Some countries flourish because of the simple reason that they have the right people doing the right jobs effectively. Others don’t because they have the wrong people doing the right jobs – ineffectively. The economy of a country cannot function well if the administration in itself is poor. The GDP falls and hence – well, let’s not even get there. It’s all a vicious cycle which can easily be amended by the people if they wish.

Democracy needs to be rediscovered and fostered amongst the people.

Responsibility for the country is in the hands of the people. If there is a single person at this moment who gets up and says, “I want to vote but nobody is worth my vote”, I ask whether they have thoroughly gone through the CV’s of all the contenders. Laughable? It might be but I’m sure by doing so there most definitely would be someone who is relatively better than the rest and deserves your vote. How can you complain about this menial task when choosing the best candidate would also mean choosing a better life for your own self? Yet, if you find no one to your taste, wait till you turn 25 and contest in the elections yourself. Become a Member of Parliament at 30 and create the taste you once looked for. If you are already past these ages, what are you waiting for? If you feel you may not be the best person for this job, convince the people you think are suitable, to contest and support them. If you want the very best, look around, you are sure to find that change. A bit of an effort from every person is all that is required.

The country did change for the better once. History can repeat itself. After all, it’s for your own good.

Your country needs you. You alone choose the change.

The Way It Began

2009-01-15T16:48:00.002-06:00

A : Have u ever voted?

B : Ya once when I was in India

A : And it’s been 7 yrs since you technically could?

B : Yes

A : Would you have voted if you were in India for the recently concluded elections?

B : Ya I would vote every time and in fact I was the class representative back in college

B : So we did some special campaign and our college was one of the voting centers

A : I was just thinking…

B : And like I hate it

A : Hate what?

B : Indians sometimes just don’t realize the importance of voting

A : I know!!

B : Only like 40% of population cast their vote, which is so bad

A : I know..

B : So I hate the system, I mean people don’t want to change

B : If it is made sure that all the people in India vote, it will make a huge difference

A : Every year at least a lakh students move out of India

A : So if u take into account the four years of undergrad students already outside and add 2 more for post grad and 2 more for Ph.D. and other degrees, there are at least 9 lakh students outside if the rate in of students >= rate out.

A : These 9 lakhs could have been able to vote if they had been in India

A : If only there was some way in which these 9 lakh students could vote...because technically they are Indians and it’s their fundamental right 2 vote and it is up to the govt. to create provisions for them

B : Ya they can have a online system

A : I know!!

B : But you know the system is not transparent and Indians are so reluctant to adapt to new technology or changes

B : To start such system you need the Indian Govt. to help

A : Not help no...you need to direct them

B : They won’t agree unless they see any profit, trust me

A : Yeah who isn’t corrupt these days…and that’s the challenge

B : What is the challenge? They have made politics so bad that even if you want to reform the system you cannot do it alone by yourself

A : So I didn’t talk of doing it alone

B : Some people don’t want to take part, some people just don’t care

B : There are so many who think that they don’t have time to think about all this and there are other things to do

A : Like?

B : Other stuff which is important for them

A : That’s what..everyone has their own jobs but the ones who are supposed to be handling the job of running the country well aren’t doing it

A : So people who aren’t supposed to be doing it have to do it without a choice by finding out time if they want to live better

B : I have seen them very closely

A : Yeah..and?

B : And it’s like in the end people laugh at you if you talk to them about this

A : I don’t care

B : Even I don’t care but people should have the zest to change things, the will

A : They do...it’s just lost

B : It’s ok I know to be so aggressive at your age

A : I knew you’d say that, probably some day even you were…but even you are growing to be ignorant

A : See that’s what happens, every time a man/woman grows this aggressiveness grows out of them

A : Why can’t it stay, why do they have to be so immune to the condition around them so absorbed in their own selfish lives?

B : Because you cannot do it alone, we need motivation to do such stuff and that too continuously!

A : That’s what everyone thinks...that they cannot do it alone, forgetting that in this process we're actually uniting in thinking that we can’t do it rather than the positive

A : Motivation is what is being lost and do you know who gets us motivated??

B : Who?

A : The bomb blasts and the firings

B : But one more thing I noticed is only middle class people are aggressive to change India

B : These extra rich people never show interest and the poor cannot

B : That’s why I really like the political system of the developed countries and how actively people participate

A : Yeah because they're aware and here no one is aware

B : No because they want to know and they take interest which is why they are aware

B : And it’s the other way round in India as people are so used to corruption that you become indifferent to it

A : But meanwhile I need a way to get in touch with the Indians outside and discuss their voting rights

B : Facebook, orkut?

A : There are hundreds of groups of all subjects in them and I don’t want to get lost that way

B : Hmmm…you can write blogs to create awareness

B : On this so people vote and if they cannot because they are outside unite to make sure the govt. takes some measures to create provisions for voting

A : You think its effective just writing?

B : Yes…do you know there are some NRI’s who are sending a petition to enable proxy-voting for them

A : What’s that?

B : An Indian citizen outside India can give his voting rights to any one trusted person who is in the same constituency as his so that the person can vote for him in addition to voting under his own name too

A : That would indeed be great. If only such a bill was passed, it would help immensely

B : Ya but first we need awareness. Ok let’s start this…

Her First Snow

2008-12-18T20:08:00.003-06:00

Night

She was asleep. She was warm. Somehow I couldn’t stand it. I knew I’d made everyone else interested in me…but I was into her. I wanted to wake her up, to let her know that I’ve come – finally. I know she can’t avoid me now. It’s her first time. She’s bound to be excited.

Someone wake her up!

Why can’t the wind make her window pane rattle? I’d love to see the expression on her face when she first sees me. Would she be happy? After all, she’s never seen me before. Or would she be sad knowing that I wouldn’t leave her now?

She makes me feel special. I know she had been waiting for me. I know she had always wanted to see me. I even knew what was in her mind when she told her friends that she was scared of me. She did crave for me. I could see it in her eyes. I could see them open wide with excitement at my mere mention. She made me interested in her…and now she’s asleep when I’ve come. I know she can’t avoid me now. It’s her first time. She’s bound to be excited.

Day

I waited for her all night. I wanted to see her shout out in wonder. I couldn’t go without meeting her now. I was all over the morning coffee talks. Everyone had been talking of me since last night. Some expressed joy, some grimace. I knew I couldn’t be popular everywhere. I knew not many could actually recognize my white beauty, the way even diamonds seem ordinary in front of me. The aura around me that seems to illuminate the world as I arrive. My soft touch that although lasts only a second, gives the experience of a lifetime. Children adore me. Even nature bends before me in respect and admiration. All I want is for her to wake up. I know she can’t avoid me now. It’s her first time. She’s bound to be excited.

Noon

Finally! I see her hands prod around the bed for her phone. How I wish those gentle hands to hold me. How I wish I could remove her from that warm blanket of hers and take her out with me. How I wish she would be a little more faster to open the curtains and check out my surprise. Why does it take her an eternity to notice the light that I’ve spread around? Why does it take her such a long time to notice the window to exceptionally white? Why does she not exclaim in wonder? Why does she have to walk with her head down? I see her go out and lock the door. I’ll follow her to the entrance. I wish these blinds along the hall ways were open. Can I somehow try and open them…

Clang! She’s stopped. She’s dropped her keys. Oh! She looks straight at me through the door, her mouth open in surprise. There is a strange twinkle in her eyes. She blinks. Stares. Smiles.

I know she can’t avoid me now. It’s her first time. She’s excited.

En route

2008-12-18T19:33:00.006-06:00

It’s 7.25 am on the 13^th of August, 2008. Temperature 27C and I wonder why are so many slum dwellers squatting at strategic positions of a tiny elevated land covered with grass, while I look outside my window. After a while I see the mugs of water beside them and know that they are just doing their early morning chores! Two Jet Airways planes take off, now a Kingfisher…and now mine! No sign of rain…thank you kaka! J

The Captain says initially we will be climbing up to 35,000 ft! Whoa!! Now I know what Asia’s largest slum looks like form above. I’m out of Mumbai in a jiffy and on top of the Indian Ocean. Saw the Bandra-Worli sealink – a decision that took such a long time to materialize! Wasn’t it so obvious? I’m over clouds…into clouds! It’s all white outside as though there is a white blanket stretched across the window. More clouds below…this must be how supposed angels from heaven would be feeling. I feel like treading onto them and watching the world from above. The rain droplets from my window pane have miraculously evaporated. The glass shines clean as though wiped with paper.

15,814 ft. Blue sea below, large patches of white clouds at different altitudes below my plane. The blue sky at the horizon turns dark bluish grey as it reaches our plane.

26,500 ft. A sea of cotton balls below me.

Just woken up from sleep; Slept for four hours which felt more like four minutes. The horizon is covered. The sky above is dark – blueblack. I feel like an astronaut. Why ever didn’t I choose that as a career?!?

Its 2pm and I’ve just finished lunch. Imagine having rice and bhindi 38,000 ft above sea level. I’m over land now, Budapest to be precise. The world looks like one large topographic map. I’m so glad I did geography in school. I can actually see meandering rivers through their mid course and the fertile plains which inhabit population surrounding it. I thought all that only happened in books! I saw a plane fly below. Probably a domestic one due to its low altitude. I can now see the shadows of clouds below us. Funny part is, both are below me!

The outside temperature is -56C. Whew! I have now crossed Athens, Rome, Zurich, Milan and should be reaching Frankfurt any moment. I feel like I’m living on a castle floating over the clouds. Its 3.18pm in India and I am INSIDE clouds!

Frankfurt transit lounge. I met a really nice stewardess on the flight named Shruti. She spoke to me about many things, Chicago in particular. Fared me the best of luck with my education. I wonder where she is now…I want to make a call home but cannot. They say I’ll need Euros which I don’t have. The foreign exchange counter is far. The two hours of wait is getting annoying. The eight hours of flight was a breeze.

On guard to Chicago. Four hours left. I got up before my alarm could ring. Right now I’ve chosen a nice place by one of the emergency exit doors and can see the terrain below. I wonder which land I’m above. There are no clouds, just a few at the horizon. Brown, muddy place with water here and there. More like a swamp. Uninhabited for miles. The clouds now appear like strewn bits of cotton that lay after a pillow fight. They don’t move like they did earlier. I’m hungry and thirsty but if I go this wonderful seat of mine would be taken. I see some people prowling around waiting for me to get up!

We should be approaching settlements as the clouds increased in number; only in number.

Yayy!! I got a window seat. A seat was empty in my row right from the start so I thought I might as well go and ask the people sitting beside the seat as they didn’t seem to need it. I got four small packs of kurkure for myself. The steward said we are above Canada…didn’t know Canada was so barren. Damn, we’ve already crossed the Atlantic and I slept through it! Pretty obvious considering we are above Canada, but I wanted to be awake while crossing the Atlantic. There is so much of unused land in Canada. The air temperature outside is -47C and we are at a height of 38,000 ft above sea level. I’m somewhere near the northeastern part of Canada. It’s all marshy below.

There, the first city, or rather town and one of the Great Lakes. No, it’s not the Great Lake; it’s just the Atlantic Ocean jutting into land to form the North Sea. No clouds again.

Had something that was supposed to be breakfast. There was hot coffee also with it na? Relief.

I’m above Chicago and it sure looks like in the movies and games. Neat little houses with backyards, pools et al.

Ahoy Chicago! TOUCHDOWN…!