Auf Wiedersehen Deutschland

This post has been in the backburner form some time. I was to write this at the end of my stint in Germany, having ended a chapter of my life. My time was very eventful albeit a little shortlived. I cant think of any other phase when there were so many highlights in such a short period. The ones listed below are in no particular order of importance.

• I got my Master's degree. More importantly I got the foreign education experience I wanted. Whether I made use of the learning opportunities is another thing. My coursework did not warrant any deep learning or many assignments. The exams were kinda tough but the emphasis on application and understanding rather than mugging meant that studying for exams wasn't strenuous. And in the end, the grades were very good. If not for the chilled out course, I would not have had time to work for my living (and travelling) expenses and I would not have had any more points on this list.
• Travelling around Europe was probably the biggest reason I went to Germany. And doing that involved a lot of planning, saving, making use of every holiday I got and sometimes going alone if I had to. I visited Austria, Czech Republic, Italy, France (Paris), Spain, Switzerland, Russia (Moscow), Belgium, Netherlands and of course many parts of Germany. I did leave out Greece and Scandinavia on purpose. There should be a reason to come back, right? Anyway, my travels made my time in Europe the vacation that it was. And of course, it gave me so much to blog about.
• I learnt how to swim. Crossing over to the deep side (in the Olympic pool :) ) took some time but now I am very comfortable in water, which had been a target for a very long time.
• I put on weight. Yes, you read it right. What I thought was impossible is apparently possible. All it needed was a daily diet of 2 litres milk, half a kilo of chicken, and eggs, fish, rice, tuna and mayo sandwiches, peanuts..that is all. And hard and heavy working out. 10 kilos in 5 months is no lean feat, me thinks. And for me, this is probably the most important gain, because I have always been touchy about my body, and enough blood has boiled when unfit people have talked trash about it. But there is still work to be done, and now gymming has become part of my daily routine.
• I learnt to ski. In the Alps. Enough said.
• I can speak German. Just the basic stuff. I really enjoyed interacting with people in German to get around, or in the store etc.
• I got much better in playing the guitar, tennis and cooking. 
• Then there is the whole German experience. Which means four seasons and the cold bitter winters, the discipline and efficiency, the politeness and the hot chicks. Germany is a model state, and there is a lot Indians can learn from Germans. I dont think German punctuality has really rubbed on me. I still am always exactly on time or 5 minutes late tops, but never early. But I hold their politeness in high regard and I try to emulate them as far as I can. I also made a few good friends and many friends from other countries.

I did all these exciting things, but still couldn't find enough reason to stay. I see these two years as a pure vacation, maybe a sabbatical. I studied, traveled, played, lived my dreams and then came home. So the fact that the Masters degree has not given me any real boost to my career does not bother me.  I learnt a lot of things, about myself, about how people live and how things work in a different world. I realized what I took for granted, and I have understood my priorities and discovered the things that mean the most to me. I am really glad I went and I hope I get a chance to visit again.

The wait is over

Camp Nou.

I made it there. The grandest football venue in the world to watch Xavi, Iniesta, Messi and co. pass the ball around. And to top it all, I bought a front row seat to get as close as possible to the action. That morning, I peeped through Messi's Masserati when he got stranded in front of the gate, and later that evening he was kicking a ball 10 feet away from me. Anyway, my happiness had to be limited somehow, and so to bring about some balance, the match ended goalless with Messi missing a penalty. oh what the hell, the didnt stop the match from being one of the best experiences ever.

It was the highlight of my Spain trip. I was spellbound by the Flamenco show also. I had lots of time, and was in relaxing mood, so I didnt walk around the cities too much. In keeping with Spanish tradition, I also took a siesta almost every day. I saw a bit of Madrid and then spent a few days in Barcelona checking out the city in the morning and lazing around the beach the rest of the day. I chatted up some people and we shared our stories, but the most significant one was my conversation with a German on my way to Munich after landing. He was a retired honcho at Siemens with a holiday home in Spain. For an hour he talked about his life, and Spain and Germany and India, and philosophy and I was just listening so intently. It was interesting to hear him crib about how Germans follow the rules all the time, even during leisure. He had been to India many times for business, and I asked him if he plans to visit again. I almost cried when he said he will never go to India again because he cannot see hungry dying people outside when he steps out of his luxurious hotel. Then he got talking about home and family and money and the joy of having a beer at a local bar with his family and friends. He was reiterating many thoughts in my head and I began to wonder that this can't be a coincidence. He was my 'wise old man'. I was waiting for an epiphany to change my mind, but the opposite happened.

It was a good way to end my much awaited Spain trip. Next time, I will for sure visit the smaller towns and islands instead. Anyway, that wrapped up my Eurotrips for the time being. It is about time I sorted all the pics.

When someday became today

One of the things on my 'someday' list was skiing, and when SkiDubai came up, I thought that it would be the closest I would get to crossing it off. I didnt know then that pretty soon I would be skiing in the Alps. I had planned it for this winter, and have been gathering all the ski equipment for over a year now. So got myself registered for this weekend course, and what an awesome weekend it was. Though I felt like a loser when it started, I somehow stuck in there, and at the end of it I was so thrilled because my moving, turning and braking were all so smooth. The first day's skiing was only on a small slope, but today I was skiing on the beautiful alpine slopes on a snowy day, and I am a happy man. I fell a lot, but nothing too nasty and not as much as much as I thought I would.





I am not done with skiing, and more trips are on the cards. I am really glad I finally got it rolling. I think everyone has a 'someday' list, and should make an effort to shorten it. Lack of motivation levels and enthusiasm ruins it for most people. Luck has played it's part for me, but I am sure nobody in the same position as me feels the kind of satisfaction I am feeling right now. Let the good times roll !!

I wish.....

Is the statement 'Follow your heart' a cliche. I think it is when it involves a career choice. And most of the time, it means 'Quit that mundane thing that you are doing now, and pursue your dreams'. Its no small task finding something that will give you unbounded motivation, that one thing that you would want to concentrate all your energy and time now. And the risk involved may not be something you are ready to take.

Steve Jobs' speech is stuck in my head. He found that one thing that he always wanted to do. I dont know where to look for my 'Apple'. I know for sure the things that I am most passionate about. I have this picture of my world in which I will be very happy. In this world, I have a good job, in which I am working on my crazy idea, and which pays for my travels around the world. I chill out by swimming or playing tennis and football in the club attached to my high rise apartment complex. My passion is playing music with my band. And of course my loving caring missus will be my partner in travel, games and long drives, and also lead singer of the band. Everyone in the family is nearby and well-settled. Old friends are around for the laughs. And I have time devoted to working for the underprivileged.

This is a vision, a plan. I dont think its an unrealistic dream or fantasy ( maybe the lead singer bit is pushing it). Looks like a good life. For now, I should work on my guitar, and gather enough knowledge so that the crazy idea can hit me. And in hindsight many good choices I have made in the past with respect to work, relationships, things I have bought, all have had some element of 'Follow your heart'. Maybe it is not a cliche after all.

Like Steve Jobs said, 'you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.' Heres to the dots connecting, like it always has. Amen.

Bon Journo Italia

A trip to Italy was on the cards for a long time. There were so many things about the country that fascinated me, that Italy was where I wanted to go on a long vacation. Ok it was not going to be the luxurious relaxing vacation, but more of a backpacking budget adventure.

Things started out on a rather sour note with Farid forgetting his passport and missing the flight, and then the train that we planned to catch to Venice being cancelled due to strike. Delayed or cancelled trains are common in Italy, impossible to find in Germany. The contrast between the Germans and Italians became pretty clear by the end of the trip. If anyone talks about hot Italians, I will tell them Germans are definitely better looking. Maybe not in your face sexier, but taller, simpler and prettier. The people there were rough and loud, Germans being so much more polite and polished.

Pisa is a tiny place, with nothing more than the complex with the Leaning tower. Yet another city with a river running through it and lots of bridges built across it. We had our last gelato by the river on the last night.

We had to go to Florence, to find another train to Venice. We had 2 hours, and I had this panaromic image of Florence in my head, that I wanted to capture. I didnt know what the place from where you get the view was called. I went up to a guy with an SLR who looked like a tourist, and explained what I was looking for, and voila, he said Piazza Michaelangelo and we set off. We reached there a little before sunset and this snap is the best of the 50 or so I clicked. This was all I wanted from Florence, and I got it because of the cancelled train. The silver lining.

Venice, the floating city, was extremely pretty. I loved it more at night, with all the crowds gone and with 'Wish you were here' on repeat in my head. The place was unique with the vaporettos (water taxis), gondolas and the narrow water streets running along the old colourful buildings. I went to a beach after months. Also memorable was the final boat ride we took in the evening, to take us wherever it went. The sunset and the clouds were magnificent, and my camera was happy.

Next stop, Milan. I was there for one reason. The reason why any football fan would go to Milan. The San Siro. Toured the museum and the stadium, but sadly had flight tickets to Rome booked and couldnt stay for the match that night. Nonetheless, I was delighted to be at one of the most important footballing destinations in the world. And I picked up a gold plated coin with the Stadium on it.

We flew to Rome that evening. Thank God for Ryanair and its incredibly cheap flights. Lots of time and money saved. What was really funny was the prerecorded victory music played on landing. Anyway, reached Rome Ciampino airport, which was not too far from the centre unlike the Munich(memmingen) airport. The metro in Rome was really shabby, though the graffiti on the trains was pretty cool. We checked into Sweet Hostel and the nicelooking girl at the reception asked us to join for a dinner party at a club tat night. Sounded cool to me, like a chance to check out Rome nightlife, but Farid wasnt interested. Bloody hell !!! So we went to the Collosseum , which was a 10 minute walk from the hostel. There I was, next to the most impressive historical structure, thinking about Maximus in Gladiator. It was mindblowing. I put the camera on the platform, from where I could capture the whole building. Lots of shots later, after repeated adjustments to my tripod ( a combination of wallet, lens cover and handkerchief ), I got the perfect photo, with a 20 second exposure. The lost chance to party was already out of my head. Then we headed of on a crazy tour, tring to find a place to eat. Farid would just not settle for a place, he had some dish in mind which was nowhere to be found. We finally got into one place, had pasta, which tasted just ordinary. Then, with the long awaiting us, went to sleep kinda early.


The next morning we picked up a Roma pass, which was probably the only the mistake we made. We headed to the Vatican and reached the magnificent St. Peters square. Then we saw the St. Peters Basilica and the Vatican Museums. Actually I felt quite bored staring at all the art in the endless Museums. And it didnt make too much sense, because we didnt get a guide. We left the Vatican and headed towards our camp, Fabulous Camping. It was outside Rome, and our room was a nice little place, not bigger than 100 square feet, with 3 beds and a loo. It really was fabulous. Just that it wasnt close to the beach as I had thought. The sun had already set, but I had made my mind to hit the beach come what may. So we took a bus in the direction of the beach, with Ketan worried how we would get back. And we did get back, but not before finally reaching the (tiny) beach, listening to the sounds of the moonlight illuminated ocean, and staring into emptiness. Bliss.

The next day we headed to the Ancient Centre. This time I joined a guided tour, and was transported back in time. We went inside the Colloseum, walked up to the Palatine Hill, where lay the castles of Roman emperors, and went to the amazing amazing Roman forum, and imagined being in the age of the Caesars. The guide did an awesome job of explaining the history behind all that we could see, and I was extremely impressed by the stories and the structures. Then we went to the Pantheon, with the spectacular opening in the dome, and then the Trevi Fountain. The Trevi was so beautiful I couldnt stop clicking photos of it, till I got the perfect results. And before I left, I dropped a coin into the water which, according to Roman tradition, means I will return to Rome. Now that really wouldnt be surprising, as I was totally mindblown by the Eternal city. That day, Rome made it to my favourite cities list.

(to be continued)