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.

Eid Mubarak

Eid-ul-Fitr used to be the day I used to look forward to the most when I was a kid. Because on that day, I would get my pocket money for the rest of the year, and wear my new Eid clothes. Time has passed, and now it isn't payday nor do I have to wait for Eid to shop for new clothes. And I have gone from celebrating with family to spending Eid in an office far away from home. But one thing that has remained constant is the tradition of having biryani on Eid. My mom makes the world's best biryani so mine isn't half as good. But I am sure my biryani would make her proud.

Somewhere I belong

My Masters is drawing to a close and I have been breaking my head over the decision to stay in Germany or go back home. This is not a recent thing, as the question has been bugging me for a long time now. I am sure where I want to be, and a call home just about clears all confusion. But I also think about the occasional extraordinary things I get to do here. Somehow I get into (futile) conversation with people over the matter. I am not someone who takes advice seriously, but I guess it is about listening to others' point of view, which are mostly along these lines:

'Work a few years and then go back'
'Follow your heart'
'Don't follow your heart'
'You are an idiot'
'Life is comfortable here. No late trains. No traffic. You don't need a car.'
'You are abroad with better standard of living. What is not to like?'
'Better work culture here, no working weekends'

I have also been reading about NRI experiences in an effort to find like-minded people. It was heartening to know that it is common to feel the lack of 'sense of belonging' and to miss things back home. The best piece I found on the subject is here, and I don't think I can sum it up better than what she has written.

It is funny how you arrive with stars in your eyes, you are blown away by the beauty of the new place and the well mannered disciplined life, only to then feel that something is missing. Call it culture shock, call it nostalgia, but it is something that has to be fixed. You have to let go of all that is familiar, to adapt to a way of life that is a world of a difference from what you are comfortable with. I have failed at that, blame it on being alone, or on a perfect life before I came here. But I do not understand how Indians here are happy living this dichotomous life, where you spend your life in a foreign country, cooking Indian food everyday (but longing for all the food that you don't get/can't cook), constantly following everything happening in India (from the internet of course), missing family and friends - only to visit them once a year in a hurried affair, and resorting to low quality web streaming in the name of TV and cinema. Basically, living a desi life in phoren.

Why all this sacrifice - for 'higher standard of living' and some extra money, which does not increase your purchasing power a great deal anyway. For me, having clean roads and good public transportation does not mean a higher standard of living. I should be able to visit people I love when I wish, eat anything I want, feel like I belong to a place, where I can make a difference to at least my loved ones if not others, where I feel the warmth. Small things matter, like being able to afford eating out and not missing special occasions and festivals. And I beg to differ, but I so need a car. And anybody complaining of work culture and hectic schedules has obviously not worked in a semiconductor company.

I could stay back a few years, as per my original plan, but I have pushed myself so deep into negativity that staying here longer would be a real grind. I would wake up every morning thinking 'What if..' and 'I wish…'. There is also a fear that things might change and like most people, that plan to return will never materialize. And surely, I cannot and probably, should not catch a flight everytime a close friend is getting married or something. Over the past two years I have done and seen a lot of things I have always dreamt of. Having done that, I want to regain my sense of wonder, my ambition and realize another set of dreams. I know where I will be happy and the pursuit of happiness is most important. Everything else can take a back seat.

My new Galaxy

My Sony Ericsson k750i has been with me for almost 5 years. But even for that age, it was still in pretty solid shape. Ok, the speakers were low on volume, and it had lost its looks. But the music player was outstanding as always and so I would turn a deaf ear to anyone who would ask me to get a new phone. But lately, the earphone socket also got loose which meant it was a pain to even listen to music. So I advanced my smartphone purchase and now I am a proud owner of a very beautiful Samsung Galaxy S. It is so much sexier than I thought. I even fell in love with the box it came in. 

I decided not to go for the Iphone 4 with it's closed ecosystem, and double price for only slightly better looks. I have already installed some cool apps, like synthesizers, puzzles and a few games. The file transfer system is a breeze, just like a USB drive, and video any format no problem. And the blog looks fantastic too, with the compressed pixels.

 

Since I get attached to anything under the sky, I had a hard time letting my ex-phone go. In fact, I removed the sim card a day after I got the galaxy. After all, your phone is the only thing that is around you all the time. And in spite of lots of (unintentional) abuse, it never complained, never got stuck, never disintegrated. Anyone looking for a non-smartphone should pick the k750i, for its sturdiness in build and outstanding audio quality and battery life. No, I wont give you mine.

Moving on, I am hooked to my new baby. Nothing like a new gadget to pump excitement levels up.

And then I headed north

Benelux without the 'lux' was the final part of my planned summer travel series. We were to spend a day in Brussels, then Bruges overnight and then off to Netherlands.

I didnt expect much from Brussels, but what we saw was pretty nice - a centre resembling Munich's Marienplatz, the Atomium and some nice palace buildings.

Bruges was a quiet little town with the canals, and old houses. We were dead tired thanks to Eurolines dumping us in Brussels at 6am. The first thing we did in Bruges was take a good afternoon nap after checking in. For the comfortable beds, perfect pillows - which make a lot of difference - and full course breakfast in the bar all for 13€, St Christopher's Inn is the best hostel I have stayed in. One incident that marred proceedings was when we were (or rather, I was) refused to be served in a Bruges restaurant. I wanted to try out the mussels and fries dish - which was suposed to be a Belgian speciality - but my friends had to be taught that you do not sit at a table for four and order nothing. Anyway I went to the next place, but obviously the Belgians dont know what we mallus do with 'kallumakaya'.

Next stop was Kinderdjik near Rotterdam, to see the windmills Netherlands is known for. We had to change trains at Antwerp Centraal station, which was an architectural beauty. Never seen a station so pretty.

Only one of the 15 or so windmills at Kinderdjik was functional. Anyway, the windmills along the stream complemented by the brilliant sky that afternoon, meant both camera and cameraman were happy.

Amsterdam - wild, crazy party place - lived up to its name, with the crowded streets where people-cycle-tram move together, the party centres, the 'coffeeshops' and the redlight district. Mischief was in the air, and we joined in some of the fun too (wink wink). But since 'What happens in Amsterdam stays in Amsterdam', no details will appear here. And of course, the city was unlike any other in terms of all the beautiful canals running through it.

It was a fun trip with plenty of diversity in sights and craziness in activity. Amsterdam should definitely be 'high' on the list of destinations for any party-lover.

Landscape Suisse

I guess Switzerland caught everyone's fancy, including mine, after DDLJ and other Yash Chopra flicks. ( Of course, if one is into Hindi movies ). This was quite apparent with the sight of Indian families all over the place.

We had the Swiss pass, so we covered quite a lot during the 4-day trip. Two nights in Interlaken, one in Zermatt, and we touched Zurich and Bern on the way.

With Interlaken as base, we visited Grindlewald, Lauterbrunnen and Murren. We skipped the trip to the top of Jungfrau and Schilthorn because of the overcast conditions shown on the live cams.

The Swiss landscape was quite similar to the landscape of the German Alps, the latter being unspoilt and can be enjoyed for a fraction of the cost. Nonetheless, the mountains and nearby villages were very pretty and the snow-capped peaks were a sight whenever the clouds cleared. What is interesting is that the scenery looks so much better in the photographs I clicked. Must be the absence of crowds in the pics that adds to the surreal effect.

We loved Zermatt, for being a quiet town with the majestic Matterhorn overlooking it.

We spent a lot of time in trains. This included six hours on the Glacier express, which was a tourist trap I fell into. Switzerland is the place to hike, but I was with people who did not want to walk a mile, forget hiking. I feel a view is best when it has been earned. Would have definitely been an adventure. But anyway we didn't have too much time, and the only adventure I got was with white-water rafting. It was my first time, but the river was too calm and the thrills were hard to come by. Class III-IV rapids it seems, we were never remotely close to falling over. The guide said water levels were low, and it gets much better when the levels are good. At least, he allowed me to take a dip in the cold water for some time, and fake a fall-rescue sequence. Also, the photographs tell a different story.


Lovely place, but Switzerland does not fit the bill for 'Heaven on earth' yet. I guess it needs to be explored the the right way with a more relaxed time frame, maybe then it will get my vote.

Can I try?

Tennis has always been an exclusive sport, without easy access to equipment and courts. For me, in many ways, it still is because I dont find people to play with, even though I have rackets and access to a court.

While I was playing on the half court today, a few kids gathered just outside watching me play. Reminded me of the time when I was small and used to be fascinated by people playing tennis, wondering when will I ever get the chance. Once, my brother and I bought a pair of wooden rackets for 5 Dirhams and played on the road, but the rackets lasted only that one day. I could sense the fascination in those kids, and so I handed my extra racket to a kid. And there he was, all excited to try out his hand at tennis, and they took turns to play. Who knows, if one of them make it big, they might remember the start I gave them.

In our selfish world, nobody pays any attention to people on the sidelines. Those dreamy eyes, longing for a chance, go unnoticed. I am happy about my good deed and I will continue drooling over those Porsches, hoping for some karma.

Food for thought

Spending hours at work doing nothing ( because there is actually nothing to do ) invariably leads to philosophical questions like 'How can I find work that is truly satisfying?', 'How will I do this for the rest of my life?'. Reading articles and blogs leads to a desire to do something meaningful to serve people who could use some help. Listening to music gets me dreaming about leaving everything and just playing music. But then what follows is a realization that these wont pay my bills, and I will have to suck it up for much longer. When some good work comes along, these thoughts get thrown out the window, and I am more or less satisfied.

On yet another boring workday, I stumbled upon a brilliant article called 'Solitude and Leadership'. It pointed out how the leadership of most organisations just keeps the routine going. People at the top are there not because they are particularly competent, innovative, but just made it there to the top by means of a process. I am not trying to throw light at incompetent management ( I have worked with some useless ones, but also some brilliant people). The point is that most of us end up doing tasks that have very little significance on the overall scheme of the organisation, but just keeps the routine going. Every stage of the organisational hierarchy sucks up to the stage above. But companies make profit, so some people must be doing stuff that count or maybe the sum of our singular contributions works in favour of the company.

The article points out how distractions like Facebook, TV, Youtube, even newspapers prevent us from really concentrating and bombards us with a stream of other peoples thoughts, therefore not allowing your own thoughts to flourish. Solitude is needed to find yourself, for introspection to answer difficult questions about your life. Solitude is needed for concentration of focussed work. Your first thought is always someone else's and sticking to the question, letting all parts of your mind come into play breeds an original idea, and for a leader, a much-needed change in policy or strategy.

What I love about the article, is that it includes deep friendship as a part of solitude. Intimate conversation with people you trust, opening up to them and asking questions or expressing feelings, becomes a part of introspection, and enhances your solitude.

The article provides ample food for thought, which I may not have justified here. This rather preachy and philosophical post is to remind me to make better use of the abundance of solitude I seem to find and enjoy, to work on concentration and to celebrate the amazing friends I have.

A Parisian Affair

I dont remember why I always put visiting Paris for later. I think it had something to do with the aura that I associated with the city, that I wanted it to be extra special when I first went there. With my easter weekend plans going down the drain, making that Paris trip was suddenly the most convenient option. So in a flurry I booked my tickets deciding to bask in all the aura by myself.

Easter weekend meant that Paris was really crowded. But it also meant that the city was bustling with life. I guess that is the case throughout the year. I loved the street musicians and artists, especially at eh Sacre couer, whipping the crowd to a song-and-dance frenzy.

The Eiffel tower the symbol of Paris, was magnificent, even more at night with the lights on. I spent a good 8 hours around it, revelling in the moment, and taking pictures. Sheer beauty.


I went to Versailles Chateau but skipped it after seeing the queue there, and instead, went to Rolland Garros, which for me was far more significant than another cathedral or castle. The tour was very enlightening, and I can now watch the French Open with a fresh perspective.

Walking down one of the most gorgeous stretches of land, from the grand Arc de Triomphe down the awesome Champ de Elsyees to the Louvre, I realized why this was billed as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The charm, which for me makes a place memorable, was there to see.


The Louvre was a disappointment. Descriptions in French and sold out audio guides ruined it for me. And I failed to see how the Mona Lisa, which was clearly a tourist attraction, was a better painting than many of the others on display. Anyway, it was the last part of my trip, and after downing a sumptuous beaf steak with cheese sauce, I went to catch my mitfahr.

No trip ends without adventure, and it turns out that the guy had committed to more people than the places he had in his car. We decided to dump the guy and look for alternate transport. Looked like I was in for a long night, possibly lying around in the station. But they dont call me bookie for nothing. While the others bought train tickets at double the price, I went to Eurolines station and waited hours till the time of departure of the bus to Germany. Persistence always pays, and I got a last minute ticket thanks to a no-show.

I was unsure how travelling alone would work out. But there was enough life on the streets to keep me occupied. And I could go where I wanted when I wanted. The map in my hand took me everywhere, and I didnt have to listen to any 'My feet are hurting. Lets get back', a regular thing with many of my travel mates here. And I dont know how many would have been game for 8 hours doing nothing around the Eiffel.

Paris, the City of love, the City of Lights was beautiful. The Champs de Elysees deserves more than a 20 minute walk, and I will be there again, next time with company.

Lost in translation

I am in a new place with no friends. So I went to this barbeque party in an attempt to make some friends. But the only result of that party is this post, where I will describe a typical international get-together/party here. I have been to a few, and its very interesting how every gathering follows this pattern. The scene is an afternoon barbeque during a warm spring day.

German dude kicks off with the beer. Lets call him Andreas
Andreas: 'Prost' ( German 'cheers')
Everybody: 'Prost. Weißbier is too sour. Augustiner this. Oktoberfest that. My father-in-law's beer blah blah.'
This goes on for 15 minutes. Then

Mexican dude: 'You should try Tequila from Mexico'
Fernando( from Spain, duh): 'Once I had 20 tequila shots'
Hot Chick 1: 'I cant have more than 5' hahaahahaaaa
Andreas : 'Weissbier is ze best'
This goes on for 25 minutes (since all alcohol is now under discussion). Then

Hot Chick 1: (In summer) 'The weather is so nice and warm' (and what you are wearing is what is keeping me here)
(In winter) 'It so so cold…brrrr' (again what you are wearing is the only saving grace)
Fernando: 'In Spain I would be lying on the beach now' (summer and winter)
Andreas : (In winter) 'Anybody got some gluhwein?'
Everybody: 'Winter this. Spring that. Barbeque blah blah'

Cool French stud walks in. 'Hi.. I am George'
Hot Chick 2: 'I can speak some French. Jeblaah blooh' (I am sure that is the end of her french)
George: 'You mean Jeblooh bleeh'
Hot Chick 1 and 2: hahaahahaaaa
Fernando ( who HAS to say something ): 'In Espanyol it is 'barrrriittooo lola''
Hot Chick 2: 'barito' hahaahahaaaa
Fernando: 'no do rrrrrrrrr'
Everybody: 'er' hahaahahaaaa
Someone to me: 'How many languages in India?'
Me: 'Around 20 main. Thousands of dialects'
Everybody : 'Wow. Bavarian dialect this. Austria that. Antartica blah blah'

So those who know atleast two European languages run the show. The French guy is enjoying the most because everyone loves his language. Nobody wants to know any Indian words. Everyone learns two foreign words, only to forget them before they reach home. Meanwhile, Fernando has his arms around Hot Chick 1 and 2 and is clicking a pic to be uploaded on Facebook that evening. And wurst is ready.

Me : 'I dont eat pork.'
George : 'You dont eat 'cow' also right?'
Me: 'No, I eat 'cow''
Andreas: 'Indian curry very spicy'
Me: 'Yeah'
Everybody: 'Wurst this. Pizza that. Bretzel blah blah'

This is what I call culture small-talk. Something which is quite boring when done over and over again. I generally don't enjoy small talk. In fact, I avoid any kind of small talk like the plague. I love hanging out with good friends, talking to them, doing some activity like movies, or sport. I think I am good at big-talk. But meaningless conversation with the 'hi-bye' people is just not my cup of tea. I hate situations like eating with people I dont know well, or bumping into people in the store, or on the way to the loo.

Unfortunately, you have to go through the small-talk to reach the big-talk stage. Which probably is the crux of my inability-to-socialize problem. It is not because I don't try. The introvert in me just isn't helping.

Lets hope the situation changes. Till then,

Prost.

World Cup Glory

Every four years comes a time, when you pin all your hopes on your team to bring home the coveted trophy, the World Cup. And my team is Argentina for football and India, of course, for cricket. This post is not about football. Maybe I should have written about it during my depression at the end of Argentina's campaign. Anyway, back to cricket. Cricket is not my favourite sport, not by a long shot. I have even often argued with people about it being a non-sport because of the limited physical activity involved. But I am an ardent follower of the game when India plays, a die-hard Sachin Tendulkar fan and like most Indians, someone who dreams of the glory Team India would one day bring us. Nothing can unite millions of people and generate a positive hysteria like sport and in India, nothing can create this passionate frenzy like cricket.

It has been a long wait. On the previous five occasions ( I wasnt around in '83 and my zilch memory of the next two means I didnt watch them), all dreams were shattered by a couple of early exits and a few heartbreaking late losses. This was betted as our best chance, and more importantly for me, this was Sachin's last chance to win the most prestigious event of them all, the only achievement left for the 'Son of the Nation'. The three knockout matches against Australia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka had made me a nervous wreck. But India came on top and sent me along with a billion other people over the moon.

With Argentina disappointing yet again after making a promising start, and Federer and Chelsea hardly winning anything, I had made a resolution that I should not let losses in sport affect me. After all, people I dont know personally doing something beyond my control shouldnt ruin my health, right? Wrong!!! The Indian World Cup win reminded me how going through the agony of defeat and longing for that win multiplies the joy and sense of accomplishment when victory finally comes. The seemingly crazy dependence of happiness on sport may not be such a bad thing after all.

Jai Ho.

Carnival colours

People in high spirits, in whacky colorful costumes and the shutterbug in me had a reason to rejoice.

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 !!

Yet another memorable homecoming

I am going home....

again !!!!! Eight months after returning from my previous trip to dear motherland. People here joke that I should get a season ticket. Hehe, maybe I should, because clearly my heart is not here and I am always looking for a reason to go. I advanced my earlier planned March trip , so that I can be a part of Aansans wedding, meet Kabu who also comes down during Christmas, play with Dhaani and I dont have to miss the other usual suspects for three more months. I hope the trip is gonna be as awesome as the last time. And I really hope this time Dad will understand when I have to leave home to meet my friends. The idea of arguing with him again is the only disturbing thought in my head now. It can be really difficult to make him understand the importance of just having fun, why I go to the people who I have good times with, and how it does not mean that I love my family any lesser. All the sacrifices, all the efforts I take to see Dad and Mom happy, and still they are insecure. Its a pity they dont see the love. Anyway, I am off to have a good time, to spend time with my favourite people, to hog away to glory, and away from the depressing winter to enjoy the warmth. The toughest part, shopping is almost done. Hope to bring lots of smiles with the things I have got for my people, and hope to have lots to write about at the end of it all.

A date with Roger

I have been a huge Roger Federer fan for a long time now. And watching him play has always been a mixture of proud and extremely tense moments. I need not go on here about his brilliance on court, and how much I love him or how much I get riled up when one of those Nadal rivalry debates comes up. It has always been a dream to watch him play, and it came true on Monday, 1st of November 2010, at the Davidoff Swiss Indoors in Basel.

The match was a no contest, but watching the greatest in front of me there was an indescribable feeling. And I had my new zoom lens to capture some of those moments.





The journey between Munich and Basel, both ways, was quite remarkable. Just because I managed to save a lot of money by utilizing the Mitfahr(rideshare) system well. So well that I paid just 2€ to get to Basel. And I am very proud of the decisions I took on my way back. Instead of a single state ticket, I took a gamble. I paid an extra 8€ and bought a group ticket for 5 people. And though I couldnt find anyone to share the ticket till the last stop in Baden-Wuttenberg ( Ulm ), I sold the ticket there for 10€ and found another person to give me 5€ for using the ticket to Stuttgart. And then I found a car ride share for 7€, but then I thought, why dont I check if I can buy used bayern tickets from people who get off at Ulm. And I did just that. I paid 10€, and bought a bayern ticket from a group ( who were happy to make some money off their now useless ticket). And then I went to the machines, and asked a female who was gonna buy a 20€ ticket to Munich. She paid me 10 bucks, and was happy with the deal, and I was gonna travel from Ulm to Munich without paying a penny.

I must say I am damn proud of the way I exploited the system to save a lot of cash, and did most of this by speaking in German. Also, what can be taken from this is that anyone, EVEN Germans, wouldnt say no to a bargain.

And the couchsurfing experience was amazing too. Stephanie was damn friendly, she took me around the Winter markets, where she told me to have Raclette, a yum cheese dish. Too bad I missed fondue, but a few more local food I tried, and I was telling myself, 'this is what travel is all about'. I was with a very nice, good-looking Swiss girl, talking about all the cultures we are involved with, trying local food, walking around the city , laughing and thoroughly enjoying myself. I was very impressed by her travel profile and the pics on her wall. Now I have added a few more places to my to-go-to-list. And I need to take prints. Wall, make space !!

and just like that its over

Today two of my best friends announced that they are breaking up. They were the ones in love who ,the rest of us were sure, would spend their lives together. We had even talked about what we would wear for their wedding, about the kids they will have and how we would all fit into the scheme of things. I have lived with them for two years and yeah, they had problems, but never did we imagine that one day the problems would become bigger than each other. Now, years after when they should have sorted things out during the nascent stages, they have drifted way too far apart, and fallen out of love with each other.

Suddenly the entire people picture becomes unclear again. Are we all going to drift away? What happens to the future we saw together? I dont want these shattered dreams to mean that our parents were right, we youngsters dont know what we are doing, friends dont mean a thing blah blah.

Today, all the relationships that were part of 'the best times ever' have completely come to an end. It is a sad day for love. I want to give love a chance, but the turn of events one after the other is such that, I am given more reason to believe in the non-existence of everlasting love. Sadly, these events involve my best friends, and me too.

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.

Nam

Nam is down with Hepatitis, and in the hospital. And I couldnt feel sadder and more helpless. It is such a shame that someone you care the most for is so far away that you cannot be there for her when she needs it the most. I hope she gets healthy real quick, and maybe the flowers I sent will make her feel better. She has people to take care of her, so I shouldnt worry. But I am my dad's son, and worrying for others comes naturally to me. Now I have to wait for her sms, to know how she is. This so sucks.

I dont know how I got to this point, where someone else's life becomes top priority. When you dream of fulfiling someone else's dreams. When you want to know everything that happens in someone else's day. This cannot be undone, and with my 'attachment problem' , I dont know if I should have controlled these feelings much earlier. Maybe it happened as a result of trying to detach myself from V. And Boom, we have a new problem. Being the stuck-up ass that I am, I cannot commit myself fully to the present life here.

Would it have been much different, if I hadnt got close to her? Would I have been happier? Would I have found a best friend here? These questions will remain unanswered I feel. But its been one year in Munich, and one year since I actually became her friend. And its been an amazing story of bonding, fun and fondness. I think it will be very difficult to maintain this state of our relationship, but whatever happens tomorrow, I will look back at the past year and think of her and smile. She was there when I needed to talk and laugh, and I found someone to care for, to talk to in my head when I didnt want to say a word. All the good times on Skype, in India and hopefully there will be more. I didnt feel the need to look for that special person here. Why would anybody want to, when someone says that you are her bestest friend. I wish I could remain her bestest friend. The distance is a pity, but maybe we wouldnt have been what we are had we been in a position where we would meet everyday. Maybe the charm wouldnt have lasted. Maybe her Gemini fickleness would have taken over by now.

Beats me why I am writing all this, as I had decided that I dont want this to be let out of my head. But I think I could read this , when one day I need to be reminded of how happy I felt having her in my life, or how sad I was when I wanted to be with her, but just could not do anything about it. Because one day when new people become my life, I dont want to forget who brightened my day sometime back and why I had a reason to smile.

Get well soon Nam.