An end to the hiatus - Part II

It’s been an eventful year.

Coming back from my trip to Germany, all I knew was that I would be getting back to the groove, with all things that were familiar - my life, my family, friends, and work in Bangalore. What did happen however, was something I wouldn’t have even dreamt of.

Looking back, I (the ever-romantic, raised on the staple diet of Indian love stories and international-chick-flicks) wonder if it wasn’t all like a fantasy… scripted by God. How is it that you’re never prepared for the most momentous of life’s occasions? I waited upon all corners, for love to turn up… and yet, it snuck on me when I was least expecting.

He dropped into my life one Wednesday evening; his baritone (or so I believe ;)) echoing at the other end of my mobile phone. I started off with a strange tinge of nervousness, my mind throwing up a whirl of questions. The conversations started there… but nervousness was soon replaced by comfort, and ease. Laughter came on next, followed by intrigue, excitement and an unmistakeable vibe. Finally, one day, it all came to a point where we both just knew at the same time… this had to be it :).

As I made the second call from my phone that night, to my parents at 11.00 p.m., I didn’t know what to say - all I remember is “I said Yes”.

On the 7th of July, we were engaged formally - our engagement pictures are at http://picasaweb.google.com/shikhagp/Engagement. Was it the special date (7-7-7), or the torrential shower that ensued as soon as he had finished putting the ring on my finger, moving everyone present to murmur about its auspiciousness, or just the fact that he’s made me aware of happiness I never knew existed, which makes me feel so right about it all?

The only thing difficult about the engagement period was the countdown :). Almost 4 months went by; announcing my commitment, or talking about my “fiancee” were experiences unto themselves. Alongside, I found myself in the midst of new found attention ;), an altogether new set of people to get to know and adopt, and dozens of things to do… courtesy our elaborate plans of course!

And then, there was love. To attempt to write about love would be to open the floodgates of my romantic aspirations, and that I would leave for now… only to point at what I have called my description of love through lyrics.
 

Incredible love led to an incredible wedding :)… on the 28th of October. The pictures are up at http://picasaweb.google.com/shikhagp/Wedding, and http://picasaweb.google.com/shikhagp/Reception. So far, its been two months of marital bliss, experiencing my dreams of companionship and love, in life; and looking forward to much more in the coming years. Yes, 2007 has definitely been an eventful year :).

And for those of you wondering why I’ve neglected to say the name that comes with mine now… its Binoj.

An end to the hiatus - Part I

After mulling over silently, chewing on it anxiously, and coming close to exasperation about not being able to find time to blog, I’m finally back. (Yes, yes, stop rubbing your eyes in amazement ;))

Whew!!! It’s been a looong time - and more importantly, one hell of a ride, these past few months.

Not one to keep you nibbling your finger nails - here is part one, of trying to reconstruct the highlights:

Germany to India

My Germany adventure turned out to be much more than I’d bargained for. All I knew when I went from Bangalore, that fateful day on 3rd February 2007, was that I was going for a 2 month work stint, in Erlangen, Germany, with the additional hope of visiting the city of my dreams - Paris.

After reaching Germany, I spent 2 weeks battling the confusion of whether to like or dislike the place I was in. Soon after, liking won hands down, and I was firmly and happily ensconced in the chill of the European winter, basking in the warmth of the friendly people, and the comfort of exciting things to do - at work, and at play.

Till I knew better, I spent the first two weekends in office, doing what I enjoyed so much - hearing the steady drum of my fingers on the keyboard, churning out, what I call works of art, in code :). And then, I discovered my newfound love - (before you start conjuring up visions of Prince Charming) - Travel.

Ah… (*contented sigh follows*)…Travelling in Europe - has got to be the most wonderful thing to do!

  

  

Be it the dynamism of Munich, the quaintness of Chiemsee, the storybook-romantic paths of Rothenburg, the youth-filled-freshness of Wurzburg, the stunning Rhine and Moselle valleys, on the side of which you would find Koblenz, Rüdesheim (famous for its wine gardens), and other tiny little hamlets, or going, on two consecutive days, to drastically different places like Nuremburg, a city peppered with everything you would ever want, and the Bavarian Forest, where you could walk miles in the chill of the woods, only to find at the end of it, a cafe filled with happy people, waiting to welcome you into their lives with a cup of freshly brewed cappucino. 

I saw a different facet of Germany each weekend and picked up little souvenirs from each place visited. And even then, it’s the memories of drinking hot soup after a tiring walk, yummy ice-cream eaten on cold winter mornings, a cable-car ride over acres of wine gardens, and sweet strains of an lonely saxophone heard in a train station, that keep coming back in my reminiscences. Even though I began my travels with treks in the winter, soon, it was to be in the glory of the sun shining fully and splendidly on me, while flowers of every imaginable color decked even the loneliest of paths. The only thing I ever regretted was not having the fortune of seeing the full extent of spring, and the onset of summer, in Europe. Well, those are reserved then for later ;-).

Apart from Germany, my travels took me to the Paris and to the Netherlands.

Paris fulfilled a life-long dream of mine. Just to be in the sheer romance of Paris - a city I’d read so much and imagined even more about - was SO worth the wait! J’aime Paris!!

  

I went up the Eiffel Tower and discovered that it made my heart skip a beat each time I looked up its complete glory - night or day. Stand anywhere on the landscape of Paris, and see it emerging - a beacon on the cityscape. At night, the tower is sheer brilliance, with millions of lights and a breathtaking view of the city.

I was totally enamoured with Paris - I ate hot waffles dripping with cream and sugar, and heavenly crepes with bananas and chocolate, visited the Notre Dame cathedral and felt its sanctity touch my soul, marvelled at the opulence of that which is Louvre - a maze of hallways filled with all kinds of art - that would take you 3 months to look at, even if you were to devote only a minute per artifact! Walked across the Champs-Élysées (pronounced as Shaanz-Eleezay) twice to experience just being in the centre of Parisian haute couture, prayed for the soldier’s souls at the Arc De Triomphe, and topped it all with an incredibly romantic (sans a romantic partner ;)) river cruise on the Seine, music playing in the background, a slight drizzle decorating the city, and falling in love with Paris’ sights. At the end of it all, I said: I’ll be back :).

Netherlands was yet another experience to cherish - going to Amsterdam, The Hague (or Den Haag), to a windmill village (Zaanse Schans) and to Keukenhof over the Easter weekend.

Amsterdam is a city for poets (if we ignore their fame for not-so-soulful exploits ;)). The below-sea-level city is built with an intricate network of waterways to prevent the water from flooding it, and these canals are nestled between the streets lined with the quaintly designed houses. Canal buses are an alternative mode of transport (other than trams/buses) and give you a view of the bustling crowd, canal-side cafes, boat houses, the city square, the parks and the museums (some are frightfully expensive) of Amsterdam. From there, off to Den Haag, a strikingly different place - all glass, metal, high rise buildings and a completely commercial setup. Madurodam is the miniature of an entire city in Den Haag, showcasing Holland’s premier sights and is therefore, a very popular tourist destination. I felt the inner child in me awaken :), as I gleefully peered through the windows of tiny chateaus and clock towers, saw minature trams on Madurodam’s roads, and was lucky enough to visit the Magic Ice Zoo, which is a May attraction in Madurodam - a zoo containing ice sculptures of all kinds of animals - sculpted to perfection, and maintained in -11 degrees temperature.

And finally I and my friends were extremely lucky to catch the yearly tulip extravaganza in Keukenhof, which is an hour away from Amsterdam. If you wish to see God’s creativity and man’s ability to nurture that creativity, on full display, a visit to Keukenhof is a good idea. Acres and acres of gardens, showcasing flowers so exotic and unbelievably beautiful, that your breath would surely be on hold all the time. A paradise for flower lovers and almost all women :), including me.

  

And so, that was a glimpse of my travels earlier this year. Returning to India in May, armed with pictures, and curios, I knew that the trip had warped me for life - it had discovered in me a newfound passion for travel and given me enough picturesque settings to have all my romantic dreams in.

Wait; the story is not over yet. There’s been much more happening in my life, and I’ll keep you posted with the follow ups, so don’t go anywhere ;-). Be right back!!

I’m in Germany!

- Yes, you’re reading the title right. [This will also perhaps explain my silence for the past 1 month- I can safely blame it on the chaos before a trip]

For 2 months, or to be precise, for atleast 7 more weeks from now, I will be staying in Erlangen, Germany… which is geographically in the Middle Franconian region in Bavaria, Germany. I reached here a week ago. Its not a pleasure trip; I’ve come for work reasons entirely. Although, I will not be ignoring the pleasure aspect atleast on weekends ;).

Here’s my update:

Details of my trip: Air France flights from Bangalore to Paris, and then onward to Nuremberg (or Nürnberg). Travelling to here wasn’t all too pleasant - there was turbulence during both flights (esp. the second one, which was a tiny plane, and decidedly uncomfortable :(, although the flight attendent was very sweet), and my digestion system turned topsy-turvy, esp. since I have previously also demonstrated an uncanny ability to turn air-sick. Its taken me a week almost to get back to normal.

Lifestyle: I’m doing well. Living in a nice (in fact, luxurious) 2-room apartment, on Paul Gossen Strasse (that’s how its called, but in German it’s written as Paul-Gossen-Straße). I have company - one of my friends, is living in the same apartment bldg as me, so we’re together most of the time. There are also other Indians (with and without family) from office in nearby apartment complexes, so my first weekend was spent in visiting some of their homes, and feeling less homesick.

Weather: I’ve reached Germany on a not so nice time technically - its winter here and temperatures are varying from 0 to 5 to 10 degrees centigrade. However, it could have been worse - supposedly there’s much less cold here than there is usually at this time of the year. In a week, I was blessed with sightings of snow for only about an hour. There is rain though, and there is considerable wind, which is making the cold worse. I’m hoping I can see more of snow later. Of course, its important to have the right kind of clothes here. I’m decked from head to toe except when in the office and at home. So if you see someone looking like a tiny terrorist in Erlangen, you could think that it’s me :). Here is the pic which shows what I look like here - I’m showing off my black head-to-toe attire, including gloves, taken in my apartment:

Food: Not really much of an issue, since I’m comfortable with continental and the like, food. Had a couple of trips to the supermarket over the week, and loaded my fridge with goodies. Once in a while, my friend n I are cooking Indian food, so nothing much to miss. My only worry is the extra calories which I’m going to put on because of the cheesy, fatty stuff I eat over the week. Have to hit a gym soon.

General impressions about the place:

  

After getting over the initial feelings of “no place can beat India” :), I have started to appreciate the place for what it is. Erlangen is a picturesque place - I’m hoping to take pics and upload them soon. On the top are two pictures of the wonderful view from my apartment window.

Erlangen is spic n span; sometimes, I feel like I’m walking in a fairy tale setting - what with all the cottages, the stone pathways, the clock towers etc. Lots of pretty sights around, including the people. The areas surrounding my apartment are more businesslike, but the places around Siemens City (my office i.e. - Siemens AG takes up a substantial part of Erlangen, and its people, so I’m just using the phrase because there are just so many offices of Siemens around here that its almost like a city in itself) are very pretty and have an old-world charm.

People: Germans here are friendly, and strictly polite. The reason I say the latter is that you’ll get Good morning (Guten morgen), Good day (Guten Tag) etc, with a smile, from virtual strangers, sometimes on the road, sometimes in the supermarket, always in the elevator, and many times in the office. It’s almost like a rule. But beyond that, they are a little hesitant. I’ve been told that for socializing more, they would probably wait for an invite, and you would do good to follow the same. They are also less likely to go over-the-top or shake themselves loose in public (like Indians ;)), and going by protocol is important for many of them. So they may appear stiff/unfriendly sometimes. But the truth is far from that - so don’t go by initial impressions.

Infrastructure, and rules: Both of these bowled me over in the first week. The infrastructure here is very good - they have marked paths for cyclists on the road, and for walking in some places, and since there’s the population is small here, everything is well under control. There is no manic rush, no honking, yelling, no road-rage, and no crazy pedestrians waiting to jump in front of your car. There are signals for walking, and hence you must wait for the signal (even if there are no cars in the vicinity) - dashing on the road when you feel fit, is totally a no-no. The pedestrian has the upper hand here, so if you happen to be in the middle of the road, when the walk signal changes, you need not make a break for it. The cars will wait till you are safely on the other side of the road.

Travelling within the city: The bus transport system here in fantastic - very well laid out, lots of buses at all times. There are numbers for each buses - At each bus stop, there will be a map posted along with information about all the buses coming and going from that stop. The information for a bus is usually: the number of the bus, the stops it goes to, the timings for all the days of the week. There are usually buses, every 5 minutes in all the main stops. And they adhere to the time very well. At the max, you can expect a 2 min delay. A traveller like me would take a monthly pass (Mobi card) which I can get for 34.17 Euros, and with that I can get on any bus, and go anywhere within the city, any number of times. There are no conductors in the buses, so no one will ask you for your ticket, except after 8, when the driver of the bus will open only the door next to him for entry, and you have to show him your card. Within the bus, there is a digital display of the forthcoming stops. Also there is an announcement mechanism, where a nice female/mail voice in German, will tell you what the next stop is. If you want to get down at the next stop, you will have to press a button inside the bus (there are many of such buttons strategically placed on bars within the bus - so you will have easy access wherever you are sitting), and the digital display will then display “Wagen halt” next to the stop name, which will mean that the bus will stop there. Only one person needs to press the button of course - but don’t automatically assume that the bus will stop at all stops. You need to look for the “Wagen halt” on the display next to the stop name. If it is not displayed, press the button, and it will be. If it is already displayed, it probably means that someone else has pressed the button, and the bus will stop.

Whoa. What a load of details. I would have liked to write about entertainment and the like here, but will reserve it for future posts. Right now, this one almost sounds like parts of a German cultural training :). Anyway, this will do for the first set of my initial impressions here. More updates will be coming later hopefully, so for now, Guten Tag :)!

Blogspot.com blocked!

Post the 7/11 Mumbai bomb blasts, the Indian government has ordered ISP’s to block blogspot.com and some 17 other websites, because they believe that terrorists (and their supporters) are using the blogging site to post their anti-nationalistic views.

Here’s some news about this on the web: 

Are ISP’s blocking blogs?

Blogger blocked by some ISPs in India?

Blogspot.com Blocked in India By Some ISPs

The Economic Times is also carrying an article about the same, on its front page - I read it today morning.

Since yesterday, I’d been trying to access the blogspot blogs of my friends, and was puzzled to see that I couldn’t. Now of course, I’m incredulous (and sad :() to know the reason.

I don’t know what the govt hopes to achieve by blocking the whole domain. If terrorism was the issue, I’m sure it would have been a better idea to block some sub domains/sites which actually had anti-nationalistic content. Right now, apart from innocent bloggers (who’ve had their personal space on the blogosphere zapped out in an instant), its also sites like mumbaihelp.blogspot.com  (which was functioning as a helpline for emergencies such as 7/11) that have been deprived of the chance to make a difference.

I read somewhere that there is a move to protest the blocking. Read more about everything on the issue at http://groups.google.com/group/BloggersCollective.

As for me, I guess I’ll just have to keep the sulking expression on my face till my friends move their blogs to other domains, or till the govt. decides to lift the ban…

And as I write this post, there is something else that’s bothering me: Now that I’ve published this post on my website and indicated my unhappiness about the development, will the govt. order the wordpress site also to be blocked, since people like me are voicing our concerns on it?

Hmmm… talk about democracy and the freedom of speech….