MY SCRIBBLING SPACE

My last post here

2013-01-01T16:55:00.000+01:00

When I had started this blog My Scribbling Space in September 2006, I was a Ph.D. student at National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India. But its been more than two years since I got the coveted degree and I feel little connection as nclgirl. Not surprisingly then the last time I posted here was a long time back on 5 January, 2012. I am, therefore, closing the curtains here only to open them elsewhere.

In a bid to find myself as a writer again I am beginning a new blog titled "Write around the corner". I hope to see you then hereafter on www.maarkmywords.blogspot.com.

New year

2012-01-05T11:21:00.001+01:00

"We are not the same persons this year as last; nor are those we love. It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person"

W. Somerset Maugham

It has been a while since 2012 set in, but I haven't been able to get the above lines out of my mind.

Over time relationships undergo a transformation. With some people we become increasingly comfortable, familiarity smooths the initial kinks, and the connection strengthens. In other cases those who once held prime importance for us, fade out of our lives at a later stage. This disappearance could be simply a derivative of our busyness or a shift of priorities. In rare instances the decision to keep away is even intentional.

Whatever the reason for the distance, we may occasionally look back, ponder over how it happened and even try to bridge the gap. However, any such attempt would be fruitless if the desire to restore things to former glory isn't mutual.

In Hindi there is a saying: taali ek haath se nahi bajti (you cannot clap with just one hand). It takes two to tango. So is the case with maintaining ties in their true spirit. The effort has to come from both sides.

If the person in front is unwilling to reach for your outstretched hand and has closed his/her heart, then what can be done? You come out feeling foolish and worse still, deeply saddened.

Not only is it a happy chance to be able to keep loving a changed person, but to have them continue to love you back.

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PS: What should one do to make this happy chance actually possible?

My first year in Uppsala

2011-11-01T16:41:00.002+01:00

I was torn apart between writing this post now and keeping it for the new year. After a bit of tussle I decided to go with the first option. The fact that I have been away from blogging for a while also worked in its favor. So here I am rewinding back to the days gone by.

My Arrival in Uppsala had not been an easy one. This had nothing to do with my flights, but with the long time it took to receive my new passport as Police Verification traversed three cities: Chennai, Pune and Delhi. When I finally managed to get it in hand I immediately applied for a Swedish Work Permit. Though the decision came in my inbox within three weeks it took some days to get it stamped on my passport as it had to be sent to Delhi. My woes did not end and the passport mailed through a courier service met with a further delay. It was a near photo finish as I eventually got hold of my prized possession with only the weekend to spare before my departure. The two days were precious as packing efficiently was key without any extra baggage allowance.

Settling in Uppsala was easy thanks to some acquaintances I had made while I was still in Chennai. They showed me the ropes and I was soon on my own. The fact that a change of events had led me to be a part of the research group I would have wanted to in an ideal situation cheered me. The cold weather in some inexplicable way warmed my heart towards the city and I felt at home without which I would have found it difficult to live alone for a long stretch of time. This besides, preparing for someone's arrival during Christmas holidays for three weeks added to the excitement.

Partings and meetings with my husband happened every few months whenever he had a break before the start of a new course semester. It was the time in between that was a test for both of us. Barring the few occasions requiring a complaint report, we did our best to not be demanding. What was important was to keep each other abreast of our daily lives which had got separated having to reside in two different countries. Even in absence the other person's presence was made to feel, the knowledge of which brought in a sense of security.

Temperature monitoring was of supreme importance throughout the winter season which lasted until March end. I remember returning from UK then to be welcomed by the sight of vanished snow. I was fascinated to see that even after weathering terrible conditions the grass grew, the trees got their leaves back and flowers bloomed all around on their own when summer arrived. I don't think I have ever appreciated nature and its beauty in this manner before.

Drawing comparisons with conditions back home happened inevitably. Consider something as basic as a bus ride. I still feel horrified recalling my 15-20 min journeys from home in Pune to NCL and back during my PhD. The buses would always be extremely crowded in the morning with everyone going towards the city for work and I had to fight my way through the length of the bus to reach the exit when my stop came at the cost of mercilessly stepping on people's toes. The evenings were no different with people returning home. Worse still some buses wouldn't stop requiring me to wait for another 45 minutes for the next round.

Commuting within Uppsala and around is really smooth. The buses are mostly on schedule and if delayed then only by a few minutes. A combined timetable for all the buses is freely distributed. On the ul.se site you can even type in your starting point and destination to find out which buses can be boarded at a given time. The heavy traffic and high population in India are perhaps deterrents for implementation of such a disciplined scheme.

You never hear about deaths due to cold even when temperatures dip much more than say in New Delhi (-20 deg C vs 4 deg C). Stricken with poverty people in India sleep on the roads and huddle themselves around small bonfires to keep warm while some families live in tents with little to protect. Homes, offices, and public transport have excellent heating systems and its as good as 20-25 deg C inside there confines.

What I miss is the excitement and furor revolving around various events happening in my motherland. For instance, our Indian Cricket Team bringing home the World Cup after a long wait. The support and fasting along with Team Anna. The debating over the various scams. The dandias at Navratri. The firecrackers at Diwali. The release of the 160 crore Ra.One. I miss even the crowds and the hustle-bustle.

Any differences from this time last year? We can do without wearing woolen gloves and caps. Much to my surprise the temperature is yet to drop below zero deg C. I am almost wishing for it to snow but mostly sunny days have been forecast for the next fortnight. A major change is I am back with my husband and happy days are here again. (*crossing my fingers*)

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PS: How was your first year or for that matter trip of any length outside your home country? Was the transition easy? For those who have been away for longer how does it feel now?

Serious reading (1)

2011-07-23T15:09:00.001+02:00

When it comes to movies I try avoiding ones with sad stories as I inadvertently tend to get teary eyed. But it is different with books probably because I want to learn how words can have same effect on you as visuals. In this context I liked Manju Kapur’s Custody and Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns. These books differ significantly if you look at the time and place where the stories are set. The points that they have in common are the simplistic writing, presence of strong characters and the fact that they deal with complex situations.

Here is my summary of one of them.

As the name of the book suggests Custody by Manju Kapur is about the tussle between separated couples over taking charge of their children.

Raman and Shagun have been married for close to ten years. They have an eight year old son Arjun and a baby girl Roohi. Around this time Shagun meets Ashok and they get involved in an affair. Shagun’s changed behavior and the developing distance doesn’t go unnoticed. by Raman Soon he unearths the truth and on confrontation Shagun walks out of the house leaving the children. But when her husband refuses to divorce she takes the kids away and moves in with Ashok.

While the parents are battling it out in court, the children are adjusting to the new man in their lives. Arjun is taken by Ashok’s bold nature and man-to-man bonding as opposed to his father's overbearing attitude. He agrees to the idea of being sent to a boarding school in Dehradun as a means for toughening up. At the same time Ashok gets an offer to work in the US. Shagun agrees to give up custody of the children so that she can marry him and go along. Raman also settles for divorce.

In parallel is running the story of Ishita married to Suryakanta. Life was beautiful until they find that she can’t have babies. She gives in to her mother-in-law's suggestion of going for painful procedure of IVF. But when it does not lead to a successful result Suryakanta divorces Ishita and she returns to her parental home to begin life anew. Her parents and Raman’s live in the same building and introduce the two of them. She forms an instant connection with Roohi as well. As time passes Raman and Ishita get married. Ishita puts all her energy and soul into taking care of Roohi in whom she sees the child she can never have. For Roohi Ishita becomes her mother.

Neither of the protagonists is able to achieve normalcy as their lives and wants get entangled. Each is aware of the loss they have suffered and fearful of what more might be snatched away. They all take extreme steps to keep close the ones they love. The tragedy of Custody lies in how personal choices for happiness lead to constrained motherhood and damaged father-son relationships.

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PS: Have you read this book or any others by Manju Kapur?

Chic-lit (1)

2011-07-20T21:30:00.002+02:00

After work or on weekends when I just want to unwind it is nice to pick up something to read which is light in its content, easy on the mind, straightforward and simple in its storyline, and ideally having some elements of romance. Normally what I choose tends to fall in the chic-lit category. Here are two such examples of entertaining books.

Which one of you girls hasn’t felt compelled to compare yourself to your boyfriend’s ex?

Which one of you has never feared your lover’s past coming back to haunt you?

Which one you have not felt uncomfortable at the continued friendship between those who broke up?

In Laura Zigman’s "HER" Elise goes through the whole juggernaut. Elise first meets Donald on a flight. They continue to see each other even after landing. It is not long before they fall in love and Donald proposes. All along though Elise feels ill at ease with his frank admission about his still being friends with ex-fiance Adrienne. The one relief is that Adrienne lives in New York while they are based in Washington. But just when it seems that everything is well, comes a phone call from Adrienne announcing that she is moving to their city and into their lives. Elise has misgivings about this sudden detour and is sure that Adrienne has ulterior motives.

What happens next is narrated in the wittiest manner. Elise’s exaggerated antics to take control make you laugh. At the same time you worry for her and wish for a happy turn of events in her favor.

Like the title on the book cover you question “Every man comes with baggage. But does it have to be HER.”

In short the story of Stilletos in the Boardroom by Shruti Saxena is all about “girl power”.

The setting is a BPO called BankPro. A US based company CBS has outsourced a prime business (DCP) to BankPro instead of its own Indian branch. The transition needs to be completed within three months with support from CBS-India. But all is not as clean and simple as it seems.

A ploy is being made to see that BankPro fails in delivering so that the project ultimately goes to CBS-India at a time it is capable of handling it. In the midst of this are three central characters Arya, Shivaa and Sara.

Arya has been recently brought in to lead the DCP transition. Shivaa, the Manager-Operations, has to oversee the smooth running of the program. Sara is one of the newly hired candidates to be trained. Apart from the obstacles at work these women must also sort out their personal affairs: a broken heart, a relationship growing apart and an impending marriage.

Stilletos in the Boardroom is an interesting read which gives us a peek into the working environment of a BPO. Within the realm of corporate world, through the three leading ladies you experience ambition, drive, anger, frustration, and love.

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PS: Have read any such light books lately? Which one is your favorite?

Agatha Christie’s murder mysteries (1)

2011-07-17T15:49:00.001+02:00

Growing up I gave Agatha Christie’s detective novels a miss somehow. But as the English book section at the library I go to is not very extensive it has encouraged me to pick up books I which normally don’t. To be honest I have read only two stories so far but I will definitely try to get my hand at more of them. They are short reads and take little of your time. The plots are intriguing, the deductive process interesting and thought provoking, and the endings a surprise.

Here are a couple of examples for you.

In Murder on the Orient Express Hercule Poirot is on a train journey amidst a sea of all kinds of people. A co-passenger Simon Ratchett approaches him to help protect against an enemy wanting to kill him but the detective refuses the case. Then in the morning Simon Ratchett’s dead body is discovered in his compartment. But the train caught in heavy snowfall has been standing on the tracks since midnight. The open window and the door closed from inside in the victim’s compartment suggests the killer escaped but the absence of footprints in the snow tells otherwise. The murderer is still on the train and Herecule Poirot’s job is to find who it is.

In The A.B.C. Murders, the famous Hercule Poirot is put to a challenge when he receives anonymous letters at regular intervals. The writer, who signs off as ABC, gives hints about each murder that is going to be committed in advance. The victims’ names follow the alphabetical order: Mrs. Ascher from Andover, Miss Betty Barnard from Bexhill, and Sir Carmichael Clarke from Churston. Beside each body is left an ABC train guide. There appears to be no connection between the murders as those killed belong to totally different walk of life. It is left to the detective to find the hidden link between them and figure out who the murderer is.

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PS: Which are the Agatha Christie novels you have read? Any suggestions for me?

Beautiful words in English (2)

2011-06-24T13:49:00.062+02:00

I recently re-posted an old blog of mine titled Beautiful words in English on my Facebook page for My Scribbling Space. My father left a comment there saying that "in today's sms world where is the place or time for beauty?" We are so caught up in our busy lives that we fail to recognize the meaning some words until and unless we are they actually come and hit us. So I thought it would be nice to write more such posts from time to time.

Here is then the second one in this series:

1. Perseverance

the recipe for a sure-shot win

2. Patience

hoping for the best even when the going is the worst

3. Longing

what distance brings with it

4. Presence

who makes all the difference to your life

5. Togetherness

a harmony of two

6. Home

where your heart returns to wherever you may go

7. Trust

what lies behind a leap of faith

8. Perfection

... is not an accident

(motto of Eagle Electric Manufacturing Co., INC., NY)

9. Memories

timeless treasures that you carry forth

10. Dawn

the wonderfulness that awaits at the end of your period of struggle

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P.S: Any beautiful words you would like to suggest to add to the collection?

Skarholmen, Uppsala

2011-06-14T22:13:00.017+02:00

A while ago we had a long four day weekend in Sweden. Wanting to finish some work I went to the university. Two of my friends had also come. It was a glorious sunny day. On the spur of the moment a plan was made to go for a walk post lunch. The walk eventually turned into a short bus ride to Sunnersta Skarholmen.

I had been under the belief that Uppsala is a city surrounded by land. So finding a huge waterbody was a big surprise. Skarholmen is a harbor. A part of it meanders and actually connects to Stockholm.

There was a long stretch of water. The water itself was glistening in the summer sun. We saw many private boats parked there. Closeby was also a mini beach. Many people were sunbathing. Girls and boys were swimming. Kids were playing under the watchful eyes of their parents. Couples were strolling with babies in prams.

Watching the beauty relaxed me. That there was such a place so easily accessible made me feel wonderful. To me suddenly Uppsala stopped seeming small.

Skarholmen gave a form to the phrase of "expanding your horizon."

Here are some photos that I took that day.

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PS: Like it was for me, did something surprise you about the city you are living in and made it more likeable for you?

In your dreams

2011-06-06T12:08:00.007+02:00

99.9% of times I see dreams when I sleep. My constant complaint is that on waking up in the morning I feel as if I have been working all night.

The usual setting for my dreams is my school building or playground, my IIT Bombay hostel and home in India. Those making appearances in my dreams include family, friends, colleagues from work, people I haven't seen or thought about for years, random unknown faces, and even film or soap actors. The latter invariably happens over weekends as a result of my being glued to the tv for too long.

I had one of my scariest dreams just a few days before the Class X Board Exams were going to take place. I saw all my teeth crumbling into tiny pieces and when I covered my mouth they fell into my palms! One early morning in January 2009 in a rare happening I woke up crying continuing the flow of tears from the dream. Months after I had successfully given my Ph.D. viva I found myself floundering at answering the questions posed by the committee in my nightmare.

Such visions can easily be attributed to my fears and insecurities during those periods. But what about the cases when I see myself doing things I am incapable of doing (as of this moment) in life. For example, I do not know how to cycle. I do not know how to ride a scooty. I had learnt driving a car once up on a time but lost the confidence on Pune roads and no longer remember now even the order of accelerator, brake and clutch. I do not know how to swim. I definitely am no Krrish.

Yet in my nightly illusions I just pick up a cycle or get on a bike and am able to balance it without any issues. I find myself having fun floating in those Waterworld kind of pools. On other occasions I see myself riding on huge waves. Once I got inside what was in the beginning a plane and later turned into a spherical capsule but really enormous. The way it traveled was very much like this scene in the animation movie Robots when Rodney arrives in Robot City and goes to meet his idol Bigweld. A few days back I was flying around from one part of the school field to another. It was as if I had gained some superpowers.

As much as I'd like to have a relaxed slumber, these particular action packed specters of the mind-boggling type tell me that if only we believe then like in our dreams in our daily affairs too we would be able to do things above and beyond what me may normally percieve ourselves to be capable of.

So dream on.

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PS: What kind of dreams do you have?

Slam bam

2011-05-24T12:11:00.010+02:00

Recently Union Environment Minister, Jairam Ramesh slammed the faculty and research quality of IITs and IIMs. He said that the excellence of these institutes is because of their students and not the teaching staff. (See the article here.)

Any MBA student will tell you of their grueling work schedule. I had a fair share of the experience during M.Sc. Chemistry at IIT Bombay long ago in 2001-2003. Every semester we gave two sets of exams - one in the middle and the other at the end. Interspersed between these would be quizzes and written assignments for every subject. In the senior year in preparation for the research life ahead the professors as part of their courses had us looking through literature in journals, write reports on the findings and even make presentations.

Clearly then along with the students, the faculty also have their work cut out and need to do more than simply using the chalk and blackboard in order to maintain standards. Doing good research requires you to keep abreast with the latest developments in your field, to be quick enough to ride on the tide and to build a solid niche for your work amidst that.

Maintaining a balance between being a good teacher and a quality researcher becomes a matter of being passionate about what you do and managing it well. Discussing new findings appearing in journals with students and colleagues enables to identify the possibilities therein for you. Engaging the senior students in mentoring the younger lot can help in taking some of the load off.

We now have a total of 16 IITs and in addition there are six IISERs. Until a year back some of the professors from University of Pune and scientists from NCL were roped in for taking classes at IISER, Pune besides performing their regular duties. Due to shortage of competent faculty the existing staff has to perhaps bite more than they can chew. There is a need to bring in more hands for the job.

Science in India still suffers at the behest of brain drain. Out of the 20 M.Sc. Chemistry students in my class 18 went to either US or Germany to do their Ph.D. and then continued to stay on longer for pursuing a post-doc. I know of only one of them to have returned recently to IIT Bombay as an Assistant Professor.

I feel the general perception that doing science and making money do not go together should be changed. Eyebrows should not be raised when professors call for higher pay scales. Giving encouragement, incentives and rewards wherever due would make the demanding job lucrative and go a long way in luring back more and more lost talent.

DPS Mathura Road where I schooled which had started off in tents eventually became one of the largest schools in Delhi where you had classes from Nursery to XII and each class having 6-9 sections. This was possible only because the architects were able to envision the great future despite the humble beginnings. The huge Angstrom Laboratory where I am currently working is relatively new and first opened its doors a few years back only. Similarly our newer universities and institutes should be built while keeping the imminent progress in mind. The older ones should be timely upgraded and an improvement in the working conditions should be brought about.

As much as world class students deserve world class professors, the world class professors need world class facilities to motivate them to do better still.

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PS: What is your take? Are our professors as bad as the Minister thinks?

The Man of My Dreams

2011-05-07T21:24:00.004+02:00

I recently read the book The Man of My Dreams by Curtis Sittenfeld. The story begins in June 1991 when Hannah at the age of 14 years old sees her parents separate. As she grows older she meets three men. There is Mike who truly loves her but she doesn’t find a soul mate in him. Then we have the handsome Oliver who gives her attention and much more but has a roving eye. Finally there is Henry for whom Hannah has held a torch for years. She moves to Chicago to be near him only to learn he has a girlfriend. They begin to spend unusual times together, acknowledge their once up on a time crush for each other and recognize the “weird thing” happening between them. But ultimately their relationship doesn't move any further and this is the closest Hannah comes to finding the man of her dreams.

When Henry steers towards Suzy, a heartbroken Hannah goes to New Mexico where she learns to live again. With some soul searching, she is able to confront the demons of her childhood that have always held her back. Nearly two years later one day in May 2005 she writes a letter to her therapist telling her the lessons learned.

Here are a few of the lines Hannah says in those pages and my comments (in italics):

"Perhaps this is how you know you're doing the thing you're intended to do: No matter how slow or slight your progress, you never feel that it's a waste of time.”
*When looking at other people’s lives and success, in a moment of weakness we tend to question our own worth. I feel in such a situation we should think like Hannah to strengthen our belief in what we do.*

“I wanted to hold happiness in reserve, like a bottle of champagne. I postponed it because I was afraid, because I overvalued it, because I didn’t want to use it up, because what do you wish for then? The possibility, that I was intimidated by getting what I wanted, is the hardest one for me to consider, which might mean it is the likeliest.”
*It is indeed our fears that tie us down and make us hesitate when all we needed to do was take a leap of faith.*

“I don’t mean this to be glib,” Hannah continues, “but I feel like a lot of life is distasteful and embarrassing. And you just push through it. Isn’t that the big lesson we learned from living with Dad? You fix what you can, and you let time pass.”
*It is hard to wait for time do its magic but mostly it does work.*

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PS: Would like to share any quote from a book that stayed back with you?

Winter wonderland

2011-05-02T21:51:00.014+02:00

I have spent a significant part of my life in Delhi. I have even spent a day in the snow clad Rohtang Pass. Somehow I still felt wary of facing the long winter in Uppsala. But that changed when I set the first step on the tarmac outside Arlanda airport. The first brush of cold was like a welcome hug with which my fears vanished.

In late October, 2010 when I arrived in Uppsala the temperatures were close to -2 to -4 deg C. I could already spot frost forming over leaves. I was also told that the conditions were just right for a snowfall and that it could happen any day. On 9th November I was taking some prints when I just chanced to look out of the window. Lo and behold what I see are tiny flakes falling down from the sky. As it was a light snowfall there was a dreamlike quality to it and I stood there entranced. A few hours down the line when it still continued it managed to bring everything in its fold.

Watching snowfall from the inside is one thing and braving it outside another. It caused the (only) breakdown of the bus service. I had to wait at the stop for an unusual 1.5 hours that evening. In between the cold and snow was so difficult to bear that I went back to my office building to keep myself warm. But even with the discomfort I still felt a surge of excitement while walking over fresh snow. The very next morning was a beautiful sight. I realized that it had snowed all night and there was a thick layering all around. The snow on top of the bushes reminded me of icing on a cake. My first ever snowfall was beyond my expectations.

A few days later I was in for stunning rare views. I guess because of the very low temperature all the trees and bushes had frozen which gave every place I swept my eyes a mystic quality. I had never seen anything like it before. During the next few months I saw the magic repeat only once more.

Over time -18 deg C became a standard. In a break from this for a couple of days it was 0 deg C and everybody joked about how hot it was and that summer had come. In contrast on one occasion the temperature took such a dip that the water coming out of my eyes froze. I could sense the inside of my nose solidifying.

Through most of the winter the real challenge for me was to train my brain into not thinking that pitch darkness at 3 pm was night and time to go to bed. It wasn’t that difficult to combat the cold. The reason was the excellent heating system in not just the houses but also the offices, food stores and even the buses. I would only be exposed to the icy weather when standing at the bus stops and during the short walk from home to the supermarket. I came to observe that management of the snow on the roads was extremely good in Uppsala as a result of which the buses were rarely late. All I had to do was be on time at the bus stop according to the schedule.

I think I fairly enjoyed my “real” winter experience. October to March is not an extremely long time. But not getting to see the sun, having to wear heavy gear every day and being extremely careful of the ice on the road when walking to avoid slipping eventually did take its toll. The good thing is it has made me appreciate the brightness, greenery and colorful flowers that the summer has brought. See the photos below and you'll know that it truly is so.

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PS: How was your winter experience? Has summer started for you?

UK trip (3): Leicester flashback

2011-04-21T12:22:00.013+02:00

The second city that my husband and I chose to visit for a day was Leicester. The decision was not based from the point of view of sightseeing. Quite a few years back in 2004 my husband had made his first sojourn to UK for doing a Masters of Science in Embedded Systems from University of Leicester. Our being together in UK thereby provided an opportunity to take a trip down memory lane.

24 March saw us finding our way to the New Street station, Birmingham. We had booked our tickets in advance. The train was on time and in less than an hour's ride we were at Leicester. When we came out of the station the sun was greeting us. The weather was glorious and it made our walking expedition enjoyable.

From the Leicester station the University of Leicester was not too far. Opposite to it was the De Montfort University. Along the way we passed by the Victoria Park. Instead of turning inside we went straight ahead to the Main Building. From there we went past the Library to the Engineering Department. We explored the building and we went to see the lab where my husband had spent considerable time for his Masters' project work. Sadly, his supervisor wasn't around and we could not meet him.

Next we had another walk to the Freemen's Common, the university accommodation where my husband had stayed during 2004-2005. We returned to the main campus via the Queen Elisabeth College which is also a part of the university. We followed this by a walk through the Victoria Park to go back towards the station for having lunch. It was nearing 1.20 pm and I was informed that in Leicester restaurants close by 2 pm. I only believed it when I actually saw the scene. Luckily we managed to find one open but were told to hurry up. An instant order of mutton biryani was made which turned out to be such a tasty choice that it was reordered.

Feeling a lot better after eating good food we made our way to the city center. We rested from time to time taking in the scene and talking about my husband's old days in Leicester. We roamed around a lot in a nearby mall. We made a stop over at one place to have coffee. Evening was approaching and we had a train to catch. So again we got onto our feet.

We were quietly walking when suddenly we heard a loud cheering noise coming from a bar. A big screen was showing the last moments of the World Cup Cricket's quarterfinal match between India and Australia. It was touted as a tough one to crack for India and many had predicted an end to our journey ahead. Watching Yuvraj Singh play the last winning shot thrilled us and we joined in the celebrations for some minutes.

There was still enough time remaining for our train's arrival and it was decided to put to use by... walking. I would have complained but I spotted the famous plain red telephone booths associated with UK. I had been looking for them in London but always found them with ads printed. So immediately husband was asked to take my photos with the booth.

That done we went inside the station. Soon we boarded the train and headed back to camp.

UK trip (2): Art work

2011-04-16T21:45:00.016+02:00

In the first post in this series I had described my husband's and mine one day trip to London, One of the sights that I thought was very picturesque was the London Tower Bridge which after a long time inspired me to sharpen a pencil and dig out my art book. As a result this is how my day progressed...

(1) I struggled in the morning to even get a decent rough outline. By noon all I had on paper was:

(2) After a good lunch and a chat with my father, I felt energized to begin adding details. I tackled the left side first. By 5 pm this is what I got:

(3) I then treated myself to a much deserved snack and shifted my focus to the right side of the outline. By 6.30 pm I could see some improvement:

(4) I nearly thought of leaving the rest for Sunday but listening to some peppy music changed my mood. Feeling uplifted I again picked up my pencil. By the time I was done it was 8.40 pm.

(5) At the end of the day this is how my sketch compared with the photo on I based it:

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PS: How did you find it? Is there a good resemblance? Did I do well?

A Midsummer Night's Dream

2011-04-11T21:17:00.012+02:00

Occasionally I like to “ego surf” on Google. In the process today I came across this link on my school website. It brought back memories when I was in Class IX. One morning it was announced in the assembly that a school production would be staged. It was going to be a Hindi adaptation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (Grishm ki madhya ratri ka swapn).

The play was to be helmed by Mr. Alok Chatterjee, belonging to the well-known National School of Drama (NSD). Though I was quite shy in those days I tagged along with friends for the audition. The process for selection was new to me and it felt exciting.

In the first round all the students were asked to form small groups. Then each group had to improvise a skit on a theme allotted to it. At the end of the day students who managed to impress were called for a second round. Each of these students was then asked by the Director to read out from the script the dialogue of a character. Based on this performance a student was selected for a particular role.

I wish I could tell you that I got a plum role. Sadly I can’t. I possibly got what was the smallest of them all. I was to be one of the fairies who come along with the character Puck, the elf. I was upset and all the initial excitement disappeared. I think it was my sister who encouraged me to continue and it turned out wonderfully. No, my role didn’t become any bigger. I did get one whole dialogue assigned later. But like they say sometimes it is about the experience.

The general routine was that every day after school hours all the participants would collect in the school hall. There we would be first served hot lunch. Then practice would start and go on until 4 pm after which special school buses would drop us home.

On the first day we began from the first page of the script. This session and the few to follow were bad. The students had not learnt dialogues since it was all new. As a result the feelings wouldn’t come when you are concentrating on just reading.

I remember the whole atmosphere changed with the arrival of our second hero Demetrius. The student acting out this character came thoroughly prepared. Even though it was going to be his first time practicing he had memorized his dialogues. He brought in a vigor and professionalism. He became the benchmark from there on.

Things had been going well for some days when the bomb exploded. An extra practice session had been arranged on a Saturday following a Parents-Teacher meeting. All but one of the girls playing the lead character of Hermia did not arrive on time. An angry Mr. Alok Chatterjee on the spur of the moment asked someone else, who turned out to be my very good friend Kamakshi, to take over. Half an hour later the student in question reached the hall and was left aghast finding herself replaced. Lots of hot words and tears later peace was restored. But by then the damage had been done. Kamakshi had done splendidly and was there to stay.

The play started taking a better shape after we had a short school break. It seemed all the actors had taken advantage of the holiday to learn their dialogues. So the focus shifted on the movement on stage and adding actions. Simultaneously other departments were doing their jobs. Props were being arranged. Costumes were getting stitched. When there would be nothing to do, we girls would make use of the empty school and play antakshri (singing medley of Hindi film songs) and some would dance all the Madhuri Dixit moves.

Before we knew the dates of the actual performances came knocking. We were going to do four shows in two days – 24th and 25th October, 1994. The first day was to be an evening show. The next day would be a roller-coaster with us staging the play thrice. We all arrived well in advance at the Kamani Auditorium, Delhi. Seeing the big stage and the huge seating capacity sent chills. To top it there were going to be no microphones and we would have to rely on our vocal chords. Everybody was given a chance to test the loudness of their voice. We had people stand in different corners of the theatre to tell us if they could hear us or not. For the first time I was happy that I had only one line to recite. The best thing was that unlike movies the size of the role did not determine the treatment. We were very well taken care of by our school staff.

On 24th October eve among the audience were going to be the participating students’ family members making it all the more important for no mess ups. When the first time people clapped for a scene during the performance it brought smiles to our faces. There was a relief that the play was connecting with the audience. Overall that night I don’t think any mistakes were made. After the whole act was over, all the parents came backstage including mine. I could see their happiness writ over their faces. Mummy was all glowing even for that little part I did and I felt myself swelling with pride.

Our Director however brought us down to earth reminding of what lay ahead the next day. It was to be a real test as the audience was going to consist of school students from classes VI to XII. We knew that there would be no special reprieve in case we faltered. There were a few scary moments. Once one of the characters improvised a dialogue he had forgotten. Only we realized what had happened. I myself suddenly had my throat drying while speaking or was it screeching which Mr. Alok Chatterjee pointed out to me after the performance. But instead of feeling upset I actually felt good hearing that as it made me realize he didn’t consider my part insignificant.

Finally the last bow was taken on the night of 25th October. We were all happy that we sailed through. All those ups and downs had been worth it. Our eyes were dancing with joy, until we were hit by the fact that from now on it would be back to normal life with nothing beyond classes to look forward to.

The sudden pang of emptiness in my stomach made me realize that I had managed to accumulate for myself some priceless memories through this little journey.

(Source of photos: Delhi Public School, Mathura Road. The photos above are pages of the brochure that was printed for the play to be distributed to the audience.)

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PS: Does anyone remember this? Would you like to share any of your such experiences?

UK trip (1): A London Day

2011-04-10T16:41:00.015+02:00

A couple of weeks back I returned from a short UK Trip. Base camp was Birmingham where my husband is doing his MBA. Having come all the way from Uppsala, we decided to spend one full day in London. In an ideal situation I would have loved to explore London leisurely. But considering the fact that my vacation was only for eight days and we had other plans as well, dedicating 24 hours to London seemed good in proportion for the moment.

We began the day early by taking a Megabus from Birmingham to London where we were dropped at the Victoria Coach Station. The bus ride took longer than its stipulated time and we reached nearly at 10.00 am. On arriving we walked from the coach station to the nearby London Victoria train station.

Just outside the Tourist Information Center exit stood a Big Bus Tours' City Sightseeing bus, where we bought our Hop On-Hop Off tickets. Interestingly along with that they also sell you fast track entrance tickets for some key attractions like Madame Tussaud's Museum, London Eye, London Sea Aquarium, etc. The advantage for you as a tourist is a direct entrance without having to stand in a long queue for buying the tickets at these places and long queues there are on account of their popularity. This Hop on-Hop off tour covers every sight you can possibly think of. At every stop there were the Big Bus Tours' guides to help. You could buy your fast track tickets with them too.

The first stop where we got off was Madame Tussaud's Museum. When you step out of the lift you are given the red carpet treatment with cameras flashing at you and you feel like a star yourself. Inside there are hundreds of wax works of all possible celebrities.

Among actors the ones I remember were of Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, Johny Depp, Daniel Radcliffe, the latest heart throb James Patterson (of the Twilight series), Marylin Monroe, Nicole Kidman, Bruce Willis, Jim Carrey, Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Morgan Freeman and Arnold Schwarzenegger and many more.

There was also a section of Indian film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Salman Khan and Hrithik Roshan.

Then you have the Royal Family. Sadly there was no Princess Diana replica. There were also various political leaders known through history: Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Benazir Bhutto, and John F. Kennedy. A wax work people seemed to enjoy was that of Hitler. Some hailed him and most bashed him. In one part they had modeled the President's Office in the White House with Obama standing. The fun part was me sitting in his chair. My husband's favorite was posing with his idol Michael Jackson. Call it peas in a pod, my best photo came out with Einstein. We were both equally happy to stand next to our master blaster Sachin Tendulkar.

The last leg of the tour was a horror section where you had scary live people, no wax works, come at you. I was totally scared and clutching my husband's arm tightly who in contrast was totally cool. In the end we sat in a London Taxi model toy train and journeyed through London's history and came out smiling.

In all Madame Tussaud's Museum was fun. Only thing is, it was too crowded with everyone wanting to hog stars as if they were real. Despite that I wouldn't mind going there again. It is a place which could cheer anybody up. Even if you don't pose seeing others around you doing all kinds of crazy things can make you smile.

By the time we were done with all the clicking it was nearing 1 pm. But the next bus was standing at the stop and so we got to into it. Since we were in a hurry we gave the close by Sherlok Holmes' Museum, which is located on 221 B Baker Street, the address where the fictional legend lived according to Sir Arthur Conal Doyale, a miss.

Our next stop was Leicester Square. This is one of those places my husband had been to in his first UK experience in 2005. So it was an incredible feeling for us to be there together. Another major attraction that we didn’t enter for lack of time on hands was the National Gallery. I told myself “next trip.” Since it was lunch time our stomachs were rumbling we went to the Chinatown area and ate to our hearts’ content.

We returned back to our stop to Hop On again. This time the route took us past the Big Ben and Westminster Abbey to the London Eye. The London Eye for those who don’t know is a massive Giant Wheel which moves in slow motion. Instead of box seats you have glass cabins which can take in 8-10 people. Its location and height let you have a bird’s eye view of the city.

The only other similar attraction is found in Singapore. It is called the Singapore Flyer. When I had visited Singapore in 2008 for a conference, I had wanted to take a ride on it. But since I was alone and worried about getting sick after stepping into it and not being able to get off I did not attempt to go anywhere near the Singapore Flyer. I was then happy to see it from a distance. But for the London Eye I had no such fears. Having my husband next to me, all I felt was plain excitement.

Anyway the ride is so slow that at no point do you feel giddy. Within 30 min you complete a full circle and its over before you know it. The scenes you get to see are beautiful, particular that of the full stretch of the Thames River with Westminster Abbey and Big Ben.

Right at the London Eye is a pier from where you can take a river cruise. We got a free river cruise ride with our Big Bus Tour ticket which we were allowed to board or disembark at the Westminster Pier, Tower Pier or Waterloo Pier. As we wanted to next head to the Tower Bridge we decided to cruise our way to it. The boat ride was about 20 min. We passed many sights on the way, which were pointed to us by the guide. I was disappointed by the London Bridge. For all its fame thanks to the nursery rhyme it was nothing to boast about.

I thought the London Tower Bridge was quite pretty. It is not a modern bridge and so not all steel. But for me it was still a pleasing sight. If the Tower Bridge was a person I would describe him/her as cute and sweet or cutely sweet or sweetly cute. We spent some time in its vicinity when we recalled that the bus driver had told us that the last sightseeing Big Bus would depart at 5 o’ clock. It took us some minutes to figure out where the stop was, so by the time we discovered it the clock hands had moved beyond five. There were some other tourists standing as well which was a comforting sight. We were just beginning to have some misgivings when soon enough we found one bus coming.

Once again the guide in the bus was very friendly. He asked everybody where they would prefer to be dropped off as this was the last bus because from there on the tourists would be on their own. I got excited in between when he announced that one of the stops was Buckingham Palace. I thought I will be able to see it while still on board. But sadly the rule doesn’t allow vehicles to go in front on the Palace. Anyone wanting to see it would have to get off a distance away and then walk towards it. So another sight was marked to be seen on the next occasion whenever “next” would be.

We reached London Victoria train station around 6 pm from where we made our way to the Coach Station Departures. We still had a lot of time to kill as our return bus was at 9 pm only. So we relaxed there for a bit, then went on a stroll outside and ended with a Fish and Chips dinner.

On our journey back to Birmingham I thought that the reason we could accomplish the many things we wanted to was because of the Big Bus Tours’ efficiency. I would definitely recommend them for those wanting to do sightseeing in London especially for the manner in which they took care of the tourists riding with them. They were courteous and ready to give directions.

Personally I would want to visit some of these sights again in evening time. I am sure the London Eye, Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben would look more grand when all lit up. If I had a lighter schedule I would have liked to walk over the Tower Bridge, spend hours at the National Gallery, see the Changing of the Guard Ceremony and take the Harry Potter Film Locations Walk revealing the seven London locations which have featured in the Harry Potter Films. The latter two are provided free with the Big Bus Tour ticket.

Even with a few things left undone, I will still say that in all it was a great London Day.

Distance loving

2011-03-09T22:20:00.005+01:00

This is the story of long distance loving traced through quotations.

THE FIRST DAY

Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you... (Richard Marx)

Time and distance don't mean anything when I know we will embrace and hold each other again. (Anonymous)

If you want to be with someone you love, aren't you already there? (Richard Bach)

In true love the smallest distance is too great, and the greatest distance can be bridged. (Hans Nouwens)

A FEW WEEKS LATER

We are the perfect couple. We're just not in the perfect situation. (Joey Rivett)

You know when you've found it 'cause you feel it when they take it away. (Anonymous)

And ever has it been known that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation. (Khalil Gibran)

5000 miles away and you are still right here, in my heart and mind. (Anonymous)

I'll hold you in my heart, till I can hold you in my arms. (Anonymous)

Don't measure the distance; measure my love. (Anonymous)

A FEW MONTHS LATER

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but it sure makes the rest of you lonely. (Charlie Brown)

Sometimes, when one person is missing, the whole world seems depopulated. (Lamartine)

I am here and you are there - one of us is in the wrong place! (Anonymous)

Time is the longest distance between two places. (Tennessee Williams)

Love reckons hours for months, and days for years; and every little absence is an age. (John Dryden)

Words are just not enough to tell you how much you mean to me and how much I need you by my side, all my life. You have touched my life in ways others can't even think of. (Anonymous)

Between now and you is a few hundred days, thousands of tears, and a great deal of dreaming. When those few hundred days have passed, when those thousands of tears have been shed, and when I have dreamt a great deal of dreams, I will be with you again, and it will be pure magic. (Anonymous)

AND FINALLY

The joy of meeting pays the pangs of absence; else who could bear it? (Nicholas Rowe)

Ain't no mountain high enough,
Aint no valley low enough,
Aint no river wide enough,
to keep me from getting to you baby!! (Temptations)

Distance does not matter if two hearts are loyal to one another. (Anonymous)

The test of love is not when we are together. It comes when we are not together and realize that despite the distance, love is still there. (Anonymous)

Distance between two people is only as far as one allows it to be... (Anonymous)

_____________________________________________________________
PS: Do you know any other famous quotes in this category? What stage is your long distance relationship at?

Time and again

2011-03-08T11:21:00.009+01:00

There are several Hindi films with a "lost and found family" as the basic plot. One such classic is the 1965 Yash Chopra directed Waqt. The story can be summarized as follows. In the aftermath of a severe earthquake Lala Kedarnath's (Balraj Sahni's) family gets separated. His eldest son Raja finds himself in an orphanage from where he flees after being mistreated by the manager. He grows up to become a thief (Raj Kumar). The second son Ravi gets adopted by a couple who find him on a road, hurt. Under their wings he (Sunil Dutt) goes on to study law. Kedarnath's wife Lakshmi (Achala Sachdev) faces many hardships to raise their youngest son Vijay (Shashi Kapoor). In the meanwhile Lala is sentenced to jail when in his anger he kills Raja's orphanage manager. Years go by and the three brothers cross paths. Seeing a childhood photo of Ravi, Raja recognizes him but does not reveal his identity. When Raja is falsely implicated in a murder case Ravi comes to his defense. Both Vijay and Lala Kedarnath are key witnesses in this trial. After many twists and turns Ravi succeeds in proving Raja's innocence. Wanting to hear the final verdict Lakshmi also comes to the court. In this manner the whole family is brought face to face and gets ultimately reunited. Towards the end Lala Kedarnath says to his wife:

"Lakshmi... aisa maaloom hota hai jaise kuch hua hi nahi. Guzarne se pehle waqt kitna lamba maloom hota hai, kaate nahi kat-ta. Lekin guzarjaane ke baad sadiyan pal ban jaati hain, jaise koi sapna dekha ho."

meaning "Lakshmi... it appears as if nothing has happened. Before time passes by it appears so long, difficult to spend. But after it passes by centuries seem like moments, as if it was a dream we had seen."

As each day ends I tell myself that time is slipping away and gliding by. I am thankful for this as it brings me that much closer to the kind of life I am longing for. But as I am no way near the stage where the mega (centuries) transforms into nano (moments), there is still a lot left to endure. The uncertainity springs all kinds of doubts and when my spirits sway and sag I wonder if there is light at the end of the tunnel. To people who are in a similar boat Emily Dickinson gives the message:

"Time does go on
I tell it gay to those who suffer now
They shall survive
There is a sun
They don't believe it now"
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PS: At what speed has 2011 been going for you so far? You'd rather it moved slower or faster?

We Are Family

2011-02-25T13:00:00.002+01:00

We Are Family is one film that I had been wanting to see mainly because it was bringing together Kajol and Kareena Kapoor after a long hiatus. The last time they had shared screen space was in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (K3G) in 2001 in which they had played sisters. So I thought it would be interesting to see how they would fare in a movie where they are vying for the same man's attention. Years ago in Gupt, Bobby Deol had Kajol and Manisha Koirala fighting over him and the expressions of the girls in the song Yeh pyaar kya hai... said it all. Sadly there is no such zing in We Are Family.

The film received commendation for officially acknowledging the original source. But for me this Indian take on the Hollywood movie Stepmom was a let down. Firstly, the writers are not couragous enough to set the story in India. The heart of Stepmom were the two kids. Jena Malone as the teenage daughter warring with her father's new girlfriend and gropping with the reality of her mother's illness was excellent. Liam Aiken when he tells his mother that he will hate Isabel if she wants him to was delightful and sweet. In We Are Family there are three children but not one manages to create ripples in your heart through either acting or plain innocence. Even the leading ladies do not seem to be delivering their best. Neither was I able to sympathize with Kareena Kapoor during her trials when having to take care of the brat pack nor did I shed tears as Kajol suffers through the dreaded disease. For what should have been a three hanky movie, a descrption I had read in a newspaper for K3G, is not able to strike an emotional connect with the audience.

The only point where my eyes watered a little was when I heard Shreya Ghoshal's beautiful rendition of the song Sun le dua. But here too I had a reason to grumble. The song should have had at least one more stanza. The sweetness of Shreya Ghoshal's voice leaves you asking for more. Despite the short length anyone who has had to see a loved one slip by, bit by bit, would still be able to relate to this prayer which they would have repeated a million times. So let me leave you its lyrics:

Film: We Are Family

Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

Lyrics: Irshat Kamil

Singer: Shreya Ghoshal

Tu jo gayi toh soona hoga yeh jahaan
Pheeki pheeki hogi saari yeh daastan
Tumse judi hai har khushi
Tere bina kya hai yahaan
Chaahein tumhein hum maange tumhe
Sun le dua yeh aasman

Chote chote khwaabon ko aa jodenge
Yeh bhi vaada

Na tumhein ab chodenge
Jeena chaahe phir tere liye
Aaankhein na pherenge
Saansein meri tu le le bhale
Ab na tumhein jaane denge

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PS: Which did you like more - Stepmom or We Are Family?

Adit's website

2011-02-24T19:26:00.010+01:00

My husband, Adit has launched his personal website www.aditlounge.com. Here you can read his articles which are meant to make the mind tick and the soul tickle. You have categories ranging from business and marketing to engineering and science to poetry. Besides being a good writer Adit is an avid photographer and has a passion for creating videos. So a section not to be given a miss is that of photos and videos where you can see his personal compilations.

I feel that as a whole www.aditlounge.com reflects the author's professional and personal interests.

Let us then give Adit a warm welcome into this exciting world. I urge you to visit his website. The reader is provided the option of leaving comments for any article, photo or video. Alternatively you can give your thoughts on the website in general through the guestbook. I am sure it will soon become a place where you will find yourself returning to.

The social network

2011-02-20T09:38:00.010+01:00

A few weeks back I was having a discussion with a friend about Facebook (FB). My friend thought that for most people FB is about showing off and receiving praise. Some people are so active, may be addicted that they feel compeled to announce every few hours what they are doing - sleeping or working, which party they are going to, and which restaurant they are dining at. How many of us can do without sharing our photos moments after returning from a holiday? Both the word of mouth publicity of a good film and bad mouthing of tainted politicians linked to a scam immediately happen through FB. We practically express every happiness, displeasure, anger first to the world instead of sharing with the person concerned.

The upside is that in a small measure you get to be a part of people's lives who are living not streets but countries apart. The connectivity makes the world appear smaller than it is. Seeing others' achievements and activities fills you up with your own dreams. Agreed when everybody may be celebrating heavy snowfall and you are living in the hottest place on earth, you are most likely to end up cursing your fate however wonderful a time you may be actually having. But when you do eventually get to experience the same snowfall you appreciate it more.

On the other hand when your friends' lives are so in your face it becomes difficult to sometimes concentrate on yours. You no longer wonder how it is on the other side of the fence, but are actually able to see the greener pastures there. In this process what we forget to realize is that on FB we only see what we get and what we get is what is "chosen" to be shown.

Can we claim that we really know what lies beyond the stretch of green grass presented to us? Haven't we all at one time or another worn a happy face in front of everyone even when we are anything but that? Haven't we all at one time or another said that all is well even when things are messed up? You may have hundreds of names on your contact list but only a select few would know the real deal. As a corollary, the same can be said for each of those names on your contact list.

I recently came across a blog and initially felt a little pinch at its popularity. I was bewildered how could the author of the blog write something worthwhile, thought provoking and delightful everyday. But as I read more and more I learnt that he had gone through a lot of difficulties in life and is still trying to get over them. He had weight issues as a child and was laughed at. He was bullied in high school. Eventhough he is only 30 he has already had two unsuccessful marriages.

Long ago I had expressed my jealousy on my blog. What someone had commented then, I finally understand and believe now. Before we judge others and complain to God we should count the many of our wishes He has already fulfilled. We should tell ourselves that in time He will give us more as long as we ask in faith.

Thanking for the bad

2011-02-12T08:16:00.005+01:00

A young woman was sitting at her dining table, worried about taxes to be paid, house-work to be done and to top it all, her family was coming over for Thanksgiving the next day. She was not feeling very thankful at that time. As she turned her gaze sideways, she noticed her young daughter scribbling furiously into her notebook.

“My teacher asked us to write a paragraph on Negative Thanksgiving for homework today.” said the daughter, “She asked us to write down things that we are thankful for, things that make us feel not so good in the beginning, but turn out to be good after all.”

With curiosity, the mother peeked into the book.

This is what the daughter had written:

“I’m thankful for Final Exams, because that means school is almost over.
I’m thankful for bad-tasting medicine, because it helps me feel better.
I’m thankful for waking up to alarm clocks, because it means I’m still alive.”

It then dawned on the mother, that she had a lot of things to be thankful for!

She thought again…
She had to pay taxes but she that meant she was fortunate to be employed.
She had house-work to do but that meant she had her own home to live in.
She had to cook for her family for Thanksgiving but that meant she had a family with whom she could celebrate.

A friend forwarded me this story a while back and I remember it bringing a smile on my face. We always thank God for the good things in our life but immediately start questioning Him for the bad. In tough situations we wonder why is it us facing the music. Sometimes even the simplest of chores appear burdensome.

The above story makes us realize that in our everyday worries we tend to forget what all we have been blessed with. It tells us that behind the difficulties we come across, there is a hidden good which we should try to recognize and be thankful and happy for. Instead of whining, we should look at the silver lining of the cloud. Like Thomas Edison who had once said "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." we should see the bright side of life.

Our Euro trip (2): Copenhagen

2011-02-10T16:57:00.008+01:00

Continuing from where I left in my previous post, on 20th Dec my husband and I left from Munich for Copenhagen. When around the globe, flights were getting delayed and canceled because of heavy snowfall ours landed 15 min ahead of schedule.

We had booked ourselves at the La Villa Guest House. It is located on Rode Mellemvej, a short drive away from the airport. We were given a warm welcome by Vilborg, the lady who runs the guest house. She was sweet enough to make us some hot tea. The guest house is beautifully decorated and our room was a delight. It was romantic and like a honeymoon cottage. I would recommend anyone visiting Copenhagen for a relaxing holiday to stay at the La Villa Guest House. The only hitch is that they do not serve food. But just next to the guest house is a Kiosk and a few steps away a food store and a few more steps away a Pakistani restaurant by the name Kashmir Palace. My husband and I happily feasted on their tasty Donar Kebabs.

During the night of 20th Dec it snowed heavily and for the first time our trip got affected. The excitement that we had felt as we set out to do some sightseeing on 21st Dec, gave way to near disillusionment as we were faced with disrupted bus schedules and unresponsive taxi services. Unwilling to give up we made our way to the DR Byen/Universitet Metro Station. From there we took a train to the Norreport Station. Thereon we walked and walked till we reached the City Hall Square. Along the route we went through a market area crowded because of the heavy Christmas shopping sales. This and the snow on the ground made it seem to be an even longer walk than what is predicted to be a 16 min distance on foot by maps.google.com.

Still our timing turned out to be perfect because the moment we reached the City Hall Square we caught the sight of a Hop on-Hop off City Sightseeing Tour bus in front of us. Not wasting any more precious moments we bought ourselves seats on it. It was clearly not a tourist friendly day and the bus was practically empty. But we marched forth.

Our first major stop was the Rosenborg Castle museum. After spending some time there, my husband and I decided to follow the instructions given to us by our first bus driver. We stood in front of the museum gate waiting for the next bus to arrive. The supposed to be 30 min waiting period eventually became an hour. In normal weather conditions this hour would have been easy to pass. But somehow exactly then the temperature dropped more, the wind became still cold, and the snow even through our shoes and layers of socks was biting our feet very ferociously. My husband and I found a small protective enclosure in a wall and huddled ourselves. Quite a few people passing by thought of it as cute and gave us smiles, wished us Merry Christmas and remarked how Copenhagen was never usually this cold.

I was so happy when I saw a shiny piece of red trudging its way slowly through the traffic towards us. Looking at its speed it sunk in that if we got off the bus again, it might be difficult to find another one to hop on. So it was decided with a heavy heart to do all further sightseeing from the inside of the bus. We still managed to see some interesting points this way, such as, the Gustav Church, the Little Mermaid, Amalienborg, and the Copenhagen Opera House. We had planned to take a Canal Boat Ride but as luck would have it the frozen water played spoilsport.

Amalienborg and Gustav Church

The Little Mermaid (Courtsey: Adit Maark Yvon)

The Copenhagen Opera House

22nd December was as cold as the previous one and there was no improvement in the traffic situation either. Lazily we started our day after lunch. We took our now familiar route via Norreport to City Hall, where right across is the splendidly lit theme part Tivoli. It looked spectacular with its light displays, fun rides, ice sculptures, and cute cottages serving as eating and shopping joints. That is why Tivoli is one of the famous attractions of Copenhagen, a must see specially if you have kids. We spent a lot of time at Tivoli, walking around taking photos.

Night was approaching and we had packing to do. So we returned to the coziness of our room. Taxi services were playing truant and there was no guarantee one would arrive the next morning as per schedule in spite of a booking. We discussed our worries with our guest house manager, Vilborg who came to our rescue by asking her husband to drop us to the airport the next morning.

Though the snow had restricted our activities, I had still felt a connection with Copenhagen. As we waited at Copenhagen Airport on 23rd Dec I, therefore, hoped that one day we will be able to return here and actually explore and enjoy the city in better conditions.

Our Euro trip (1): Munich

2011-02-05T18:27:00.008+01:00

This winter vacation my husband and I decided to visit a couple of European cities. Like many people, initially we thought of going to a warmer location compared to Uppsala, like Portugal. But eventually we settled down on Munich because a few of my husband's friends live there and Copenhagen because of our own personal romantic history. A fair amount of search was done to find the right places to stay and to decide the must-sees.

On 17th Dec sitting at the airport's gate for departure as an announcement of heavy snowfall at Munich was made, we began to worry. Thankfully, it led only to a two hour flight delay and not a cancellation. The Munich airport is more than 40 kms away from the city and so the best way of commuting is the S-Bahn train. We learnt that you could get the tickets from vending machines at the airport itself and that these must be validated with a stamp at another box at the platform station.

We managed to find our way around and got inside the train S8. But a few minutes into the ride and panic struck. None of the stations that were passing by were on the list we were expecting. The confusion was due to the reason that our list had only those stations where you could transfer onto another line. After 40 min we reached the last station: Pasing. Unfortunately we ran into a stroke of bad luck. A taxi driver refused to take us to our destination, Imperial Hotel, telling us that our hotel was just a few blocks away and that we could simply walk. It turned out that the blocks were quite a many and the road uphill and covered with snow. Huffing-puffing we finally found our hotel.

The location of Hotel Imperial was perfect. We found an Indian restuarant Akash just a few buildings away and it became our dinner jaunt. The food was yummy and the Punjabis running it very friendly. Close by to the hotel was the Am Knie tram stop from where you could take the Line 19 straight to the Hauptbahnhof Central Station. On getting off there you can see the Karstadt department store exactly in front from you. This is the spot from where all the Grayline Sightseeing Tours leave. On 18th Dec we took their Grand Circle Hop On-Hop Off tour. However, for most of the day we induldged ourselves at the Olympic Park and the BMW Welt and Museum.

At the Olympic Park we mainly saw the Olympic Tower, Olympic Stadium, Soccer Arcade, and the Sea Life Aquarium. We particularly enjoyed the last one where my husband got a splendid opppourtunity to take beautiful photos of sea creatures.

There is a bridge at the entrance of Olympic Park crossing which leads you to the BMW Welt and Museum. At the Welt were lined up all the latest models of BMW cars and motorcycles. They even had a small show in which a rider on a bike went effortlessly up and down the stairs, winning the crowd's applause. The best part of course was getting ourselves clicked with everything in sight. Ditto the BMW Museum where through the hundreds of displays you are left marveling at how the car design and engineering has changed over the years. I was particularly happy to find at the last leg the hydrogen powered BMW Clean Energy car as the topic of hydrogen storage materials still forms a big part of my current research.

19th Dec we spent taking the Grayline full day tour to the Royal Castles of Linderhof and Neuschwanstein. We had a very good guide on the bus who told us a lot about Bavaria's King Ludwig III who built these two castles. The scenery along the way was very beautiful. At one point we actually found ourselves on what is called the Romantic Road. Though I wasn't impressed with Linderhof, I loved Neuschwanstein. Reaching it required a long 40 minutes uphill walk. But when you have someone by your side such climbs become easy. The breathtaking views that we saw from the Castle also made those few kilometers distance worth it.

People say that European summer is beautiful. But to me the long stretch of white splendour that we saw from Neuschwanstein also had its own spellbinding charm. Interestingly this castle was designed not by an architect but by a stage designer, Christian Jank. Perhaps that is why it looks like it came out of a fairytale book. Its location amidst hills adds to the illusion. Understandably then that it is the inspiration behind the Disneyland Sleeping Beauty's castle.

Apparantly, Kind Ludwig III himself lived in Neuschwanstein Castle for eleven days only. He never married, preferring to live alone even at Linderhof. We were told that he did not like to entertain guests. He was so private that he would not even let the servants hover around him when he would be dining. When I first heard that I felt sad. Imagine being surrounded by loveliness but instead of sharing it with someone, you lock yourself in a room. On second thoughts it struck me that may be he just lived in a world of his own which he enjoyed. Afterall he did call himself the Fairytale King.

In all it was a 10-11 hours spent well. Away from work, it was bliss being with my husband. Tired, exhausted but still smiling we made our way back to our hotel. We had to pack our bags as the next day we were heading to Copenhagen.

Still missing

2011-01-24T18:59:00.009+01:00

Quite a long time back I had done a post titled Missing Somet hing. It was inspired by a question "Is there something missing in your life?" that was printed on an ad board placed at a Cafe Coffee Day table. In the post I presented that slogan in different creative ways. I recollect that at time the line only made me think about the things I had never had then and therefore, longed for, like a visa stamp on my passport, a research paper published in my name, and the hero of my life. But there is another kind of craving, the one which comes with having to let go off something that you actually did possess.

In packing my bags for coming to Uppsala I had to leave behind effects ranging from the simple (such as my favourite books and a carefully built saree collection) to the important which included the familiarity of my surroundings, the security of a home and the comfort that you feel because of a certain person's presence. It is hard not to miss any of these small and big things that you love and are so used to. When spirits are particularly low you sense a kind of deprivation and incompleteness. The only consolation is, in most cases, the sureity of there existence elsewhere and the knowledge of the fact that sooner and not too much later you will get it all back. But till then you have to learn to "be patient in tribulation".