9 days filled with making food, walks along the Rhine (including a small dip one day), roaming on the streets of Basel trying to understand what is happening around, looking at people and observing what makes Switzerland Switzerland and not India and the most exciting finishes to my days consisted of window shopping, shopping and drinking yogurt...
Sounds interesting? No? Well, that's what makes India India and not Switzerland ;-)
My friends have a good reason to stick to me now... Major portion of my shopping includes gifts for you guys... The joys...!!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Day 26 - Day 28
These 3 days flew by as I soaked in the atmosphere...
I got up very early the first day... or should I say awakening came unto me... because those of you who know me even slightly would know I am not a person who is an early riser!! And so, respecting God's decision, I got myself presentable and walked out of the house... hmm... I was not utilizing the complete features of my eyes... they can make out millions of hues... but they were exposed to only 2... greens of the meadows and blues of the skies...
Marchin's mother was milking the cows in their backyard... And what backyard it was!! 15 building from Mumbai along with their parking areas would have fit into it... Fresh crisp lawn... about 8 inches to a foot tall green blades... filled with littles whites, yellows and violets... I went up to her and wished her what the yard presented me... a good morning...
I spent the next 3 hours watching the beautiful aftereffects of the sunrise and played hide and seek with the sun... it was very cloudy, very windy and very cold in spite of the occasional rays... I laid down on the grass and sang some songs... hmmm... I do that often when I am alone with the nature... And it went on till I felt the hunger pangs...
I got down and boiled some eggs... Majonez as the spelling on the jar goes (Polish pronunciation of J is like Y), from the Poland is the tastiest I have ever had... it is also one of the reasons I have survived Poland with all it's abundant meat intake... egg, mayonnaise and salad is all I used to have, day in, day out, if you don't count the cakes...
'Any problem?'
Sabina asked that as I sat down with my eggs on their porch... The beautiful scents of the flower beds must be just air to their roses... and the leafy stretches of the mountains would be their routine view as they brushed in the mornings... so, it was understandable that she thought I was upset with something to sit all alone outside and have my breakfast...
'No problem... just enjoying the local air...'
She smiled away slightly convinced... The rest of the day passed by as I took some shots, met some more people and sang some more songs... The dinner was delightful... I mean after four days of cakes and eggs, potato and salad seems like daawat! And as I just started with my two-course, Eva and Bishek (the pair who got married) came in to pick us up... The way Eva stuffed my plate in a box and Bishek stuffed me in the car only suggested they were super heroes and have 'saving the world from the evil powers of Anamara' as their next item on the to-do list... They reached us to Dorotha's in 10 minutes, Sabina used to take at least 30!
As a conclusion to the discussion that was going on in the evening about my sight seeing, Dorotha told me Marchin is going to come next morning at 9 to take me around to see Krakow...
'OK, good night!' and I surrendered myself to the dreamland!
Marchin came at 10, the next morning... We set off for the day... He picked up another girl on our way to Krakow... and though I don't understand Polish (of which I got an overdose today), I could make out he was trying to impress her... The boredom that I experienced the whole day was definitely not because I was jealous... it was simply the result of being ignored... but I tagged along and saw what I possibly could in 3 hours...
Krakow is a good city in terms of culture... the town center is a very happening place... They have a few museums, some chariots you can ride, some cute cafes, souvenir shops, a large cathedral, a statue here and there and funny people... We had our lunch at a Mexican joint... they served a large plate full of French fries with each order... And can you imagine, I (of all the people) got full in just half the dish... and that excluding the fries? I almost fell asleep at the table... for a reason other than the Polish chatter!
We went to this Galleria after our late lunch... Mall basically... I found an interesting shop and the boredom vanished! I went around trying stuff!! My wish got realized in some 10 minutes (and their's too I guess)... they wandered off somewhere and now, I was free to shop! Getting good clothes of my size is difficult... but this shop had variety, good prices and nice range of sizes! I got myself a shirt, a t shirt, a pair of chappals and a frock... I got a nice one piece for my mom too... And here was the beginning of my ESS (Europe Shopping Spree)...
We got back home at nightfall... and I fell asleep like I hadn't slept for months!
The last day was frenzied!! Ania was out to buy every food item available for sale in all of Poland... She got all kinds of jams, jars of Majonez and dressings, forest honey, noodles, herbs, spices, cosmetics, magazines, diapers and creams and a large pram for Wiktor, carrots and radishes even... It was honestly a miracle how all the things fit into the singular bag that we had taken along! But the grace of Jesus safely reached us back home in 5 peices, 3 of us, a bag and a pram!!
Mama was all smiles... the curve did not straighten up for what I noticed at least 30 minutes... And as we reached home... the building welcomed us with a non-functional lift! We had to make 3 trips each, up and down to take up all the luggage... My spine should receive a Red and White bahaduri puraskar for what it underwent that night!!
All in all a great experience of the European countryside!! Na zdrowie to Poland!
I got up very early the first day... or should I say awakening came unto me... because those of you who know me even slightly would know I am not a person who is an early riser!! And so, respecting God's decision, I got myself presentable and walked out of the house... hmm... I was not utilizing the complete features of my eyes... they can make out millions of hues... but they were exposed to only 2... greens of the meadows and blues of the skies...
Marchin's mother was milking the cows in their backyard... And what backyard it was!! 15 building from Mumbai along with their parking areas would have fit into it... Fresh crisp lawn... about 8 inches to a foot tall green blades... filled with littles whites, yellows and violets... I went up to her and wished her what the yard presented me... a good morning...
I spent the next 3 hours watching the beautiful aftereffects of the sunrise and played hide and seek with the sun... it was very cloudy, very windy and very cold in spite of the occasional rays... I laid down on the grass and sang some songs... hmmm... I do that often when I am alone with the nature... And it went on till I felt the hunger pangs...
I got down and boiled some eggs... Majonez as the spelling on the jar goes (Polish pronunciation of J is like Y), from the Poland is the tastiest I have ever had... it is also one of the reasons I have survived Poland with all it's abundant meat intake... egg, mayonnaise and salad is all I used to have, day in, day out, if you don't count the cakes...
'Any problem?'
Sabina asked that as I sat down with my eggs on their porch... The beautiful scents of the flower beds must be just air to their roses... and the leafy stretches of the mountains would be their routine view as they brushed in the mornings... so, it was understandable that she thought I was upset with something to sit all alone outside and have my breakfast...
'No problem... just enjoying the local air...'
She smiled away slightly convinced... The rest of the day passed by as I took some shots, met some more people and sang some more songs... The dinner was delightful... I mean after four days of cakes and eggs, potato and salad seems like daawat! And as I just started with my two-course, Eva and Bishek (the pair who got married) came in to pick us up... The way Eva stuffed my plate in a box and Bishek stuffed me in the car only suggested they were super heroes and have 'saving the world from the evil powers of Anamara' as their next item on the to-do list... They reached us to Dorotha's in 10 minutes, Sabina used to take at least 30!
As a conclusion to the discussion that was going on in the evening about my sight seeing, Dorotha told me Marchin is going to come next morning at 9 to take me around to see Krakow...
'OK, good night!' and I surrendered myself to the dreamland!
Marchin came at 10, the next morning... We set off for the day... He picked up another girl on our way to Krakow... and though I don't understand Polish (of which I got an overdose today), I could make out he was trying to impress her... The boredom that I experienced the whole day was definitely not because I was jealous... it was simply the result of being ignored... but I tagged along and saw what I possibly could in 3 hours...
Krakow is a good city in terms of culture... the town center is a very happening place... They have a few museums, some chariots you can ride, some cute cafes, souvenir shops, a large cathedral, a statue here and there and funny people... We had our lunch at a Mexican joint... they served a large plate full of French fries with each order... And can you imagine, I (of all the people) got full in just half the dish... and that excluding the fries? I almost fell asleep at the table... for a reason other than the Polish chatter!
We went to this Galleria after our late lunch... Mall basically... I found an interesting shop and the boredom vanished! I went around trying stuff!! My wish got realized in some 10 minutes (and their's too I guess)... they wandered off somewhere and now, I was free to shop! Getting good clothes of my size is difficult... but this shop had variety, good prices and nice range of sizes! I got myself a shirt, a t shirt, a pair of chappals and a frock... I got a nice one piece for my mom too... And here was the beginning of my ESS (Europe Shopping Spree)...
We got back home at nightfall... and I fell asleep like I hadn't slept for months!
The last day was frenzied!! Ania was out to buy every food item available for sale in all of Poland... She got all kinds of jams, jars of Majonez and dressings, forest honey, noodles, herbs, spices, cosmetics, magazines, diapers and creams and a large pram for Wiktor, carrots and radishes even... It was honestly a miracle how all the things fit into the singular bag that we had taken along! But the grace of Jesus safely reached us back home in 5 peices, 3 of us, a bag and a pram!!
Mama was all smiles... the curve did not straighten up for what I noticed at least 30 minutes... And as we reached home... the building welcomed us with a non-functional lift! We had to make 3 trips each, up and down to take up all the luggage... My spine should receive a Red and White bahaduri puraskar for what it underwent that night!!
All in all a great experience of the European countryside!! Na zdrowie to Poland!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Day 22 - Day 25
I was driven to Ania's mother's place in half sleep, the next morning... I went with Simon to get some things from the shop... He is just 10 years old, but pretty handsome! Sure is going to turn into a heart throb when he's 20!!
I got some yogurt (I was craving for that since I had reached Polska!!) and cucumbers and tomatoes... Later in the afternoon, I had one of the most memorable meals of my life! Freshly hand picked carrots, onions, cabbage and paprika (capsicum) from their own garden cooked in cornflower accompanied my rice!
Ania's father came out of nowhere when I was sitting by the window watching the meadows, and gestured me to come to Ania's uncle's house (across the one which I was in)... I was surprised to see these people were still partying!! 3 bottles of wodka had already went under the table and there were 2 above it... I was asked to join in, with the same custom, passing the vodka circularly... The translator guy again, was the only one I could understand... They laughed a lot... And I almost did not understand any joke! But I was happy here, because everybody else was!!
"Piyangaa"
"Piyankaa"
"Piryankaa"
My name was difficult for them. But, I never corrected them once...
"Preeyankaa", the translator guy corrected it for me...
Hmm... somehow I found a friend in him... Now, was it the wodka that made me senti? I knew this guy not more than 2 days... and I was already feeling attached? I bet it was the dependence on him to communicate and the thankfulness I felt for his effort!
He started telling me about his life at Norway where he works, why he doesn't have a girlfriend, and how some evenings are just spent on drinking in their country...
"Do yoo know my name?"
"No"
"It's Marchin!"
"Marchin?"
"Yea, yoo can say Martin!"
Hmm... The wodka wanted me to be Martini, if you know what I mean...
"Ania ees worried"
"Why?"
"She theenk yoo weel..." and he gestured a crooked walk...
I laughed, bade him good bye and left with Ania, Sabina (her sister) and Sabina's boyfriend for Zakopane... which is a city some 100 km from the place where we live. It had McDonalds, KFC, Pizzahut to mention a few names I see in India... The place was very different than the ambiance around Ania's home...
Ania's home is situated in the hills and is very picturesque... a perfect example of the East European countryside... fine meadows... cows grazing and being milked... tractors and farms... distant houses... Zakopane was a buzzling city full of restaurants and expensive shopping arcades...
I was still swaying a bit, but it was controllable! I tripped once and Sabina's boyfriend (who incidentally was also drinking with me back at home) advised, 'Yoo wan beer? Eet weel help yoo get it off!' Yeah, right!!
We visited two restaurants... I ate at only one... and, what? Polish version of Neer dosa with the coconut filling!
As usual, I got back home and instantanously fell asleep!!
I got some yogurt (I was craving for that since I had reached Polska!!) and cucumbers and tomatoes... Later in the afternoon, I had one of the most memorable meals of my life! Freshly hand picked carrots, onions, cabbage and paprika (capsicum) from their own garden cooked in cornflower accompanied my rice!
Ania's father came out of nowhere when I was sitting by the window watching the meadows, and gestured me to come to Ania's uncle's house (across the one which I was in)... I was surprised to see these people were still partying!! 3 bottles of wodka had already went under the table and there were 2 above it... I was asked to join in, with the same custom, passing the vodka circularly... The translator guy again, was the only one I could understand... They laughed a lot... And I almost did not understand any joke! But I was happy here, because everybody else was!!
"Piyangaa"
"Piyankaa"
"Piryankaa"
My name was difficult for them. But, I never corrected them once...
"Preeyankaa", the translator guy corrected it for me...
Hmm... somehow I found a friend in him... Now, was it the wodka that made me senti? I knew this guy not more than 2 days... and I was already feeling attached? I bet it was the dependence on him to communicate and the thankfulness I felt for his effort!
He started telling me about his life at Norway where he works, why he doesn't have a girlfriend, and how some evenings are just spent on drinking in their country...
"Do yoo know my name?"
"No"
"It's Marchin!"
"Marchin?"
"Yea, yoo can say Martin!"
Hmm... The wodka wanted me to be Martini, if you know what I mean...
"Ania ees worried"
"Why?"
"She theenk yoo weel..." and he gestured a crooked walk...
I laughed, bade him good bye and left with Ania, Sabina (her sister) and Sabina's boyfriend for Zakopane... which is a city some 100 km from the place where we live. It had McDonalds, KFC, Pizzahut to mention a few names I see in India... The place was very different than the ambiance around Ania's home...
Ania's home is situated in the hills and is very picturesque... a perfect example of the East European countryside... fine meadows... cows grazing and being milked... tractors and farms... distant houses... Zakopane was a buzzling city full of restaurants and expensive shopping arcades...
I was still swaying a bit, but it was controllable! I tripped once and Sabina's boyfriend (who incidentally was also drinking with me back at home) advised, 'Yoo wan beer? Eet weel help yoo get it off!' Yeah, right!!
We visited two restaurants... I ate at only one... and, what? Polish version of Neer dosa with the coconut filling!
As usual, I got back home and instantanously fell asleep!!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Day 18 - Day 21
Life is a collection of moments... very few good ones, mind it... and I've collected some of the absolute friggin' memorable ones in the first 3 days...
Ania has a large family... mother, father, one brother, four sisters, their husbands/boyfriends, their children, aunts, uncles, cousins... There were three houses at disposal for the entire family... One was her mother's where the preparations were on full swings... second was of her maternal uncle's which was right across her mother's... and the third one was a bit far away, but the cleanest and the grandest... this belonged to her sister, Dorotha, who lived with her husband and her two sons, Simon and Conrad, who were verrrrry cute... Thankfully, Dorotha invited us to stay at her place during the stay, because Wiktor needed a hushed environment to sleep, and the other places were just overflowing with guests...
The marriages here are obviously very different from Indian traditional marriages... We are talking about Christians here... and the Polish country is one of the most strongest for it's Christianity... Mrs. Rowling sure was inspired by their dining tables (for the stuff on it) to narrate the dining tables from Hogwarts... There were around 25 different types of cakes... There was soda, juice, fruits, salads, god knows how many kind of meat items, and unlimited liquor... the best of the sweet wines and vodkas... and no wonder, people dance like nobody's business... (well, the vodka works in other ways too... I witnessed some very nasty fist fights... my girlfriend, your girlfriend, global saga... and some just joined in for fun...) But, when the vodka dissolved in my gastric acid, I definitely danced like it is my family business!!! And, after every 15 minutes, a new dish was served... and mind, the party went on for 2 days, afternoon 2 to after midnight 2... Well, I had limited options... but no qualms...
Well, on the first day, I started off dancing with people older than 50 and younger than 12... But, should I really complain when I get to dance with the couple's only daughter or when the groom's father has his first and the only dance with me? He works in Canada and speaks broken English... 'Ayaam soory, ayaam merrid, eef not, yoo me girlfren..!!' And was he really smitten... What appealed to them about me, beats me... but I am happy to know that I'm beautiful in Poland (at least)!!
By the evening, I had got a real good hang of their dance (it was casual, nothing cultural or traditional)... Basically, the guy leads and the girl follows the lead... So, all I had to do was to be in sync with my partner and be flexible enough to sway to the tunes with him... I underestimated Ania's uncles for their strengths... They were mighty enough to lift me off my feet and swirl me around... And I was very afraid they might discover a broken rib!
As we have in birthday parties, they have games in their marriages... And very notorious ones... there were like competitions... first was among girls... any 5 girls... They played musical chair, but with a slight difference... As the music stops, the host will state the name of a thing which every girl has to find before securing a seat... and the girls must run helter skelter trying to fetch the prop and pounce on the chairs... things like bananas, car keys, and the winning props was male pants... this last round went biased... because, out of the two contenders, one had a boyfriend who readily stripped, while the other girl just stared at whatever was happening and stood helpless...
the next was among guys... they were given 5 minutes to carry in their arms, all the possible girls (obviously one at a time) to the center of the game area, highest toll winning... To my horror, I was very close to the center... and one of the first females to be drawn aboard!! Well, I understood the game only when it was over, because the medium of instruction was inevitably Polish, but in those moments where this guy actually dug his hands in my chair to lift me up and carried me to the center of the game area, I went numb by the mere fact that SOMEONE CAN!!
These games went on much after I had to leave with Ania for home as it was time for Wiktor to sleep...
The next morning, Dorotha dropped Ania, Wiktor and me at their mother's place, from where we were supposed to leave for the party in the afternoon! My stupid menses had to find this very day to enlighten my month!! I had no idea what was coming up... some more rituals... some reception... some gathering... no idea!! but I expected there would be dancing for sure... and so I decided to stay low and conserve energy... I found a sofa in some lonesome corner of the house and fell asleep within minutes... I faintly remember Ania's mother putting a rug on me...
Some one was tugging my pants... I rubbed my eyes and opened them to see some stranger shouting at me in Polish... It took some time for me to remind myself of my whereabouts... This guy, well above 50, pulled away my rug, still shouting and pointing outside the door of the room... I got up, adjusted my looks and followed him outside... When I had gone in to sleep, there was no one in this room... now, it was filled with as many as 15 people... about 12 of them sitting at a table... everybody was talking... I deduced, about me... I just shrugged my shoulders at them...
They gestured me to sit down on this only empty chair...
"Yoo don spik Poolish?"
This was a spectacled guy around my age, sitting beside me... the only guy I had felt noticeable before and during the wedding...
"You speak English?"
"Littal"
"Oh! What is he saying?" I pointed out to the guy who dragged me out of my sleep.
"He saying, yoo must not slip, but dreenk wit us for da paarty"
Poland is a country of Wodka (as they spell it) and Cheese... both of which I have exploited *wink wink*... It is also a country of Love (read sex), Children and the Christ... Well, I know only three Polish words, 'Dzień dobry!!' That's Polish hello... pronounced as 'Jin-do-brei'... 'Dziękuję!!' - which mean Thank you... pronounced as 'Jin-kui-ye'... and the inevitable 'Na zdrowie' which this guy introduced me to - you say it when you cling the glasses, as in 'cheers'... pronounced as 'Naz-dro-veya'... yes, I used it around 4 times on the first day (2 for Vodkas and 2 for Wines)... and people around here almost don't know English... Except for, 'Super!!' (which they used for me loads, and they called me Britney Spears for unknown reasons!!)... But, in spite of the language gap, there was no communication gap! I gelled around here like butter on hot bread... With actions, expressions and a word or two from either of the languages, we had long conversations... They asked me about India, its religion, its beliefs, its wedding traditions and whether it is ok to have sex before marriage... haah!! and they were surprised to get a negetion!!
The session went on for an hour at least... the custom was to say 'zdrowie' to the person on your left, gulp the peg of wodka, empty the last few drops in the small wodka glass by shaking it upside down, and filling it up for the next person (who is on your left)... Well, I took some time to get a hang of it, but I was 'smart' as this guy told me... Well, it never dawned on me to ask his name... I should have!! He was helping me a lot!
In no time, we rode to the same place we were, the day before! Only difference was, I was a bit tipsy! The music started and dance came to me like it was my lost puppy! All thanks to the 40%!! I enjoyed the next few hours like they were going to be my last!! I was a bit skeptical till I danced with this translator guy... He is a good dancer, and just by looking at him dance, my inhibitions were shed... and for the rest of the evening, I danced for myself, little caring about who am I dancing with... surprisingly, not tripping once, even though I was wearing a good 3 inches heals!!
Got home tired, jumped into the bed, and my yawn turned into a snore half way...
Ania has a large family... mother, father, one brother, four sisters, their husbands/boyfriends, their children, aunts, uncles, cousins... There were three houses at disposal for the entire family... One was her mother's where the preparations were on full swings... second was of her maternal uncle's which was right across her mother's... and the third one was a bit far away, but the cleanest and the grandest... this belonged to her sister, Dorotha, who lived with her husband and her two sons, Simon and Conrad, who were verrrrry cute... Thankfully, Dorotha invited us to stay at her place during the stay, because Wiktor needed a hushed environment to sleep, and the other places were just overflowing with guests...
The marriages here are obviously very different from Indian traditional marriages... We are talking about Christians here... and the Polish country is one of the most strongest for it's Christianity... Mrs. Rowling sure was inspired by their dining tables (for the stuff on it) to narrate the dining tables from Hogwarts... There were around 25 different types of cakes... There was soda, juice, fruits, salads, god knows how many kind of meat items, and unlimited liquor... the best of the sweet wines and vodkas... and no wonder, people dance like nobody's business... (well, the vodka works in other ways too... I witnessed some very nasty fist fights... my girlfriend, your girlfriend, global saga... and some just joined in for fun...) But, when the vodka dissolved in my gastric acid, I definitely danced like it is my family business!!! And, after every 15 minutes, a new dish was served... and mind, the party went on for 2 days, afternoon 2 to after midnight 2... Well, I had limited options... but no qualms...
Well, on the first day, I started off dancing with people older than 50 and younger than 12... But, should I really complain when I get to dance with the couple's only daughter or when the groom's father has his first and the only dance with me? He works in Canada and speaks broken English... 'Ayaam soory, ayaam merrid, eef not, yoo me girlfren..!!' And was he really smitten... What appealed to them about me, beats me... but I am happy to know that I'm beautiful in Poland (at least)!!
By the evening, I had got a real good hang of their dance (it was casual, nothing cultural or traditional)... Basically, the guy leads and the girl follows the lead... So, all I had to do was to be in sync with my partner and be flexible enough to sway to the tunes with him... I underestimated Ania's uncles for their strengths... They were mighty enough to lift me off my feet and swirl me around... And I was very afraid they might discover a broken rib!
As we have in birthday parties, they have games in their marriages... And very notorious ones... there were like competitions... first was among girls... any 5 girls... They played musical chair, but with a slight difference... As the music stops, the host will state the name of a thing which every girl has to find before securing a seat... and the girls must run helter skelter trying to fetch the prop and pounce on the chairs... things like bananas, car keys, and the winning props was male pants... this last round went biased... because, out of the two contenders, one had a boyfriend who readily stripped, while the other girl just stared at whatever was happening and stood helpless...
the next was among guys... they were given 5 minutes to carry in their arms, all the possible girls (obviously one at a time) to the center of the game area, highest toll winning... To my horror, I was very close to the center... and one of the first females to be drawn aboard!! Well, I understood the game only when it was over, because the medium of instruction was inevitably Polish, but in those moments where this guy actually dug his hands in my chair to lift me up and carried me to the center of the game area, I went numb by the mere fact that SOMEONE CAN!!
These games went on much after I had to leave with Ania for home as it was time for Wiktor to sleep...
The next morning, Dorotha dropped Ania, Wiktor and me at their mother's place, from where we were supposed to leave for the party in the afternoon! My stupid menses had to find this very day to enlighten my month!! I had no idea what was coming up... some more rituals... some reception... some gathering... no idea!! but I expected there would be dancing for sure... and so I decided to stay low and conserve energy... I found a sofa in some lonesome corner of the house and fell asleep within minutes... I faintly remember Ania's mother putting a rug on me...
Some one was tugging my pants... I rubbed my eyes and opened them to see some stranger shouting at me in Polish... It took some time for me to remind myself of my whereabouts... This guy, well above 50, pulled away my rug, still shouting and pointing outside the door of the room... I got up, adjusted my looks and followed him outside... When I had gone in to sleep, there was no one in this room... now, it was filled with as many as 15 people... about 12 of them sitting at a table... everybody was talking... I deduced, about me... I just shrugged my shoulders at them...
They gestured me to sit down on this only empty chair...
"Yoo don spik Poolish?"
This was a spectacled guy around my age, sitting beside me... the only guy I had felt noticeable before and during the wedding...
"You speak English?"
"Littal"
"Oh! What is he saying?" I pointed out to the guy who dragged me out of my sleep.
"He saying, yoo must not slip, but dreenk wit us for da paarty"
Poland is a country of Wodka (as they spell it) and Cheese... both of which I have exploited *wink wink*... It is also a country of Love (read sex), Children and the Christ... Well, I know only three Polish words, 'Dzień dobry!!' That's Polish hello... pronounced as 'Jin-do-brei'... 'Dziękuję!!' - which mean Thank you... pronounced as 'Jin-kui-ye'... and the inevitable 'Na zdrowie' which this guy introduced me to - you say it when you cling the glasses, as in 'cheers'... pronounced as 'Naz-dro-veya'... yes, I used it around 4 times on the first day (2 for Vodkas and 2 for Wines)... and people around here almost don't know English... Except for, 'Super!!' (which they used for me loads, and they called me Britney Spears for unknown reasons!!)... But, in spite of the language gap, there was no communication gap! I gelled around here like butter on hot bread... With actions, expressions and a word or two from either of the languages, we had long conversations... They asked me about India, its religion, its beliefs, its wedding traditions and whether it is ok to have sex before marriage... haah!! and they were surprised to get a negetion!!
The session went on for an hour at least... the custom was to say 'zdrowie' to the person on your left, gulp the peg of wodka, empty the last few drops in the small wodka glass by shaking it upside down, and filling it up for the next person (who is on your left)... Well, I took some time to get a hang of it, but I was 'smart' as this guy told me... Well, it never dawned on me to ask his name... I should have!! He was helping me a lot!
In no time, we rode to the same place we were, the day before! Only difference was, I was a bit tipsy! The music started and dance came to me like it was my lost puppy! All thanks to the 40%!! I enjoyed the next few hours like they were going to be my last!! I was a bit skeptical till I danced with this translator guy... He is a good dancer, and just by looking at him dance, my inhibitions were shed... and for the rest of the evening, I danced for myself, little caring about who am I dancing with... surprisingly, not tripping once, even though I was wearing a good 3 inches heals!!
Got home tired, jumped into the bed, and my yawn turned into a snore half way...
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Day 15 - Day 17
Anumama had registered for the IELTS and the exam centre was somewhere in Bern... I asked him whether i could come... Postive... I didn't have to do any packing... I arrived in the night from Geneve and was heading to Bern the next dawn... I just took out the clothes and was ready for the journey... From the constant exploring of websites related to travelling around Switzerland, I had realized one thing, and it was that Interlaken and Bern are close by...
We reached Bern around 7 am in the morning and it was raining... not drizzling, raining... We found out the location for the exam and settled for breakfast... McD's from the Suisse, as the Switzerland is also called, was hot and delicious... They just have one burger in vegetarian... but that was more than enough... taste wise and size wise... I told Anumama of my plans about visiting the Interlaken... He asked me to be back by 3... I got on the train... obviously after getting the tickets... no risking after what happened to me on the Basel-Geneve journey...
Here, it's opposite to what happens in India... In India, you can safely travel without ticket in trains, but it's highly impossible to do so in the busses... here, there is a sure scrutiny for the train journeys and nobody to check you on the trams or the buses...
So, I got down at Interlaken Ost (German for East) station... It was pretty... They say that the rain makes everything look beautiful... I agree... I realized after checking the ferry rates that I have too less to travel on one if I keep aside the money for my journey back to Bern...
And the Lakes are too far from the station... So, I go to the tourist information centre and ask this lady how productively can I spend two hours in Interlaken barring the ferries... I thought she would say, walk along the blah blah street till you reach blah blah, take left/right and in 5 minutes, you will see the Thun/Brienz lake and you are free to shop... She instead told me about a funicular (steep train) to this Jungfrau mountain leaving in 5 minutes but costing tripple than what I had in my pocket... I thanked her and left... So, back to square one!! Just if Anumama could have let me carry this laptop, I could have been in a MUCH better condition... I had saved all the places in and around Interlaken which I could see without spending... Walking routes from the station to both the lakes... But the stubborn person that he is...!! He made me carry his laptop... which practically was much heavier and had no use... I mean to him as well...
So, anyways, like always, i start meandering in some intuitive direction... I saw some very beautiful sights... the cold rivulet connecting the two Lakes, the camping grounds on the shores of this rivulet, which was filled with caravans, barbeques and remains of the camp fires from the previous night diffused by the rain, some foggy foresty mountains, and a small duplex above which there rose some funicular tracks... I went up the duplex and enquire about the rates for the funi... I counted my money and realized I had 1 CHF less... Hmf!! I am going to miss the 'Harder mountain' (that is how the name goes) just as I missed Rochers-de-Naye and Jungfrau... I cursed myself for 3 full minutes and then decided to ask the person at the ticket counter to help me... and like me, she took 3 minutes to be convinced that I shouldn't miss this...
So, all thanks to this sweet lady, I went up, up ad away, into those misty green forests on the mountain... After walking for about 1 km, I lost all the other people around me for the obvious reason that they had come to stay at this Hotel on this mountain... I decided to trek up the mountain... yes, there was much more 'up and up' to go...
This trek reminded me of the greatest trek of my life, which was at the Siddhagad... this resembled Siddhagad barring only a trivial difference... that this was very easy... This was breath taking, Siddhagad was life taking... But the ambience of a rainforest that this place had was worth every bit of the CHFs that I paid... and even the one that I did not pay...
I got myself clicked a lot... for two reasons... One - people are complaining, they don't see me in the picture that I take here... and Two - I wanted to see myself in such a place not just today, but for the years to come... I wanted this to be a permanant memory! So, my bichara camera worked its butt out... going into trees, and branches and being hung at information boards, just to get me on the memory card! And it was all worth the effort! Well done, sweetheart!! I am proud of you...
I walked for some 2 hours and it started raining too hard... So I took refuge under this big tree... It was very protective and my camera and ANumama's laptop are alive only because of it... actually me too... because it was so Goddamn cold, I couldn't feel my fingers... the first time I felt thankful to Naniji that she gve me her gloves to take along... It made me feel better...
So, for an hour the rain did not stop and that is when I decided, I should go anyways... down, of course! I reached the station after playing kabaddi with the rain and losing one time (I slipped on the mud and fell down)...
So, with no exceptional experiences, I got back to Bern and found the warmest corner of the station to sit... Anumama came much sooner than I expected... I had my lunch and we set off for roaming around Bern... because there were a good 4 hours for our train to arrive...
Bern is a wonderful city... Ancient architecture and modern civilization... Much more lively than Basel, where, as my mama says, 'the life is a bit dead'! We saw the consitution of Switzerland and Einstien's house from the outside... there were this Music festival and African festival happening (both separately)... the town was ablaze with people and the culture... Eventually, he got tired of exploring streets and we headed to the station...
I got home, had some food and slept like a log, compensating for the 4 nights of disturbed sleep... Well, actually I don't need an excuse to sleep...
The next two days were lazy and the only activities I did was walking, shopping, cooking, downloading nd uploading photos and writing the blog... I am preparing myself for Poland and the marriage...
Au Revoir till next time...
We reached Bern around 7 am in the morning and it was raining... not drizzling, raining... We found out the location for the exam and settled for breakfast... McD's from the Suisse, as the Switzerland is also called, was hot and delicious... They just have one burger in vegetarian... but that was more than enough... taste wise and size wise... I told Anumama of my plans about visiting the Interlaken... He asked me to be back by 3... I got on the train... obviously after getting the tickets... no risking after what happened to me on the Basel-Geneve journey...
Here, it's opposite to what happens in India... In India, you can safely travel without ticket in trains, but it's highly impossible to do so in the busses... here, there is a sure scrutiny for the train journeys and nobody to check you on the trams or the buses...
So, I got down at Interlaken Ost (German for East) station... It was pretty... They say that the rain makes everything look beautiful... I agree... I realized after checking the ferry rates that I have too less to travel on one if I keep aside the money for my journey back to Bern...
And the Lakes are too far from the station... So, I go to the tourist information centre and ask this lady how productively can I spend two hours in Interlaken barring the ferries... I thought she would say, walk along the blah blah street till you reach blah blah, take left/right and in 5 minutes, you will see the Thun/Brienz lake and you are free to shop... She instead told me about a funicular (steep train) to this Jungfrau mountain leaving in 5 minutes but costing tripple than what I had in my pocket... I thanked her and left... So, back to square one!! Just if Anumama could have let me carry this laptop, I could have been in a MUCH better condition... I had saved all the places in and around Interlaken which I could see without spending... Walking routes from the station to both the lakes... But the stubborn person that he is...!! He made me carry his laptop... which practically was much heavier and had no use... I mean to him as well...
So, anyways, like always, i start meandering in some intuitive direction... I saw some very beautiful sights... the cold rivulet connecting the two Lakes, the camping grounds on the shores of this rivulet, which was filled with caravans, barbeques and remains of the camp fires from the previous night diffused by the rain, some foggy foresty mountains, and a small duplex above which there rose some funicular tracks... I went up the duplex and enquire about the rates for the funi... I counted my money and realized I had 1 CHF less... Hmf!! I am going to miss the 'Harder mountain' (that is how the name goes) just as I missed Rochers-de-Naye and Jungfrau... I cursed myself for 3 full minutes and then decided to ask the person at the ticket counter to help me... and like me, she took 3 minutes to be convinced that I shouldn't miss this...
So, all thanks to this sweet lady, I went up, up ad away, into those misty green forests on the mountain... After walking for about 1 km, I lost all the other people around me for the obvious reason that they had come to stay at this Hotel on this mountain... I decided to trek up the mountain... yes, there was much more 'up and up' to go...
This trek reminded me of the greatest trek of my life, which was at the Siddhagad... this resembled Siddhagad barring only a trivial difference... that this was very easy... This was breath taking, Siddhagad was life taking... But the ambience of a rainforest that this place had was worth every bit of the CHFs that I paid... and even the one that I did not pay...
I got myself clicked a lot... for two reasons... One - people are complaining, they don't see me in the picture that I take here... and Two - I wanted to see myself in such a place not just today, but for the years to come... I wanted this to be a permanant memory! So, my bichara camera worked its butt out... going into trees, and branches and being hung at information boards, just to get me on the memory card! And it was all worth the effort! Well done, sweetheart!! I am proud of you...
I walked for some 2 hours and it started raining too hard... So I took refuge under this big tree... It was very protective and my camera and ANumama's laptop are alive only because of it... actually me too... because it was so Goddamn cold, I couldn't feel my fingers... the first time I felt thankful to Naniji that she gve me her gloves to take along... It made me feel better...
So, for an hour the rain did not stop and that is when I decided, I should go anyways... down, of course! I reached the station after playing kabaddi with the rain and losing one time (I slipped on the mud and fell down)...
So, with no exceptional experiences, I got back to Bern and found the warmest corner of the station to sit... Anumama came much sooner than I expected... I had my lunch and we set off for roaming around Bern... because there were a good 4 hours for our train to arrive...
Bern is a wonderful city... Ancient architecture and modern civilization... Much more lively than Basel, where, as my mama says, 'the life is a bit dead'! We saw the consitution of Switzerland and Einstien's house from the outside... there were this Music festival and African festival happening (both separately)... the town was ablaze with people and the culture... Eventually, he got tired of exploring streets and we headed to the station...
I got home, had some food and slept like a log, compensating for the 4 nights of disturbed sleep... Well, actually I don't need an excuse to sleep...
The next two days were lazy and the only activities I did was walking, shopping, cooking, downloading nd uploading photos and writing the blog... I am preparing myself for Poland and the marriage...
Au Revoir till next time...
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Day 10 - Day 14
Bon Jour... my newly learnt greeting... which means 'hello' in french... I was using it abundantly and liberally as if showing off my new Gucci ki chappal or Rolex ki ghadi... greeting every one who smiled at me and everyone I had to talk with... and Merci, meaning 'thank you'... I thanked them after every purchase I made and after every direction I asked for...
Skip the upcoming 3 paragraphs if you're not much into geography and culture... Switzerland is divided into 4 cultural regions... and it has no language of it's own... it has 3 major bordering countries, Germany, France and Italy. And the regions of Switzerland closer to these borders have the culture of these countries... And the language used also depends upon these countries although with slight variations... There is a fourth language, Romansh which is in minority, but still prevelant...
The Lavender islands that you will see are the Romansh speaking regions... the green, the Italian... the blue, the French... and the cream of it all (mind the pun) is the German speaking region...
The place where I stay, Basel (pronounced as Baazul), as you may see, lies in the German speaking region... The region I explored on the three days of my travel, Geneve, lies into the French region... The language in these two regions was different and so were the people... Yea, both languages are foreign for me, but it was a classic case of 'patthar se naram eent'... I mean I at least got to use some language in Geneve... unlike Basel where I try and try to understand and separate words...
I got up early in the morning on the day I was supposed to head for Geneve (well, for those who don't know, Geneve is same as Geneva)... I was bang on time for everything... literally... I went downstairs and the tram was just about to leave and I had to bang the door to get inside... I reached inside the station, and it was too easy for me to find the platform number on which the train was arriving, because if it were a bit difficult, I would have missed it! In my defense, the watch that Nanaji gave me was 10 minutes slow!
Me and mamaji had booked a super saver ticket on the internet the previous evening... which was almost one-third of the original price... and I was happy I was saving... untill... the Ticket Examiner came to me and asked for one... I had the ticket on my Laptop, and he did not accept it... I showed him my mobile but the logo was not getting downloaded... So, he made a ticket for me on the train... costing me one-third... of what I had brought for my expenses and travelling and stay at Geneva!!! Wow, I felt empty!! But, still sleep came to me like this was all a dream...
I got up when the train was entering some station... I tried to read what station it was from the window of my seat... and I saw the word 'Geneve'... I took my bag and headed for the door... I got off and looked for signs of confirmation... There was none so definite... It strangely felt like it was not Geneve, but then I told myself, it was definitely Geneve that flashed on my eyes through the window in the train... and correct I was... As the train started chugging its way out of the station (figuratively), it all came... Train destination - Geneve... Present station - Nyon... Great!! So, I had screwed up the ticket and now got off the train at the wrong station... could anything else go wrong? Well, thankfully, you will see that nothing else did!
So, I headed towards the ticket counters... These ticket vending machines that they have installed are very useful... The accept coins and credit cards... I neither have a credit card, nor do I keep hundreds of coins (coins are for those small distance tickets 5 CHF / 8 CHF)... But, I use this to find out what the fare is, so that I shouldn't be shocked at the counter after hearing the amount that I have to pay... I took the ticket and located a wall mounted time table... the train ws arriving in 5 minutes...
I went towards the rail tracks... There was a sign in between the two rail lines, which I guessed indicatedno rail crossing... I looked on the right, then on the left, then again on the right... this went on for 2 minutes... I was searching for a bridge to get to the other side... Yes, I have lived all my life in Mumbai, what else do you expect me to do? So anyways, I spotted a subway on the other platform, and started searching for one on my platform that would connect to that one...
I traveled down to Vevey, which was some 4 stations away from Nyon... I got outside the station and just strolled in a random direction thinking I would see the lake... Mara tha ek teer, aur nishaan do lage... The lake was just a two minutes walk in that direction, plus the lodge that I was looking for was just opposite the lake... I went up to the reception to find it deserted... I knew the reception would be closed till 4 pm... and it was still 2... so i went towards the lake, wandered around for sometimes, then I put my bag on a katta near the lakefront, under a tree, and lied down... looking at the big ferries pssing by... at the ducks and swans enjoying swim... at the bikini clad babes getting a sun tan... at some guys holding the fishing rods and pulling fishes out of the lake... at the beutiful alps beyond the lake... and then i saw my watch and it was alredy 3... I thought about checking the reception once again... and bingo... there she was (the receptionist)...
She showed me around the hostel, and it was nothing like I had ever seen... three floors full of rooms with 8 beds per room... it was a small hostel, yet it was so spacios from the inside... it had WCs and Bathrooms, 4 each on every floor, plus a common area with nice sofas and big LCD TVs... The fourth floor was the reception, it had a kitchen and a terrace attached...
The receptionist was relly sweet... she must be the first foreigner with whom I have talked so much... She suggested me some tourist areas I could go and see in the evening...
I went to my room, got fresh and prepared for the Chateu de Chillon... This Riviera Card given to me by the hostel (Riviera Lodge)... permitted me to travel around Vevey and Montruex for free through any means of surface trannsport and gave me huge discounts on water transports and entries to the tourist places... She had suggested me to take the ferry which was 'just 6 CHF'... but she did not know what I had gone through... So, with my better judgement, I decided to travel on bus... The journey was not long and enjoyable... The Chateu which is french I guess, for Castle... was a glimpse of the historical culture of this place... It had the traditional forms of bedrooms, dining rooms, meeting rooms, toilets and bathrooms (which were the most interesting ones), rooms for the servants, storage rooms, kitchens, and even jails for the captured victims... these jails were pitiful, because they were the lowest, and they had netted doors through which the water from the Geneve lake used to fill up the rooms, letting the inmates struggle for life, because they used to be chained at the ground level... some of them made drawings on the walls to make productive use of their time...
The castle was a big maze and I knew I got out only when I saw the highway... I took a bus heading back to the place where I had got on... I got off at this Montreux Casino... I had heard of it back in Mumbai... So, I went inside only to be politely refused entry because i had no valid proof of my age... My Indian Driving Licence and PAN Card held no value at all... So, I just went about... swallowing the atmosphere as I walked towards the station... I got some onions and tomatoes... I already had bread, carrots, garlic, cucumber and mushrooms... I had got it from home...
I headed back to my hostel... which was pleasently filled with people making dinners, having ciggarates and chatting... There were families, couples, and groups... Some settled in the reception area watchinng TV... some were washing the vegetables and making chicken in the kitchen... and others were admiring the views of the lake Geneve on one side and the green alps on the other while having beer... and I went to the kitchen to make my food... I found out a lot of stuff that belonged either to the hostel or the backpackers... It was for public use, and so, i kept aside my bread and cooked some rice and gravy... Some guys were saying something, which I realized was to me... But i just smiled at them... and they understood, I did not understand... I got their final 'Bon Apeteet' though...
Just as I climbed up to my bunker, I fell asleep after deciding I am going to climb up the Rochers-de-Naye...
The next day, I got up, got ready for the climb and set off for the hike... Hardly had I reached one-tenth of the mountain, I felt exhausted and retreated... yea, you would, what a loser!! But when I say, hardly had I reached one-tenth, it was really too hard... I had went on for like 3 hours to reach that point... The female at the tourist information office had popped out her eyes when I had told her I wanted to climb the mountain on foot... she told me it was 'veerrrrry deefeecult'... but the over-enthusiast that I am, I tried... And I couldn't afford the train... because I wanted to stay one more day and the ticket for the train was exactly equal to the charges for one bed per night...
But the view from where I had reached was amazing... and I got some good floral shots...
I went back to the station, had some yogurt (which I am addicted to after coming here) and headed off to the Photography Museum... Well, I don't particularly like museums and would have rather liked to spent my evening by the lake... but Photography? Let's see...
And it was insightful... there were some very fascinating things which i will never forget... I cannot explain it, you will have to see the photos and videos...
I went back to the hostel, changed for the swim (but i was very much in full clothes, a Tshirt and a capri), and explored the waters of the Geneve... the water was friggin' cold but very sparkling and clean... and I took some time to get into it till my throat... It was really nice... swimming with the ducks and the swans... I got back at the shore when the sun had began setting... I lied down on the steps at shore for another hourand walked back to the hostel...
And the regular happened... I stayed up very late that night and looked through many lonely planet guides from their library...
Next morning, I packed up all my stuff and went for a stroll by the lake... I went ahead to see the Food Museum and the Historical Museum which were also delightful... I went to the station, paid whatever I had in my pockets except around 12 CHF (I had kept the ticket money aside, don't freak out!) nad waited for the train... I had to change trains at Laussane (pronounced Lozaan) and had made it a point to visit this Collection la'Brut Museum... In the little time I had between the trains, I did manage to find out how to travel there from the station and I did manage to surf through the whole museum... It was the most interesting Museum I had seen in my entire life... I am glad I stuck to my plan, thanks to Wiki (Wikipedia, not Wiktor)... This place holds all the art works (paintings, clay works, dresses designed, Wood carvings, etc.) of Lunatics annd Criminals... It was really touching... it gives you a depth on the ideology that these minds work on... criminals and lunatics can also be brilliant people... I would't hesitate using the words - Artistic Genius...
So, I got back to Basel with Luckily no issues on the train... I reached home and everybody was happy to receive me... I was glad I got home for one reason, my mama cooked the food for me that night...
Skip the upcoming 3 paragraphs if you're not much into geography and culture... Switzerland is divided into 4 cultural regions... and it has no language of it's own... it has 3 major bordering countries, Germany, France and Italy. And the regions of Switzerland closer to these borders have the culture of these countries... And the language used also depends upon these countries although with slight variations... There is a fourth language, Romansh which is in minority, but still prevelant...
The Lavender islands that you will see are the Romansh speaking regions... the green, the Italian... the blue, the French... and the cream of it all (mind the pun) is the German speaking region...
The place where I stay, Basel (pronounced as Baazul), as you may see, lies in the German speaking region... The region I explored on the three days of my travel, Geneve, lies into the French region... The language in these two regions was different and so were the people... Yea, both languages are foreign for me, but it was a classic case of 'patthar se naram eent'... I mean I at least got to use some language in Geneve... unlike Basel where I try and try to understand and separate words...
I got up early in the morning on the day I was supposed to head for Geneve (well, for those who don't know, Geneve is same as Geneva)... I was bang on time for everything... literally... I went downstairs and the tram was just about to leave and I had to bang the door to get inside... I reached inside the station, and it was too easy for me to find the platform number on which the train was arriving, because if it were a bit difficult, I would have missed it! In my defense, the watch that Nanaji gave me was 10 minutes slow!
Me and mamaji had booked a super saver ticket on the internet the previous evening... which was almost one-third of the original price... and I was happy I was saving... untill... the Ticket Examiner came to me and asked for one... I had the ticket on my Laptop, and he did not accept it... I showed him my mobile but the logo was not getting downloaded... So, he made a ticket for me on the train... costing me one-third... of what I had brought for my expenses and travelling and stay at Geneva!!! Wow, I felt empty!! But, still sleep came to me like this was all a dream...
I got up when the train was entering some station... I tried to read what station it was from the window of my seat... and I saw the word 'Geneve'... I took my bag and headed for the door... I got off and looked for signs of confirmation... There was none so definite... It strangely felt like it was not Geneve, but then I told myself, it was definitely Geneve that flashed on my eyes through the window in the train... and correct I was... As the train started chugging its way out of the station (figuratively), it all came... Train destination - Geneve... Present station - Nyon... Great!! So, I had screwed up the ticket and now got off the train at the wrong station... could anything else go wrong? Well, thankfully, you will see that nothing else did!
So, I headed towards the ticket counters... These ticket vending machines that they have installed are very useful... The accept coins and credit cards... I neither have a credit card, nor do I keep hundreds of coins (coins are for those small distance tickets 5 CHF / 8 CHF)... But, I use this to find out what the fare is, so that I shouldn't be shocked at the counter after hearing the amount that I have to pay... I took the ticket and located a wall mounted time table... the train ws arriving in 5 minutes...
I went towards the rail tracks... There was a sign in between the two rail lines, which I guessed indicatedno rail crossing... I looked on the right, then on the left, then again on the right... this went on for 2 minutes... I was searching for a bridge to get to the other side... Yes, I have lived all my life in Mumbai, what else do you expect me to do? So anyways, I spotted a subway on the other platform, and started searching for one on my platform that would connect to that one...
I traveled down to Vevey, which was some 4 stations away from Nyon... I got outside the station and just strolled in a random direction thinking I would see the lake... Mara tha ek teer, aur nishaan do lage... The lake was just a two minutes walk in that direction, plus the lodge that I was looking for was just opposite the lake... I went up to the reception to find it deserted... I knew the reception would be closed till 4 pm... and it was still 2... so i went towards the lake, wandered around for sometimes, then I put my bag on a katta near the lakefront, under a tree, and lied down... looking at the big ferries pssing by... at the ducks and swans enjoying swim... at the bikini clad babes getting a sun tan... at some guys holding the fishing rods and pulling fishes out of the lake... at the beutiful alps beyond the lake... and then i saw my watch and it was alredy 3... I thought about checking the reception once again... and bingo... there she was (the receptionist)...
She showed me around the hostel, and it was nothing like I had ever seen... three floors full of rooms with 8 beds per room... it was a small hostel, yet it was so spacios from the inside... it had WCs and Bathrooms, 4 each on every floor, plus a common area with nice sofas and big LCD TVs... The fourth floor was the reception, it had a kitchen and a terrace attached...
The receptionist was relly sweet... she must be the first foreigner with whom I have talked so much... She suggested me some tourist areas I could go and see in the evening...
I went to my room, got fresh and prepared for the Chateu de Chillon... This Riviera Card given to me by the hostel (Riviera Lodge)... permitted me to travel around Vevey and Montruex for free through any means of surface trannsport and gave me huge discounts on water transports and entries to the tourist places... She had suggested me to take the ferry which was 'just 6 CHF'... but she did not know what I had gone through... So, with my better judgement, I decided to travel on bus... The journey was not long and enjoyable... The Chateu which is french I guess, for Castle... was a glimpse of the historical culture of this place... It had the traditional forms of bedrooms, dining rooms, meeting rooms, toilets and bathrooms (which were the most interesting ones), rooms for the servants, storage rooms, kitchens, and even jails for the captured victims... these jails were pitiful, because they were the lowest, and they had netted doors through which the water from the Geneve lake used to fill up the rooms, letting the inmates struggle for life, because they used to be chained at the ground level... some of them made drawings on the walls to make productive use of their time...
The castle was a big maze and I knew I got out only when I saw the highway... I took a bus heading back to the place where I had got on... I got off at this Montreux Casino... I had heard of it back in Mumbai... So, I went inside only to be politely refused entry because i had no valid proof of my age... My Indian Driving Licence and PAN Card held no value at all... So, I just went about... swallowing the atmosphere as I walked towards the station... I got some onions and tomatoes... I already had bread, carrots, garlic, cucumber and mushrooms... I had got it from home...
I headed back to my hostel... which was pleasently filled with people making dinners, having ciggarates and chatting... There were families, couples, and groups... Some settled in the reception area watchinng TV... some were washing the vegetables and making chicken in the kitchen... and others were admiring the views of the lake Geneve on one side and the green alps on the other while having beer... and I went to the kitchen to make my food... I found out a lot of stuff that belonged either to the hostel or the backpackers... It was for public use, and so, i kept aside my bread and cooked some rice and gravy... Some guys were saying something, which I realized was to me... But i just smiled at them... and they understood, I did not understand... I got their final 'Bon Apeteet' though...
Just as I climbed up to my bunker, I fell asleep after deciding I am going to climb up the Rochers-de-Naye...
The next day, I got up, got ready for the climb and set off for the hike... Hardly had I reached one-tenth of the mountain, I felt exhausted and retreated... yea, you would, what a loser!! But when I say, hardly had I reached one-tenth, it was really too hard... I had went on for like 3 hours to reach that point... The female at the tourist information office had popped out her eyes when I had told her I wanted to climb the mountain on foot... she told me it was 'veerrrrry deefeecult'... but the over-enthusiast that I am, I tried... And I couldn't afford the train... because I wanted to stay one more day and the ticket for the train was exactly equal to the charges for one bed per night...
But the view from where I had reached was amazing... and I got some good floral shots...
I went back to the station, had some yogurt (which I am addicted to after coming here) and headed off to the Photography Museum... Well, I don't particularly like museums and would have rather liked to spent my evening by the lake... but Photography? Let's see...
And it was insightful... there were some very fascinating things which i will never forget... I cannot explain it, you will have to see the photos and videos...
I went back to the hostel, changed for the swim (but i was very much in full clothes, a Tshirt and a capri), and explored the waters of the Geneve... the water was friggin' cold but very sparkling and clean... and I took some time to get into it till my throat... It was really nice... swimming with the ducks and the swans... I got back at the shore when the sun had began setting... I lied down on the steps at shore for another hourand walked back to the hostel...
And the regular happened... I stayed up very late that night and looked through many lonely planet guides from their library...
Next morning, I packed up all my stuff and went for a stroll by the lake... I went ahead to see the Food Museum and the Historical Museum which were also delightful... I went to the station, paid whatever I had in my pockets except around 12 CHF (I had kept the ticket money aside, don't freak out!) nad waited for the train... I had to change trains at Laussane (pronounced Lozaan) and had made it a point to visit this Collection la'Brut Museum... In the little time I had between the trains, I did manage to find out how to travel there from the station and I did manage to surf through the whole museum... It was the most interesting Museum I had seen in my entire life... I am glad I stuck to my plan, thanks to Wiki (Wikipedia, not Wiktor)... This place holds all the art works (paintings, clay works, dresses designed, Wood carvings, etc.) of Lunatics annd Criminals... It was really touching... it gives you a depth on the ideology that these minds work on... criminals and lunatics can also be brilliant people... I would't hesitate using the words - Artistic Genius...
So, I got back to Basel with Luckily no issues on the train... I reached home and everybody was happy to receive me... I was glad I got home for one reason, my mama cooked the food for me that night...
Monday, August 3, 2009
Day 9
My birthday!!
Got a nice warm Birthday hug from my mama, first thing in the morning... My dad was on the line by then... Surprisingly, I had a talk with my mom as well, surprising because we had a very bad fight before I left...
Anil read out to me my forecast for today... 'Your friends will always help you if you are in some trouble. Your family will be very close to u. All those misunderstanding will be cleared, and you will get appreciation in your work.'
So most of it did come true...
It had rained in the night... and was still drizzling... Spent the lazy afternoon seeing 'Powerpuff Girls' in German... It was quite nostalgic... I thought of the good old days from school... me and my sister used to love these cartoons... Powerpuff Girls and Dexter's Lab were our personal favourites, sometimes they used to air it back to back for three to four hours... and those were the most lazy but amazingly happy afternoons!
I was having Wiktor in my arms all through the evening... (sounds romantic naa!!) and he was very active today... Looking here and there, smiling, crying, waving hands, scratching my hands... I got a cute wink from him... I assume that's my birthday wish from him...
And as I was in my room playing with him, on went the song, 'Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to yooooou...' and to back up the lyrics, came a candle lit Apple cake... which later turned out to be one of the most delicious cake I have ever tasted..!! Ania and Anumama led me to the table in the hall where we had the cake cutting ceremony... We had some nice family photographs (well, it really doesn't feel very far away from family here... these people are really nice and warm)... All in all, a memorable time...
We went out for dinner at this Chinese Joint by the Rhine... Sadly, Ania couldn't join us because of Wiktor, and I missed her... The food was nice, very different from Mumbaiyya Chinese... the ambiance was cozy... and I think I finally digested some chicken... I realized that late as usual... Ab kyaa karen, no use getting worked up on that!
The tram left us back to our home, where I replied to some more scraps and mails till settling for the day...
Got a nice warm Birthday hug from my mama, first thing in the morning... My dad was on the line by then... Surprisingly, I had a talk with my mom as well, surprising because we had a very bad fight before I left...
Anil read out to me my forecast for today... 'Your friends will always help you if you are in some trouble. Your family will be very close to u. All those misunderstanding will be cleared, and you will get appreciation in your work.'
So most of it did come true...
It had rained in the night... and was still drizzling... Spent the lazy afternoon seeing 'Powerpuff Girls' in German... It was quite nostalgic... I thought of the good old days from school... me and my sister used to love these cartoons... Powerpuff Girls and Dexter's Lab were our personal favourites, sometimes they used to air it back to back for three to four hours... and those were the most lazy but amazingly happy afternoons!
I was having Wiktor in my arms all through the evening... (sounds romantic naa!!) and he was very active today... Looking here and there, smiling, crying, waving hands, scratching my hands... I got a cute wink from him... I assume that's my birthday wish from him...
And as I was in my room playing with him, on went the song, 'Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to yooooou...' and to back up the lyrics, came a candle lit Apple cake... which later turned out to be one of the most delicious cake I have ever tasted..!! Ania and Anumama led me to the table in the hall where we had the cake cutting ceremony... We had some nice family photographs (well, it really doesn't feel very far away from family here... these people are really nice and warm)... All in all, a memorable time...
We went out for dinner at this Chinese Joint by the Rhine... Sadly, Ania couldn't join us because of Wiktor, and I missed her... The food was nice, very different from Mumbaiyya Chinese... the ambiance was cozy... and I think I finally digested some chicken... I realized that late as usual... Ab kyaa karen, no use getting worked up on that!
The tram left us back to our home, where I replied to some more scraps and mails till settling for the day...
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Day 8
Got up late because of the last night's prolonged fireworks... today was the Swiss National Holiday. So, when we went for vegetable shopping (me and Anumama, he has an off on Saturday too), all the shops were closed... apart from this Asian Departmental store far away... So we decided to cook Chinese in the afternoon and Thai in the Evening.
Both of the meals turned out to be mouth wateringly delicious... I am not a fan of Thai food, but I liked this one that my mama made. The two additions to my database of recepies!
I started getting g-messages and scraps from people wishing my birthday to be happy at around 21:30, that is 00:00 IST. And many were surprised to find me (of all the people, ME!!) online on the eve of my own birthday... I have a reputation of barging into people's houses at the midnight with a cake to celebrate their birthdays... So, many asked, 'Are you sure aaj tera birthday hai??'
We went for a walk to the Rhine well after 22:30. And the fireworks were still going on... Some young spirited people were spending a nice time by the river... I wanted to join... but guessed it was too late... I envy their culture... You will see a hell lot of couples here, but you wouldn't see a single one of them indulging in obscenity... and India mein, no beautiful place is spared!! The beaches, the rivers, the waterfalls... nothing is spared...!!
Anyways, so I have found out about two clubs around here, very near to our place where I can go jig! When I will head there... no idea!
I came home about quarter to 12... to find a video in my mailbox... (http://videos.ibibo.com/videos/viewvideo/sandipsathe/453842) and I was pleasantly shocked to see my dear friends having my birthday party... yes, without me, in India... My God!! was I missing Mumbai already?? And here I was making plans about settling here..!!
So, anyways, all of my friends had gathered at Sandip's place and bechare 03:30 IST takk jaage rahe, just to wish me at 00:00 local time, here... So, I had a chat with all of them... And refreshed the good old days we had in college...
I slept around 02:00 after replying to all the scraps and mails...
Both of the meals turned out to be mouth wateringly delicious... I am not a fan of Thai food, but I liked this one that my mama made. The two additions to my database of recepies!
I started getting g-messages and scraps from people wishing my birthday to be happy at around 21:30, that is 00:00 IST. And many were surprised to find me (of all the people, ME!!) online on the eve of my own birthday... I have a reputation of barging into people's houses at the midnight with a cake to celebrate their birthdays... So, many asked, 'Are you sure aaj tera birthday hai??'
We went for a walk to the Rhine well after 22:30. And the fireworks were still going on... Some young spirited people were spending a nice time by the river... I wanted to join... but guessed it was too late... I envy their culture... You will see a hell lot of couples here, but you wouldn't see a single one of them indulging in obscenity... and India mein, no beautiful place is spared!! The beaches, the rivers, the waterfalls... nothing is spared...!!
Anyways, so I have found out about two clubs around here, very near to our place where I can go jig! When I will head there... no idea!
I came home about quarter to 12... to find a video in my mailbox... (http://videos.ibibo.com/videos/viewvideo/sandipsathe/453842) and I was pleasantly shocked to see my dear friends having my birthday party... yes, without me, in India... My God!! was I missing Mumbai already?? And here I was making plans about settling here..!!
So, anyways, all of my friends had gathered at Sandip's place and bechare 03:30 IST takk jaage rahe, just to wish me at 00:00 local time, here... So, I had a chat with all of them... And refreshed the good old days we had in college...
I slept around 02:00 after replying to all the scraps and mails...
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