Cheeni Kum...Movie though sweet :)

Relationship is a theme that you can never get bored of, be it listening or experiencing! Movies revolving around relationships have continued to show variety and out of the box thinking. It can turn funny, be mocked at or occassionally can evoke impressive emotions, depending on the way its portrayed. 'Cheeni Kum' is one of its kind and fortunately falls into the latter. A simple, engaging love story narrated without much fuss but sure manages to mark a deep impression on you. There were a few refreshing aspects on the characters and screenplay. Tabu and Amitabh, chronologically in different generations, display a perfect synchrony when it comes to love. Witty, crisp dialogues, a neat no-nonsensical chemistry and melody of the 80s on the streets of London characterizes the off-beat movie that you would relax off before hitting the sack. 'Sexy' played by the young kid, does an awesome job with adult talk that really shocks and surprises you. The last few minutes does get filmic for its persuasion of love acceptance. Apart from this blemish, the movie tries to talk sense with a good element of sarcasm pinched in. Definitely a feel good movie for you, to feel rejuvenated....

Karben, Germany

If there is one place where you want to feel deserted or brooding over writing a novel, Karben can just be the destination for you. You can reach this small village after a 30 minute train ride from Frankfurt and I 'd been put up here for almost seven weeks now. 'Village' can be a misnomer, for you may want to assert, its backward in some sense, especially if you are from Asia. However, German villages and I would agree, most in Europe, would break any semblance of this notion. You do have state-of-the-art amenities but see it symbolize languidness, a sense of void, differing from the buzzing city life. The winter is quite harsh and delivers interesting weather patterns all through the week. It rains on a day, shows signs of spring when the sun peeps out the next day and finally cheats you by snowing the following day :(.

All said, I should admit the people in this sparsely populated village are very amicable and you tend to feel stress free and relaxed after a tiring day at work. Karben may not be a tourist spot but definitely a place where you get to spend some quality time with you :D

King Louis Palace, Versailles

It was a frustrating 4-hour long wait in the queue on a chilly sunday at Versailles. Terribly pissed off, I was thinking of getting back to Paris if I wasn't able to get into the palace within 5 pm. Only to realize later, when I was inside, the wait was simply worth it.

This was the Versailles palace where King Louis X1V ruled, after he was crowned at the tender age of 5. Its a one of a kind, self-guided tour where you walk around with a headset and a portable player. The entire palace of the 18th century is preserved in its sanctity and pride. As you move from one palace room to another, you need to type in the room reference on your player and a voice describes the historical significance of the room. At the end of the tour, you are acquainted with the famous French era belonging to King Louis X1V with Nepoleon, his warrior.

Surrounding the palace is the refreshingly beautiful Versailles garden with fountains and the River Gauche at a distance. The atmosphere is serene and you feel like day-dreaming in those lush green lawns. Versailles attracts the largest tourist crowd in France, and located close to Paris, should you have an opportunity to visit Paris, a day in Versailles is sure to make your tour memorable!

Musee du Louvre, Paris

A mind boggling collection of artifacts and paintings elevates the Louvre Museum to be one of the largest of its kind in the world. The Greek, Roman, Egyptian and French civilizations are preserved for centuries here. The world famous Mona lisa is a grand attraction and the numerous other spectacular paintings tell stories without uttering a word. The Nepoleon's gallery displaying the palace rooms and halls of the time evoke a lot of curiosity on the adhered royal traditions.

However, I felt it whimsical for a French museum to host and boast a lot of history about Italy, Greece and Egypt more than the French. Doesn't this tell you something??

La Defense, Paris

Well..the name suggests what the place stands for. The French built this huge structure as the line of defense in waging wars. While you are in La Defense,you would be able to see the Arc de la Triomp (the arch of victory) straight at some distance. Indeed its a sight of pride, as according to history, the army marched from La Defense to Arch de la Triomp celebrating all the way.

Today, La Defense is a commercial centre with national and international corporate offices and it represents the 'New Paris'.

Tour Montparnasse

A tower closely competing with the Eiffel for the altitude, is Montparnasse. Spiralling through 56 levels, you can reach the covered viewing gallery for a panoramic view of the city. Cafe and souvenir shops are open to spend some time and wink at the dots below, portraying the city. You can take a glance at Eiffel tower to convince that you are almost there, but in a different tower though. Go three levels up further and you are in an open terrace to spot out other famous landmarks in the city.

Champs-de-Elysees, Paris

Paris has been regarded as the most visited destination in Europe by tourists worldwide. After all, when tourists go to a place, shopping is a definite activity to sit in the sight seeing agenda. Running from Arc de la Triomp (the arch of victory) to the beautiful gardens at the far end, Champs-de-Elysees is the street to land up when you want to shop,eat and...shop again..Showrooms line up on the side with restaurants to hop in, if you are tired.

I have a fascination towards french perfumes for their mildness and elegance. I thought there would no better place than to get a good buy here. A perfume showroom 'Sequora' caught my attention and walked in to take a look. The moment I entered, knew I was lost. Extending to a several hundred metres with a few thousand brands to try out, I was completely clueless and my only running thought was 'I wish I owned all and don't need to choose'...Finally,after a lot of pondering and aroma discussion with a multi-lingual sales girl, she helped me choose a couple of latest parisian hits.

The street represents the vibrant night life in Paris and you might want to take a few shots when decorated with lights. Guys and girls, singing, dancing,with a smoke and drink, fills up the evening with full of life..

Tour de Eiffel, Paris

Glorified as one of the 'Seven Wonders' of the world, few would know that the Eiffel tower may not really represent the French in the very sense. Gustavo Eiffel, the Brazilian architect, took charge of this massive project amidst some disapproval from the French. However, after the completion of this magnificent structure, it is now renowned as the most prestigious idol of Paris.

Personally, on being there, it wasn't the imposing altitude that really enticed me. Modern day sky scrapers are ever fighting to match each other when it comes to touching the space. What captured me was the splendid work of art in shaping and balancing such a sleek and curvy structure. Indeed, a lot of thought would have gone in here..

The lighted up tower, shimmering and glowing in the night, is sure to impress everybody in this planet. Three levels of viewing fron the tower throws the 'city of lights' before you, in all its glitter. Restaurants (even ATMs !) function in these levels, for you to relax and relish your time on the top. The lawns in front of the tower is very ambient and offers fantastic coverage of the complete package of the wonder.

St.Michael, Notre Dam, Paris

A spree of creamish buildings of the 18th century with a tall church facing the river at the centre, you are lost into this pulsating town area of Paris, Notre Dam. Narrow streets, sandwiched by cuisines worldwide, its the place I would recommend for a dine and drink. French cuisines are known to offer a lot of delicacies (though I 'm sick and tired of the fries by now :( ) and wanted to experience it in its place of origin. I chose an exotic looking restaurant to dine...the owner starts off with a 'Hallo' song in a few languages. The setting was interesting with tables occupied by nationalities across the world and jingle bell BGMs buzzing in the ears. I was truly impressed by this guy's linguistic fluency to make his customers feel at home. Staring at the culture and crowd around, forgot I was here for authentic french food and felt very satisfied with just a french wine!

The French odyssey

To celebrate the easter weekend, I 'd been on a trip to France. The cultural diversity, the rich French history and vibrant night life, made it an entralling journey through the cities of Paris and Versailles...

Frankfurt - the Singapore of Germany ??

Giant skyscrapers, packed trams, buses and people hustling to catch up for hard pressed time (only to find them sipping a pitcher of beer with their buddies :)) typifies this happening city of Germany - Frankfurt. Known to be the financial hub, second to London in Europe, Frankfurt is the destination that generates quite a proportion of jobs for Germans and the foreign population. First impressions of a multi-cultural community can make you conclude it possesses the attributes of lion city in the east. After frequenting almost every weekend to the city either for travel outside or just lounging around, I beg to differ. Despite all the modernized outfit that the city manifests on you, the element of history has not waned out. Opera houses of the 60s, ancient churches, monuments coexist with the tall commercial banks in the heart of city. Some of these pre-historic structures are refurbished in a way that they still retain the artisans' touches of that time.

On a chilly weekend, I 'd met up with my german boss Patrick for a drink. We went to this restaurant ('Wagner' if I remember), popular for its apple wine served in a porcelain vessel. I heard the waiters here carry a lot of pride wearing the suit and serving the wine. Portraits of celebrities like Nicholas Cage dining here can be seen mounted on the walls. Asking for beer in this setting can evoke funny reactions...'Hey...c'mon...don't be a kid! You are here for better'.

Just as we were exchanging stories of our life, a bunch of guys gathered at the adjoining table. One of the guys had a bouquet of roses and all the talk centred on him...Patrick told me an interesting story behind this roses culture. Usually, a few Indians here in Germany sell roses door to door to make a living. This guy was getting married the next day. To celebrate the last day of bachelorhood, he was to sell those roses and out of the money earnt, go partying with friends later in the night.

With due respect to all this culture, we kicked off the wine party!

Eat, sleep, drink and....don't forget..to talk German !

Early hours in the morning, along with my friend, took a stroll down the snow-covered lanes in Salzburg. Suddenly, my face lit up when I gazed at this - 'Taj Mahal' - Indian cuisine..I figured out a few familiar words in the German jargon and we thought of returning here for the night to give a wholesome finish to the tour. After a day-long ravishing tour around the snowy hills and lakes, we got back to our food destination. Deprived of asian food (forget Indian..) for more than a month now, we were welcomed with some spicy aroma and a big smile from the waiter. I glanced into the menu and called up the waiter who was was smartly dressed up and sporting a professional look. I placed my order - 'Like to have the rajasthani thali. Can you make it a bit spicy ?' The waiter replies 'Maaf kijiye..mera english thoda karaab hai... aapko german ya hindi teek haina??'...

urgh..I was taken aback more than surprised..then had to speak my 'karaab hindi' (didn't want to embarass me or him by talking my 'karaaber' german :P) Out of curiosity, I 'd to ask him - How do you manage your Asian customers from India or elsewhere who can speak just English? Curtly, with a lot of pride, he beamed a smile to say 95 % of his customers are Germans. Such can be your plight at an Asian place in Europe...Nevertheless, I was delighted with the taste and never dreamt i would end up with such stuff in Austria..

Now, somewhat adept at eating, drinking, sleeping and even trying to look German (well...just need to smile and wish anybody you come across, never mind if not acquainted!), it now boils down to the toughest lesson for survival..'Talk German!'...Or atleast pretend! :D

Salzburg, Austria - a paradise on earth

'Salz' in German translates to salt. Owing to the abundance of salt deposits in this region, the city was named Salzburg. Situated on the Bavarian-Austrian border, this small city would rank as one of the best I have visited so far. Engulfed by snowy mountains on all sides, Salzburg has been preserved with its picturesque nativity in an era when all cities are turning to modernization. This city has been fortunate not to be catastrophed by the Second world war and carries an admirable history dating back to many many years. Being the birthplace of the revered Mozart, the city dwells in praising its prodigy. It savors the whole family of the composer, with all their houses preserved. The 'Salzburg fortress' is definitely worth a visit where you get to see how the Emperor Bishops ruled with their army men. The Pre-alphs pose a magnificent view with interspersed lakes. The 'Sound of Music' tour around the hills is a world-known attraction here. The 'Salzbach' river meanders through the heart of the city and the bubbly evenings with the happy-going crowd at the glittering city area, is a treat to watch. Not a place that you can imagine missing, if you ever visit Europe!

Munchen - Bavarian beauty

Heralded as one of the native German cities, Munchen ('Munich' for rest of the world) offers you the taste of Bavaria. Bavarians belong to the traditional German culture and this city is nurtured and developed very German. Located at the south-eastern frontier, it takes about close to 5 hours by train from Frankfurt. Soccer is a national sport for Germany and I 've heard much about the Olympic village here. Accompanied by a buddy, we took the U-Bahn (underground rail line) to get to this lush green place. Reaching there, I stood dumbfounded staring at the structures around me...You feel terribly small standing on the bridge, surrounded by lanky BMW and O2 offices on sides and cars zipping through the curvy freeways. Beams start to protude out from near me, only to converge almost a mile later at the soccer viewing gallery. We took a walk to the swimming pool and the adjoining swan lake where chidren skate and enjoy every moment out there with near and dears...Sat in the bliss for an hour before returning to dine with my friend and head back..

Heidelberg - intellectual capital of Germany

A cozy 90 min train ride from Frankfurt down south, brings you to the city of Heidelberg. A glimpse from train narrates a tale of this historical city. Tiny ancient wood houses with enclosed farms, packed between museums and churches, the river 'Neckar' cutting through the city, a captivating sight indeed. Heidelberg boasts an enviable history with the 18th century scientists like Bunsen (I 'm sure you heard the bunsen burner), Kirchoff, to name a few, hailing from this place. No wonder it is called the 'intellectual capital' of Germany. A quick lunch at Nordsee, I headed to the Heidelberg Castle. Took a tiring walk up the steep slope, I ended up in the castle ruins, courtesy the second world war. With water droplets seeping through the castle bricks, I managed a couple of shots down the stunning city below..

Euro Trip !

Six weeks back, I flew here to Germany on a official visit. I 'd made up plans that in the couple of months I 'm here, whatever be the work schedule, I would go on a euro trip. From my stay here so far, I can undoubtedly say now, that europe is one fun-filled place to travel and explore, especially when you have little clue about the language and culture. Fortunately, for me, I was located in the proximity of Frankfurt, the central hub of just not Germany, but the entire Europe. I was truly amazed at the connectivity this city offers to the even unheard cities across the continent. Travel was beckoning and I started marking my calendar to squeeze my weekend trips.

Starting to pen down...

Hi...I can say I 'm a sort of a memory geek who has this tendency to keep too many thoughts on my head and and running through them whenever I feel like. For a few days now, I 've realized that thoughts and experiences are piling up thick and fast and I need a secondary storage....Penning down your thoughts can mean you really respect them and like to carry them as you move along. Thoughts and experiences have their own shades of joy and sorrow. While we say that joyous moments are meant to be cherished over and over again, we try to philosophically state you need to shy away from regretful moments. However, I find it hard to accept this dogma and only believe, nostalgia, being it joy or resent, is eternal. Living in this reality, thought I should record my reminiscent ramblings :)