Two weeks to go...

It had been a wonderful trip so far
Exploring places and driving the car
I really don't have to mention the best
Coz you know that I've been living in a bar

It seems just like a couple of days ago when I came to Germany for this short 3 months trip. The time just blazed like a flash of light. But it was amazing that I got to congregate such immense amount of fantastic memories in this short span of time. Great place, nice people, ok ok food, unbeatable beer and pretty girls….Life has been good in the last couple of months.

Aug 7, New Delhi
The trip, as always, started with me feeling low about leaving home on the day I had to fly. But I don’t know how, the feeling just goes away as soon as the plane takes off….always….it is like as if those feelings just don't have the visa to fly out of India.

Flight was comfortable and uneventful as much as the Economy class of Air India could help it to be. But then, you just can't expect a lot from the elderly. I'm just glad that the people inside the cockpit were good enough to ensure my safe arrival at the destination.

Oh yeah I don't wanna leave this one out….T3 at IGI Airport was opened a week before I flew and it is really really awesome…..truly world class. I just hope that they are able to maintain it too.

Aug 8, 7.30am Frankfurt…..I swear I've never been out of an International airport this quick…20 minutes for me to get through the immigration, pick up my baggage and reach the exit gate through the customs. Way too smooth.

Aug 8, 10am Heidelberg
It is just a beautiful city to be in…just big enough for you to take the trams and buses to go to different parts in the city but not big enough for you to get lost. Enclosed elegantly with the mountains, the city is just a delight to visit. Although people say that Heidelberg is place to visit and not to live, I kind of strongly disagree with that. May be I've not lived here long enough to be in tandem with that opinion. But I just love this city. It is small, has just the right amount of people in it (residents and tourists), smooth traffic, nicely connected by public transport, optimal climate, has a river running through the city and has great dining places.

The walk on Hauptstrasse (Main Street) is great…That is what we call 'The Induction walk' in our group. Anyone who comes from India, is taken for this walk by someone who's already been living here to introduce him to Heidelberg. It is about a 1.5 km long stretch (for pedestrians only) with all different kinds of shops, restaurants, pubs, etc. on both the sides. The street runs parallel to the river so if you get bored of shopping or the crowd, just sneak out and start walking along side the river. I'm staying very near to the city centre so I've enjoyed walking here almost every other day….well I have to burn some of those beer calories :)
Oh yeah…Work…that's what I'm here for. It's been great. A good learning experience and great exposure to a new working culture. Met quite a variety of people at work, but never ever had any bad experience with anyone….and even if I did…you think I'm gonna mention it here??

Lunch hour had been quite an adventure here almost every other day. I reach the cafeteria ('Casino' is what they like to call it) to have a nice and filling lunch and guess what…the names of the dishes are written in German. And I'm standing there, looking at the counter that has some stuff that people eat, trying to figure out by the look of it, whether those little guys who work in my stomach to digest the food would like it or would call me names that I have never heard in my whole life. And the icing on the top…the lady who serves food also doesn’t speak English. So I had to be at the mercy of people standing with me in the queue. After being here for a while, now I do understand a bit of German so I can figure out what it is but it was really hard initially…and trust me…I've had some near death experiences with the food here at times. Tip for future travellers….the first thing you should learn in the German/Deutsche language is the names of food items. I've been here for over two months now, but these guys continue to surprise me till date.

Weekends….those have been real fun and there is nothing much to say in words here. Either a trip to somewhere or just beer and boxers. :) The pictures on facebook say it all.

10 out of 12 weeks have passed on this trip and in no time. Although I've had a time of my life, I can now sense that warmth of my home, smell the Indian delicacies, be with family and friends and listen to the honking on the super jammed Delhi roads…God…how I missed all of that. :)
So the countdown begins…2 weeks now and I will be back in India….just before the best time of the year…Diwali….I'm sooo excited.

See you all soon.
Cheers!!