August 2006

August was terrific. I had done SO many things and time has gone by way too fast. More importantly, it was my last official month of my ‘year off’.

So anyway, I got a job, something that I wanted to do, so I’m thrilled about it. And before I, so as to speak, *willingly* sacrificed myself to my career-phase of life (i.e., the rest of my life forever n ever n everrr), I went on a two-week-definitely-too-short-but-that’s-better-than-nothing-trip to Germany and Poland. I consider this the last trip where I would be allowed to have nothing in my head, and just enjoy the moment. The last time I had such a trip was when we went to Goa for New Years’ ’06 =) Anyway, I met my darling friends Joanna and Dasha, as well as Johannes. =)

Germany was wonderful..really, it was AWESOME. Of course, Johannes said I just met the nice Germans, but I think they’re really waaayy better than their stereotypes =). In random order, I……went to the ASS-PA-RA-GOOS (read: asparagus) fields at Neustadt, walked into the Sunflower fields, sat and stood on a bale of hay, ate German-ish food, spoke German (nicht so gut =p), heard the 10 songs on Big FM over and over and OVER again, watched Saving Ryan’s Privates in German on German television and fell asleep watching it, went to Luisenpark =), went to the “Cradle of German Democracy” i.e. Hambach Schloss and found it closed for renovation (ironically), visited Speyer and the Dom, clubbed among University peepz at Karlsruhe, had coffee at Neustadt-Weinstrasse's town centre, went to a Wine festival at Diedersheim (I think that’s how u spell it) the first night, where we drank the wine from the old harvest, and went to a festival where we drank the first wine of the new harvest on my last night at Germany (the wine was like ‘milky wine’ according to Gerda Ziegler, it tasted like lemonade, but the effect was sooooo not like lemonade), discussed agricultural issues, Singapore and the EU with Joachim Ziegler, and chilled with Johannes at Mannheim. =D

And now Poland…Poland was splendid-o!! =D Of course, it rained on us the first two days there, but it was still something, discounting the 17hr bus-ride from Mannheim to Krakow =p The weather contributed to the mood at Auschwitz, the largest concentration camp, which Johannes had to see (the only reason Johannes came to Poland). After a dismal afternoon, we took a much-too-long train ride to Warsaw where we met a very excited Joanna =D, had perogies, Tuskie beer and more for dinner and spent the night at the Old Town. The next day, we wandered around a verrryy WET Warsaw, took 2 hours to get to Warsaw Centralna station after asking 7people for directions and spent another 45mins walking around and getting lost in the underground station of Warsaw Centralna. Of course, coffee and shopping was SO in order after that. We also met the most wonderful Radkiewicz family for a very warm and chatty dinner.Joanna’s Aunt said that I had very nice eyes, which showed that I was a GOOD person =D Totally made my evening. Her family was soooo warm and hospitable!! Shared a lot about Poland and Singapore, was enlightening both ways =) After saying Bye on Thursday morning, we took the 3hr scenic train to Krakow, and met DASHA, the ruusssiiaannn chick =) 6hours was much too short to catch up on post-Bangalore life, but, as always, it was better than nothing. It sucked saying Bye, it sucked even more to say Bye to take ANOTHER 17hours bus back to Mannheim..on the bus, we met Mr Assholowicz (but that's another story) =p But stories and past adventures have been exchanged itself, and memories are there itself =)

After an extremely sad and even torturous flight back, I tried to get over the big smack on the face that reality served me. I printed the pics, praying for closure but it didn’t work as well. But now that it’s been exactly a week, I believe there’s finally closure.

I’m just looking forward to the next trip I can take. An AIESEC traineeship really makes you addicted to traveling…traveling HARDCORE too, mind you ;)

And now...for the pics =p



That's my trip =)