Girl In Germany

Hey, Hiii Everyone! It's a New Year already! And with a new year, comes in new hopes, new changes in Life and so do new looks to my diary. Plus there's my Blog's Insta @thegirlingermany is up this year- wohoo!  Uhmm .. its just that I still am figuring out how to link the button here, looking around jibbery HTML scripts :D Until then, do look up for me in Instagram and follow up for my unseen travel pictures with S. Coming back from a hectic and an amazing Trip to India  - with functions, sweets, meet-ups and lots of chaats,  S and I have planned to visit Iceland this year, our most awaited destination so far! I can't wait to luxuriate in its beauty. 

I am back to India, this time after almost a year and a half.  The last time I was here, was for my sister's wedding. With just three weeks of holidays now, time just flies! Immediately after we landed yesterday, we were in for a perfect welcome. His aunt and cousin had arranged a surprise birthday party with piles of gifts for him! Some things don't really change over time, right? :) 

All of a sudden, you see bird s fly here and there, bugs, butterf lies, veggie-mosquitoes ( Yeah, yeah these are veggies you see ? - they don't bite us, but roam around the garden and are super huge! God knows what they feed on o.O) and bees buzz around ever ywhere . That's when you start seeing people outside. Just like how ants come out back home before the Summer is on, the people begin to come out of their cocoon.. So here comes another sto ry to my 'Firsts'.

Well well.. over the years, we could see Germany adopting an open and welcoming attitude towards other nationalities, especially their neighbouring European countries. I think, maybe this cosmopolitan atmosphere along with Germany's cultural heritage, that has led to an open-minded clothing. Clothing Tips: As you walk down the street, you could see Germans - of all ages, dress quite formally and stylishly. Although they are not a fashionista-country unlike its peers: France and Italy,

I'd always seen people buzzing around the bowling areas - in huge malls with shopping stalls all around and now even in smaller ones  back in India. The last time I remember playing it was when I was in schools, playing double player with my sis and yes, in video games -lol. Just as I sat to pen this down,

This Summer was not so evident that it was actually 'Summer'! I mean, I never felt scorching heat the whole week conitunously, not able to sit at home without looking for a fan etc ( That's the only part of the year where you look out for a fan!)  It was even more weird because of the constant wind storms or the dark grey sky that clouds all on a sudden. There was also an evening when the trains were cancelled due to fallen trees on tracks ( Dargh, S and I got horribly stuck that day and the DB arranged for taxis back to our town - Well that was a rarity. Considering they had to disperse ALL of the crowd: Some by taxi and the others by giving them Hotel Gutscheins) What's with this Summer? We were almost certain - waiting for the cold to kick us beforehand. Just when we thought so, came the week with Heat.

4. Festivals and Colours: Of all things that comes to mind, when you say that you are an Indian, to people here, I could not believe that they say "Oh, So much Sun, beautiful colors, and ofcourse sooo many people". I can agree the first and last as being their reasons for an awe, but colors? Huh?  And then it stuck me.  Ofcourse, why wouldn't they love India for its colors?

I, almost everyday, travel by bus to my tiny town's city center. Be it to work, supermarket, girly-shopping, dinner date with S, friends meet-up - whatever - I take the bus, if it's cold outside. Simple. Hmm .. Actually, this gives me plenty of time to people-watch, look out the window, chit-chat with friends, write a quick email to S, or .. simply gaze at the floor. Unlike our Indian buses, where people get in both the doors, and swing by the stairs along the drive, here the buses have an Entry and an Exit - rules and rules - Follow it I say.  But, there's an exception to this 'Rule' -

First crush. First love. First school. First Anniversary. First Birthday. First Car. First Abroad country. The firsts is always special.  And so is the first food I ever had in Germany. I din't have to wait for an auspicious day/ get the time to research online and then order a typical German dish. My first food that I ate in Germany was at Frankfurt Airport itself - while waiting for our ICE Train towards home. It was ein Stück Salami Pizza - a piece of Salami pizza. That was also my first 'Pork-eating' day. It was hot, spicy with tomato sauce as the base and the classic salami taste - it was salty ( No it din't stink) . Absolutely loved it. Ever since then, Salami Pizza is one crazy dish I order every once in a while - Like on Saturday's dinner this weekend.  Humm .. I have this weird habit of experimenting strangely-packaged / new snacks and dishes in the supermarket. Some times it ended up finding things very similar to the ones we get in India, li...

In just a blink of an eye, the weather has changed - and so have the Jackets.  All you see around you, and above you, is the black and white shade palette.  As I scroll down my own blog, it feels so refreshing to recollect  Summer  and  Fall . All of a sudden, as you speak - smoke (fog) comes out of your mouth.  And my nose becomes super cold - weird. The Sun shines as a surprise guest, but the clouds win. With the spine-chilling gush

Its 365 days already. This November 11th marks my one year anniversary - of staying away from home. And seeing my parents and sis. Yes, seeing them. ( Skype never really works, does it?)  Duh,   skype is almost always horrible - killing the first fifteen mins with 'can you see?', 'lower the camera', 'keep mic a little farther', 'stand in a place and talk' etc etc., Damn.  Time Flies: Oki, so uhmm, I recollect the day I started off to India. With Diwali celebrations just two days before my departure, I had absolutely no plans of what to do in India ( But I did have a list of to-eat itsems, lol ).  It was when S could no longer come after the check-in counter, I realized

I could not resist writing a post on this label, on this day. It is Deepavali, or Diwali today! Happyy Diwallliiiiii !!! * puts a sweet into your mouth For those of you who don't know, Diwali is India's best-loved Festival and famously called 'Festival Of Lights'. The festival gets its name from rows (avali) of lamps (diya/deepa) that Indians light outside their homes - to symbolize the inner light that protects us from the outside spiritual darkness. The festival is as important to Hindus, as Christmas is for Christians. There are different stories , that narrate the origin and celebration reasons of Diwali. It is not just the festive mood, or the fact that you get to eat yummy sweets, or that you would meet friends and family, there is simple happiness everywhere in the air.  Festivals in India, are always filled with friends and family greeting each other, beautiful Rangoli , new clothes, and special TV programs. On a Diwali Night,

You know the Fall begins when -  the blue skies, chirpy birds, buzzing insects, colorful flowers are all still just like how it was two months back - just that you need to wear your hoodie. Yes, the winds kill you as hell with the chills running own your spine.  Sometimes I feel: maybe it is more because I'm an Indian. No, seriously.

Cycle-warming : My Bicycle "You can have a look at the bicycle and take it if you like - My address is ..... " came an SMS to one of our E-bay short-listings. I was anxiously waiting for the  Termin. The destination was not far. It happened to be just a 4-min walk from our house. We went near the yellow car  as he had stated and waited. He came 5 mins late (Of course we were there - on the clock). He led us directly to the cellar and there it was!

There is always two sides of a coin. Just saying. Same way, I have found myself profoundly attracted to certain 'German' attributes. In the initial days of me coming here, I dint like any of what the Germans did. Be it their hostility, their only-German signboards, TV channels, No-I-don't speak-English attitude, extremely expensive food and clothes, etc etc., Oh I forgot - their timing! In India, its always around eleven, 'bus will come at six thirty', 'we'll meet around 4' and so on, but never ever- 'train is at 06:06'!! It was because of this, I had to have a digitized watch - I never needed one before.  And the clocks were in 24 hr system - we have similar ones in India too, but no one uses it. It is more of a am-pm system. I still subtract 12 in the afternoons just to make sure. Anyway, over time, I somehow have developed a liking towards 'German ways'.

3. Making friends right away: Back home, you have so many friends - I mean not just your colleagues, school and college friends: The flower girl who comes every evening to sell you flowers, the milkman, your apartment's watchman (who was a nuisance bringing you useless posts hurriedly just because it was delivered to him), your daily auto- wala , the beauticians and barbers you visit every month, the chai bhaiya who gives you an extra-strong ginger tea, the sales girls of boutiques who show you latest collections based on your likes and dislikes, your regular restaurant owner who serves you discounted food, the medical shop boys who home-deliver medicines right after a phone call, your acquainted tailor who sews perfect clothes for you, etc etc., The list is simply endless. I never realized they would even matter - when I was back in India  or so I thought  ...  making friends comes easily in India. Once you are outside, you understand that it is not so in other...

People here, have a very interesting mode of travel experience. There is the normal car-rental service, where you can rent a car for a limited period of time, or distance and fill the tank (or not) while you return. There is also Mitfahrgelegenheit  (I simply call it Mitfahr ).  For those who of you who don't know what this long M word means: ( even I couldn't spell it out at first )

#2 The sounds of Life : I always remember the once irritating (now seemingly musical!) call of the vegetable seller, the paper-wala (he comes to collect read-papers and pays back cash for it based on weight- Its a just blue container here - no person, no words! ) and numerous other vendors who know exactly your nap time and yell down the street. The maids zooming in and out of the house, the 5 pm flower-girl who sells flowers right at your doorstep ( Ah how well the flowers used to smell.. some oriental, some musky, some mesmerizing and some others 'romantic' ), the every hour Church bell that rings its hour with a distinct verse, gatherings with a speaker shouting on top of his voice on a totally useless theme ( Yes, he sure will have audience - they, apparently are too bored to do anything else! ) the hooting, screeching and vrooming of the vehicles, stopping at the adjacent street, the distant-yet-so-audible-temple bells, the street-fight of ladies, current popu...

In a foreign land, starting a new life amidst different culture, different skin tones, new language, new social norms and discipline is way too hard to adjust to. Especially in Germany, <where do I start..> Hmm .. From the sign boards which are written in a language I don't understand? Vielleicht..  Although I have started to like the way certain things are, there are always differences that have left me baffled.

The excitement of seeing the 'so-long-only-heard' of Germany ( from my BOYFRIEND who did his Masters in Aachen - yeah yeah, he is the one who is my husband now :D ; yet I somehow find referring him bf better ) and leaving MY HOME far far away was such a mixed feeling you know?