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Showing posts from November, 2008

problems plaguing bengal

I normally do not like to write political blogs and express my political opinion, because I believe politics, like religion is every individual's own belief, and must not be a matter of heated debate or discussion. However, I thought that some facts should be highlighted because in this era information and misinformation both travel hand in hand. The situations narrated below consist mostly of facts and some analysis but rarely of opinions (except at the end). It is not a newspaper article (which incidentally nowadays is almost always devoid of facts and full of opinions, of the reporter, editor and the newspaper group head). West Bengalis must be having a ball of a time. Not a single day passes without some major news on the papers, becoming subjects of heated discussions and addas. It all started in 2000 when Buddhadeb Bhattacharya first came to power. Indian media went into a frenzy as he was the so called "liberal communist" ( an oxymoron if u ask me), who believed in

Musings from Deustchland -4

Driving License I happen to possess a driving license (Fuererschein) of Deustchland. As to how I acquired it is a long story. Driving in German roads, esp. autobahns is a sheer plreasure which few people want to forego. Therefore I also decided to exchange my Indian license for a German one. A German driving license is a lifelong possession because once obtained, you need not renew it, however getting it is difficult. An Indian driving license holder can drive for 6 months in Germany on his international drivers permit after landing in Germany, after which he will have to take a German driving license in order to drive on roads. There are some countries with which Germany has automatic driving license exchange arrangements, inluding some states of US. For others like India, people need to undergo a written exam and a practical test. Some important information pertaining to the same is provided here -http://www.howtogermany.com/pages/driving.html The exchange needs to happen within 3 ye

Musings from Deutschland -3

Other Animals One remarkable thing about Stuttgart is the complete absence of any crow or scavenger bird. Perhaps they dont have much spoils to live on, Germans being quite eccentric about their wastes, a parctice which I shall discuss later in detail. I was delighted to find crows and sparrows when I visited Berlin. I instantly felt at home. Probably thats the nearest perching point for crows flying from east and they are no longer allowed to travel any further. Perhaps crows also have border controls and immigration and thefefore crows from east get to move only until Berlin and no further by German crows(if there are any). I have seen Bavarian crows who are much larger in size than their Indian counterparts and much more philosophical (they can sit at a stretch in one place and think, unthinkable for Indian crows). Bavarian crows can be seen on Zugspitze, the highest point in Germany (3000 m above sea level). How they came to fly above 3000 m is anybody's guess, however they sit