My Stint at Deutschland - chapter 6

I was really enjoying my stay at Heinzelinweg, even though I hardly stayed there. Almost every week I was away travelling to Utrecht, waking up at 4 Am, booking a taxi the night before, rushing to catch a flight at 5.30 AM. The picture is of my one room in Heinzelinweg. The major attraction was a water bed, which comfortably suited me as it was fun sleeping on it.

Even then I could manage weekend gateaways to Zugspitze, to Strasbourg in Alsace region etc. I also managed another trip to Paderborn to meet my friend Seshadri who worked with SAP labs and had come to Walldorf near Heidelberg, and we had a rendezvous in Sujoyda's place. It was a memorable trip, culminating in our visit to Koeln and seeing some exotic villages in Northern Germany. The photo below shows our pose in front of Cologne Dom across the Rhine river.

Prior to that Sujoyda along with family and friends had visited me in Stuttgart. They had come to tour Southern Germany and enroute they took rest in my cottage. So we had two good evenings together and the next day I had to leave for Utrecht at 5.30 AM when they were still sleeping.

It was a wonderful summer this time around in Europe, and I had some leisure trips in the weekends to Zugspitze, Strasourg and blackforest (lake Titisee and adjoining areas). I already had the Bahncard 50 and utilized it to my heart's content. Its very convinient to book tickets through http://www.bahn.de/ using the Bahn card or credit card as identification. Discounted tickets are obtained if we plan our trips well in advance.

Day comes and day goes. I spent the Puja in Utrecht reminiscing about our cultural festivities with a fellow Bengali, Mr. Gopal De, proprieter of restaurant "Namaskar" in Utrecht, near our hotel NH. He was originally from Syllet, a pharmacist and left Bangladesh in the 70s and relocated to Amsterdam and then to Utrecht. I was a regular customer at Namaskar.

A puja happens in Stuttgart as well, but at that time I was unaware of that. This Puja belongs to Ganguly family in Stuttgart. Their elder son, Timir Kanti had become an aquaintance later when I went to buy my tickets from his family travel agency, for my trip to India (for marriage) later in June next year. Timir is a wonderful fellow. Born and brought up in Germany and with little or no contact with Kolkata and India, he still loves Bengli language and culture. This is reflected in his webpage which he calls as "Web Pata". He even maintains a Bengali chat room and has an enviable collection of Hemonto and Manna song on his web page which was a constant source of solace to us all abroad. More about him on his "web pata" ://www.ganguly.de/ The web page also contains a link to Durga Puja Stuttgart.

Come November, we witnessed the ferocity of winter in Germany. Temperatures began dropping and there was no respite from bitter cold. In this situation you pray that you leave this god forsaken country soon and go to some warmer places, but that is not to happen soon. But the snow fall from comfort zone at home is worth watching and here is "das Blick" or view of snow clad road in front of my house.

We also had a rapturous Deewali celebration in one of our colleague Manoj Goel's house. Almost everybody from our project team was there (and it was quite a large team). We had an excellent meal of homemade Pooris. But when twenty of us sat on the wooden bed at the same time, it caved in.

On December 26 (Boxing day) the terrible Tsunami hit Indian Ocean islands resulting in hundreds and thousands perishing. The wrath of nature proved once again that despite all advances in civilization, we are still mere children to combat nature's fury.

I spent a lonely Christmas and New Year in Stuttgart as Devmitra was away visiting her sister in US. I could submerge myself in festivities around me and enjoy the mirthful faces of people around me, much like we have during Pujas in Kolkata or during Deewali elsewhere in India.

Thus ended my first year in Europe, mixed bag comprised of some happiness and some troubles but more on the happier side. I had this valuable learning that any experience should always make you better and stronger, else it is not an experience worth living. Moreover, in any circumstance that you live, you will always find happiness, peace and joy, you will just have to look around and seek for it.

Pics: Stills of a wonderful European summer. The sunflower was right in the perch of my house.