Tomorrow, 2006 will be history. Another year which flew by and we are more close to 2007 than we were ever before. Hope 2007 is a good year for us all.
God Bless!!!

PS: Next up ….the Italy trip posts n pics.

Random Post

Well don’t have anything worthwhile to write, so I will just fill in with some mambo-jambo.

Terribly busy with work these days, being allocated in more than 3 projects at the same time, which ensures that the bug list I have, is never small. Winters setting in and the whole place looks so depressing with rains dripping every now n then, the low temperatures coupled with windy conditions. I don’t mind the chill but no windy wet chill .. puhleeeeeeez. And it snowed… on 1st Nov.. Now, where on earth does it snow on 1st Nov???? Wait.. don’t even try to answer that.. it’s a rhetoric question.

I am sick n tired of, what I initially enjoyed, Cooking. Every evening I return home and open the fridge and try to think of what I should be having for dinner. How I wish there was some pill which you could pop and no hunger or thirst for the next 24 hours. End of problems.

Let me end the post on a positive note. Come X'mas n I am off to Italy for a 6 day vacation… Rome, Venice, Pisa n Milan. The one thing I love about my job here is, how it allows me two vacations a year to some beautiful locations in Europe.

The Countdown Tag

Sakshi tagged me to do this tag.
BTW, Deepti m still woprking on ur tag. It will be up sometime soon :)

10 Favorites:
Favorite Season: Spring – isnt everything so beautiful in spring?
Favorite Sport: Cricket, we’re Indian afterall.
Favorite Time: Late evening, just like to unwind after work n relax
Favorite Month: March, its niether too hot nor too cold.
Favorite Actor: Too long a list to be out here.
Favorite Actress: See above point.
Favorite Ice Cream: Chocolate.
Favorite Food: Indian, but anything that tastes good is more than welcome.
Favorite Drink: Beer.
Favorite Place: Home :)

9 Currents:
Current Feeling: Relaxed. Two days of doing nothing has this effect.
Current O/S: Windows XP Home Edition
Current Windows Open: Microsoft Word (where I’m typing this) and Winamp.
Current Drink: Water
Current Time: 03.19 p.m. CET
Current Mobile(s) Used: Nokia 6230i, Nokia 6610
Current Show on TV: Some random movie on the idiot box. Don’t know which one. Usually the telly is on mute.
Current Thought: I need to finish this soon n go out n buy a few things? The aatta is also finishing, will it last a week?
Current Cloths: Trackpants n Tee.

8 Firsts:
First Nickname: Lalli – only my family calls me by that name and I prefer to keep it that way.
First Kiss: was so special.
First Crush: When I was 17(late bloomer yeah), a girl in my tution classes.
First Computer: Assembled one, Dec 2003.
First Vehicle I drove: Bajaj Priya… Took it straight in the side drains :)
First Job: At my dad;s canteen as waiter/server/cook/dish washer/cashier.
First Movie I watched: No idea which was the first…
First Pet: I once bought 10 fishes. 2 died on the 2nd day, 2 on the 3rd, 2 on the 4th n 2 on the 5th, the remaining 2 lasted about three months.
First Shave: hmmmm I was 15 and even though I didn’t have a moustache or beard worth shaving.

7 Lasts:
Last Chai (Tea) : at 1 pm.
Last Movie: Vivah(If u r a diabetic stay away from it.. m serious.. could prove prove fatal)
Last Time I Drove: No idea.
Last Time Shaved: Friday morning.
Last Web Site Visited: http://games.yahoo.com/pl
Last Software Installed: WinRAR
Last Pill I Had: Viagra … just kidding.. I hate taking medicines. No idea when was the last time I popped a pill.


6 Have You Evers:
Have You Ever Broken the Law: Yeah. Paid for it ... in cash.
Have You Ever Been Drunk: Yup .. a few times.
Have You Ever Climbed a Tree: Too many as a kid and even now. Lat one was a couple of months ago.
Have You Ever Kissed Someone You Didn't Know: no 
Have You Ever Been in the Middle/Close to Gunfire or Bomb Blast: No 
Have You Ever Broken Anyone’s Heart: Yes 

5 Things:
Things You Can Hear Right Now: The song on winamp, computer keyboard and someone with whom I am talking on Gtalk right now, vehicles outside and the clothes spinning in the washing machine.
Things on Your Computer Table: Computer Table ??? what's that. A Laptop, a digital camera, few CDs, toothpicks, a nailcutter, an ashtray, Hajmola bottle, earphones, a USB drive, Pens, a Notebook, papers, a Swissknife, chewing gum, a hankerchief, a water bottle, a lighter, cigarettes.
Things on Your Bed: 2 pillows, my quilt, my phones and an alarm clock.
Things You Ate Today: Biscuits.
Things in Mind: I need to call home, what will I eat for dinner tonite, tomorrow I will get the design approval for my project, am I hungry?.

4 Places You Have Been Today:
Kitchen
Toilet
Bedroom
Living Room
(Havent ventured out today)

3 People You Can Tell Anything To:
I don’t tell ‘anything to’ to anyone.

2 Choices:
Black or White: Black.
Hot or Cold: Hot

1 Thing You Want To Do Before You Die:
See my dreams come true.


I tag -
All those who read this n havent done it. Yes you, and you too sir, and aap bhi.

Copenhagen, once more!!

Back after a long hiatus. Blame it on the increasing workload or my procrastination. Apologies for not being regular. OK.... coming up some pics from my trip to Copenhagen recently. If u remember I have already covered Copenhagen in two posts earlier (Copenhagen I and Copenhagen II). Having seen most of Copenhagen city I decided to go to the outskirts and discover some of the beautiful sites surrounding this city. So off we begin on our journey.

From Copenhagen Oc...

I don’t know if it happens only with me but the sky was again overcast and slight drizzling had occurred that day making it a bit unfortunate but overall it was still very enjoyable. The ride till the castle was marked by some beautiful spots here n there.

From Copenhagen Oc...

First stop Kronborg Slot(slot=castle). It is is situated near the town of Helsingør. This is the Øresund region and the water body seperating Denmark and Sweden is the narrowest here, merely 4km wide. You might associate the region with the world famous Øresundsbron (Oresund Bridge)

This was an strategically located castle in those days when dues were collected from all vessels passing by. It also enjoys being a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kronborg acquired its current name in 1585 when it was rebuilt by King Frederick II into a magnificent renaissance castle, unique in its appearance and size throughout Europe.

Kronborg during its times was considered the strongest fortress in Europe. From 1739 until the mid- 19th century, it was used as a slave prison. The inmates were guarded by the soldiers in the castle. From 1785 to 1922, the Castle was completely under military administration. During this period, a number of renovations were completed.

From Copenhagen Oc...

The castle had been invaded and conquered by the Swedes in 1658. The hostility remains no longer but the canons are still pointing towards Sweden.

However the most important point about Kronborg is that it was the setting for much of William Shakespeare's famous creation The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark which is arguably the most popular of Shakespeare's plays. It is def the longest play and from which are derieved the famous words “To be or not to be”.

Kronborg is also the resting ground for the Danish mythological character Holger Danske (Ogier the Dane). According to folklore the statue will come alive when Denmark is in great danger, and Holger Danske will save the country.

From Copenhagen Oc...

Next stop Fredensborg Palace. It is the Danish Royal Family's spring and autumn residence. The palace was built in 1720-1726 and is one of the most used of the Royal Family’s residences. Didn’t spend much time there but was able to catch the change of guard.

From Copenhagen Oc...

From Copenhagen Oc...

Next stop - Frederiksborg Palace in Hillerød, was built as a royal residence for King Christian IV, and is now known as The Museum of National History. It is the largest Renaissance palace in Scandinavia. The oldest parts of the palace date back to 1560, and were built by King Frederick II, after whom the palace is named. Most of the current palace, however, was built from 1602 to 1620 by Christian IV.

From Copenhagen Oc...

In 1850s, the palace was again used as a residence by King Frederick VII. During the night of December 16-17, 1859, while he was in residence, a fire destroyed a large part of the main palace's interior. Reconstruction was funded by public subscription, with large contributions from the King, state and the prominent philanthropist J. C. Jacobsen of Carlsberg Brewery, who also provided funds to establish The Museum of National History that now occupies Frederiksborg.

From Copenhagen Oc...

Prince Joachim (younger brother of the Crown Prince) and Princess Alexandra were married in the Palace Church also known as Chapel of orders. Various Coats of Arms adorn the walls of the palace church and the spiral staircase that leads you to the top of the four storey building.

From Copenhagen Oc...

Don’t be late for work, coz :-

¤ You might skip walking till the bus stop n hail a cab instead
¤ You might be too preoccupied with getting to work, to notice the beauty of the fall colors
¤ You might be in a hurry n forget to smile at the passer-bys
¤ You might be too busy in saving time and don’t bother to say Good Morning
¤ You might be angry with yourself and have a frown on your face, which I need not tell you, will do no good for your face-value.
¤ You might screw up your whole day by getting late.

Have a great week ahead!!!

Some of the searches in the past few days which have lead people to this blog are

02 Oct, Mon, 20:50:51 Google: suhaag raat ke samples
Dude/Dudette... there is no sample of suhaag raat on my blog. Surely not the kind u r interested in. A fleeting reference to the words in these two posts about Filmi Euphemisms is all I can offer. Filmi Euphemisms I and Filmi Euphemisms II

04 Oct, Wed, 01:40:27 Google: suhag raat video
Abe tu phir aa gaya?? Video to pakka nahi hain bhai... maaf kar de plz...
I think I will remove those words from the above mentioned posts.

04 Oct, Wed, 06:49:36 Google: shireen bhan singh
**Starts day dreaming**
Stocks, Quotes, Quarterly results, financial policies never were so interesting *Sigh*

04 Oct, Wed, 10:36:13 Google: meetings alternative to work
04 Oct, Wed, 11:54:45 Google: "the practical alternative to work"
04 Oct, Wed, 16:48:13 Google: meetings the alternative to work
No one wants to work eh???? Get the gyan about meetings here.

04 Oct, Wed, 14:40:34 Google: mozart mother house hofgarten austria
The visit to Mozart's house in Salzburg, Austria is here.

04 Oct, Wed, 16:08:24 Google: Where is tht tomb of unknown soldier in France?
Its nothing but the Arc de Triomph yaar.

04 Oct, Wed, 18:21:47 Google: MANGAL PANDEY SKETCHES
I have no idea why Google directed u here dude. It must be some kinda bug in their algo or something.

04 Oct, Wed, 22:15:46 Google: jeevdaya netraprabha
Must be the post on Radio which brought you here. If u have listened to radio in the last decade n before u might just love this one. One of my all time fav posts.

04 Oct, Wed, 23:08:13 Google: Nike fra Smothrace
Thats in the Louvre Museum in Paris

05 Oct, Thu, 01:04:14 Google: Nude geroine
Whats that??? geroine??
If you meant 'heroine', I am sorry not much for u here pal. There are no nude heroines out here.

05 Oct, Thu, 03:33:09 Google: desi=radio.com
I menitoned in a lame post that how www.Desi-radio.com and www.musicindiaonline.com is what I turn to when I wanna hear desi music.

06 Oct, Fri, 08:42:43 Google: North Indian Couple Suhaag raat video
GAWD!!!!

07 Oct, Sat, 16:30:52 Google: tanushree dutta tits
M sorry sir . We dont have those in stock either.

07 Oct, Sat, 20:37:53 Google: Skeleton of St. Mundita
Oh yeah thats the one in Munich.

08 Oct, Sun, 14:27:55 Google: tandoori reciepe
One of my fav posts. Reciepe to prepare Tandoori Chicken with very little effort n skill. Enjoy!!

Tagged

Tagged by Anshul

1)Are you happy/satisfied with your blog with it's content and look?
Yes. It's simple, sober n just the way I would want it to be.

2) Does your family know about your blog?
No.

3) Do you feel embarrassed to let your friends know about your blog or you just consider it as a private thing?
I m not embarassed if it comes up. But I dont push it either.

4) Did blogs cause positive changes in your thoughts?
It has made me realise that if u cant put it in words its not an idea. It has made me aware of so many great people around.

5) Do you only open the blogs of those who comment on your blog or you love to go and discover more by yourself?
I read everything n anything. Not just my commentators (else i would be estuck with 4-5 people.)

6) Did you try to imagine your fellow bloggers and give them real pictures?
Most of 'em have a picture in my mind based upon what they write and if any interaction happens.

7) Admit. Do you think there is a real benefit for blogging?
It is a great way to maintain a personal log of things that you did saw believed in at that moment. Also it makes u aware about a lot of things happening around you. Over all yes it is a beneficial and powerful media.

8) Do you think that bloggers society is isolated from real world or interacts with events?
Regular blog meets happens, though i havent been part of any. I think that bloggers are not isolated from the world. Each one has his/her own life which is away n above the blog.

9) Does criticism annoy you or do you feel it's a normal thing?
no annoyance, Criticism is taken positively.

10) Do you fear of some political blogs and avoid them?
I dont visit political blogs. I read the newspaper though.

11) Did you get shocked by the arrest of some bloggers?
Who when where why?

12) Did you think about what will happen to your blog after you die?
No i didnt think about it. But now that u have mentioned it, I think I will work upon a contingency plan.

13) What do you like to hear? What's the song you like to put its link in your blog?
I personally like ghazals, old melodies, Kishore, instrumental and light classical .
Right now its playing Desh Raag. Dont know what will I switch to next.

14) Five bloggers to be the next "victims"?
Tag urself... i m not doing it for u!!!!

I, Me and Myself

I am thinking about: aaaaaaaaahhhhhhh ... errr.... ammmm.... am trying to think. OK, it's World peace. But on a more serious note, one thing that I now think about daily is food - "Aaj khana kya banaun?"

I said: ..............
I don't remember. When exactly are we talking about?

I want to: see the world, understand the meaning of life, shout my lungs out at the top of Everest, touch n feel the glaciers, go on a wild African safari, camp somewhere in antarctica and feed the penguins who would have gathered around my tent, go rafting, fly a fighter plane, fall in love once again, have so much money that it doesnt bother me anymore, become rich n famous, be able to sing perfectly, write poetry, ....
'Hazaaron khwaaishe aisi, ki har khwaaish pe dam nikle
Bahut nikle mere armaan, lekin phir bhi kam nikle'

I wish: for everything written above.
Bas itna sa khwaab hain

I regret: very few things in life. I am sorry about many things, but I regret very few. Which is because those were my decisions. It did what I thought was right, at that point of time.

I hear: voices. And I converse with people in my head.

I am: who I am. Please dont try to change me. I am perfect for myself.

I dance: as if no ones watching. Actually the way I dance, no one wants to watch.

I sing: when I don't like the audience.

I cry:
U wish!!!!

I am not: what at times people think I am. And if by now u r having your doubts then lemme clarify, I am also not insane.

I am with my hands: a good typist, a skilled programmer, a photographer, a guitarist, a cook.....

I write: coz I want to.

I confuse: my present clients, with long sentences and out-of-GRE-list words. English isn't their first language. MWAHAHAHAHAHA *evil laughter

I need: air, water, food, shelter and love.

I see: with the help of glasses. I don't have contacts.

I tag: All those who read this n havent done this tag by now.
Kya karun, m so low in the blog hierarchy. By the time any tag reaches me its pretty much done by all.

Happy Birthday To Me!!!

~~*Tan Ta Dan*~~

Laydiss and Zaantalman

Dig In

The birthday was celebrated this year in July when I was home. My li'l sis brought this. (Yeah, I know there is a spelling mistake, but what the hell).

This also happens to be the year when my day of my birth, coincides with the day my birthday is. Couple of decades and a few years ago, it was another Saturday night. Will try and put this post up at the exact time of my birth - 12:40 am.

27 ... n still going strong!!!

PS: Thank you Deepti, for being the first one to call n wish.

100 things

Tagged by Sakshi

The things I've done are in red, the ones that I want to do have an asterisk (*) at the end (the number of asterisks indicates, how desperately I want to do them). An asterisk precedded by a - denoted I dont want to do it.

01.Bought everyone in the bar a drink **
02. Swam with wild dolphins *******
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive ************************
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid *******
06. Held a tarantula -*(negative)
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone *************
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped****
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea ***
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights *********
15. Gone to a huge sports game ****
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa ****
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg****
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper -*
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon *****
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne (On second thoughts, I dont think I got all high)
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse ***
29. Asked out a stranger *****
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can (At all the Echo points i ahve visited so far.. I think every hill station has one)
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run (Does the equivalent 6 in cricket count??)
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day (Never happened.. never will)
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 10 provinces (NA :P)
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales ***********
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing ************
49. Midnight walk on the beach *********
50. Gone sky diving *********
51. Visited Ireland ****
52. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan ***
55. Milked a cow – rather a buffalo - (Both)
56. Alphabetized your cds
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lazed around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving ******
62. Kissed in the rain **********
63. Played in the mud
64.Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China *******
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken *************
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Been in a movie **
73. Crashed a party
74. Gone without food for 5 days
75. Made cookies from scratch
76. Won first prize in a costume contest
77. Ridden a gondola in Venice ******
78. Gotten a tattoo
79. Rafted the Snake River ******
80. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
81. Got flowers for no reason
82. Performed on stage
83. Been to Las Vegas *****
84. Recorded music (not my own though)
85. Had a one-night stand
86. Gone to Thailand ********
87. Bought a house *****
88. Been in a combat zone
89 Buried one of your parents
90. Been on a cruise ship
91. Spoken more than one language fluently
92. Performed in Rocky Horror – But have attended a midnight showing.
93. Created and named your own constellation of stars – Still do.
94. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
95. Wrote article for a large publication
96. Petted a stingray
97. Broken someone's heart
98. Gone on an African photo safari ***********
99. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol *****
100. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
101. Ridden a horse
102. Had a snake as a pet
103. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon ********
104. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
105. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
106. Visited all 7 continents **********************************
107. Eaten sushi
108. Had your picture in the newspaper
109. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
110. Gone back to school
112. Eaten fried green tomatoes
113. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
115. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
116. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
117. Skipped all your school reunions
118. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language (So many times)
119. Dyed your hair
120. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream


Phew....
Go ahead ...Tag urself!!!

Things I miss about home

Before going on vacation, Sakshi asked me to do this when I came back - Write about the things I miss about home.

1 Family
I miss them like anything. No friends can make u feel the way they do and can in no way supplement them.

2 Maa ke haath ka khana
Yeah yeah...its the mother of all cliches, but seriously I miss my mothers cooking. Using the same ingredients n method to prepare I just can't get the same taste. Also 3 years of staying away from family has made sure I drop all nakhras and unfussingly eat anything n everything that is edible. U should've known me when I was staying at home. The number of things I wouldnt eat, outnumbered the ones which I would. My mom sees that as the only good things about me statying away.

3 Delhi
I miss Delhi. The city that has so many fond menmories attached to it. The city which I can call mine. The big n small things that make it special and worth missing. Its wide roads, all-seasons climate, Lutyens zone, Raisina Hill, old Delhi, Lodhi gradens, India Gate....

4 The awesome food
The terrific food you get here
Sharmaji ke chole bhature at karol bagh, Pachkuian Road's Samose wala, Karims and (much closer to home hence frequented)Galina for their non veg stuff, the bhalla-papri at UPSC, the bun maska at Chanakya cinema, Kachori outside Hanuman Mandir. Delhi is a foodies delight. Theres something for everyone, that suits your pocket n taste.

5 Delhi Rains
When it rains in Delhi it brings a smile on everyones lips. Rains are such a welcome thing in delhi coz of the heat that yeh dil maange more.

6 Watching cricket
Yeah believe me or not, I miss watching TV. Not for the K brigade serials but for the cricket. Havent seen a match in a year. Couple of other reasons apart from that (viz. Shireen Bhan n Mitali Mukherjee .... Monita Rajpal just doesnt make the cut)

7 Carefree days
Whenever I am home its only on vacations, so somewhere down the line the whoel thing about being at home has being synonymous about being carefree, not having to worry about the meeting in the morning, or the delieverables which have to be tested before deployment and all such work related stress.

Thats all I can think of right now. I guess I am quite an adaptable person. :-)

Copenhagen/København II

Copenhagen Part I

Picking up from where I left....It was almost 3 in the afternoon by the time I completed all the earlier said things and grabbed a bite.... So post this, was the stroll on the Strøget, which claims to be the longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe. It starts from the townhall and goes right down till the new harbor. If u r stand facing the Town Hall then look at your left, it's the one between the Burger King and 7/11. Shops, restaurants, cafes, ice cream parlors, pubs, street performers, museums, churches, squares... its got everything including some big names in the fashion world like Prada, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Marlboro, Boss and more. Strolling along the street u cant help but notice the multicultural mileau of the city. Danish, Indians/Pakis, Lankans, Moroccans/Algerians, Chinese/Koreans/Japanese and people from many other places. Copenhagen is a metropolis.

A little down the street, in one of the bylanes, is something called Rundetårn (Round Tower). Its something like a city observatory which isnt too high for that matter. Seven and a half 360 degree turns and a flight of few steps leads you to the top of the Round Tower. As I mentioned earlier its neither too tall or spectacular but the view u get from the top is def worth a visit. Maybe so, beacuse all the buildings in the vicinity arent very tall themselves. We are right now in one of the oldest part of the city, with red brick roofs, cathedrals, cobbled streets and a lot of history attached.

Halfway down the street there is a beautiful water spouter at Gammel Torv (Old Square) called Storkespringvandet. In earlier days the midwives used to hold hands and dance around it after graduation. Some medieval fertility ritual it sounds :-). I saw something similar in Munich, only that the butchers used to dance around that fountain when they completed their apprenticeship.

Towards the end of the street is Kongens Nytorv. The equestrian statue of King Christian V stands tall n proud and has witnessed many a young people dancing around it when the matriculate. (Whats with all the dancing around things and the Danes??). The monarch rides over a prostrate figure of a man, who symbolises envy. The statue was made of gilded lead which meant that the horse began to collapse under the king, and repairs had to be carried out from time to time. If u look closely then the man who is lying down is supporting the horse with his knee. Finally, in 1946 it was considered necessary to replace the lead sculpture with a new one cast in bronze.

At Nytorv there was an exhibition of Steve Blooms phototgraphs.. all of them relating to wildlife shot all over the world India, US, Canada Africe, Europe, Australia and they were beautiful. This poster adorns my bedroom walls.

Just ahead of Kongens Nytorv is Nyhavn (New Harbor). This is one of the liveliest area of Copenhagen. Brightly colored buildings on either side of the water inlet with lotsa cafes, bars & restaurants and lotsa people hanging out there. Nyhavn in olden days was the heaven for sailors, who after their long months at the sea came to get 'fresh' here. But all thats passe now and what remains is def way better. Cruises start from Nyhavn every hour which take u on a 1 hour trip and show you around the place. Its good for my tired legs who have carried me around the whole day.
It also allows you to see from close quarters the Royal Danish boat, which is always ready to set sail if the need arises.
And now it was time to bid goodbye to Copenhagen and return to the good old Aalborg. One thing to note is that most of the attractions in Copenhagen are within walkable distance, so if u r in good shape it shouldnt be tough to see around. For others theres the tram, the buses and the metro. Maps to these n the city along with pamphlets of the major happenings n attactions are available at the tourist office which is bang opposite the Hard Rock Cafe - Copenhagen. Start walking left when u exit the Central Station and its on the first traffic light.

Some other pics from the trip:-

Random Post ....

I was just running through the Urban Dictionary when I came across something interesting.This one cracked me up....

11. Lurve

similar to love in that is has the letters "L" "V" and "E"...but thats about it.
Lurve is much deeper, stronger and more meaningful than love. It is possible to make lurve, this feels much better than making love, and is more fun for everyone involved.

heck I lurve you!
hey baby, lets make lurve.


And I thought those people had a slurred speech or some other kinda speech problem .... How very naive of me!!!!

M back!

OK people, am back. Back to Denmark, back to work, with a terrible cold.
Well just wanted to post something so here is something lame:-

Your Birthdate: September 10

Independent and dominant, you tend to be the alpha dog in most situations. You're very confident, and hardly anything ever shakes you. Mundane tasks tend to drain you - you prefer to be making great plans. You are quite original. When people don't "get" you, it bothers you a lot. Your strength: Your ability to gain respect Your weakness: Caring too much what others think Your power color: Orange-red Your power symbol: Letter X Your power month: October

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Will post about the India trip once I am done with the work backlog and the current things at hand.
This is also a hint to all you people that my birthday is only about a month away and I have officially started accepting gifts. In case you have any difficulty in sending me the gifts you may also send me cash or wire the money. Lemme know and I will furnish further details for you.

Yaar main India chala.....

YAASSSSSS!!!

Finally after 1 year 1 month and 16 days I get to go back home tomorrow... Just can’t wait. Don’t feel like working at all in the office...I think I will make an early exit today. All the packing needs to be done... have an early morning flight tomm...Two stops n I will be in Delhi by midnight.

3 weeks of vacation filled with family, relatives, friends, no work and 'maa ke haath ka khana'.. just what the doctor ordered. I hope u will excuse my inactivity on the blogsphere until then. I promise loads of pictures n posts upon return. (Hmmmm....I know about some of them right now like 'How to beat the Delhi Heat', 'How I successfully avoided my Mom's attempts to find a girl for me').

BTW.. if I know you and you happen to be in Delhi anytime within 3 weeks from tomorrow, drop me a line at:-

lalitsingh99 at gmail dot com

PS: The "if I know you" clause doesn’t hold for girls.
Please respond with your name, number, age and relationship status, and I will get back to you ASAP.

Copenhagen / København I

Surprisingly even after a year in Denmark, I hadn't seen the city. Well not a surprise considering that after staying in Delhi for 23 years I haven't seen the Qutub Minar. Copenhagen gets its name from it's Danish name København which literally is formed due to the amalgamation of the words Køben n Havn which means Merchant's Harbor. The city is a welcome break from the small town Aalborg where I stay. Of the 5.3 million inhabitants of Denmark 1.5 stay here. Well its neither too big nor too small... just the right size.

I started my day by going to the city hall the Rådhus and the square in front of it Rådhuspladsen (the Town Hall Square). It is the perfect place to start your tour of Copenhagen. It has the main bus station, hotels, restaurants and is in close proximity to Tivoli, Strøget (shopping street) and the tourist office is just about 200 mtrs down the road on Vesterbrogade.
The building was built at the start of the 20th Century and since then has been the political centre of Copenhagen. Its quite big and majestic from the outside and if u wish u can go in and have a look around n inside. The clock tower stands at 106m but the clock was placed in the tower in 1955. What purpose did it serve prior to that???? They also offer guided tours in the hall but I didnt atend one. Oh...and free washrooms as well.
On the right side of the building is Hans Christian Andersen Boulevarden and a statue of the great writer who gave us fairy tales like The Little Mermaid, Thumbelina, The Ugly Duckling, The Emperor's New Clothes and many more.

The bronze statue has shining thighs due the no of people who insist on sitting in it's lap and getting themselves clicked. Thanx to those bottoms at least something is shining.
Next up was the Amalienborg Palace. It consists of 4 seperate buildings, Christian VII, Christian VIII, Frederik VIII and Christian IX's Palace, built in rococo style and is where the Danish Royal family live. The equestrian statue in the middle of the square is Frederik V, the founder of Amalienborg. The Armaliemborg palaces have been home to the royal family since 1794 when the Christianborg Palace burnt down.

The Palace is guarded by the royal guards in their furry bear skin hats and once a day there is a changing of the guard at noon. The Royal Guards leaves the Rosenborg Castle at 11:30am in route to Amalienborg. Aftewards, the guard returns to Rosenborg. If the Queen is in the palace there is a band which accompanies the guards. Sadly, the Queen chose to be away when I paid her a visit... Can you believe that??? :-D
On one end of the square is Frederiks Kirke (Frederik’s Church) and on the other end is a beautiful fountain which overlooks the water front.On the other end of the water front is the Copenhagen Opera House designed by tbe Danish architect Henning Larsen (BTW Sydney opera House is also designed by a Danish architect Jørn Utzon).
The next thing I visited is a symbol of Denmark and something u would have def heard about - Den Lille Havfrue or The Little Mermaid... now fellas... the key word here is 'Little'.. believe me... its hardly noticeable..blink-and-you-will-miss-it types.
The little Mermaid sits at the waters edge with her back to the sea. This statue was inspired by The Little Mermaid fairy Tale by Hans Christian Anderson. The statue, made by artist Edvard Eriksen using his wife Elaine as the model, is made of bronze and was erected in 1913. A gift from the brewer Carl Jacobsen, of Carlsberg fame, to the city. The little one has suffered a tough life I must say. She has been decapitated twice and been covered in paint several times. Did someone say 'Living Dangerously’?
The next stop was Vor Frue Kirke (Church of Our Lady). This church is one of the most sober and simple one I have visited so far and yet so beautiful and impressive. The present church is the sixth to be built on the same site. After the fifth church was burned down during the bombardment of the town in 1807 the architect Christian Friedrich Hansen created the present classical building in 1811-29.

It has a two-storeyed interior. Behind the altar is Thorvaldsen's figure of Christ and along the walls the Twelve Apostles (on plinths). The church has witnessed many royal weddings and crownings, the latest being the marriage of The Crown Prince Frederik and his lady love (now the) Crown Princess Mary on May 14, 2004.

To be continued....

Karnival Aalborg

Karnival Aalborg is a three ay event which happens every year in Aalborg. It is the biggest carnival in north Europe and 25000 people participated in 2005. I came to Denmark on 2005 on the day of the carnival and have often joked to my colleagues that the people started singing dancing n drinking coz i had arrived. One year and the event happens again.

The first day is the Bourne Karnival (carnival for children) and I really don’t have much to write about it.

The fun begins on the second day when there is a parade of the various bands through the streets of the city and they all collect at Kilder Parken where the 'War of the Bands' begins. Each band plays for about 10 minutes and then 5 bands are selected for the finals the next day. Then there was a 60 min performance by a guy called SW Storm. The music is fusion, reggae, rock, Indian/Bhangra.

The best feature of this day is def the bands competition coz next day u wont be seeing all of the on stage. Bands from far n wide take part in this event. Drum beats and those gorgeous ladies dancing to their beats.

The final day its a riot on the streets. I don’t mean they literally riot, but the parade and the bands and the rest of the people dressed up as anything and everything just throng the streets, drinking beer n having a good time. The usual shenanigans like drunken brawls, people making out in the corners if they aren’t yet wasted, topless girls et al were all there. Don't feel like writing more so just see the pics.

BTW, theme of this year was "Erotic & Exotic"

World Cup Fever

Friday the 9th, I would be wearing this new Tshirt which says World Cup Germany upfront.

Here is one of ma fav World Cup songs:-



I have to admit that obtaining the tickets for any match has been impossible for me... and by now I have resigned to fate and decided to watch the matches from the confines of my apartment.

Who r u cheering for???

Salzburg

With a sweeping aerial view, the film opens with a left-to-right camera pan through the clouds and across rocky, snow-covered mountains. The camera dips into a green, wooded valley with steep cliffs that descend into a snow-fed lake. Reflections of the hills are viewed in the mirror-like images on the water's surface. As the camera moves over the European landscape and village, it discovers an open, green area nestled between the peaks. It moves closer and zooms into the green field, where it suddenly finds a happy and joyous Maria (Julie Andrews), a novice Salzburg Austrian nun, walking across the wide expanse of land. With open-armed appreciation of the beauty of the surrounding majestic peaks and vistas of the Austrian Alps, she twirls and sings the title song. For her: "The Hills Are Alive With the Sound of Music."

This is the opening sequence of "The Sound of Music",(SOM) a much-heralded, breath-taking piece of film-making. And it was shot here in Salzburg, Austria. Now it would be unfair to say that the film was shot in Salzburg coz the locations are spread far n wide. So to check out the places where this historic musical was shot I took the SOM Tour by Panorama Turs on the first day. The tour which lasts for about 4 hours, costs €30 and if u have an interest in movies then it is a must for u. There are some other tours as well like the Bavarian Alps, Salt Mines and the Ice Caves (this is conducted only in winters) which may be of interest to you. The places that we visited during the tour were:-

Leopoldskron Castle(pic above) - this was used as the Trapp family home.

Hellbrunn Castle

St Gilgen and Lake Wolfgang - adjoining village of Salzkammergut is the birthplace of Mozarts mother

Mondsee Cathedral- The wedding scene was filmed here. Maria led by liesl, walked down the aisle to meet the Baron in front of the stairs ok the main altar

Lake Wolfgang

Mondsee Cathedral

The SOM tour ended at the Mirabell Castle n Gardens. The Mirabell castle was built by Prince-Archibishop, Wolf Dietrich,in 1606. Today the Palace accommodates the office of Salzburg's Bürgermeister(mayor) and the municipal administration. Just besides the castle is the Mirabellgarten (Mirabell Gardens). In SOM, Maria and the children were seen dancing around the statue of Pegasus, the winged horse, and throughout the gardens singing "Do-Re-Mi".

Doe, a deer, a female deer, Ray, a drop of golden sun
Me, a name I call myself, Far, a long, long way to run
Sew, a needle pulling thread, La, a note to follow So
Tea, a drink with jam and bread, that will bring us back to Do
Doesnt that remind you of your rhyme singing, primary school days?

This is a nice place to take a break and if you like photography, you'll find many good spots. The garden enchants visitors with it's statues, fountains and elaboratly decorated flowerbeds.

The next day was reserved for exploring the old town of Salzburg (Alstadt), so we got ourselves this Salzburg Pass for €20. The pass allows travel on public transport and includes admission into many of the city's tourist attractions and usually comes out to be a good deal. The two day pass costs €27, so in case ur stay is gonna be longer u cd exercise this option. The day began at the Cathedral Salzburg. Its been consecrated, destroyed and rebuilt 3 times and the dates are commemorated at the gates (see pic above). The three main bronze doors represent Faith, Hope and Charity.

Under its roof is the most important musical instrument and one of Salzburg's treasures, the 4000-pipe organ where Mozart played his court-commissioned masses, psalms, litanies, chorals and sonatas. The four statues in front of the cathedral are St. Rupert, St. Paul, St. Peter and St. Virgil.

The octagonal dome that rises 71 meter high with its copper silhouette is recognisable from everywhere in the old city and the surrounding hills and mountains. Pic below is the dome from inside.

Outside, there is a statue of the Virgin Mary in the middle of the square. If you go out in front of the statue and walk toward it, it appears as if the angels on the facade of the cathedral, set the crown they are holding, on her head. Solid funda ...Haina??

Ok now something odd. Look at the below pic closely and in the middle u will see two alphabets. This is the Christian Anarchy Symbol, Alpha & Omega, meaning the first and last which in turn is to represent God and/or Jesus. (Refer to the book of Revelations 1:8, 21:6, & 22:13. Rev. 1:8 says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."). Basically, the symbol is a visual play on the "anarchy" symbol but with a different meaning and intent.

Christian Anarchism (also known as Christian libertarianism) is the belief that the only source of authority to which Christians are ultimately answerable is God, embodied in the teachings of Jesus. Christian anarchists feel that government and established churches do not, and should not, have power over them.

I've never ever seen anything like this in any other church and I have no idea what it was doing here. Actually I realised this only when I had come back and was editing the pics. If some one can explain to me whether they generally have such symbols in church. It was too obvious for a trained eye to have missed it, so I rule out all symbolism in this episode. Da Vinci Code anyways didn't get sucha favorable start at the Cannes :-P

Viva Mozart!!! Next we went to Mozart's House of birth n stay. Two diff buildings not very far apart. The pic below is of the house where he was born. Not much inside the house to see. The other place, where he stayed, provides much more info about his work n life. Visited it later during the day. And since this happens to be the 250 anniversary of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's birth therefore its kinda special this year with everything from chocolates to spirits, key chains, shot glasses embalmed with Mozart. Everyone conveniently forgets the fact that Mozart though born here, was virtually kicked out of the city and hence took refuge in Vienna.

Next up the Castle Hohensalzburg, which stands on a steep hill, Monchsberg. It was built in 1,077 by Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach. This medieval castle is one of the very few castles in Europe that were never conquered by foreign military force. To reach the castle u can either walk or take the funicular.

The view of the city from the top is absolutely gorgeous. There are a few restaurants at the top. So enjoy some pizza along with Weissbier but be prepared to wait a litle longer here coz the service is everything but quick. The view from these open air restaurants is also quiet breath-taking. The valley below is actually quite picturesque. Now if u look at the mountain in the pic below, then the Austian alps are to the left of it and on its right is German/Bavarian Alps. The mountain is half Austrian half German.

At the foot of the hill are lotsa shops selling souvenirs. I would recommend anyone to shop here as it is comparitively cheaper than the souvenir shops. A bell which I bought for €15 at one of the shops earlier was on sale for €9.

Also at the square is a huge chessboard, so I decided to sit there for a while n enjoy the game. Now about the game which i saw... It staretd off beautifully with the Ruy Lopez opening which incidently is my fav. Later White went in for the Flohr-Zaitsev Variation which you would agree can force Black to choose a different defence. So the black guy shifed from Arkhangelsk Defence. Now, I would have choosen the Closed Defence but that guy went for Delayed Exchange Variation Deferred, hence the black knight and bishop were not on their best squares.

OK...that was some really authentic sounding 100% crap...Except Ruy Lopez I dont know anything in the paragraph.. White won eventually and we moved on to explore more of the city.

One thing which we missed out was the boat ride in the Salzach river, which is a part of the Salzburg Pass. Since it wasnt officially summer the last boat left about 5 pm and we missed it. Strolled in the old town for some more time just exploring the streets, not visiting any place in particular, not in a hurry to reach a destination or landmark. Just letting the ambience of this old town seeep into me and etch itself in memories for later times.

Complete Salzburg Album

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And withs that on 31st May 2006, I completes one years in blogsphere. It is the Happy Buddays of the blogs!!!!!!

:-D

Next post, about the year it has been.