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.