My European Endeavour

Obergerichtsvollzieher - Yet another strange incident

2012-02-02T13:41:00.005+01:00

Recently I got a letter from ‘Obergerichtsvollzieher’- Law Prosecutor stating I have to pay certain amount of money otherwise I will be prosecuted. I was shell shocked by that letter because I was wondering I never had any debts and never took any credits. There was an appointment in the letter that Obergerichtsvollzieher will come to explain the reason why should I pay that amount and so on. Unfortunately it was Christmas time and I had to wait nearly two weeks for that appointment. It was always lingering on my mind what could be the reasons for it? In meantime, I checked with my Bank, housing agents and everybody declared that I had no debts and credits.

So the day arrived when old fat guy with gigantic look entered my house. He said I need to pay around 950 euros to Institute for Statistic Department, Aurich, Niedersachsen. I asked the reason why should I pay such an amount of money to them? He said it’s related to Micro Census and he asked me to contact that department for further queries and he left the house. The statistics department said I didn’t answer the questions which they posted to me by letter and it’s mandatory that every person living in Germany after receiving this letter must answer this question. There is a law that if you neglect to answer, necessary legal actions can be taken.

Now I remembered that I got so many times letter from Statistic Department with some questions. I neglected them simply because I thought it’s not mandatory to answer those questions and it’s left to the discretionary of the person whether to answer it or not. The questions were like how much sq m2 is the apartment and how much is the income in the family and so on. It seems the Statistic Department chooses 1% from the total population randomly and sends these letters. It seems there was a big protest in Germany in 1989 that it should not be made mandatory to answer those questions. Law was passed in 2009 that it’s a must to answer those questions.

I was just wondering Germans are so introvert people that they can’t allow the Google maps to publish their houses and streets, then how come they allow to give all the information about the income, size of the apartment and so on. That was the main reason why I simply neglected those letters. I called the Statistics Department and explained the situation that I was not aware of the fact that those questions have to be answered mandatorily. Sorry for neglecting those letters. I can give the information straight away. They were so kind enough to accept my offer and one can give information also by telephone and I gave all the information what they needed.

Regarding the fine, they said they can reduce the price from 950 to 200 Euros because 200 Euros is for the processing fee for Obergerichtsvollzieher. I felt really bad why I should pay even 200 Euros for giving my information to the state. I was consulting my mentor Harald and he advised me to talk to the Statistic Department and also gave an idea if they are so adamant say you will go to Hamburger Abendblatt, famous newspaper in Northern Germany. I adopted the same strategy and called the Statistic Department and they said they will get back to me in few days. After few days, they called me and said we will close this matter and please don’t neglect these letters in the future and provide all the information.

Thank god I was totally escaped from paying first 950 Euros and then 200 Euros. I can understand Census plays an important role in measuring the growth of the nation. As a responsible citizen, I don’t want to shy away from Census. But what wonders me is how can 1% of the Population give them a good picture of the nation. Whatever little statistics I have learnt, how come 1% of the sample population be effective. It really puzzles me to the core. Why can’t they do it more transparent and do it to all 100% of the population.

Lessons learned out of this situation:
1. Never ignore the official letters from the state.
2. Taking proactive measures in diplomatic way always helps.
3. Most importantly learning and speaking German in German society helps a lot.

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Fahrerflucht (Hit and Run) - Incident which I wont forget in my life...

2012-02-02T10:34:00.003+01:00

Recently a strange incident happened to me. I thought its good enough to document in my blog. One fine afternoon, the receptionist from my office called me and mentioned the driver of the car LG-AS-XXXX has been accused with hit and drive case (Umfallflucht) on 26th Jan at 18.26. I was shocked and perplexed to the core after hearing that news. I was given the number of police to contact directly and sort out the issue. Unfortunately, the concerned police work only half time and she already left the office.

I was asking myself when did I do some accident and when did I run away. It was a terrible night for me asking myself how could this happen and I was rewinding all possible actions on that day. Nothing came to my mind. I was googling around all the articles for this mistake (Fahrenflucht) what could be the penalty? Who should pay the cost to the damaged car? Will my hard earned driving license be in threat? I was asking all my German friends what I should do in this situation. Everybody advised me to go to the Police and collect the information. If things are complicated, then we can go to the lawyer. Next morning had appointment with the police, thanks to my good friend and colleague Henrik who came along with me to police to help and ease out the situation.

The police was very polite and explained the situation in a relaxed manner. One old German lady saw me parking my car. During the parking, it seems my car touched the other car. The old German lady called to police that I damaged the other car and I didn’t take any necessary action and she gave both the car numbers. Police examined my car and found no damages in my car. Police called the damaged car owner and asked for whether there was any damage to your car? Police could only reach the mother of the car owner and said they can’t make any decision unless and otherwise the owner of the car gives a statement that nothing has been damaged. The police gave the following possibilities.

Case A: If the owner of the car says nothing has been damaged, then I am completely safe. The case will anyway go to the city traffic attorney but he will simply reject the case because there was no damage done. The best ideal case which I was longing for.

Case B: If the owner of the car says, “yes damage has been done”. Then the police will inspect both the cars and estimate the damage caused and I will be penalized and there might be a chance that I can lose my license. The worst case which I was praying for not to happen.

The police clearly stated that she can give her decision only after talking with the owner of the car. I was totally frustrated and asked why didn’t the old lady didn’t come directly to me and say that you touched the other car, please inform police or concerned person. Why the heck she reported this incident to police. Because everything is insured here. Had she informed me, I should have taken necessary actions to inform police or inform the owner of the car. I was really disappointed with the action of the old lady.

I requested police that I wanted to meet this old lady and want to give some flowers and gifts ;) Police denied that it’s not possible to give this old lady’s information and said may be they can ask that I wanted to meet her. Then we came from the police station to work hoping that the owner of the other car would say that nothing has been damaged. I was very confident that I didn’t damage any car. There was an ethical discussion whether what the old lady did is right or wrong, does it make sense to meet that old lady and give some flowers ;)

After all the discussion, I received the call from police and they stated everything is fine. Nothing to worry and no damage has been done to the car. I was finally relaxed. The police also apologized for all the hardships caused to me and said it was not the old lady who gave this complaint but it was driving school teacher who was driving lorry gave them this complaint lol. The police asked me do you still want to meet this guy and give some flowers and presents. I paused for a while and said lets close this matter and thanked Police for all the cooperation.

I would like to compare similar incident which happened to me in Chennai, India. Anita was driving the car in Chennai. Suddenly one motorist tried to overtake our car; unfortunately, the motorist slightly collided with our car and auto (Tok-Tok). After the entire tussle between the auto (Tok-Tok) driver and the motorist, nothing happened. We just had to proceed with minor scratch in our car. No police complaint, no reclamation and nothing. Just wanted to give a comparison of how different society functions in different parts of the world. When society functions so organized and structured without much crime and robbery, I can expect what kind of cases the police has to deal in Germany ;)

I would like to pose the following ethical questions to the readers of this article.
1. Do you think what the old lady or the guy did is correct of giving the complaint without properly assessing the situation?
2. Do you think giving some flowers and gifts to that old lady or the guy makes sense ;)?
3. Do you think the old lady or the guy should have informed me directly?

Looking forward for your thoughts to have healthy discussion. It’s definitely one of the most memorable incident which has happened to me in Germany. Thanks to Henrik who helped me in this tough and crazy situation to bail me out.

Life is bit adventurous sometimes! Now I understand the phrase from my German friend, you can even touch my wife or girlfriend but not my car ;)
Sathish Kumar S

Sina Michael Marriage

2011-10-27T14:06:00.006+02:00

Recently I had a chance to attend my best German friend, Michael’s wedding in Petersdorf in the north of Hamburg. It happens to be very important wedding invitation to me simply because he was my first German friend when I came to Germany and remains still to be my best German buddy. It was a time when I was completely new to Germany, hardly spoke any German language and very difficult to understand the culture as well. The role he played to help me to integrate in to the society is something I would never forget it especially during my difficult times.

It was a good feeling to drive with my car to a place around 100 kms from my place with my honey with well dressed suit. Around 100 people came for the function and for an Indian 100 is a very small number in marriage function :D. The dinner was perfect with typical German dishes and Michael’s dad gave a presentation about Michael and Sina’s childhood days. After that came party where lot of songs from Köln and Football club Köln were played. It was a day to remember.

Thanks a lot Herr. Kitzelmann. We were delighted to be part of your important day and I wish you guys happy and prosperous married life. I still remember the sentence which Michi told, "In whichever part of the globe you are, whenever you want to visit me, my door is opened for you". Friendship with Micha is something which I really cherished during my good old days in Germany.

Cheers,
Sathish & Anita.

Serengeti National Park, Wildlife Safari in Germany

2011-10-10T21:57:00.007+02:00

I never even imagined that one could do a safari ride in Germany by sitting in car as it was pretty common in Africa. The Serengeti National Park in Hogenhagen, Niedersachsen gives a great possibility to explore the wild life by sitting in car. It was indeed a great experience to sit in the car and see lions, tigers and other carnivore’s animals wandering in the forest as opposed to animals enslaved to the cage in Zoos.

Besides exploring the animals in the forest, the park offers various rides like in theme park. Most interesting part is, the driver of the car gets a free ticket to explore the park. It’s a lovely feeling when Giraffe, Camels, Zebras just peek in to the car windows. Hats off to the park which created a virtual set up of a forest like in Africa. Certainly a great place to visit in Germany. A day to remember!

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Sächsische Schweiz with Nötzold family

2011-09-08T00:14:00.005+02:00

One more entry in my blogspot, yet another Sachsiches experience and one more lovely outing with Nötzold family. I never visited any family in India this quite often, twice in a year, never imagined that I would visit a German family twice in a year which is around 400 kms away from my place. This time had a chance to see Sächsische Schweiz (Sachsen Swiss). Even though can not be compared to Swiss, it’s a scenic mountainous area where one gets a panoramic view of the river elbe originating from Czech Republic from the mountain top.

We had a chance to go to near by zoo in Chemnitz. It’s been almost before 20 years that I visited a zoo. Nice to recollect the childhood days and meet all my friends ;). Normally traveled to Chemnitz along with Torsten in his car. This time had a chance to be in the driver seat and travel 400 Kms in German autobahns with pleasant weather. The drive from Magdeburg to Chemnitz was fascinating with no speed limits in the autobahn. I drew motivation from different personalities whom I came through with my experiences in life, but Torsten is a class act of how he manages both professional and personal life. Thanks Angela for nearly showing almost all the places in the Sachsen region in this span of five visits.

Ich liebe Nötzold familien!

Sathish & Anita.

Crazy dream came true....210 Km/h in German autobahns... :)

2011-09-07T22:53:00.004+02:00

Every body has small crazy dream in their life to be fulfilled. I had one such long dream of driving in German autobahns (National Highways) with out any speed limits when I came to this country before six years. During my stay in India, three things which always striked about Germany was their beer, their national highway with no speed limits with Mercedes, BMWs, Audis and their football team. Germany is the only country in the world which has no speed limits.

It’s indeed a marvelous experience for me to satiate this dream with Audi A3 in German autobahn to drive at 210 Km/h. The weather was pleasant and thanks to Anita who handled the stress by sitting next to me ;) I had to wait for long time and surpass many hard struggles for this dream to come true because of the various constraints involved in getting German driving license. There goes a saying its never late than never. Always chase your dreams!

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Mryna Andreas Marriage - Perfect International Wedding

2011-08-25T23:54:00.007+02:00

Recently my American friend Andreas got married to Myrna from Mexico in Hamburg. Both Andreas and Myrna studied together with me in my Master studies. It was a perfect example of an international marriage where people from all around the globe from USA, Mexico, Columbia, Peru, Germany, Poland, Russia, and Lithuania were present. It was indeed great moments with Andreas during our MBA studies with crazy night out parties in the common room, cranky trips to Berlin, Barcelona, Switzerland and last bench commenting about German professor’s English ;) Thanks to my MBA studies which gave a great chance to rub shoulders with different countrymen and know their way of life.

The wedding ceremony took place in church then followed by an evening party in a hotel which was beautifully located in Blankenese across the shores of river elbe. The occasion was very emotional and sentimental with both the parents and siblings of Andreas and Myrna exchanging their love and affection in both English and Spanish. Thanks to Juan, our Mexican friend who did the translation for the whole evening. The evening was enlightened with Mexican dance of Salsa and it was a perfect get together to meet our MBA classmates after our graduation in three years. Thanks a lot Myrna and Andreas for the invitation. We were so privileged to be part of this wonderful occasion with your family members. I wish both Myrna and Andreas a great start to their married life and best years ahead. Love has no barriers despite coming from two different cultures thats what Myrna and Andreas have shown us. Good luck guys!

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Vattenfall Cyclassics 2011

2011-08-25T23:06:00.006+02:00

Cycling is one hobby which I got in to it after coming to Germany and especially cycling for long distances in the midst of nature is a special experience indeed. Like last year got a chance to take part in Vattenfal Cyclassics 2011 for 55 kms. Thanks to Werum who motivates the employees to take part in this wonderful event by sponsoring it. Last time I completed 55 kms in 2 hours 22 minutes. So the target was to complete this time with in 2 hours but finally managed in 2 hours 13 minutes at a rate of 25Km/h.

It was a lovely experience when the whole roads are blocked for you and the motivation you get from all the local lads residing near the path of this cyclassics. Nearly more than 10,000 people participated in this cyclassics. When I drove for the first time for 55 kms it looked like a massive target but once you did, it becomes a routine in the coming years. Thanks to Henrik Stellmann who offered his cycle to me and it made a difference of around 10 minutes this year. Most importantly the weather was fascinating and it was shining for the whole day. Hoping to complete it with in 2 hours next time.

Hamburg is a city which has offered me so many things and I always wanted to take part in an event which is attached to Hamburg and this cyclassics is one of the biggest cycling race in Europe. I am so glad that I ended up in this most environmental friendly city. Hamburg meine perle!

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Finally German Driving License - Great Drama!!

2011-08-24T01:28:00.006+02:00

If at all one experience which haunted and tormented me a lot for considerable amount of time is definitely my driving license in Germany. Honestly, the society which gave me lots of fun, joy, exposure showed me the worst side of it as well. I was always amazed with German education system, their infrastructure, health insurance system and the way society functions in different areas but certainly one of the things where lots of discrepancies going on is definitely the driving license in Germany. I was always documenting my great experiences in this wonderful country during my stay here but thought this hard experience which I faced should be narrated and documented as well.

I always heard from my friends and colleagues, driving license is expensive in Germany and it takes more time, money and stress to get it but realized when I was on the receiving end. Having tasted German culture and German beer, it would have been an unsatiated dream if I don’t experience German autobahns. With all those dreams and aspirations, registered myself in a driving school. It all started with a theory exam where one has to learn around 1500 questions by just mere memorizing. Thank god this exam can be taken in English. Was wondering how many of them will have driving license in India if one has to learn 1500 questions and go to the exam. Most of the questions were not meaningful and understandable because of the straight translation from German text. For.e.g. what will you do when a game animal passes by. God only knows who that great game animal is. The sentence which one can never forget after you finish the theory exams “What you reckon with”. So cleared my theory exams with out much fuss.

Now comes the real test. Practical lessons. The actual rule says the mandatory lessons to be taken are 12 classes (4 in autobahn, 4 outside the city, 4 during the night) but the thumb rule which most of the driving school adopts is on an average 30 classes before you take the exams. Each class is not even for one hour and its 45 minutes where the teacher gives instructions to drive. Not even once, the teacher gave confidence about the driving and always skeptical about the mistakes and handling of the vehicle. The sad part is you pay a huge amount for just 45 minutes and at the end of the day you have to come out of despair after the driving.

Having experienced this torture, got ready for the drama. Practical Exam day. Thought it should be quite easy to clear the practical exam after driving for 30 classes. It all started with some German technical questions about the car. I was strangled with those questions because I took the theory exam in English and I was never exposed to those technical words which examiner asked me and neither my teacher never told me that the examiner will ask certain technical questions in German. I was requesting him for the English word for “Nebelscheinwerfer” but he was so adamant that he will only talk German. I was panic right from the word go. After few minutes of panic and stress, he gave me a clue nebel = fog. Had to show him the fog lamp and start the car. I was then asked to park the car which I did and after the parking was over, handbreak was applied, I left the clutch and the motor stopped. That’s the end of the story. I was allowed to drive only five minutes and maked as failed. I was even told by many people, the motor can be off for one or two times. I felt so miserable and depressed after the first exam and after shelling out hell lot of money.

There should be a minimum of two weeks for the next exam and unfortunately my India trip came during this period. Had a great chance to drive in India during my holidays with my car there and practiced a lot. Also drove in T.Nagar the busiest roads in India with my parents. But definitely driving in India can never be compared driving in Germany. Fixed the dates for second attempt and the most frustrating part is one has to take 3 to 5 practical lessons before the next exam. Once again has to undergo this agony with my favorite teacher. I was so concerned that I should end this tormented phase soon.

Now comes my second attempt. Thank god this time, the examiner didn’t pose any technical German questions and I was allowed to drive straightaway. Everything went fine for 30 minutes and I was asked to drive in autobahn. I was confident that this time I made it. But the examiner came with the shocking news that I failed once again. His reason was that the distance between the vehicle in front and my car was too short in autobahn. Damn, I was so frustrated and pizzed to the core and can never argue with him. The relationship with the teacher got worsened and I had to shell out my emotions. It was a time when I totally hit my low ebb of my life. I knew the whole set up of this driving license is to extract money but never realized it would be so painful.

I went to an extent that I have to give this driving license and never drive car in my life. Thanks to Anita and my good friends who constantly motivated me stating it doesn’t make sense to give up after spending hell lot of money. Thought of even changing the driving school and the teacher, but again starting from the scratch would cost me hell lot of money. So decided to persist with the existing moron and continue on. Once again took some lessons to gain some confidence for the next attempt. Getting an appointment with the teacher for driving is yet another herculean task.

Now comes my third attempt. This time I was given a sheet of paper by my teacher to learn a set of questions which examiner might ask on the third attempt. Was wondering why he didn’t do this for my first exam? How will he make money if I clear it on the first attempt. The teacher gave me confidence that this time the examiner is quite relaxed and you will surely get the license. I had to pacify myself this time I will finish this long standing story and also heard from many people here failing one or two times is quite common. The third attempt was the most anti-climax of all. I just came out of the examining centre and there was a stop sign board where I halted before the board and proceeded further. Failed once again in the third attempt. Reason I didn’t stop exactly before the line which is after the stop sign board and more importantly I didn’t stop for 3 seconds. Honestly that was one the moments when I felt why did I come to Germany. L

To give a simple example, the costs involved for just registering exam (85 Euros for Tüv which conducts the exam, 80 Euros for the driving school and 32 Euros for the test drive before the exam) which simply amounts to 200 Euros for just registering and taking the exam. It’s gone in a span of one minute for nothing. Realized this value of 200 Euros when the same 200 Euros showed me one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, Norway. How life could be so cruel sometimes.

It was certainly one of the most depressive moments I had to face. Again the same mood of giving up and not driving anymore in my life. Everyday is different and life goes on. So decided to go for the fourth attempt. This time I convinced myself I need to throw the dice and have to wait when the number turns up for me. It can be either in fifth or sixth or even tenth. My confidence was shattered to the core and I questioned my credibility and confidence all the time. It had a great impact on my professional and social life.

Now comes my fourth attempt. Certainly I was shell shocked how the examination was conducted. No worries. It was my teacher who was giving instructions where to drive in the exam and even guided me at various places and the examiner was gossiping with the teacher about their nude holidays in Mallorca. I even heard from my examiner that he has a girl friend and his girl friend has three children which was not born to him. So was the conversation when I took my fourth attempt. I was just wondering which reason I will get for failing in the fourth attempt. Finally finally I got the news that I will get my GERMAN DRIVING LICENSE. Why was my previous attempts not conducted this way. How does the teacher knows exactly what questions the examiner will ask and how do my teacher knows exactly the path which my examiner wants to go.

It was one of the perfect drama which I witnessed myself during my driving license in this part of the country. I felt embarrassed and dejected how this can happen in a society which is so structured and organized and has offered so many lovely experiences. There is a clear connection between the examiners and the teachers in giving the driving license. The driving school sets a benchmark of extracting certain amount of money from the candidates before the license is given. This is not the experience only for me and I hear similar kind of stories from many of my friends who took driving license in Germany. Anyway its hard reality to accept it but nothing can de done. I was asking myself when I failed in the exam last time barring driving license. My heart just reflected, I never failed in any of the exams which I took in school, college, and my master studies in Germany. I always made it a point irrespective of the grades I get, I need to clear the exams for the first time and no repetition of the exams should be there. Thank god this attitude paid me rich dividence in my whole career and my social life but not definitely in driving license.

No more philosophies, its time to hit the AutoBahns with no speed limits :)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Southern Pearl - Kanyakumari, Thiruchendur, Kutralam

2011-06-14T20:17:00.006+02:00

Recently I had a great chance to explore southern districts of Tamil Nadu with my school friends to attend Mani’s marriage in Tuticorin. First landed in Tuticorin from Chennai by Pearl City express and straight away proceeded to Kanyakumari. We took the boat ride to Vivekananda rock and Thiruvalluvar statue which is situated at the southern most tip of India in the conglomeration of Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean. The view of Vivekananda rock from Thiruvalluvar statue is a treat to watch. Then we made a sudden plan to visit Kutralam which is around two hours drive from Kanyakumari.

We were so lucky that season started in Kutralam with south-west monsoon triggered in the western ghats. It was quite a different experience to take bath in the different waterfalls of Kutralam (Main Falls, Old Falls, Five Falls) with flood lights on in the night. Then enjoyed Mani’s marriage which was conducted in typical south Indian traditional way. After the marriage had a chance to visit Thiruchendur murugan temple situated on the sea shore. Thanks to Mani’s marriage which reunited our school friends once again and it was awesome time recollecting our old memories and pulling each other.

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Gala day at M A Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

2011-05-30T10:10:00.007+02:00

No other team has been so successful in Indian Premier League in the last four seasons. It’s none other than our Chennai Super Kings (CSK), two times Champions, one time finalist, and one time semi-finalist. Adding to the flavor, they are Champions League winners in the year 2010 as well. We had a great chance to witness the finals of the IPL 2011 in M A Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk, Chennai along with my brother-in-laws. The atmosphere was electrying with a capacity of more than 50,000 people in the stadium. The stadium was full of yellow T-Shirts and yellow flags reminding me of a Holland football match with Orange dominating the stadium.

Chennai has always known for its craziness for Cricket, its knowledgeable crowd; record prone historic Chepauk and good decent Cricketers emerging from the state. Honestly expected the final to be a cliff hanger because of Gayli strom but the match got over after the great opening stand between local boy Vijay and Mr. Cricket Hussey. Adding salt to the wounds for Royal Challengers Bangalore is the removal of Gayle for a duck by yet another local boy Ashwin who has been denied chances humpty number of times in the playing X1 in the world cup team has proved yet again that he can deliver in the pressure situations.

It was a great atmosphere to watch this final in the stadium with crowd having utmost fun when home team lifted the coveted trophy. The awesome fireworks after CSK finished the formalities and crushing the RCB was a treat to watch. Many people argue about the twenty formats and its nature of killing one day international and test Cricket, but honestly 20-20, IPL and Champions League has added new dimensions to Cricket especially in non-cricketing nations because of its short format. I always believe IPL is the showcase of rising India. There were times when western Cricketers refused to tour India because of the lack of facilities and hot and humid nature of the country. Now any tom, dick and Harry from western world want to play in IPL and savor the moments and also increase their financial stability.

From economical point of view and to be precise from macro economics point of view, IPL has contributed a lot to Indian economy. The vendors, the sponsors, the local players, the T-Shirts etc etc has added value to numerous people in this society. Well English guys, you introduced 20-20 game to savor your beer after work, you would have never thought India would become power house of world Cricket once you introduced this format. Every nation has its day, let’s savor what India is now in world Cricket and also in the economy.

Thanks a lot Sridhar to get the tickets. You made it happen and one of the most memorable moments to cherish.

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Amsterdam, Tulip Gardens, The Netherlands

2011-05-01T18:17:00.008+02:00

Traveling alone is a great experience, but traveling with your sweet heart is another wonderful experience which one shouldn’t miss at anytime. Amsterdam looked quite different when I visited as a bachelor and as a family man ;) Thanks to Gayathri and Ratheesh who invited us to spend Easter holidays in Amsterdam and Tulip Gardens, Netherlands. Had a wonderful six to seven hours drive from Hamburg to Amsterdam.

Amsterdam with its architectural buildings, beautiful canals nearby, bicycles parked across the lovely banks is a pleasant sight to watch. It was a hard search to find a hotel during easter holidays and ultimately landed up in a hotel which was great play to stay for the price paid. Travelled to Keukenkof on the next day to one of the beautiful spring park in the world, the tulip gardens. Certainly one of the most picturesque parks which I have witnessed in Europe with color tulip flowers spread across the park.

Thanks a lot Gayathri and Ratheesh for all your efforts to accommodate us. It was more fun with your son Raghav and Aunt. It was a perfect familienausflug on a sunny long weekend.

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

First Anniversary @Heide Park, Solltau

2011-05-01T15:14:00.002+02:00

Time flies away like anything. It has already been one year since I got married. As experienced people said, first few years of marriage are always honeymoon period and it turned out be cherishing period as well for me and Anita. Both of us took a day off from our regular work schedule and went to a famous theme park in Northern Germany- Heide Park in Solltau with our good friends Aishwarya and Prabu. It was a perfect day to celebrate our first anniversary on a sunny day with lovely wonderful and exotic rides. It was a good period of time where we had a great chance to know and understand each other to the maximum. Thanks for all the wonderful moments Ani.

I love you Ani!

Sathish Kumar S

The night the World Cup came home - World Champions 2011 India :)

2011-04-03T15:17:00.009+02:00

It’s been a long time since I posted an article in my blog. Time has come now to express my happiest moment in my life when I witnessed my Indian team lifting the ICC world cup 2011 trophy with great passion, aggression and enthusiasm. Right from the time ever since I started watching Cricket from 92 world cup to this date, it’s been a long wait to see the men in blue lifting the prestigious, coveted world cup trophy. Thank god it happened in a time before my idol Sachin Tendulkar could retire from international Cricket. All the prayers of one billion people got fulfilled that he should be part of world cup winning team and as he mentioned “it’s never too late”.

Every nation has its own sport where it unites people from all quarters as it’s football for European nations, Rugby for Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans, its definitely Cricket for India. As one witnessed, poojas in Temples, prayers in Mosques, holy rituals in Gurudwaras, extra special prayers in Churches before the first ball is bowled in the world cup finals in Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. We could definitely boast as true world champions as it was not an easy ride in winning this trophy. An exhaustive quarter finals against the former world champions Australia, then the epic semi final match against the arch rivals Pakistan where even Prime Ministers of both the countries couldn’t shy away from this historic match in Mohali and the most much awaited final against the Lankans in Mumbai.

Million dollar thanks to all the members in the team who handled the pressure right from the word go when the tournament started and anything less than winning the final couldn’t satiate the 1 billion fans across the country and not to forget the coach Gary Kirsten who played a pivotal role to this success after the Greg Chappell drama in 2007 world cup in Caribbean. A word of praise for Mahendra Singh Dhoni who silenced all the critics for his strange tactics and did the talking with his bat with a knock out punch of 91 and lead the team from the front in all quarters. He could cherish this victory through out his life after what has happened to him and his house after the 2007 debacle.

One could always argue it’s a game of Cricket at the end of the day. Winning and Losing is a part of game but this cup is something special for the game of Cricket in India. Power house of world cricket, financial hub of Cricket, iconic players in the team, one of the most powerful leagues in the world, modern India definitely needs this crown at her helm. Thanks to Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble who played a big role in building this team and nurturing all the youngsters in the present team to cherish this most memorable victory.

Definitely sports offer motivation to various individuals in different aspects of life. Winning the world cup is a symbol of modern India and I am sure one billion people right from Jammu and Kashmir till Kanyakumari, Rann of Kutch till Arunachal Pradesh should have inspired and savored this memorable moment in one of the greatest sporting victory in the history of the game of Cricket.

Thanks men in Blue!
Sathish Kumar S

Snow....Snow...Snow.... Nochmal Sächsiches Erfahrungen!!

2010-12-22T21:33:00.007+01:00

Snow fall on the alpine trees, temperatures hovering around -15°C, 400 km of adventurous ride in the autobahn completely covered with snow, yet another experience of Sachsen, East Germany with lovely Nötzold family and of course more importantly this time along with my honey :)

We were so lucky that it snowed a lot before some days when we arrived there. Snow on the alpine trees, sun shine on the snow...it’s definitely a treat to watch. It has been a tremendous experience for Anita with snow. Just recollected my memory how was the feeling when I saw snow for the first time in Germany. It is indeed definitely an awesome feeling for people coming from tropical climate. We did Snow walking for about 15 kms. Initially planned for a short walk but ended up in an adventurous venture with out knowing the way and later using Google maps in the mobile phones to find the way since everywhere it was completely covered with snow and completely white.

It has become a regular practice for me now to visit Mr. Nötzold’s family twice a year. One during peak summer when sun shines in the Erzgebirge and the other during Christmas time with snow capped alpine trees and Christmas celebrations in Sachsen and Erzgebirge region. Torsten expressed as a sense of humor that his parents normally visit only once in a year that you are visiting now twice a year ;) I am so privileged that I had a chance to rub shoulders with him both professionally and socially.

Various personalities came in my life and I portray certain characters as my role model and Torsten is in fact my role model who handles both his family and professional life in a cool and successful manner. Thanks Torsten, Angela and Lara for the wonderful time you gave us every time when we were in Chemnitz. I felt very homely, happy and emotional with every moment I spent with you guys. Torsten, Angela and Lara, you really taught us language, culture differences are never a barrier when love flies in the air :)

Cheers,
Sathish & Anita.

My first German wedding in a span of five years :)

2010-10-26T14:36:00.003+02:00

One event which seldom happens in German society and the same event which happens quite often in Indian society. By now it must be quite obvious what I am referring to. “Germans getting married”. The society is so open and relaxed that teenager can even live with their partners separately away from parents with out getting married. Let’s argue the pros and cons later but now let’s get back to my experience of attending first German marriage.

Having lived here for five years, it was always my dream to attend one German marriage. Thanks to Kai and Isabel who gave a lovely opportunity to witness one of the cultural fest which I could experience in this part of the world. Kai and Isabel know each other and were in a relationship for almost eight years and then they came to a conclusion they were made for each other.:) The most important event in German marriage is “Polterabend” where all the family members, friends come for the function. They bring old Porcelain plates and cups and break them. The bride and the bridegroom clean up the place which will bring lot of luck for both of them. Nearly 100 people came for this function in the evening. Next day, bride, bridegroom, all the family members met in the Standesamt where the marriage was officially registered. The phrase “Letzte chance zum Rückzug” – Last chance to go back was painted in the Standesamt. Certainly a phrase which every partners would cherish before signing the official document of marriage in Germany. :D

After the Standesamt function, we all met in Kai’s house for a breakfast with lovely gifts and wishes being exchanged. Then we went for a religious Catholic wedding in the church. I really liked the ambience in the Church and of course the dress code of the guests. Then came the big party where only around 25 people attended the dinner. We are so privileged that Kai and Isabel invited us for the dinner where only family members were present. It was so perfectly organized in such a way that the seating arrangements were made well in advance and name plates were displayed for each of the guests where to sit down. This is something I could never even imagine in an Indian set up.

The function went on very smooth and soft where there is no chance of Chaos and mishap. I even realize why not Indian marriages have very little numbers and not very luxurious. The money being spent for one or two days can be used for the betterment of good life. Of course it doesn’t make sense to shake hands and give an artificial smile to the person in the marriage function whom I have never seen before. Having tasted both the cultures to the core, I can say it’s all the priority which people set to themselves. Driving a BMW or Mercedes can give pride to a German whereas inviting 1000s of people to a marriage function can give pride to an Indian.

All in all, it was a day to remember for me in Germany. It would have been an insatiate dream for me in Germany had I not attended Kai’s wedding. Best wishes to Kai and Isabel for a wonderful life together.

Thanks,
Sathish & Anita.

Mediterranean wonder, Mallorca, Spain

2010-10-20T21:41:00.007+02:00

Germany consists of 16 federal states, that’s what I learned in Goethe Institute but my fellow Germans always informed me that Germany has 17th state (bundesland) near to Spain in the Mediterranean sea and that’s Mallorca. It was always my dream to visit this Mediterranean Island which actually belonged to Spain and I couldn’t find better time to celebrate my 28th birthday in Mallorca with my honey.

Logistically, Mallorca is strongly connected to different parts of Europe. As always, Ryan Air offered cheap prices from Lübeck, Germany and planned this trip well in advance. We rented a car for two days since Anita had International Driving license. After our trip, we realized with out car its impossible to explore the great landscapes of Mallorca. I have seen mountains, I have seen the coastline but combination of both was the biggest highlight in this Island. The high peaks of the mountains which gives a panoramic view of the Mediterranean sea with blue skies and blue colored water is something feast to the eyes.

After the trip, I realized why Mallorca is a paradise for Germans. Blue skies, good sun shine, scenic coastline, bikinis around, couldn’t ask for more in holidays. This Island has interesting landscapes. The North Western drive near Andratx, Estellencs, Valldemossa is a must in Mallorca. The southern drive to Cala Pi, Santanyi is a treat to watch as well. The capital city Palma has got some beautiful castles, nice restaurants and long coastline.

All in all, it’s a trip which will stay in my memory forever. Celebrated my 28th birthday with all peace, satisfaction and happiness with my honey and she gave me a wonderful treat of driving along the great landscapes of this Mediterranean Island. Mallorca, don’t miss this marvel if you are in Europe!

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Lüneburger Heide, Germany

2010-09-16T17:32:00.009+02:00

Having worked and lived in Lüneburg for a couple of years, I didn’t find the right time to explore the landscapes of Lüneburger Heide. The most striking feature of this place is the violet colored flowers spreading over acres of land. These flowers blossom only in the month of August and September and more importantly can be found only in this part of the world because of its unique soil composition.

Thanks to Matthias my colleague and his girl friend Bea who invited us to explore the landscapes of Lüneburger Heide. This trip was also accompanied by Bea’s mother who was the tour guide and Bea’s niece as well. The weather stayed perfect through out the day and it was ideal to do the walking in the heide. We walked for around 16 Kms to explore this violet based landscape and me and Anita were totally exhausted once we finished the walking. But Bea’s mother was the fit and fastest of all. She is very active at the age of 75 which is something I can not believe and think about it.

Once we finished walking, we went to Children’s fest in Bispingen and it happened to be International Children’s Day. All in all it was a great and lovely experience to explore Lüneburger Heide. A day to remember!

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Vattenfall Hamburger Cyclassics 2010

2010-08-19T13:13:00.005+02:00

When I was a student in Technical University Hamburg, many of my fellow students prepared themselves and took part in Vattenfall Hamburger Cyclassics. I always thought to take part in such an event, one needs costly sports cycle and more importantly proper fitness to complete 55 Kms. Thanks to my company Werum Software & Systems who sponsored for the employees to take part in this event. I decided to take part in this event with my normal cycle and I did a trial run of 50 kms with my boss across the Elbe river and gained some confidence.

I always considered Hamburg as my second home town. It’s the city which gave me so many new experiences in life and more importantly nice friends and great social life. People talk about New York marathon, Tour De France and so many sportive events which are related to a particular city. Hamburger Cyclassics is one of the biggest Cyclassics event in Europe and I couldn’t find a better event than this to be nostalgic about Hamburg in the future. So I decided to go for it. The local residents near the suburbs of Hamburg through which we made our Bike tour motivated and cheered all the participants by chanting “Ihr Seid Helden” which is something which will stay in my memory forever.

Finally I finished 55 Kms in 2hours and 20 minutes at a rate 24Km/H. My goal was to finish the race. On the way I saw many accidents, some cycles got repaired, some people got tired and exhausted, I am glad that I completed 55 Km for the first time. This is something which I never imagined for in my life when I was young :) There are other ranges of about 100 Km and 150 Km which seems to be impossible now but you never know what’s in store in life :)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Zugspitze, Top of Germany

2010-08-04T21:49:00.008+02:00

Having tasted some great peaks in Swiss, Austria and its time now to reach the highest peak in Germany – Zugspitze. This time I explored this scenic place in Alps with my honey and my school friend Naresh and his wife Srija. First we reached Garmisch-PartenKirschen by ICE, met Naresh and Srija there and climbed up to the top Zugspitze by ZahnRadBahn (Mountain train). It was a pleasant sight to watch from the top and one could get a panoramic view of other peaks nearby and Eibsee, the lake beneath the Zugspitze. Eating Indian Tomato rice on the top of Zugspitze is the highlight of the whole trip :D Travelling by mountain train to reach the Alps peaks is definitely a great experience even though they are unimaginably expensive ;)

Returned from the top of Zugspitze to Eibsee by cable car which was quite different from traveling by train to the top. Spent some time in the lake Eibsee which was very colorful from the top. Then we moved to Neuschwanstein Castle, which was in the voting for Eighth wonder of the world. The drive to Neuschwanstein Castle from Garmisch is a life-time experience with snow capped mountains nearby, lakes spreading across, lush green pastures. Exploring these places by car is an awesome experience since one has a chance to stop at the picturesque locations. The nostalgic days of my University trip to Neuschwanstein during my Master studies was lingering in my mind when I trespassed these beautiful locations.

Relaxingly, we traveled to Bregenz in Austria, the city which lies on the banks of lake Bodensee. Took yet another mountain cable car called (PfänderBahn) to reach the top of Bregenz. One could get a panoramic view of the city of Bregenz from the top. Then we were back to Friedrichshafen and did a boating trip in Bodensee. It was a sudden plan from me and Naresh to dive in to Bodensee. It was awesome experience to swim in the middle of lake and weather was pleasant to swim in the lake and both our wives were just mute spectators ;)

South Germany especially Bavarian Alps, Bodensee is definitely a great experience if you are residing in North Germany. Totally different landscapes and natural beauty when compared to the North which is mostly flat land and bordered by seas. Me and Naresh have traveled a long way together in our life right from our childhood. It was lovely experience to cherish some moments with our wives together. Recollected our school and childhood days and felt nostalgic in Bavarian Alps.

Life is beautiful!
Sathish Kumar S

Sächsich Erfahrung mit Herr. Notzöld familien

2010-07-18T23:01:00.004+02:00

It has become a habit now that I experience Sachsen two times a year. One during the peak summer and another one during the Christmas time. Thanks to Nötzold family who provide this great opportunity for me to experience eastern part of Germany. This time it was with my honey to experience Sächsich. The weather turned out to be ultimate with sun shine through out the weekend.

Initially, we went to Erzgebirge to experience the making of perfumed Candles (Räucherkerzchen) which is used by Raucher Mann in Erzgebirge. Then we went to Greifensteine where one could get a panoramic view of Chemnitz from the top of the rocks. Then followed by historic match between Germany and England where Germany hammered England by 4-1. It’s the worst result for England in the history of world cup. Its really great time to be in Germany when Germans were playing awesome football.

Then went to Open Air Concert in the town hall of Chemnitz. It was totally a serene atmosphere with people bringing their own chairs to witness the Concert and finally with lovely fireworks to mark the end of the Concert for the summer. Next day tried to perform a sport for the first time – “Kletterwald” – Climbing up trees through ropes and chain. It was real fun to try this sport which Anita loved to the core. It was perfect weather to try this adventure and going back to our ancestral way of life of climbing up trees ;)

All in all it was a perfect weekend for us. Anita can’t ask anything more to experience German culture than spending time with Notzöld family. It was very pity that Torsten and his wife Angela couldn’t make up to our wedding because of Volcanic ash exactly during my wedding. The time which I spent with Torsten both technically and socially is something I need to script of my good old days in Germany.

Hats off to Notzöld family!
Sathish & Anita

Honeymoon with my honey in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India

2010-06-20T14:30:00.006+02:00

Short synopses before I start narrating my honey moon experiences. When I was preparing for my 10th standard board examinations, I read in my history book that India’s freedom fighters were exiled to Andaman and Nicobar Islands in Cellular jail and Britishers used these islands as their holiday package ;) Well that’s history. Lets come to the conclusion at the end of this article. It was always my dream to include these islands in my traveling voyage and I couldn’t find better way to club it with my honeymoon with my Honey :)

Andaman is logistically favorable if you are from Chennai and Calcutta. Got some good offers from Kingfisher airlines. Should really thank Kingfisher who plays a great role in the Indian airline sector and they have really set some amazing benchmarks and standards in connecting different cities of India. Arrived at Port Blair, the capital of Andaman Islands in Veer Savarkar International airport named after India’s great freedom fighter Vinayak Savarkar. First we went to Carbyn’s cove beach with coconut trees nearby, young guys playing Cricket along the coastline, small mountains nearby, group of small islands in the foresight was a treat to watch.

Then we went to Wandoor beach, one of the highly serene beaches which we came across. The small boats in stagnant water with blue skies was simply breathtaking. The beaches in Andaman were very shallow, hardly any tides and more importantly one could see clearly the coral reefs beneath the water. People talk about Maldives, Hawaii, Caribbean, definitely Andaman Islands are on par with these tropical beaches. Tourism has developed only in the last few decades and it was always a prime importance for Indian navy. There are numerous islands where civilization has not yet reached and there are quite of lot of tribal people who are still separated from the rest of the world. Most of the islands got vanished because of Tsunami.

The most thrilling experience was a trip to Havelock Islands by a ship. Had a chance to go to Elephant Islands by Catamaran reserved only for us. The ride to Elephant Islands with my honey is something which I cherished to the core. We both wore binoculars and went inside the water to explore the coral reefs and the shells. That’s something which is worth doing especially in Andaman Islands. I was really surprised with the friendliness of the locals in those islands. Most of them were Tamil and Bengali settlers from the Indian mainland. I never ever felt unsecured or being cheated by the locals which is very unusual in many tourist locations. Visited Radha Nagar beach which is rated as the Asia’s beautiful beach by Times Magazine. Really a long stretch with good view of the coastline. Requested our tour manager to explore unmanned location in Andaman which turned out to be the best spots in our trip.

The highlight of this whole trip is a visit to Cellular Jail. Had a chance to see the light show which depicts the history of the jail and the hardships faced by various freedom fighters. They made a story in a way that the tree which was there for many decades explains all the barbaric acts committed by the British Army Generals. Really made us very touching and emotional. World has gone long way and times have changed and I am so happy that belonged to young generation of Indians where I could afford to make my honeymoon with my wife taking in to considerations of all the hardships which my ancestors suffered and to a state where our life style is on par with the western world. Traveling offers great satisfaction and joy to me and certainly this honeymoon trip with my Anita is something which will reside in my memory forever. Just a phrase from Netaji Subash Chandra Bose museum which inspired me a lot

“Forget not that the greatest curse for a man is to remain a slave. Forget not that the grossest crime is to compromise with injustice and wrong”. Grossest – German word…interesting to see in Netaji’s phrase.

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Atlast I am Married... :)

2010-06-02T13:37:00.006+02:00

Certain moments of life, I cherished to the core. Definitely April 18th 2010 will always stay in my mind forever simply it happens to be my marriage day with my honey and also my wedding reception. I just gave a small talk before the reception began to welcome all the guests and thank all my well wishers. Here it goes....

Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome one and all for my auspicious Wedding Reception function. I take this opportunity to thank each and every person who have come here to share your time with us and make the evening memorable and everlasting. I just want to take few minutes of your time. Its not a political speech, its not a philosophical speech, its not religious speech, its just few words to express my happiness and feelings.

There goes a saying, always thank a person who have offered something in your life. There couldn’t be any other better person in my life who has offered everything and anything. That’s definitely my mom and dad. I am so gifted in my life to have such a mom and dad. The two personalities who stood in all my difficult times, gave all the support to have a smile on my face. They never insisted or pressurized me to do anything special. The sort of independence they offered me in Indian Society is something dream come true for any son .They never asked me to earn lot of money, they never asked me to become great Engineer or Doctor or Scientist, they never asked me to be a great Business magnet, but they always asked me to be happy in whatever I do and the end result is I am happy with whatever life has offered me.

After thoroughly enjoying single life, after traveling to 18 countries in Europe, after completing MS and MBA, after getting job satisfaction, I always asked what was missing… definitely my sweet heart with whom I can cherish, laugh, cry, fight to the core…I always wanted two important things from my partner.… one who loves me to the core and accept what I am…one who enjoys the company with my parents…I should say… I have got one in my life….ANITA. Are we really made for each other? Time should answer. I don't want to overlook now whats gonna happen after some decades when my heart says and throbs I love a person and that's Anita. I will be the most happiest person on this planet if I celebrate my 60th birthday with my Honey with funky Chicken on my hand. But Life doesn’t go as one expects. I am happy what life has offered to me till now.

Man is a social animal. Life can not be lead only with mom and dad. I wouldn’t have savored my life with out the company of my beloved friends. I also thank each and every personalities – friends, teachers who have made my days colorful and memorable. I take this opportunity to thank all my German friends who have come all the way from Germany to witness cultural feast on the other side of the planet. Germany gave me more than what I expected. In a society where I look so different, I don’t speak the native language properly, I don’t drink that much beer (hopefully) but I was accepted totally with warm regards. Vielen Dank Deutschland!

Having tasted both the cultures to the core, I always asked myself to which side I belong to and my heart says I am a mixture of Salad. Every culture has its own plus and minus. It was always my dream to see India as a developed nation. Having seen both western and Indian society, I always felt Indian society needs a drastic change in the mentality of the people. The traditional myths, superstitions, religious beliefs are the main hindrance for the betterment of this society. I hope and strongly believe that our future young generation will play a big role for this change to happen in the coming years.

Coming to the events. We will have a short game show. Please feel free to participate and win some prizes. Don’t feel shy. Followed by this event show, we will be happy to accept your blessings and wishes and more importantly your presents ;) In order to avoid confusion and rush in the stage, please feel free to finish your dinner first also and come to the stage. There is no hard and fast rule. As I said, it’s a evening to cherish and not a evening to make controversies :)

After all these, we will be happy if you could shake your body to the South Indian, Bollywood and English songs. Again please don’t feel shy. It’s a evening to cherish. I don’t want to take much of your time. I thank once again each and every person who have come here to shower your wishes and blessings. Have a great evening. Just want to finish in few sentences

Work Hard Party Hard
Life is short Live to the Maximum
World is Small
Friends forever

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

P.S. I also have the tamil version of this talk. If you are interested, please contact me.

Bachelor's party in Riga, Latvia

2010-05-13T14:48:00.006+02:00

Where should I celebrate my Bachelor’s party in Europe? My friend Stefan invited me to Riga, Latvia during Easter holidays to celebrate my last laugh in the East European city of Riga ;). We had a group of 5 from Germany and 10 Finnish guys during the trip. Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia, a major industrial, commercial, cultural and financial centre of the Baltics. The weather didn’t help us a lot during our trip as it was raining cats and dogs.

The old town of Riga has got some wonderful scenic architectural buildings and Churches. Riga's historical centre has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the city is particularly notable for its extensive Jugendstil (German Art Nouveau) architecture, which UNESCO considers to be unparalleled anywhere in the world. It was none other getting up in the morning, having breakfast, go to pub, drink loads of beer, play darts, stuff once again, take a nap, again to the pub, gossip a lot about the same story and finally ending up in discothèques and sleep next day till afternoon and continue the cycle.

I should say Riga has some amazing night life when compared to other European cities. Probably one of the best dance floors I experienced in Europe and fitting time to celebrate my Bachelor party with Stefan and Benny. Thanks to Air Baltic and Ryan Air which offered cheap tickets from Germany to Latvia and could increase my count to 18th country in Europe. Riga happens to be the last city in Europe during my European Voyage with Bachelor status. Let’s see what my married life offers during my next voyage of Life.

Good Bye Bachelor Life!
Sathish Kumar S

Chennai Super Kings – Indian Premier League Champions 2010

2010-05-09T11:03:00.009+02:00

It’s not Mumbai, it’s not Kolkatta, it’s not Delhi and it’s not Bangalore and it’s my Chennai who clinched the title and champions of Indian Premier League 2010. Thanks to Dhoni and his men who did an excellent job to come from no where to be crowned as Champions. Luckily I had a chance to watch an IPL match at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) vs Kolkatta Knight Riders with my brother in laws and at that time my future wife ;).

It was all along CSK who dominated the match and hammered Kolkatta to the core. The atmosphere in the stadium was electrifying with 50,000 people cheering for CSK. I still remember I got 50 rupees from my dad to buy a Test match pass in the local gallery and bunked my college to watch a Cricket match with my friends. It was definitely my dream to watch a match in Anna Pavilion or MCC Terrace. Dream definitely came true to watch a match with my girl ! Thank god Anita loves Cricket as well! I always enjoyed the atmosphere and ambience in Chidambaram stadium dating back to my childhood and college days. Who could forget the standing ovation to victorious Pakistan team after the historic innings from Sachin Tendulkar and it was Chennai crowd and I was in M.A. Chidambaram stadium.

After experiencing English Premier League, Bundes Liga, Champions League etc in Europe, I always felt why we don’t have a similar concept in a Cricket fanatic nation like India. I still remember some legendry players from England, Australia, New Zealand refused to tour India in the late 80s. Now every top player from western world is standing in queue to enter Indian Premier League.

I personally consider Indian Premier League as a symbol of “Rising India” and India’s supremacy in World Cricket. A perfect entertainment for the Indian crowd to savor their evenings after long day at work. Even from Cricketing point of view, the local players get a chance to rub shoulders with world class players. At the end of the day, it’s all about money in IPL. But I don’t mind if that money is generated in my homeland and benefits India’s economy. It was certainly a day to remember!

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Bad Fallingbostel Indoor Cricket Champions 2010 :)

2010-03-21T22:09:00.007+01:00

Gloomy weather, hard to see the sun shine, drizzling drops of water on the leaves of alpine trees, definitely not an ideal condition to play cricket outside. But off late I realized Cricket can also be played indoor with some great enthusiasm. Recently had a chance to represent Bad Fallingbostel Indoor Cricket Championship 2010 for my club Lüneburg. Twelve teams represented in the tournament out of which eight of them from British Army. Really asked myself why British army still exists in German soil? Hmm…NATO, Second World war…Uhgghghg….Big yawn…lets get back to Cricket ;)

We just formed a team just before two months and started to practice for fun once in a week. We got really hammered in North German Indoor Tournament 2010 by Göttingen. We never played as a team and many discipline aspects of the game were lacking. So went to the tournament as mere representatives to have fun during the weekend. I never even thought I would play a Cricket game against English guys. It was so fun to be surrounded by English guys and hear the sugar coated words of f**k f**k when facing the ball.

Fortunately or unfortunately, we ended up with the same points with another top team in our group. So SUPER BOWLOUT was used to decide the winning team for Semi-Finals. Each team has six balls to bowl to hit the stumps. The team with maximum number of hits qualifies for the semi-finals. If nobody hits the stumps in six balls, then its sudden death i.e. the team which hits first qualifies. It was so fun to be this situation. Both the teams didn’t manage to hit the stumps in six balls. So sudden death. Thanks to my colleague Faisal from Pakistan who managed to hit the stumps and we qualified for the semi-finals. Couldn’t control our emotions, we ran through the surface and grabbed the wicket and threw them away…Got a warning from the organizer…but who cares when you enjoy some moments of life…;)

Then comes semi-finals against Hannover. Hannover had lots of supporters especially quite a lot of Indian Chicks. Seriously a tough team to handle on and off the field ;). We made some good friends during the day with some English guys. So they supported us as well for Semi-finals and finals which made a huge impact on our game. It was so funny with a character named Geoffrey and slogans like “Come on Geoffrey” “Come on Lüneburg” made the day even more everlasting. It was a close match against Hannover and we managed to reach the finals which we could never believe for a moment.

So finals against Göttingen. The funny memories of lambasting and harassment before one month by Göttingen were lingering in our minds. But I always heard from Sir Geoffrey Boycott “Cricket is a punny game, anything can happen” with Yorkshire accent in TV commentaries when I used to bunk my college days to watch Cricket ;) We won the toss and elected to bat first. We made a good start making 90 for no loss and finally ended up with 106 all out …heheheeeee

It was easy chase for Göttingen by taking in to considerations of the quality of players they have got. They lost wickets at regular intervals and finally it reached a situation. 6 balls 8 runs and one wicket remaining. Our great leg spinner Mr. Henner Jung, a German who has great passion for the game had to bowl the final over ;) It was indeed lollipop for Göttingen to finish the game in great style. Finally it came 2 balls 4 runs needed. There was misunderstanding between the batsmen and finally Göttingen lost the final wicket under pressure. Oh my god, who were the champions. Is it Lüneburg? This is something which we couldn’t believe ourselves. Really great moments! Definitely a weekend which would reside in my memory forever. Thanks to Faisal, Ali, Rizwan and Sri, with out them we wouldn’t have cherished this victory.

At the end of the day, “Cricket is a punny game” as referred by funny Yorkshire men 

Ich mag nicht Kricket, Ich liebe Es!
Sathish Kumar S

Sachin - The God of Cricket

2010-02-26T00:06:00.004+01:00

Very few personalities in this planet can win the hearts of millions..one can easily count them with our fingers..Sachin Tendulkar definitely comes in the list of great sporting personalities under the likes of Micheal Schumacher, Diego Maradonna, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer, Don Bradman which this planet has ever witnessed...I was so lucky that I grew up during his prime time and can say to my grand children that I belonged to Sachin era ;) I am pretty sure Sachin has silenced all the critics from Cricketing pundits and he has nothing much to prove to anybody...India definitely needed such a hero in the present day world and he has instilled lot of passion and pride in the minds of millions of youth...How many glorious and happy days you should have given to millions and millions of Indians...and this 200 in ODI is finally the tip of the iceberg...What amazes me about this great man is sheer humbleness he shows in on and off the field...Oh Sachin...whatever you score now in the future is extra honey for all of us...You are indeed great ambassador for the game of Cricket and more importantly for a proud Cricketing nation INDIA!

"Great men can't leave this earth with out achieving what they want in their life... Thats our man 'Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar'..Hats off Genius"

Sathish Kumar S

Cricket in Germany

2010-02-25T23:25:00.004+01:00

Narrow streets, Bicycles and mopeds passing by, targeting neighbor's glasses...this was the gally cricket which I was used to right from my school days...I never really got a chance to play with proper cricket kits in a lush green grass when I was in India even though Cricket happens to be my favorite sport...Recently got a chance to play with proper stumps, gloves, pads, bat and ball...Thanks to International Cricket Council (ICC) who sponsors non-cricket playing nations like Germany to promote the sport...Had a chance to represent Lüneburg in the North Deutschland Indoor Cup...I could hardly see any German in the tournament...it was all Indians, Pakistanis, SriLankans and bit of English and Aussies...It was a great day to remember with lots of fun in the indoor stadium even though we lost two matches... ;)

Sathish Kumar S

Devastating winter, - 20°C

2010-01-30T20:18:00.005+01:00

Out of five winters which I experienced in Germany, 2010 should be one of the worst and devastating winter. Temperatures were fluctuating at around -20°C through out January. The famous lake in Hamburg, the Alster was frozen to the core. Thousands of people were playing in Alster lake...really picturesque sight to watch...The minimum temperature which I experienced in my home town Chennai was not less than 20°C :) To live in -20°C is a lovely experience....I always read about four seasons in my school books...never had a chance to see four seasons in Chennai...it was only summer and rainy season...Hamburg has got lovely four different seasons....Hard winter, Romantic Spring, Sexy summer, Picturesque Autumn...Looking forward for some sunshine soon!

Sathish Kumar S

Small gift to my parents

2010-01-24T16:09:00.005+01:00

When my mom, dad and me returned from our father's native place Salem in Yercaud Express to Chennai, we used to get down at Avadi station (in the suburbs of Chennai). Our house is situated at around 2kms from the station. I requested my dad to take Taxi since it was difficult to walk 2kms with the luggage. My father replied "I am not so rich to afford for Taxi Sathish. When you grow up, you can take us in your car and kissed on my face". It was always my dream to take my parents in the car. Time has come now where I could afford a car to my parents (Hyundai Santro). I pretty well know that materialistic things can't make them happy in a longer context. I am not making them happy by staying with them in Chennai atleast I could motivate them and get excuse for my further stay in Deutschland :) Oh god please don't make me fall in to the traps of materialistic benefits :D

I love my appa and amma!
Sathish Kumar S

Christmas Eve with Henrik family :)

2009-12-30T15:20:00.008+01:00

Snow capped alpine trees, Church bells ringing around, Christmas gifts all round the shopping malls, Tanenbaum (Christmas trees) with their flashing lights, prayers round the corners, I was just wondering couldn’t be a normal day. It wasn’t indeed. It was Christmas eve. Henrik, my colleague invited me to celebrate Christmas evening with his family. I was really surprised when I got the invitation from him.

Started off the evening with prayers in the Church, followed by wonderful dinner. Oh my goodness I should do lot of sports in the next year to reduce all the fat which I accumulated over the past few weeks during Christmas time. Really awesome dinner with absolute varieties of Cheese, Butter, Salamis, meat, Bread etc. Then followed by a game with the dice to distribute the gifts which everybody bought. If I attend next few Christmas eve with Henrik, I guess my houses can be decorated with full of gifts…no need to shop anymore ;) In the beginning, I was just concerned of how the evening would be because it’s a family fest that too with Oma (Grandma). Honestly, it was Oma who stole the show. Reminds me of my typical Oma in India….Then remembered Shakespeare’s “All the world’s a stage”….the second childhood…Could listen to her experiences about post world-war scenario and many other things of Germany’s transformation.

I always used to tease Henrik as Senior Consultant. Of course that’s his designation. It really amazes me how he separates professional and social life. I should really thank him who greatly helped me to integrate in to German society by inviting me for many social gatherings. I thank Henrik and Sarah who provided excellent opportunity to experience some thing special Heiligabend (Christmas eve) in Germany. Definitely an experience which will reside in my memory for long time. Vielan Dank Henrik!

Henrik’s famous phrase: Programmer: The device for converting coffee into software. :D
Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Is Germany a racist country?

2009-12-29T15:35:00.011+01:00

When I was chatting with a friend in California, United States, he was asking how is life in Germany…I replied with optimistic tone “Great”…the next question he asked to me do you really feel safe to live and work in Germany and passed on the below link... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8347040.stm Will be worth enough to read that article from BBC before continuing reading mine..

The title from BBC states “Is Germany a racist country?” After reading that article I felt I should make my comments simply because this country offered me something which I never imagined for in the past. It’s quite easy to stereotype the small minor incidents when it is related to foreigners. If one foreigner breaks the rule lets say not following the traffic rules could lead to a conclusion that all the foreigners are like this. Same holds good when the majorities perform some attacks on the minorities. These issues are always very sensitive in any sections of the society.

I can quote numerous examples of minorities having problems in different corners of the world. For eg. Muslims in India, Tamils in SriLanka, Indian Origin in Malaysia, off late Indians in Australia, Blacks in the past South Africa, America and the example goes on and on. There are always anti-social elements in any sections of the society. When you return from a football match in East Germany is equivalent to returning from a match where Manchester United lost and talk to Hooligans after the match. So England a racist country?

Since I made lot of fortunes in German society, met highly smart intellectuals in University, work and daily life, I can now blow my trumpet “Wow, I love Germans”. Just one small incident with some drunkard in the subway train in the future will make me to write “All Germans are Racist Idiots”. Ah my goodness how opportunistic I can be. Can I forget all the wonderful experiences I made in the past just for one small incident with one stranger?

I accept the fact that it takes really time to integrate in to German society. With my experiences here for four years, I can clearly say its mainly because of the language constraints. Just imagine a situation in England or US, when you go to a shop and you buy some articles and you can’t speak English. Would you expect them to be friendly and can you integrate in to the society with out English. Just because one can not speak German fluently and finds it hard to integrate in to the society can we stereotype that Germans are racists?

For sure, there exists in some places, some situations where you feel you are discriminated. Honestly speaking I faced even in Indian society being an Indian with respect to caste, color, creed and the language I spoke. I asked the same friend who is living in California, you live in United States for so many years. How many Americans would have invited you for a dinner? The answer was straightforward “Not even one”. Does that mean so many Germans invited me for a dinner that I am writing an article in support of this society? ;) Its not just one or two days of my life in Germany to defend her but its been mammoth four years of experience to break the shackles.

Let’s accept the fact that minorities are always at the level of scrutiny and there is always thin line between mistakes and acceptance. The rule of thumb is if you as a minority want to make some fortunes in foreign land always outshine the majorities. I should say I was blessed to meet highly smart rational intellectuals during my stay here and of course I also met some RACISTS. Is still Germany a racist country?

CONCLUSION: Stereotype never helps in life.. :)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Glühwein in Erzgebirge, Chemnitz, Germany

2009-12-17T14:29:00.003+01:00

December is definitely a beautiful month to spend in Germany. With cultural Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market), Glühwein, wonderful decorations is definitely a treat to watch. Recently my PL Törsten invited me to his house in Chemnitz to experience the Christmas time in eastern part of Germany. Its totally different from what I experienced in West Germany. First we went to Seiffen which is located in the midst of Erzgebirge. Seiffen has some beautiful churches, museums and Weihnachtsmarkt. Really a place to be during the Christmas celebrations.

Then we went to Nussknacker (Nuts Cracker) museum. Everywhere in Erzgebirge you always find three things 1. The Erzegebirge Christmas pyramids 2. Nussknacker 3. Räuchermann. During christmas time, Räuchermänner are displayed together with christmas pyramid. Then had a chance to drink Glühwein in Chemnitzer Weihnachtsmarkt. Törsten cooked typical German food for us. All in all, it was a great weekend with Törsten’s family. Thanks to Angela who took great amount of effort to show and explain the cultural aspect of Erzgebirge and near by areas. I experienced different cultural aspects in Germany, but definitely experience with Törsten’s family is tip of the Iceberg.

I love Törsten's family!
Sathish Kumar S

Timeline 2009

2009-12-16T13:43:00.008+01:00

Another year of stay in Deutschland…if I look back 2009…lot of fun, stress at work…lot of traveling experiences…lot of depressive moments…in the end really satisfying year…lets have a short synopses of how it turned out..

January:
------------
Nothing much happened in January…was freezing in the winter…Attended Merkel’s retirement function…got a gift a big bottle of wine which I can drink through out my life..,;)

February:
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Wonderful trip to Harz Mountains in Niedersachsen…It was fun filled trip with snow everywhere…Brocken is definitely a good place to hang around in winter…

March:
----------
Attended some traditional village fest( Vater tag, Shützenfest) in Wetzen…Got a glimpse of German country side life and to say its totally boring when compared to city life..

April:
---------
Had a wonderful trip to Copenhagen, Denmark with Anu and Jothir…the ship journey, train going inside the ship…amazing weather…Danish beers…amazing moments…Had a chance to see 30th birthday celebration of a German who is not married by 30…really crazy celebrations…

May:
--------
The great Norwegian Saga… one of the wonderful experiences I had in Europe…one of the best roadtrips one can imagine on this planet…Bergen to Oslo…Experienced the other extreme of Europe…Portugal…one of the best summer holidays I made in Europe…lovely picturesque amazing beaches…

June:
--------
Had a chance to make a presentation in Rotary Club Hamburg on the topic “Rise of Indian Economy”…Wonderful class trip to Ratzeburg with my ex-classmates…trip to Heide park with Guiness rides and rollercoasters…

July:
-------
Ran marathon for the first time in my life…completing 7Km in 36.55 minutes…really a dream come true for a fat guy who never concentrated on his fitness..;)

August:
----------
Went to Tegernsee in Bavaria to visit Merkel…really one of the scenic landscapes I witnessed in Deutschland…Went to Externsteine…pillar of rocks in NRW…wonderful time with a big gang…Went to Chemnitz to visit my PL Törsten’s family…really amazing experiences with his family…went to India…found my love atlast :)…had my engagement…had wonderful time with my school friends in East Coast Road in Chennai after a long time..

September:
---------------
Visited Damo in Dubai on my return journey to Hamburg…Dubai is definitely a place to visit once in their life time…wonderful desert Safari…Sisha…Sand dunes…dates…memorable times…visited Fredericke-my ex-room mate in Uelzen…had a chance to drive tractor in German field for the first time…in Uelzen...

October:
-----------
Other than work I couldn’t think about anything during this month… on top of it had to work for long hours and also on weekends…who cares if they pay for working on weekends.. ;)

November:
--------------
November is the worst month to spend in Germany…Winter starting…Sun comes after 8 sets at 4…really one of the depressive month to spend…

December:
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Moved to new apartment…end to my shared apartment stories….Christmas time…Gluhwein…Christmas markets…Santa Claus…Christmas dinner…once again visit to East Germany to Erzgebirge to visit Törsten’s family…lovely experiences during Christmas time…

On the whole, 2009 was a mixed year with many challenges, fun, happiness.. on a scale of 10, 2009 would get 7…lets how 2010 is gonna be…I am sure much more challenges and fun are on the cards… ;)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Bollywood Party - Donate to Educate!

2009-11-22T20:12:00.005+01:00

Recently I had a chance to attend Bollywood party which was organized by Indian Students Association at Technical University Hamburg-Harburg(ISATUHH) together with ASHA (an NGO). Its a charity night where the money raised from the event goes for the development of a slum school in Delhi. It was a great initiative taken by the young, motivated, enthusiastic students in TUHH who believe they can make a big difference in the Indian society...their efforts didn't go in vain...it was a great turnout...lovely evening with gala Bollywood music and dance...Bahut Masti...!! certainly a great Indian night to remember during my stay in Hamburg for a good cause... Hats off guys!!

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Completing 27th revolution around the sun.

2009-10-04T23:14:00.006+02:00

Three more years to hit the magic 30....time is running very fast...slowly counting white specs on my head...have to accept the fact that "I am no more young and let me curtail my tail" ;) .great lovely dinner with my good friends Rakesh and Prabu...important phone call from important person at 12 o clock...cutting of lovely cake presented by Rakesh and Prabu...followed by birthday bumps and kuthu...Thanks Rakesh and Prabu for the wonderful evening...wearing a new piece of formal shirt gifted by special person...nice strolling across the corridors of my office...lovely smiles and wishes from colleagues...lovely wishes from my Parents, well-wishers and friends...really satisfying day...Life goes on.... Life is beautiful even if its not supposed to be ;)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Every dog has its day.. :)

2009-09-13T23:37:00.006+02:00

Being loved by someone and loving someone is always a special feeling. It’s always god’s gift when both the partners are at the same level of feeling. Having brought up in a conservative south Indian society, I always missed the chance of experiencing this special sort of feeling. When I was in schools and colleges, marks, career, mathematical and programming variables were of prime importance to me than over showing beautiful babes ;) Even when I got a chance of getting closer to my crushes, I didn’t have the great interest and guts to convert in to a strong relation.

After thoroughly enjoying single life, after traveling to 15 countries in Europe, after completing MS and MBA, after getting job satisfaction, I always asked what was missing… definitely my sweet heart with whom I can cherish, laugh, cry, fight to the core…it was certainly very difficult for me to find a person of my wavelength in the German society simply because I was born brought up as an Indian for 23 years and also fact that there are not many Indians living in Germany…I always hated Indian arranged marriages where love is not of prime importance… So lack of attitude based girls in German society, not many Indian girls in Germany, no arranged marriage…where can I search my love…? But in the midst of all these situations, how did I get one? Let me start writing a new blogspot of how did I manage one ;)

Fortunately, a new character came in my life…I always wanted two important things from my partner.… one who loves me to the core and accept what I am…one who enjoys the company with my parents…I should say… I have got one in my life….ANITA. Are we really made for each other? Time should answer. I don't want to overlook now whats gonna happen after some decades when my heart says and throbs I love a person and that's Anita.

I love you Anita!!
Sathish Kumar S

Arabian Sand Dunes, Dubai, UAE

2009-09-12T02:21:00.010+02:00

Temperature: 45° C, humidity: 70%, Sweating to the core. Huge sky scrappers, gigantic malls, White long clothes with black rubber bands…Which part of the globe I am in? Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait? Oh no… I could see lot of western babes on the beach with their bikinis…Am I in Middle East? Am I in Islamic orthodox country? The sign board says…Welcome to the heart of Middle East, Dubai. Had a great chance to explore this city since I booked the flight to India via Emirates and more importantly my close school friend Damo is working in Dubai. After seeing Dubai, I should say to Germans, “Germany looks under developed nation when compared to Emirates” ;) The city is surrounded by huge tall sky scrappers, luxurious hotels and gigantic malls…could never imagine how they could convert a desert to a dream come heaven. Couldn’t even remember the number of hotels and sky scrappers I saw. But honestly it’s the hard work of 80% of the people from third world countries in hot scorching sun which complements 20% of the people’s happiness.  Pity

One thing which really fascinates me about this city was the multi culture. When I stand in a big mall or any super market, I could see an European, Chinese, Indians, Pakis, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans at the same time. Simply incredible example of globalization and multi cultural aspect. I could hardly see native Emirates people with their traditional dresses. Damo arranged for a Safari…went deep in to the desert…with lovely picturesque sand dunes…amazing experience with Land Rover jeep strolling on the Sand dunes…it was always my dream to be in the desert…Thanks to Damo for fulfilling this dream…then followed by amazing dinner…smoked shisha for the first time…missed a chance of seeing Belly dance because of Ramzan… had to compromise for ordinary Arabian Dance… ;) Either you want to spend all the money what you earned in life or you want to earn all the money for your life…Dubai is the ideal location…:D ..

Unfortunately I visited this city during Ramzan time. No body should drink and eat outside after the sun rise and before the sun set. I was trying to drink water after taking bath with the sweat. A man nearby came and stopped me from drinking the water. Hey I am not a Muslim…Oh no…I am in Muslim land….what kind of logic is this…Cant even drink water when I am thirsty….Oh god…A German would offer me a beer anytime even if I try to touch his wife…;) but he wont offer me one if I try to touch his car :D jokes apart…

To be honest, the respect for Indians in Middle East is definitely a big question mark? Oh god please shift the oil deposits close to the Indian Coastline as soon as possible…Oil deposits coupled with programming variables in India could be a good threat for the rest of the world na…Hmm…Sorry I am coming out of my day dreams… ;) But surely after tasting European way of life, I am sure it’s pretty difficult to lead a life in Dubai. Really? If McKinsey in Dubai pays more than what I earn in Germany, the previous sentence has to be rephrased ;)

I should really thank Damo for helping me to explore Dubai to the core. Sweet moments of life to spend some wonderful times in the Arabian Sand Dunes with a childhood friend with whom I shared, cried, laughed to the core. Damo has really suffered a lot in his younger age. When we are gazing at the huge towers of Dubai in his Mitsubishi Lancer, Damo said, he just had 5000 Indian rupees in his house on the day when his father passed away in the accident. I am so so happy for him what he is in his life after all the sufferings he had in his younger age. Thanks to Chemical Engineering which he persisted even during all the tough times. Hats off Damo!!

DUBAI must see city in the world!!

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Fisherman’s Cove East Coast Road (ECR) adventure, Chennai, India

2009-09-12T00:19:00.005+02:00

Being born brought up in Chennai, it was always my dream to explore the famous East Coast Road and especially Fisherman’s Cove but Vitamin M(oney) was a big issue during my times in India to explore these amazing places in Chennai. Thanks to the strong exchange rate of Euros and as usual Chennai sunny weather, I could realize this dream with my school friends. I promised my school friends to give a big treat during my visit to

India

We bunked the school for solving complex Mathematical problems, bunked the college for watching the Cricket matches in Chepauk, now we bunked the offices to have a great time on the scenic Bay of Bengal…Hmm…Life at different stages…J We sat in the catamaran and went far away from the shore…finally jumped in to the sea from the catamaran….of course with life jackets…it was a great experience to float in the middle of the sea…stayed in the water for about an hour and finally back to the shore…lovely moments…

Had a lovely lunch in the food court. To say honestly, cost of living in Chennai has increased a lot as well…its not the same Chennai as it used to be…;) Then went to play a new game called Paint Ball…the rule is as follows: Five members in each team. There will be bunkers to hide and shoot the opponents. The idea is to get the flag from the opponent side and bring it back to the own territory or kill (out) all the opponents. When the bullet hits a person, the paint is splashed on the body and he is out of the game. Thought the bullet is soft and will not hurt but my friend Sridhar got hurted a bit. It was fun playing this game with all the gun and the bullets…it was never easy for South Indians to handle guns and the bullets…oh ya…that’s why its one of the safest zone on the earth…;)

Then went for a stroll in Thiruvanmiyur beach recollecting all our old memories and stories…All in all really satisfying day in my life to have such a great time with my school buddies after years of separation in foreign land. I should say was really lucky to have amazing set of friends during my school time. We complemented during different stages of our life and its so unfortunate that we are sitting in different corners of the globe to realize all our dreams and fulfill our responsibilities. But the memories and the experiences which we made in the past really binds us. Friends forever!!

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Tractor fahren in Uelzen :D

2009-08-16T01:07:00.011+02:00

After my students life, I decided to take a separate apartment and live alone...but thought why not give a try of living in shared apartments (Wohnen Gemeinschaft -WG) with Germans...it was certainly a new experience for me which gave a great insight of German life style...It certainly helped me in my cleanliness part and organization of the room...which I never cared when I was in India... :D It was mixed experience with the room mates in WG...but was quite lucky to have Friederike as our room mate after some hard experiences...the communication was one to one...she was very open when compared to other German girls...spoke amazing English...

She promised me to take to her boy friend's farm house in Uelzen before she leaves our apartment...It was a great day with Friederike, Henerik and his parents in Uelzen. Henerik helped me to ride the tractor in his farmland...never imagined I would ride a tractor in Germany being a software engineer :D followed by wonderful grilling with the wurst and potaoes..Certainly a day to remember...all the best Friederike in all your future endeavours...alles alles gute... :)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Externsteine

2009-08-16T00:08:00.005+02:00

If Deutsche Bahn makes a survey who exploits the Schönes Wochenende ticket (Happy Weekend Ticket) to the maximum...it must be none other than Indians in Germany...:D Had a chance once again to utilize this option with my good friends Prabu, Bharath, Arasu, Vijay, Prasanna to a place called "Externsteine"...its a distinctive rock formation located in the Teutoburger Wald region of northwestern Germany, not far from the city of Detmold at Horn-Bad Meinberg...first went to Hamm Amman temple...had a wonderful dharshan...ofcourse didn't miss the Prasatham :D..it was a gala time in the train playing 5 cards, Ass...had a great chance to bring Indian atmosphere in German trains...;) It was a perfect start to the trip...my cycle got repaired on the way to catch the morning train...Thank god two German girls came on the way...asked for help from them...they just gave a tip to park the vehicle on the lamp post nearby and helped me to take a Taxi...German girls are n't bad either ;)

Externsteine is a picturesque location with pillar like rocks standing gigantically...gives a panaromic view of Teutoburger Wald from the top...awesome lake near the rocks...definitely a great place to hang around for a weekend...it was a great day with our buddies..with perfect kalasifying, rouse, ottals...enjoyed to the core...then came the real adventure...Externsteine is not logistically connected to any big cities...there is a last bus at 18.30...if we miss the bus...the whole connection to Hamburg on the same day is disturbed and Schönes Wochenende ticket is invalid next day...this was the first time in my four years stay in Germany...the bus never turned at all...as a result we missed all the connecting trains...ultimately landed in Hannover at 22.00...had a big confusion whether to take ICE to reach Hamburg which would cost us individually the cost of Schönes Wochenende group ticket...:D since we were very tired and exhausted after all our fun..finally decided to take the ICE...all in all it was wonderful moments with our guys...A weekend to remember!!

Sathish Kumar S

Tegernsee, Bavarian Alps, Germany

2009-08-04T16:21:00.008+02:00

Long long ago on the Christmas eve, I just asked Mr. Merkel whether I can visit him in Tegernsee in Bayern to experience Bavarian Alps and their culture. After long time, it all happened at the peak summer when sun was shining to the core in Bavarian Alps. Took a day off on Friday and started earlier on Thursday to reach Gmund (Tegernsee). It was a long journey in German standards for almost 7 to 8 hours in ICE.

Tegernsee derives its name from the Tegernsee lake on which it stands. It has got some lovely landscape and rich history. It was a lovely experience to experience this beautiful place with Mr. Merkel and Mrs. Merkel who accompanied me and showed some lovely landscapes in and around Tegernsee. We did some bike tour for almost 40 kms wandering around the lakes, mountains etc. The weather stayed decent on the first day and really sunny on the second day. Had a chance to go to the top of the mountain Wallberg (around 1722 m high) which gives a panoramic view of the city of Tegernsee and other mountain peaks nearby. Sun was shining really hard, prayers were going on in the church, could hear the music nearby, Saturday afternoon, stretch of alpine mountains blushing at me…lovely moments. It’s always a great experience to travel in all these cable cars in Germany, Austria and Switzerland which clearly shows their strength in mechanical systems.

After experiencing the landscape, its time to experience the Bavarian food and alcohol ;) To say I always cherished Bavarian food – Weisswurst, Schweinshaxe, Grill Chicken, Weiss Beer etc and etc. Had a chance to go to Wallfest which is the cultural festival for Bavarians in summer. Resembles similar to Octoberfest which I saw last year in Munich where people were dressed up with their lederhosen in typical Bavarian style.

All in all, it was great a time with Herald and Regina. I really admire both of them and made me realize that life doesn’t end even after 60s. Both of them are immensely active even in their age and very sportive and active than a 26 year old lazy guy ;) I was quite lucky to have Herald as my German mentor during my studies, who did more than mentoring to integrate in to the German society. Not many of my classmates have contact with their mentors. It’s a good feeling that we both enjoyed our company on a friendship level even though he is totally of different generation. Well intellectual conversations don’t depend on the age ;) Thanks Herald for helping me to explore Bavarian Alps and culture to the maximum.

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

East German Smell - Chemnitz

2009-07-07T22:29:00.009+02:00

Two classical characteristics which I portray most of the Germans with my experiences for four years here ...introvert character and lack of family values ;) well there is always an exception in any society...luckily had a chance to rub shoulders with one such exception..my lovely short term PL Torsten Nötzold...recently invited me to visit his family in Chemnitz, East Germany previously called as Karl-Max Stadt...had a lovely drive from Lüneburg to Chemnitz for around 5 hours in the autobahn when summer was at its peak on friday afternoon...

Initially I thought how could I manage with Torsten's family since they cant speak English...after the visit I should say my German got improved a way bit..Angela, Torsten's wife was very communicative and made the conversation more interesting and fascinating...had a perfect German breakfast with all the cheeses, butters and the salamis...dinner with traditional Potatoes and meat...explored the city with bicycle..with all packed food stuffs remembered my childhood trip with my parents...then tried to cook some Indian food for the family in the evening...but as usual ended up spicy and hot for them...:D next day went to Erzgebirge, a small hilly region near Chemnitz...weather stayed pretty decent...went to a steel mine which is worth visiting...had to travel in toy train inside the caves to explore the mines...was a great experience...
I really wonder Torsten's skill of managing both family and career...always stays cool even during stressful time with the work...works in the office from 7 till 6 in the evening...then travels 450 kms to Chemnitz during the weekend to visit his family..my goodness a perfect role model for balancing work and family...intelligence and downtoward never go together...Torsten is another exception...well now I understand why he likes C++...because he handles so many exceptions in the C++ code...;) With in a short span of time, you have offered a lot Torsten both technically and socially...Thanks to Angela and Lara for providing wonderful hospitality and warmth...the weekend which will reside in my memory for long time...:)

Hats off to Nötzold's family....
Sathish Kumar S

First Marathon of my life - "Lüneburger Firmenlauf"

2009-06-22T18:12:00.005+02:00

There was once a discussion among my friend's circle who is the laziest guy in our group, undoubtedly I was the proud winner ;) When I used to play Cricket, the most common dismissal for me is run out ;) The maximum Km I would have walked at a stretch in my life might be not more than 2 Kms ;) So the examples and incidents goes on and on... If at all one thing which I never imagined in my life is participating in a Marathon and successfully completing it...;)

On friday morning, my friend Rakesh motivated me to give him company for the Marathon. I was concentrating on my fitness for the past five months by running a lot in Treadmill. So, I took the gamble but unfortunately had to run with other guy's name tag, Thomasz since I didn't register before. There is a lot of difference between running on treadmill and on the roads...finally completed 7 km in 36:55 minutes :D It was a great experience which would reside in my memory forever...I see a lot of difference in the mind after I started to work on my fitness.. Thanks a lot for the indirect motivators ;)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Heide Park, Soltau - German Mechanics

2009-06-15T22:30:00.008+02:00

After experiencing German Cars, AutoBahn(Highways), Trains...I was always expecting something exceptional from their Theme Park...Heide Park didn't spoil my expectation as well...situated at about 100 kms from Hamburg, perfect place to spend a weekend in summer...Colossos, Screaming, Wildwasserbahn, Poppenbahn are some of the must go rides in Heide park...the most frustrating part in this theme park is...one has to wait for almost 30 minutes for each of these rides...by that time you lose all your enthu...would advice to go on a weekday...Not much of a difference when compared to the Theme parks which I experienced in India...The weather stayed bright and sunny...Definitely a day to remember ;)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Perfect Indian evening

2009-06-15T22:11:00.004+02:00

Recently Shubhlata's family celebrated their daughter's second birthday in Hamburg. I must say one of the grand Indian parties which I attended in Germany for the past three and a half years... delicious Indian dinner with Bhajjis, Samasos, Parottos, Palak Paneer..to taste these kind of food in this part of the world is something dream come true...followed by Bollywood music and Bhangras...it was nice to see Germans shaking their butt for the Bollywood music...All in all a perfect Indian evening...Thanks Shubh for the invitation...Alles alles gute für Shubh's familien :)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Schützenfest, Wetzen

2009-06-15T21:06:00.005+02:00

Every village in Germany has a club called Schützenverein (Shooting Club). Mark invited me for this Schützenfest in his village. All the members of the club were dressed up like soldiers with guns in their hand and marching towards the cemetry for the people who died in the second world war...The highlight of this festival is the king...one who shoots the nucleus exactly in one shot will be the king for that day.. ;) The highlight of any festival in village is the food and the alcohol...It was interesting to see how countrymen celebrate their festival which is definitely quite different from what I experienced in big cities and parties...Thanks once again Mark...A day to remember..!!

Sathish Kumar S

Rise of Indian Economy - Rotary Presentation in Hamburg

2009-05-29T17:37:00.002+02:00

Probably in this financial situation through out the world, its not the right time to talk about any country's economy. Nevertheless, Tilo, Rotarian from Hamburg invited me to give a talk about Rise of Indian Economy. I already gave this presentation in another Rotary Club last year. ..So I was bit confident this time to make this presentation once again in German...Thanks to my colleague Jan who helped me to prepare and correct my slides...finally turned out to be a decent show before the elite sections of the German Society...highlighted statistical information about India's economy and optimistic figures for the next 20 years.. ;) It was a good chance for me to boast about my beloved country which I always do to the westerners ;) followed by a nice lunch in Hotel Atlantic... A day to remember...Danke Tilo nochmal!!

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Class trip to Ratzeburg

2009-05-29T17:19:00.006+02:00

Its been more than a year, I am completely out of Student's life...the best way to get back to spirits is to meet the old classmates...Recently, we had a class trip to Ratzeburg, a small town near Hamburg...initially I thought what Ratzeburg can offer...but definitely a worth enough place to spend a weekend...we did Canoeing on the Ratzeburger lake and on the beautiful canals nearby...it was a great experience to do Canoeing for the first time...Thanks to Oli, Klass and Laura who helped me to learn a bit of Canoeing...Infact I was hardly doing anything...was busy with my Camera...they were about to push me in to the water...well they are Germans...they expect some discipline during work ;) it was interesting to take the boat on the roads and transferring it to the canals...then we did Cycling for about 20 kms in the midst of beautiful landscapes of Ratzeburg...Thank god the weather stayed absolutely fine...followed by wonderful camp fire and BBQ...a trip to remember...

Sathish Kumar S

Vater Tag in Wetzen

2009-05-26T17:26:00.005+02:00

Vater tag(father's day) is a holiday in Germany...my colleague Mark invited me to join his group for celebrating this day in his village...drove to his village by cycle for 15kms...it was a group of nearly 20 people...actually we played the game of treasurehunt...started from one place of the village in this case starting from planet Pluto and finally reaching the sun...couldn't solve the puzzle and interpret the map properly...finally ended up in totally another planet which doesn't belong to our solar family ;) ... we had the beer wagon for carrying all our drinks...it was fun to roam inside the forest with a group of 20 people with alcohol at full swing....followed by a wonderful BBQ...it was a day to remember...Thanks Mark...my good blond friend... ;)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Vasco Da Gama...here I come(Portugal)

2009-05-18T22:39:00.011+02:00

Two short synopsis before going in to my experiences in Portugal.

When I was 11 years old, my mom and dad took me to Marina beach (world’s second longest beach).. an aero plane flew across the Bay of Bengal and I was asking my dad, “papa, I want to travel in plane.. will you take me”…he replied, “oh my dear, I am not so rich to take you in plane…I am sure one day you will travel to many places on your own by plane…don’t worry my son and kissed me on my face”…

When I was making my school trip to Mahabalipuram, one of the favorite spots for the westerner’s to make their holidays…I was looking at the white kids playing with their parents on the beautiful coastline of Mahabalipuram…I asked my teacher..”mam, where these people are from…they don’t seem to be from India..”.. she replied…”They are from Western world….they have lot of money to make their holidays in our country.”… I asked her… “Is it possible to go to their country mam”… she replied, “Do your duty…study well…surely one day you will travel to their country and kissed me on my face”… Let’s come back to the conclusion of these two stories at the end of this article…

Portugal was always in my list of European voyage…as usual booked my cheap tickets in Ryan Air before two months…landed in Faro in the state of Algarve…this southern coastline of Portugal has got some wonderful beaches…the interesting part is the small mountains near the coastline making it more picturesque.. the waves hitting hard at the foothills of the mountains is a sight to watch…I should say special thanks to Beate, a German who is living in Portugal for almost 25 years…showed me some wonderful unmanned beaches of Algarve…and provided accommodation for two days…it was great experience to stay in a small house in the middle of no where in the mountains…a perfect place to make my summer holidays…I cooked Sambhar and Chicken for Beate and her son which they definitely found it spicy.. ;)

Some of the must see beaches in Algarve are Lagos, Albufeira, Amoreira, Arrifana, Monto Clerigo, Sagres... each have their own flavour...all quite different from each other...Thank god sun was shining to the core...the bikinis were colorful...fortunately they were lying on the sand ;) met lot of Germans and Englanders partying to the core with their group in the beach...it was amazingly relaxing to forget all the programming variables and to sit near the beach with small moutain peaks nearby...Made a bicycle ride along the coastline for about 15 kms...great experience...Coming from a beach city of Chennai, I thought Portugal won’t fascinate me unlike other European countries..but the beaches I came across in Portugal was totally different from the beaches I came across all along in my life...one similarity is these coastline was some what similar to the beaches in Goa...now I realize why Vasco Da Gama liked Goa ;)

After saying final goodbye to Beate and her son, I moved to Lisbon from Faro...thought I have to spend my time alone in Lisbon...went to my youth hostel...boy thats where you meet people of your wavelength..the amazing back packers from Australia, US, Canada and Europe...formed a group with them and went to explore the night life of Lisbon...Lisbon has got some amazing restaurants, pubs and discos...a scenic city along the coastline...has a bridge replica to the golden gate bridge in San Fransisco..for a moment I thought I was in US...oh no...who wants to be in US after what Europe offered me... ;) Went to Sintra.. a small picturesque typical Portugues village near Lisbon...there is a beautiful castle on the top of the hill...thought could reach the top by walking...unfortunately ended up in taking a lift from the cars passing by ;) then went to Cascais, a small fishing village near Lisbon...the drive from Sintra to Cascais was awesome...a place called Cabo Da Roca is a must see place in Lisbon...the western most tip of Europe...breath taking view of the Atlantic coastline...then relaxed the fag end of my lovely trip on the beaches of Faro and finally took my flight back to Germany...

I should say Portuguese were very friendly,,,warm welcoming for the tourists in all the places...sorry Germans you need to learn more from them with respect to tourism and hospitality ;) I thought since I am travelling alone..it will be not that exciting but honestly met people from different background, countries and idea of leading a life...Yes thats what travelling offers to you...Travelling requires lot of planning, courage, swift decisions, tolerance, flexibility, adaptability which will definitely reflect in day to day life...Some people gets happiness by looking at their bank savings...some by admiring at their newly built houses...some by glaring at their BMWs or Mercedes or Toyatos..for me...the articles of my European endeavour is the right answer...

Lets come back to the conclusion of the two stories at the beginning of this article...It was always my dream to travel more than a typical Englishmen, German, American...initially I thought they are travelling a lot..its beacuse of their smartness...by goodness..after studied Economics...I realized its just merely because of the their strong purchasing parity of their currency and and after rubbing shoulders with them...I always knew that Indian analytics and programming variables is mightier and stronger than the crazy western drunkards in weekend night out parties to explore the world ;) I hope my travel experience provided some motivation for the young Indians and my fellow countrymen to lead a life away from India...

My dad’s words of travelling to many places on my own in plane and my teacher’s words of visiting foreign land and making holidays has been fulfilled in the midst of all the disturbances in this materialistic world )

Live your dreams and not dream your life!!
Sathish Kumar S

Nature untouched - Norway

2009-05-05T01:47:00.013+02:00

Long weekend in May…sun was shining…where should be my next travel plan…searched for all cheap flights in Ryan air…nothing was feasible…just a flight to Oslo was flashing on my web screen…Norway….is it worth enough to make my weekend trip and I hardly heard anything great about this country…lot of doubts and questions…but finally decided to take a chance since I don’t want to sit inside four walls…I am sure when you finish reading the article and seeing the videos, you can answer what Norway has offered me ;)

Ryan air says the destination is to Oslo…can you believe it lands in a place which is very near to Oslo…just 170 kms from Oslo, a city called Torp ;), hehheeee...well thats Ryan Air... After reaching Torp, we took a car to explore the landscape of Norway…we decided to follow the route from Oslo to Bergen and take the return direction…did nothing much in the evening…made our tent near the lake and slept for a night…then started our adventure…I would classify the beauty of Norway in to four parts. 1. Waterfalls. 2. Steep mountains and the valleys 3. Scenic lakes and rivers. 4. Mini glaciers

The mountains in Norway are quite different from what I saw in Switzerland, Austria and Germany…the mountains are just vertical…perpendicular to the ground…and no slanting elevations….and these mountains were really gigantic…the most interesting part is the river flowing across these huge gigantic steep mountains…the water is so pure such that one can see the reflection of the mountains on these rivers…I have come across interesting valleys in my life…but the valleys which I experienced before my eyes…just been silent for sometime and realized Nature is the ultimate winner…really feast to our eyes…the lakes are another element of Norway’s beauty…I guess the whole country is surrounded by these lakes…the ideal scene is always two mountains converging and the rivers flowing across them…a reality of what I experienced in wallpapers… :)

Waterfalls: My goodness…I have seen some really amazing waterfalls in India…what I saw in this part of the globe is simply breathtaking and fascinating….would have seen almost thousands of them while traveling…no words to describe…Bernd luckily took an unknown route haphazardly to experience these waterfalls…ultimately ending in one of the best sceneries which I experienced in my life…will reside in my eyes forever…infact we also faced the most difficult situation in our trip because of these waterfalls…;)

Glaciers were quite small enough unlike Switzerland’s Jungfraujoch….passing across them by Car was a lovely and romantic experience…Unfortunately we didn’t have any girls in our trip L. The most interesting part is, there weren’t any inhabitants to enjoy this part of the nature…hardly we found any human settlements in these areas…the original beauty of the Nature is preserved simply because there are no human settlements…

Norway, undoubtedly one of the most expensive countries in the world… I should dedicate a separate paragraph for this ;) Now I understand why they don’t want to switch from Norwegian Kroners to Euros… for e.g. we have to travel in Train for 5 minutes…a normal ticket in any part of the world would cost a penny…it costs around 6 euros for 5 minutes travel…. A bottle of beer costs 9 euros…I could imagine what will be the expenses for others…A taxi driver sitting next to me…opens an Ipod…just shakes two times….opens a facebook account and sends a mail to his girl friend…;) I guess the economy has become really strong and deadly after they found lot of off-shore oil wells…I had an idea that Switzerland is the beautiful country of the world….I am sure Norway is no doubt equal in par with Switzerland in terms of landscape and the expenses ;) People also compare Norway and New Zealand with respect to same landscape….Norway in Northern hemisphere and New Zealand in Southern hemisphere…will let you know whether both the countries are same in a couple of years… ;)

These landscapes are fascinating for holidays…couldn’t imagine of leading a life there…sun sets at 10 or 11 in the evening and rises at 3 or 4 in the morning during summer…quite opposite in winter with day light only for 3 to 4 hours… A heaven in summer becomes suicidal during winter…its quite obvious why Scandinavians have high amount of suicidal rates in the world…Could realize people drinking really hard when compared to other Europeans…thought could meet lot of blondies in Norway.. oh god first of all I couldn’t find even any human species…then how come blonds..:D It was a great company with Rakesh, Bernd and Hemant…we really complemented each other during our different phases of our trip ;)

To sum it up, Norway – Nature untouched, most expensive country of the world, lack of inhabitants, must see place in Europe…road trip from Oslo to Bergen probably one of the best road trips one could ever imagine in life…a country which I had no expectation offered me something which will reside in my life forever… Life is beautiful even with out girls when nature speaks ;)

Life goes on....
Sathish Kumar S

P.S. If you have made up to this line of my article…please take few more minutes to read the article below to feel what was the other adventure we experienced in our trip. ;)

Adventure of my life....Norway

2009-05-05T01:06:00.020+02:00

I have been documenting my experiences of travelling and life here in Europe…I probably feel this is the experience which will reside in my memory for long time in my life…

Sun was shining to the core, huge gigantic mountains were blushing at us…rivers were flowing in a hurry to meet their girlfriends…the lakes were quite relaxing after long stressful winters…our Volkswagen passat was strolling in the midst of all these beloved friends…Rakesh was enjoying with the SLR camera to capture all these lovely moments...Sathish was thinking about all his girls how it could have been if he would have made this trip with one such girl ;) Bernd was dreaming about his girl friend Mariana sitting next to him instead of Sathish ;) Hemant was dreaming about his future honey moon plans of driving with his future wife once again from Oslo to Bergen ;) slowly got a feeling we were moving out of the complete human settlements and nearing the northern most tip of the planet.

Place where accident took place:

In the midst of all these dreams, we heard a big sound which spoiled all our dreams…probably Hemant was in full dream I guess ;)…he crashed the car on the rocks nearby…BOOM…luckily no damage and hurting to any of us….came out of the car to see the door and chassis heavily crashed…and realized that we can’t further drive the car.. we were standstill for a moment…it seemed like the Nature asking us why did you guys come here to disturb our peace…didn’t know what to do for a moment…relaxed for few minutes…then comes our real adventure..

Now, how do we come out of this jungle ? Remember I referred the same place as paradise before one paragraph…how could life change in a splash of a second…oh no, I am no exception…I am yet another human :) first we tried to call to the Hertz where we rented a car…he asked us to call the road assistance…we tried reaching the road assistance…but the automatic call assistance was speaking in Norwegian…heheheeee…the praise for nature with out human settlements vanished abruptly and was crying for some inhabitants :) A man with a truck passed by after one hour of our crash…came and helped us by calling to the Road assistance…then after two hours, the truck came to pick our partially crashed car…An old man with his Viking truck displaced our car in to the truck and dropped us in the near by village called Odda which I am sure will not have more than 100 inhabitants…;)

Which part of the globe we were caught up ? (double-click to get better view)

Now, how to reach our airport from this small village to our airport Torp…got a free internet in the nearby hotel…and explored all our cheap ways of coming out of this jungle…Let me list all the possibilities which we had and please let us know did we make the right decision or not ;) Remember no public transportation of bus and train and it was Saturday evening and our flight is next day at 17.45

1. Take a cab to Bergen which costs 3000 Kroners(333 euros for four persons) and the journey takes 3 hours by car. Then stay overnight in Bergen in some streets ;) then catch a train from Bergen to Oslo(100 euros) in the morning and from Oslo to our airport(40 euros). So the cost of this route is 225 euros for one person to reach our airport.

2. Take a cab to Bergen which costs 3000 Kroners as mentioned above. Take a flight from Bergen to Oslo which costs 53 euros plus the taxes which Bernd forgot to see ;) and again 40 euros from Oslo to Torp airport. So the cost of this route is around 250 euros.

3. Rent a car once again and start our trip and back to the destination. But who is the driver…definitely not Hemant ;) renting a car costs 5000 Kroners plus the diesel but more importantly the fear which we had of renting a car and driving ;) the cost of this route is around 200 euros but with risk of making an accident once again…just imagining how it would have been…renting a car and making an accident once again…in the return direction….heheheeeeee

4. Take a cab directly to Torp airport from this jungle…the cost of this cab is 900 euros..so for each person it comes 230 euros.

By analyzing all the four possibilities, we decided to go for the fourth option because the taxi driver is going to drive the car and we can continue our lost dreams in the same manner in the car..;) The other options were not that interesting simply because we felt with the same amount you are spending whole time traveling…and we know after two days, the best way to explore Norway is to rent a car provided the driver doesn’t dream too much ;)

Decided to take the cab next morning and spend the whole night partying in the small town to forget what has happened by looking at the Norwegian girls ;) Went to a bar and grabbed a beer….couldn’t go for next beer simply because we were totally beggers in Norway at that time…;) Bernd slept inside the bar…the bar attendant came and asked him to get out of the bar…we said Bernd is a German…he can’t speak English and made some small talks with the bar attendant and made him to stay…Bernd slept continuously for the next time and the story continued for one more time and third time Bernd thought that he has to maintain his respect and Germany’s image and came out of the bar ;)…I really doubt Bernd has any qualities of a German…which he is really proud of not being one such specimen of 80 million Deutschers…oh that’s why he has Indonesian girl friend. Hats off Bernd :)

The return direction doesn’t offer the same fun as from Oslo to Bergen with the landscape…our spirits were dampened, lack of sleep, money being plundered like paper notes…came to Sandeford town which is 10 kms from Torp….hanged around there for 4 hours and went to catch the return flight to Germany in the evening…

Is this photo taken before or after the crash ;) ?

Certainly one of the experiences which will reside in my memory through out my life…It was good that we maintained our calm, peace and fun even after all these jeopardy. I couldn’t believe what has happened in Norway for the past two days…It was a kind of totally mixed experience…pinnacle of fun and disappointments…well life is all ups and downs…just a minute carelessness costs us very badly...had it not been that one moment...I would have blown the trumpet that we explored the most expensive country in the cheapest way...but learned how life could take a twist in a splash of a second...no risk no fun…I think the biggest secret what I want to keep in my life is the amount of money which I spent all together in Norway ;)

It was always my dream to cover minimum 15 countries in Europe. With Norway, I am completing my 15^th country in Europe with the most memorable incidents and experiences. To achieve some goals, something has to be sacrificed. I might have sacrificed some currency notes for what I experienced in Europe…well as long as the currency notes were earned with my analytical skills and programming variables who cares ;)

Life is beautiful
Sathish Kumar S

Blond hair vs Traditional Sarees!!

2009-04-25T12:31:00.002+02:00

When the sun shines on the blond hair, it glitters like gold…but how long the sun will shine in the western world and will it still remain gold even when its gloomy…having tasted both traditional Indian and superfluous western life…I thought I can put forth my thoughts and compare the two contrasting ways of life…The thoughts are solely my opinion and not to hurt anybody’s feelings and can be debatable..;) The westerner always complains about Indian way of arranged marriages…the Indians always complain about the westerner’s life with many partners….when I look at the gross root level of both the life….there are plus and minus in both…

The westerner has a great possibility to choose from a wide variety of pool, his true soul mate…but if he/she is his/her true soul mate….why they don’t stick together forever…was it just superficial and Hippocratic ?…. Life is all ups and downs….all days are not sunny….a typical westerner wants everyday to be sunny…is it possible? Life is not always filled with happy moments…In fact your true soul mate is judged during your difficult times…Given the freeness and the independence from the society, they are able to behave more cranky and create more problems for themselves…the ultimate result is divorce… the amount of tolerance which a westerner have is very minimal…so when it comes to real life situations, they were not educated in a way to make compromises…

Since the society offers more freedom, they were in a position to do and try things which is quite abnormal ;) I bet the ultimate challenge for a westerner is to retain his girl friend/partner… Can life be lead all the way with this only challenge? That’s why they tend to give up this challenge and concentrate on other things…or probably in search of other partners because of the freeness in the society ;) The end result is “My Children and Your Children are playing with Our Children”.

Coming back to traditional Indian way of life…do you really choose your true love if you bring various factors of caste, religion, color, societal status, income and the assets when choosing a girl? Even after finding their true love, do they receive adequate support and tolerances from the society?... but still how do the relations survive for long time in Indian societies?...simply because Indians are trained to accept compromises and educated from the younger age to face difficult and hostile situations and live for the society and not for them…but if you give the same amount of western independence in an Indian society….I bet the percentage of divorces in India will be the maximum in the world ;) They are basically entangled in a situation where they can not come out of this vicious circle of marriage and society….so they tend to persist and stay even though the situation is not ideal and cherishing…but the question is how far is the threshold…

The most important thing which keeps Indian family moving is their nuclear structure. The affinity between the parents and the children in Indian families is considered as the most important aspect for long standing love and affection….a simple fact in Western society is the child sleeps alone after 3 months of birth…the westerners are trained to be more independent, so the feel for others doesn’t start even at the younger age…how can you expect that to happen with a person whom you meet in your lustful days that too in this materialistic world…What keeps life going after 30s and 40s is the family even though many argue career, money will be of high importance…

So its not ideal to compare both the sides of a coin, it totally depends on the mentality and attitude of each individuals how they are trained and programmed and brought up…as long as happiness and peace is guaranteed, any way of leading a life is charming and interesting…A typical Westerner believes “finding your soul mate is a continuous process of life” while an Indian argues “finding your soul mate is a one-time job of your life” ….having tasted both the dishes what I can say is “finding a soul mate is something god’s gift” :)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar

30th birthday... end of youth ?

2009-04-19T12:04:00.004+02:00

When people asks you...whats your age? and you reply I am 30...the next question will be, are you married? I thought its only in Asian culture...not really...this magic number 30 is considered even in western society as a big threshold age.. recently one of my good friend Nico celebrated his 30th birthday....in North Germany if you are not married by 30...you have to the clean the footsteps of Rathaus (Municipality building)... and in return the girls passing by comes and gives you a kiss...Nico was dressed up like a sexy lady and he was cleaning the footsteps of our apartment...Flo his good friend also dressed up like a bitch..came and helped Nico and they exchanged their kisses...oh no they are not gays...both have girl friends ;) It was totally a different experience for me...followed by awesome dinner and more important stuff for Germans (ALCOHOL, DANCE)...so better get married before 30th...having seen the German society, I guess 9 out of 10 Germans have to clean the footsteps of Rathaus...Now I understand why Germany is clean ;)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Scandinavian Blues... Copenhagen

2009-04-13T20:38:00.005+02:00

The prayers were going on inside the Church for the Easter, sun was shining to the core, girls at their best, flowers starting to blossom...Yes spring is back...What should be done for the easter holidays...Copenhagen, Denmark came into picture...the train journey from Hamburg to Copenhagen was fascinating....the train goes inside the ship near Puttgarden, Germany...then travelling in the ship for one hour...wind was blowing at its maximum speed...with blue skies reflecting on the water...Yes...when nature speaks you sit and listen...then again by train...that was a great experience...

Copenhagen is a small bubbling capital city of Denmark with artistic buildings...not many spots to hang around...but on a sunny day looks fascinating...we took the ferry to explore the beauty of Copenhagen...we were blessed with great weather during the entire trip...ofcourse we brided the weather god ;)..one thing I can't understand why Denmark is so expensive...my goodness really twice as in Germany...I don't know whats the strength for Danish economy other than the cows and the milk ;) on top of it they don't use Euros...they have Danish Kroners...left with few Kroners at the end of the trip...offered it to a beutiful poor girl singing on the streets ;)

Next went to Malmo, a small city in Sweden..the train passes via Oresund bridge which is the longest border crossing bridge in the world connecting Copenhagen in Denmark and Malmo in Sweden...Malmo is a small little city with beautiful beaches...scenic buildings...worth visiting Oresund bridge by car...I should thank Jothir and Anu, perfect couple who made our trip exciting and fascinating...initially I thought I will be a big disturbance for them but they know each other for almost eight years.. a perfect example and role model for future Indian generations to persist with the love even after struggle from the Indian Society...Hats off to them!! All in all, a trip which will stay in my memory for long time!!

Tak = Thanks = Danke!!
Sathish Kumar S ;)

A day as a farmer

2009-04-04T23:52:00.008+02:00

Spring is back....temperature was shooting up to 18°C... something has to be done after the depressive long winter....sun was shining.....was thinking something to do other than Software development...made a sudden plan to visit my colleague Mark who is staying in a perfect German village called Wetzen which is around 20 kms from Lüneburg...was thinking to visit him just by riding my cycle ;) Wetzen has a population of just 300 people...we started off the day by going to the forest by collecting the woods...then cutting them in to pieces for the heaters...oh ya Germans save lot of energy... ;) followed by wonderful lunch sitting in the country side with his family...and ofcourse Jägermeister and the vodkas at the end of the day...then had to return back to my place driving in the autobahn with my cycle with half drunk....it was a day which will reside in my memory for long time...because I did something really productive other than my regular work...Thanks Mark for providing such a wonderful day...

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Sambhar time in German house....

2009-03-26T23:57:00.005+01:00

Henrik, my colleague was very much interested to taste Indian food...and he requested me to come to his house to cook for him and his wife...I tried cooking many times for a German...in the end...the Germans always end up saying....thats too hot and spicy for me....there were times when I even didn't use chilli and other masalas...but the standard answer from them..."ahhh das ist sehr scharf"(Thats too hot)....this time I took the help of Rakesh who has improved a lot with his cooking over the years...we decided to cook Sambhar....was always skeptical about the taste....Thank god...the Sambhar got finished before we could go for second round....in return Henerik cooked Wurst for me....what a combination Sambhar and Wurst :D...a day to remember!!

Sathish Kumar S

Small tiny Harz ;)

2009-03-01T23:14:00.014+01:00

Winter is coming to an end....living in North Germany you don't have so many spots to cover which will favor the winter weather...but there is a nearby small mountain for the North Germans to visit...Harz in the state of Niedersachsen....a perfect place for a weekend to spend...Went to Gossler..small little town with picturesque buildings and the most important thing to visit in Gossler is the Silver mines....really worth visiting....had lot of fun with our gang wearing helmet tops and going inside the caves...then we proceeded to Wernigerode stayed in the youth hostel...it was an eventful evening with Kishore, Rakesh and Sandeep...Thanks to the bottle of Jägermeister...;)

Next morning went to Brocken, the tallest mountain in Harz....the steam engine starts from Wernigerode and goes to Brocken....reminds me of the mountain train running between Mettupalayam and Ooty...I guess this is the only place where steam engine is used in Germany...oh ya Germans are environmental conscious to the core...aren't they? ;) it was a great journey in this steam engine....with beautiful alpine tress with snow top...

Once we reached the top of the mountain it was foggy to the core...one couldn't even see the person standing nearby...but who cares as long as beautiful girl stands nearby :D played a lot with snow by hitting with the snow balls...great experience...so took the return train and when we were in the train...the sun started to shine.....heheheeee....I was arguing to jump from the train because the train was going at snail's pace...but Rakesh somehow convinced me to stay ...then took some fast snaps when the Suriya Bhagavan came for just 5 minutes...Oh ya we are asians we got the pictures what we wanted....who cares whats rest ;) Then came down to Wernigerode which has beautiful downtown with scenic architectural buildings and went to the nearby castle with the horse ride which is worth visiting...

Harz is a mountain which can never be compared to Alps...but good enough place to have fun for a weekend...I enjoyed this trip to the core...Thanks to Rakesh, Sandeep and Kishore who made the trip lively and enjoyable....lot of funny moments and mockings....any trip is awesome if we have the right gang...and the standard sentence in any European trip....If the weather is good, even the normal girl looks gorgeous and if the weather is bad, even the beautiful ones are pretty ordinary ;) Unfortunately we didn't have the best of the weather...Overall, a great trip and a weekend to remember!!

Hats off to the group!
Sathish Kumar S

Repairing my punctured cycle tyre

2009-01-28T21:32:00.003+01:00

Recently my cycle tyre got punctured...so took the cycle to the cycle shop for repairing the tyre...you know how much it costs to repair a punctured tyre here in Germany... 20 Euros...I was shocked to hear that price..since I didn't have any other options...I had to leave the cycle in the workshop and paid 20 Euros...then I took the cycle back from the workshop...and it got punctured again...:( I was really pizzed to pay another 20 Euros to fix my tyre...I asked my colleagues what to do...they said its common for the Germans to fix their punctured tyres on their own..:) So, I decided to repair the punctured tyre on my own...got the help from my colleague Mirco..he gave a very good training during the lunch break.. I never never thought that I would fix the punctured cycle tyre on my own one day in my life...;) Then I remembered my father who used to do most of the things by himself... Germany is indeed a "Service Desert" ;)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Merkel's Retirement

2009-01-22T22:31:00.004+01:00

Mr. Herald Merkel, my lovely mentor cum friend recently invited to his house to celebrate his birthday and also his retirement from the job which he has been doing for years...It was a big gathering of many oldies ;) had a chance to meet many oldies of different personalities who fought in the second world war...the doctors..the Professors...the Bank Chiefs....the overboasting Business guys ;)...it was a great chance to spend some time with them and hear their experiences...Merkel has now decided to spend more time for his wife ;) but I guess he cant have children at this age oh no...he already have two sons... :D...wants to travel a lot...my goodness has he left any continent in his life to visit....probably may be Antartica is the missing one ;) ... wants to play Golf...very good sport for a guy who can't touch his toes :D Jokes apart....Wish you a great, happy, peaceful retirement days with your family...Alles alles gute Herr.Merkel :)

Liebe Grüsse,
Sathish Kumar S

Heidelberg, South Germany

2008-12-29T11:03:00.007+01:00

I was staying at my school friend Parthiban's place in Stuttgart during Christmas holidays.... so decided to roam near by areas of Stuttgart...Heidelberg came to our mind... Heidelberg is a scenic city in South Germany situated on the banks of river Neckar...Heidelberg castle is worth visiting...we went to the top of Heidelberg by the mountain train which is called the Koenigstuhl...gives a panaromic view of the city of Heidelberg...sun was shining but it was freezing to the core....It was a great day with typical South Indian flavour of jokes and surcasms with our gang ;)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Scenic Salzburg, Austria

2008-12-27T19:35:00.005+01:00

Two weeks of holidays.... what to do.... where to go... Salzburg in Austria came to my mind...decided to celebrate my Christmas holidays in Salzburg, Austria..took a flight from Hamburg to Sazburg by TUI fly airlines...my school friend Parthiban joined me in Salzburg directly from Stuttgart.....the weather was shit for the first day....sun god appeared on the second day....Salzburg is a picturesque city situated on the banks of the Salzach river, at the northern boundary of the Alps...birth place of Mozart...

Old city, Hohensalzburg which gives panoromic view of the city, Mozart's geburtshaus, Hellgrun garden are some of the important spots to cover...the important place to see in Salzburg is Untersberg which is around 30 kms from Salzburg...around 1880 m high...cable car takes you to the top...this ride in cable car is simply awesome....ofcourse all cable car rides to the top of the mountain is always fascinating...had a lovely time playing with the snow...this place gives an amazing view of the city of Salzburg....Salzburger Weihnachtsmarkt is worth mentioning....if one wants to taste the European culture...Salzburg is the place...amazing architectural buildings... Salzburg worth going once... :)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Christmas evening with Merkel family

2008-12-27T19:03:00.007+01:00

Time goes really fast... this is almost my fourth Christmas in Germany.... What could be a better place to celebrate Christmas evening in Hamburg...its none other than at my mentor's place... his son and daughter-in-law came from London for the Christmas evening...with candles burning on the Christmas tree at the corner..with gifts and lovely wishes being exchanged...lovely awesome delicious dinner...what an ambience...typical German Christmas evening...

Herald gifted me a Wurst which is one of my favourite dishes in Germany ;) and more importantly gifted me a "Steurerklarung Software" (Tax Clearance) which I very badly needed in the recent times being a IT guy ;)... Germans always say their tax regulations are one of the complicated in the world...Herald's duty is to do mentoring during my studies to show German culture and make me feel integrated in to the society...What I can always says is...he has done exceedingly well than what he is supposed to do...a man who imbibed lot of confidence in me to lead a life in German society...our bond of love, affection and respect have grown in proportions in the recent years...I owe you a lot Herald... Well ask any German how special it is to invite a person for a Christmas evening...The answer says it all... :)

Hats off to Merkel family!!
Sathish Kumar S

Magnificient 2008

2008-12-19T14:47:00.005+01:00

The year which gave me lot of joy, happiness, success and peace was none other than 2008 mainly because of the fact 2007 was really hard…. One really knows what happiness is after a stint of real tough times…that’s the case with me too…. Let’s have a short recap of how the year turned out…

January:
Came from Berlin after really tough times during my Thesis and job hunting…defended my Thesis for my Master of Science under Prof. Killat… a big relief after stressful days..

February:
Attended my spring school classes of my MBA…with lectures from one of the best Professors in the field of Strategy and Business Planning…. Thoroughly enjoyed the Blah Blah stuffs of MBA…

March:
Applied for my work permit…had some relaxing days before I started my work…Backpacked to Eastern Europe to countries like Hungary, Austria, Bratislava and also to Barcelona…. It was a great time with my friends (Andreas, Veera, Juan)

April:
Started my full time work as a Software Developer in Werum Software Systems… had lot of doubts, speculations about the work, colleagues…it was certainly an inquisitive start to the work…

May:
Went to Denmark with Bernd, Vijay, Hemant, Rushi…explored Denmark by renting a car…BBQ in Denmark coastline…fun in the beach and in the countryside of Denmark…memorable time

June:
Summer was its peak…Enjoyed playing Cricket in the weekends…had tussle and enjoyment in the game…Had a class trip to Cuxhaven…Played Beach volleyball with our friends along the coastline…great experience…

July:
Programmed our Process Automation Execution Software (PAS-X) in PDA….thoroughly had the job satisfaction after a long time in my career…guided by great analytical thinkers….

August:
Finished my MBA studies by giving the final propositions and shifted from Hamburg to Lüneburg mainly for the fact that I want to sleep more in the morning… Was making all preparations for my mom’s arrival in Germany…

September:
Was counting my days for mom’s arrival in Germany… it was a great moment when I picked her up in Frankfurt….celebrated my 26^th birthday with her and my good friends….

October:
The most important moment of the year 2008… mom’s presence for my MBA graduation ceremony…. The moment which I cherished to the core in the year 2008… had a great fun with her…cooked different kinds of food… had a great Diwali time with her and my good friends…

November:
Had to say good bye to my mom…It wasn’t certainly easy for me after her presence with me….but life has to go on…got used to the lonely way of life….

December:
Had a Christmas celebrations in my office… I was the Santa Claus… had a relaxed month in the work…no big deadlines and tasks…

All in all, it was a year where I enjoyed success, happiness, peace through out the year…It was quite opposite to what I experienced in 2007… I thank all my friends and well-wishers who were part of my happiness in 2008.. I don’t expect 2009 to be same as 2008… because lightening always strikes once ;)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Christmas Celebrations.. Who is the Santa Claus ?

2008-12-13T22:00:00.006+01:00

Obama as President in USA, Sathish as Santa Claus in Germany..;) this was the caption suggested for this article by one of my colleague ;) Recently we had Weihnachtsfest (Christmas celebrations) in my office...there was a mail to all the members in the office for the voluntary representation of Weihnachtsmann (Santa Claus) during the Christmas celebrations...Just had a glimpse of my Annual Day celebrations in school days...Then I thought why not and thanks to the motivation from Jan ;) Covered my face with a mask so that the kids don't have to be frightened and they don't have to say "Mummy Mummy...Weihnachtsmann spricht mit einem accent!! Er sieht sehr schwarz aus"...It was a hard time wearing the mask for one and half hours...I was sweating to the core when the temeparatue was around -3 outside hheeheee but thoroughly enjoyed the experience...I should say the German kids were very introvert..well thats a typical German culture...;) Followed by nice dinner and drinks...Day to remember!!

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

War against Mumbai or against religion ?

2008-11-29T02:29:00.002+01:00

Deep condolescence to all those people who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, the financial capital of

India

. I am sure my piece of article will not bring any change in the situation what’s happening there but I felt, I should express my views on this particular incident which has happened in Mumbai. It’s solely my opinion and not to hurt anybody’s feelings and ideas.

Dating back to the days when Britishers tried to explore India, they always found one great weapon than the bombs and shooting guns, it was none other than “Divide and Rule”. They have adopted this policy exceedingly well in almost every corner of their colonial acquisition and succeeded to greater heights and it payed rich dividence to their master plan. It was between Hindus and Muslims in Indian sub-continent, Tamils and Sinhalese in Sri Lanka and the example goes in every corner of the world where they occupied. Even after they left these countries, they have plown the seeds in the early centuries which resulted in a situation which no body could have imagined for.

Ok, can we all blame the Britain for their cunning attitude? They have benefited out what they executed. We suffered it under their hands for many centuries and has the time not arrived to realize what has happened in the name of religion is all stupid and chaos. Well it was in the early stage in 1947 to realize that. But has the time not arrived after many decades to stay united and become stronger and stronger and make the western world which conquered us make jealous of our progress and developments. Well Dr. Abdul Kalam realized it, that’s why he visioned a rocket to moon and he succeeded it. If the politicians and the normal individuals from both India and Pakistan realized it, then both the countries shouldn’t be spending millions and millions of dollars for fighting in Siachen glacier in one of the world’s top most battle field, both the countries shouldn’t have suffered because of two great wars between them, to all the atrocities happening in the Kashmir valley, to all the communal violence which has happened in both the countries in the last decades in the name of religion.

Europe suffered severely and the Europeans have realized tolerance is the best way to maintain harmony with neighboring nations. Do we need yet another kind of third world war in Asia especially between India and Pakistan to come to a conclusion not to fight anymore? Religion is a way to lead a life. It can be in the form of any religion. No religion says to kill people to satiate their dreams. People getting so acrimonious, hatred in the name of religion and using religion and their god to kill people is totally unacceptable and barbaric. Has the terrorists succeeded in their attempts? Yes, they did atleast killing some 300 people and bringing international attention. What will be the reaction from the Indian Government and can we be sure that this attack will not happen anymore. Who’s the ultimate winner of this cold battle existing between the two oldest possible civilizations of the world? This is a never ending story unless and otherwise each and every individual realize what’s happening in the name of religion is stupid and non-sense. I really doubt whether such a situation is feasible in the foreseeable years in the Indian sub-continent. By that time, I could feel real catastrophe on the cards. It’s a pity. Well everything happening in this world is all destined :(

Cheers,
Sathish kumar S

Great Indian day with a German

2008-11-23T21:38:00.006+01:00

I have been in Germany for three years, I haven't met any German in this span of three years who was very much interested in exploring India to the core... it was none other than Heike from Solltau, Niedersachsen, Germany...Thanks to Vasantha Aunt who introduced Heike to me..What a day I had with her family...her son picked us from the Bahnhof to the Wietzendorf, a small village near Solltau where Heike lives...then we had a great Lunch...with Upma and Sambhar...Lecker....Great work from Heike and Vasantha Aunt...

Then followed by Bollywood collections and videos...man Sharukh Khan is an ultimate hero everywhere...I never knew this guy had this much popularity through out the world...What amazes me about Heike was her passion for India...my goodness...she speaks Hindi...she has Hindi script in her computer to practise...the quiz programme which she made about India...watches all Hindi programmes in the internet...travelled and explored almost every part of India in gross-root level and wants to live in India....Heike, you definitely have shown your LOVE towards India...I can always assure you that India will definitely reciprocate your LOVE...:) I am really satisfied that I met atleast one German who loved my motherland to the core from the heart...Hats off to you Heike...

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

catch( Exception e ) in the midst of Snow :)

2008-11-22T02:07:00.003+01:00

I still remember when I used to travel to office in Chennai with temperatures hovering around 40°C in the month of may...before I reached the office I would have taken bath with sweat and spreading around the bad odour to all my colleagues in office ;) After some years, I totally experienced a contrasting situation when I was travelling with my bicycle to office...the sun god disappeared and snow was falling on the way to my office...with temperature close to (-)..complete white background...What a contrasting situation I could have imagined for...It was a great feeling to develop and debug my application by looking in to the snow outside my window in my office...Ich liebe Schnee ;)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Michael Kitzelmann's 32nd Geburtstag :D

2008-11-15T10:47:00.005+01:00

Michael Kizelmann, Scheisse Deutscher von Köln... ;) mein sehr gute beste freund in Deutschland.. recently celebrated his 32nd birthday in Hamburg... It was a typical German evening with Sauerkrat as the dinner food followed by as usual beers and alcohols...Tried Averna for the first time.. Lecker...It was a group of around 10 people and then went to Reaperbahn to shake our butts...Kitzi you have offered me a lot during my stay in Germany and you have travelled along with me both in good and bad times...Keep in touch wherever we are and whichever part of the globe we are.. Nice to have you as my buddy :)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Modern Frankfurt

2008-11-02T21:18:00.004+01:00

After sending mom back to India from Frankfurt airport, I wasn't in a great mood to explore Frankfurt...Took some time to come out of the emotions and as usual back to form with the camera in one hand and map in the other...Out of all the cities I have seen in Germany, Frankfurt is the only city which is very modern, has huge sky scrappers and very American...Frankfurt can not be included in the European city ;)... Had a chance to go to the top of Main Tower which gives panaromic view of the city of Frankfurt...worth going to the top...Awesome view... Rest nothing much to see...Frankfurt mainly known only for its International Airport...

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Memorable time with amma

2008-11-02T20:48:00.003+01:00

Time goes really fast...One month flew away like a second...one of the best memorable moments which I had in Germany...All comes to an end...It wasn't certainly easy for me to come out of the situation with out her after having spent the golden times with her...well life has to go on...The moment when I last kissed on her face and said bye to her in the airport still resides in my eyes...Certainly couldn't control my emotions after that...Thanks to Indian couple who helped her in the airport to board the flight and make her reach safely in Chennai...I really thank god for making this dream happen in my life... :)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Diwali 2008

2008-10-27T17:11:00.004+01:00

Out of all the Diwalis I celebrated in Germany, this Diwali was something special...mainly because of my mom's presence...had a great Indian evening with all my friends with special South Indian dishes...can you imagine...we prepared 12 different dishes...Idly, Dosai, Poori, Potato Subji, Kuruma, Chicken 65, boiled eggs, sambhar, cabbage poriyal, pakoda, fried rice, pachadi... great moments...amma asirvatham amma samayal....:) Took an off from the work and watched all special programmes in Sun TV, Vijay TV...I loved it...I hope to celebrate the coming Diwali's in the same fashion if I am lucky :D

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

The moment which healed my pain!!

2008-10-19T21:42:00.003+02:00

A small narration: When I was a child, I used to travel to my father's native place Salem in Yercaud Express sitting next to WC because of the crowd...slowly it changed to travelling in 2nd class reservation compartment...after that it changed to Air Conditioning (AC) compartment...and then to British Airways travelling via London...and then slowly to 15 countries in Europe...and finally it came to a situation of my beloved mom coming to Germany for my MBA graduation ceremony :)

There are various moments which I cherished in my life to the core but nothing can be compared to this...my mom's presence in MBA graduation ceremony and it certainly healed lot of pains in my heart...

1. This moment healed my mom's thirst of me not being a doctor....mainly because of the fact I left the Medicine seat which I obtained...

2. This moment healed my pain of not studying in US...but the country with which I didn't expect anything gave me hell lot of things...Deutschland hat mir viel gegeben....:)

3. This moment healed the pain which I suffered when Prof. Killat who stripped my ass in the mid-term presentation of my Master Thesis...But thanks Prof...now I feel whats happiness :)

4. This moment healed the pain which I suffered when I was hunting for jobs in Germany and the rejections which I got mainly because of the strict visa regulations and language constraints....

5. This moment healed the pain of loneliness, depression and the disappointments which I suffered during my tough times in Germany....the sacrifice which I made in Food, Entertainment, Friends, Cricket, Movies, Indian girls ;)

My friends always say that I am always an unsatisfied guy but now I should say to the mirror that, "I am satisfied with what God has given me :)". I love you amma !!

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Amman temple with Amma :)

2008-10-19T21:25:00.003+02:00

Any Indian who has stayed in Germany for a considerable amount of time shouldn't miss Ham Amman temple in North Rhein Westfallen state and the case holds good for my beloved mom..She was thrilled, excited, happy when she entered the praharam...This temple has been sort of important spot for all the desis in Germany...Whats special about this temple is the Gopuram and the ambience it presents in a foreign soil...Thanks to Sri Lankan tamils for their strenous efforts to build this shrine...

Got delayed because of the connecting train...was searching for some accomodation in the 11th hour finally my good friends Vijay Anand and Karthick turned in to the show...The kind of hospitality shown by Karthick to my mom....my goodness...No words to describe...Thanks Karthick...A day to remember!!

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Indian evening with Bhagavan family

2008-10-14T22:19:00.003+02:00

Followed by a German evening on Saturday, was a typical Indian evening on Sunday in Bhagavan uncle's house...Special thanks to Sudha aunt who prepared delicious Indian food - Thayir Vadai, Sambhar Vada, Fried Rice, Apple pickle... Had a chance to meet another Indian family with their kids...followed by a funny discussion of marrying a German or an Indian...finally the argument settled for marrying an Indian girl...:D Mom felt very homely....One more day to remember!! Thanks once again to Bhagavan uncle and Sudha aunt...

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

German evening with Mark

2008-10-14T22:04:00.004+02:00

Recently my colleague Mark Rueter invited me and my mom to a typical village festival in his place Wetzen....Initially I was skeptical about bringing mom to this fest, but Mark forcibly took my mom to this fest in his car....Drunk a big bottle of beer next to mom along with Mark ;) I did shooting for the first time and I correctly targetted the nucleus and won a prize.....the prize was none other than 3 Kgs of chicken ;) followed by wonderful music and food...Mom danced along with other German ladies....it was a great opportunity for her to see how Germans celebrate their special evening...Thanks once again to Mark for the invitation... A day to remember!!

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Navarathri festival with Dandia

2008-10-14T21:45:00.002+02:00

What could be the best place to make my mom happy in Europe... Switzerland, Paris, London..No!! Then what else....Yes... Celebrating Navarathri festival in Hindu temple... She felt really happy to see Navarathri celebrations in foreign land...the festival was marked with traditional slokas and mantras and followed by arathi...The most important event in this Navarathri festival is DANDIA...played it for the first time and I cherished playing it like gilli ;)....More importantly mom enjoyed to the core... :)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Octoberfest

2008-10-14T21:20:00.004+02:00

When I say to my friends in other parts of the world that I live in Germany...the next question what they will be asking is "Have you been to Octoberfest ?".. Having stayed in Germany for three years, I didn't find the right time to go to Octoberfest...finally the time has arrived to go to this wonderful fest in Germany...The highlighting feature of Octoberfest is the typical Bavarian dress and the beer...with thousands and thousands of crazy drunkards roaming in the streets and babes exposing their assets ;)

First we went to BMW museum...a must see museum for all the Automobile nerds...this place is highly picturesque with small hill top...lush green grass near the lake...feast to the eyes..I didn't drink much in this fest mainly because of the fact that I need to pick my mom next day from Frankfurt...otherwise the story would have been different....:D Anybody who has spent some time in Europe...never miss Octoberfest!!

Sathish Kumar S

Crazy Weekend !!

2008-10-14T20:50:00.005+02:00

If at all one weekend which will reside in my memory forever, it will be none other than Sep 26, 27 and 28th.....after stressful hours of programming in the office on friday had a wonderful memorable party with my MBA classmates in the evening...this party was special because it was a kind of get together for everybody...the party was amazing with wonderful lighting arrangements and most importantly the drinks... ;) After partying to the core, slept at around 4 and got up at 6 on saturday morning to catch the train to Munich for the Octoberfest....

Just 2 hours of sleep...took enough rest in the ICE from Hamburg to Munich....Once I reached Munich, I got the sprits back...the city was bubbling around with lot of tourists marching towards the Octoberfest...a must see fest in Germany...with thousands of people...in typical Bavarian dress..the Brat wurst and the Beer...with some amazing rides and games...no words to describe...I enjoyed this fest with my school friend Parthi and his colleagues...took some snaps with some beautiful babes passing by ;) ... went along with Parthi to Stuttgart by car..again just slept for two hours and was excited about mom's arrival in Germany.... :)

Started from Stuttgart in the early morning on sunday and reached Frankfurt airport by 7.30 in the morning....Waited on and on in front of the visitors place...Finally the door opened and could see amma coming out of the door....Rest...No need to explain :) Travelled along with mom from Frankfurt to Hamburg... Certainly a weekend which will reside in my memory forever !!

Sathish Kumar S

26th Birthday...A sense of satisfaction

2008-09-30T23:06:00.003+02:00

Life goes on and on...the clock ticks...the time goes fast...and when I got up in the morning the calendar says I am 26 years old....there are many birthdays which I celebrated but nothing can be compared to this 26th one...a sense of satisfaction which I felt in my stomach....got up early in the morning...ate Dosai with Sambhar...got the blessings of my mom and she wavering her hands when I left to office...my goodness...followed by warm greetings with my colleagues and PLs...the moments which I waited for many many years in my life...

The day was well remembered for our cuisine which me and my mom prepared...Gulam Jamun, South Indian Murukku, Poli, Milk Sweets, Vadai, Bhajji, Sambhar, Rasam....all my Indian friends cherished it but the Germans felt really spicy....cutting of cakes and offering it to mom....Thanks god for giving such a wonderful moments and thanks to all my friends who made the evening a memorable one in my life....

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Dream Came True - Mom's arrival !!

2008-09-29T22:03:00.004+02:00

The moment which I waited for many years in my life, mom's presence in the land where I cherished, cried, enjoyed to the core...atlast she is here....I was always skeptical about her journey because she was travelling alone and for the first time in the flight...many speculations, many questions, many aprrehensions...but I always believed in courage and encouraging words which can do wonders...gave all the motivation to her to gear up to face all possible situations which she will encounter during her journey...I was worried about two important things one is immigration check and the other baggage claim....

She managed the immigration check with the letter which I sent and for the baggage I should thank a person named Gowri Shanker whom we never met in our life, who helped mom to come out of the Immigration check and made sure that she meets me....having taken in to consideration of the fact that he has a connecting flight...Ayiram kumbidukal Gowri Shanker ku :) I should thank all my friends Praveen who helped mom to get visa, Palani Swamy doing all the paper works, Sridhar helping her in Meenambakkam airport, Parthiban for the wonderful support in Stuttgart before I left to pick my mom, Veera for connecting the call between me and India...Wonderful....Friends are forever !! There are various moments in my life which I cherished to the core and definitely the moment when I saw her in the airport will heal all the pain which I suffered in this span of three years in Germany... Life is all ups and downs :)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Karting in Bispingen

2008-08-31T19:02:00.003+02:00

Recently I had a chance to go for a Karting with my colleague to celebrate his 29th birthday at Bispingen, Niedersachsen, Germany. This Karting was owned by Ralf Schumacher, the brother of Michael Schumacher...there are other sports in the arena with Bowling and Skiing as well...it was a great experience to do Karting in Germany with some BMW power in the Kart...it was actually a kind of race and with no doubt I finished last but one... ;) Thanks to Martin for suggesting this place to celebrate his birthday....and a day to remember !!

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Summer Fest in my office

2008-08-31T18:37:00.002+02:00

Recently I had a summer fest in my office..it was a nice evening with all the colleagues coming with their family members and kids...the function started with some blah blahs from Executive board followed by the most important thing BBQ and Bierfest...:) couple of games for the children in which I was not allowed to participate... ;) the weather stayed decent enough for a wonderful evening...

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Cricket in Hamburg

2008-08-06T21:16:00.006+02:00

Out of three summers which I spent in Germany....this summer was the most memorable one...its mainly because of our cricket in the weekends...its been long time since I played cricket...the last time I played vigorously was in 12th standard holidays...its a great experience to play in lush green grass and temperature just around 15 to 20 °C.... its a great entertainment for all us since there are not much activities here in abroad...great time pass....initially we started to play for fun and as the days went on, it became very competitive...but in the end a lovely summer to remember!!

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Cruise Day in Hamburg Port

2008-08-04T18:42:00.006+02:00

Recently I had a chance to see Cruise day in Hamburg port with my colleague....it was a lovely evening with lot of fireworks across the elbe river and huge picturesque ships cruising along the banks of Landungsbrucken....was definitely a lovely sight....Normally three important fireworks take place in Hamburg 1. Hafensgeburtstag (Harbour Birthday) 2. Cruise Day 3. New year eve. Hamburg is definitely a great city in Germany and has lot of things to offer for its inhabitants...I am quite lucky to live in Hamburg and definitely its my second home town.... :)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Kuselan Rajini's Magic ;)

2008-08-03T18:09:00.004+02:00

Recently I had a chance to see super star's recent kollywood film "Kuselan" in Hamburg. The movie was a total time pass with Rajini's heroics, Vadivel's comedy, Pasupathi's sentiment and Nayanthara's sexy hips :D The movie clearly had a message of valuing friendship at all times...nice picturesque shots in the western ghats...Now comes my real review...Rajini fans please avert from reading further on ;) Super star made everybody cry in the theatre except for non-Rajini fans....:D too much boasting about our super star which can happen only in tamil movies....but on the other hand ...kudos to our super star even at this age he looks so young and can dance with a heroine who is of her daughter's age...heheheee I somehow feel our super star has the magic of winning the heart of so many people with all his armery....for sure he is gifted in that aspect....only RAJINI MAGIC NO LOGIC :)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Rügen Island - Baltic Coastline

2008-06-30T21:48:00.024+02:00

"You never know whats in store in life..." Yes, I never thought when I was in school that after ten years, two of my school friends would come for my M.S graduation ceremony in Germany....and they did...celebrated our joy and happiness in the North Eastern Baltic coastline, Rügen islands...In my opinion must see place in Germany...

Königstuhl:

First we went to Königstuhl, the word König means King and Stuhl is Chair...so in ancient times the one who climbed the cliff first gets the status of King...amazing top cliff which gives panaromic view of the baltic sea...lush green flora...and near to that Baltic sea..feast to the eyes...the weather wasn't good but still the place was amazing...could imagine how it would have been when sun was shining...Unfortunately we had to miss the colorful bikis ;) There is one national park named Jasmund....one of the naturally preserved areas...

Ostseebad, Binz:

Then we went to Ostseebad, Binz...great baltic coastline with small cliffs along the shore...reminds me of Goa beaches...thank god sun was shining here...had a relaxed time in the beach...All in all it was a great weekend with my school friends...laughed a lot after a very long time...cherished each and every moments...Thanks Naresh and Parthi for turning up for the occasion and making this trip memorable...

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Master of Science...Dream Came True... :)

2008-06-27T22:10:00.008+02:00

Master of Science in a foreign University was always my life-time dream and thanks to God for fulfilling this dream. It all started with the GRE, TOEFL, Statement of Purpose, Visa Interviews, Bank balance to reach Technical University Hamburg Harburg (TUHH), Germany to satiate my dream…to be honest and frank…I wasn’t satisfied with my technical learning which I obtained during my Master of Science due to many reasons but I am quite happy with the other important things which I have acquired during this span of two and half years and I thought I can list them down here…

1. Relationship, Love & Affection:

I realized the importance of relationship, love and affection with parents, friends and well-wishers which can never be compared with anything…by staying away from home 10,000 miles away it made me to recollect what these people back home have offered me in my life for 23 years…I really miss you amma…

2. Loneliness:

If at all one greatest challenge which I tackled in Germany, it is none other than loneliness…loneliness brings self-realization but it sucks big time…there were times when I got up in the morning no body to see…went and work…came back …no body to see...cooked something ate something…went to bed…was frustrated to the core but taught me many valuable things…

3. Attitude towards life, Globe trotting:

Thanks to my experiences here in Germany which has changed my overall attitude towards life…not getting bogged down with too many stupid superstitious, religious beliefs…I totally learned from westerners how to approach and lead a life especially with globe trotting and live for the present…. I am not a person who gets happiness by looking at my bank account and savings but gets happiness by exploring some different parts of the globe…Thanks to my fellow classmates who taught me this Vedanta…

4. Independence:

Right from the time you get up in the morning till you go to bed…it’s all your decision…nobody can have any influence apart from few non-senses ;)…I always felt one has to be independent in his/her decision making and my stay here has offered me the world of Independence to do what I love to do..

5. Face the challenges:

Right from the day I arrived here its all about dealing with many situations…different people, different language, different culture, different food habits, different climate, study cum work, home sick, there were times when all my friends were earning huge dollars and I was sitting in the research institute doing some scientific experiments facing the cranky Professor and I wasn’t sure what I was about to do next in my life...job hunting with so many rejections not because of nullification but because of language issues and strict visa regulations.. Life out here has taught me to deal with uncertainties, disappointments and face the worst..

6. International Exposure:

Had I continued working in Indian Software Industry, I should have traveled abroad, earned money everything fine…but I am sure I wouldn’t have got any international friends…my studies here gave a great chance to rub shoulders with different countrymen…. got to know the different cultures, their way of living, their attitude…gave me a great insight that world is not just our culture and there are different ways of leading a life…definitely made the frog to come out of the well…

7. Patriotism:

I hardly had any patriotism when I was in India except on Independence day when I used to carry the tricolor flag during the march past in schools…once I missed my home soil to the core ( the movies, the friends, the entertainment, the cricket, the Indian girls ;) then I became more patriotic…in fact this patriotism helped me to do well in my studies and other things…

8. Cooking:

Whether I become Master of Science or not, I have become Master of Cook…tried all possible dishes ultimately ended in me eating that and not others…;) Cooking is an art, a great hobby and I am sure I am gonna cook along with my wife…if she isn’t lazy…;)

9. Drinking Beer:

One great art which I learned from Germans, its none other than handling alcohol and beer…I truly cherished all my moments with them…it’s a special feeling to be in a state of half-drunk and I hardly go to a full state…Thanks to my 90 Kg fat body…;)

10. Importance of Vitamin “M”oney:

I hardly knew the value of Money when I was in India…I realized the significance of each and every penny which I spent here…. Thank God…I managed my entire stay and all my European Voyage by the part time programming and accommodation scholarship…

All in all, Germany gave me more than what I expected…I totally had a different opinion about Germans when I was in India but what I experienced with them here is simply amazing…What the world thinks about Germany is different and what I experienced here is different… I love Germans, I love Germany…Germany is neither hell nor heaven… J

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Dasavatharam ...Great Avatharam...

2008-06-14T20:12:00.004+02:00

The much awaited block buster kollywood movie from "ula nayagan" Kamal Haasan was released atlast...thanks to Ayangaran distributors who relased the movie in Hamburg, Germany...to say in one word the movie definitely didn't meet the great expectations which was portrayed before...but credit should go to the genius who acted in ten different roles...the screenplay was awesome, amazing graphic work..songs didn't turn out really great...but I always liked Kamal Haasan's movies who tries to give some message in each film....I get a feeling since he had to concentrate on ten different characters there wasn't a real punch in the story....

The story definitely touched different aspects of caste division in Indian society....first between Iyers and Iyengars...then between higher and lower caste....finally questions us....is god existing...I loved Kamal's last remark..."I never say god is not there....but I say it will be nice if he is there"... :) No doubt Kamal Haasan is a great revolutionary in the present times....no revolutionaries got recognition when they were living but the world recognized their thoughts when they weren't there...classical examples Subash Chandra Bose, Bharathiyar, Periyar and the list goes on....I really dream when a situation will come in India when we don't have a separate column for the caste in educational forms...well I don't see atleast for the next 100 years.... :(

Hats off to the great genius.....

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Class Trip to Cuxhaven, North Western Coastline of Germany

2008-06-01T17:21:00.005+02:00

Recently we had a class trip to Cuxhaven situated in the North Western coastline of Germany...the place Cuxhaven is unique for one thing, the North Sea recedes away completely around 20 kms..no water spread at a circumeference of 20 km for six hours and then completely filled with water for the next phase of the day....nature's wonder....it was nice walking with my classmates in the swampy ocean land with out any water...the weather stayed amazing...had a great barbeque..played beach volleyball, cricket, football along the shore...wonderful moments...A trip to remember!!

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Scenic Scandinavia - Denmark

2008-05-12T20:48:00.017+02:00

The sun was shining hard, the beaches were waiting for us and we didn’t go to Ibiza but to the Danish Coastline ;) Yes recently I included Denmark, the great Scandinavian country in my European Voyage, drove around 1100 kms in three days by car, explored the islands, country side of the great Scandinavian country Denmark with really great group who made the trip memorable and wonderful, Bernd Schmidt the German and my fellow countrymen Hemant, Vijay and Rushi.

We cruised along the west coast first with islands such as Roma, Esbjerg, played cricket for a while and taught Bernd some stuffs about Cricket he did certainly well and outplayed us ;) I must say the beaches in Denmark were very shallow, low tides, in my opinion they can’t be called as North sea instead they can be called as North Lake ;) The most important thing in our whole trip was the Barbeque. Thanks to Hemant and Bernd for the amazing preparations they made for the Barbeque. With sun shining really hard, amazing coastline, the sexy bikinis ;) to cook amidst all these things is a great experience. The wursts, the salads, the maizes, the sandwiches, the meat really great food…Bernd was very happy with the meat…Oh ya give to any German a beer, wurst, pommes and a piece of meat…then see their reaction….crazy meat-eaters ;) :D

Then came the important problem the place to sleep….we were searching along the coastline ultimately ended up in a farmland…thank god the owner wasn’t there ;) made our readymade tents and managed with our quilt and pillows…we didn’t have sufficient place inside the tent…but managed to squeeze inside it…pity that no girl was in our trip ;) Once we were bored with the beaches, then we drove to the country side Silkeborg and ultimately explored a great lake Ry on the way, the lake was electrifying with red, rose, green, black biki…when nature speaks one has to sit and listen…oh no I am talking about the picturesque lake ;)

Then we went to reach the highest point of Denmark Hillemsberg which was 175 m high above the sea level, good competition to Mt.Everest ;)…nevertheless this point provided a great panoramic view of the great landscape of Denmark….Once again a great barbeque next to the scenic lake with the sunset….amazing…thanks to the weather god once again…amazing weather all the three days…Then we went to east coast to explore the Baltic sea…but Baltic sea also disappointed with the tides, also have to renamed as Baltic lake I guess but didn’t disappoint us with the biki ;) me and Bernd bought the sun-glasses to be in the safer position ;) for cheap prices but the cover for those glasses must be really high..;) Denmark is really expensive when compared to other European countries...such a small country but their economy is damn good...

This trip was certainly different from rest of my European Voyage…traveling by car along with friends, making barbeque on the seashore, playing cricket on the beach sand, camping in an unknown place with the ready-made tents, I simply loved it…totally different from traveling by plane, train or bus and staying in hotel…Thanks to Bernd, Vijay, Hemant and Rushi for making this trip memorable one in my life….hey guys I didn’t disappoint you people as well I guess…definitely not…Jägermeister worked really well…;)

I loved the great Scandinavian country Denmark Tak (Thanks)!!

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Cycling in Hamburg

2008-05-01T21:49:00.005+02:00

Recently I had a chance to do cycling in Hamburg for 20 KMs with my mentor and his friends (oldies ;) ...I have stayed in Hamburg for two years but didn't get a chance to explore the country side of Hamburg...the weather stayed fine and it was a great experience to do cycling in lush green meadows in the country side...after cycling followed by a great dinner at my mentor's place....with Bavarian wurst and the beer...lecker...;) I thoroughly enjoyed the day..Thanks once again to Merkel who had made my stay in Hamburg memorable!

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Rise of Indian Economy - "Die Indische Wirtschaft im Aufbruch"

2008-04-24T16:27:00.004+02:00

Recently I had a chance to give a presentation "Rise of Indian Economy" - Die Indische Wirtschaft im Aufbruch at Rotary Club, Hamburg. The presentation was in German ;) Thanks to my mentor Mr. Merkel who gave me this opportunity to highlight the progress of Indian Economy. I always enjoyed giving a talk about India to the westerners simply because of the fact its a great challenge...I highlighted some statistical economic facts from various sources and ofcourse a movie to end with...Thanks to my friends Richa, Bernd Schmidt and also my mentor who helped me to translate the text from English to German, certainly not an easy task to do....My mentor gave me a gift "Die Schönsten Reiseziele Europas" --- "The great travelling guide for Europe"...A book which I will definitely use to the core ;) All in all I was satisfied with the talk and it was a great privilege for me to give a talk to the higher sections of the German society...Vielen Dank Herr Merkel!!

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Barcelona, Spain

2008-04-14T18:43:00.012+02:00

It was before 16 years when I was in 4th standard, when I got up at early morning to see the olympic inauguration ceremony in Barcelona, Spain where a person shooted an arrow from a long distance to the olympic torch at the top of the stadium to ignite the olympic torch...it was a dream come true to explore this place and include in my European Voyage...Barcelona one of the top class city I have visited in Europe...amazing architectural buildings, awesome beaches, small little mountains and importantly sexy spanish babes ;)

It was a great group who can make any trip enjoyable, Andreas the American, Juan the mexican and my good friend Veera....we took the bus top tour which covered the important places...the whole city is built by Gaudi...the name which I heard everywhere in Barcelona ;) Museo Picasso, Olympic stadium, FC Barcelona football stadium, Parc Guell, Passeig de gracia are some of the important places worth visiting...The beaches in Barcelona were awesome...with amazing tall sky scrappers, palm trees near the shore...the city looked grand and one of the most expensive cities in Europe...Parc Guell is about 500 m high gives a lovely panaromic view of the city and there is cable car which takes to the top of other mountain where one can get lovely view of the whole city of Barcelona....any cable car ride in Europe is awesome...If anybody wants to know the night and western life, Barcelona is the right place...tonnes of dance floors...the youth hostel which we stayed was amazing...one of the best youth hostel I have ever stayed...the weather stayed really fine...Barcelona has got amazing climate stays warm throughtout the year not as cold as northern Europe....it was warm and sunny all along...

Barcelona Beach:

The beach which we went was really nice, the sun was shining, we started to drink Jägermeister as soon as we entered the beach and it really worked ;)..there were two spanish girls who were playing beach volleyball invited us to play beach volley ball ;) we managed to hang around with them by speaking few spanish words Por favor, Gracias ;) long stretching coastline, amazing weather, Jägermeister, Spanish girls, beach volley ball...couldnt have asked for more... ;) All in all it was a great wonderful trip which will reside in my memory forever...Thanks to Andreas Jägermeister master ;) who made the trip lively and awesome...While returning back we travelled by car from Lübeck airport to Hamburg...was skeptical about Andreas's ability to drive the car after Jägermeister..but he did exceedingly well by driving at 200 Kmph ;) Barcelona definitely the city to be visited in Europe

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S