Home here home there

Living in Mannheim has been one hell of an experience. I have learned so much about different cultures (emphasis on the Polish here), and most of all about myself.

A very weird thing happened. The study abroad director from my school in Philadelphia came to visit in Mannheim. She looked at me and said, "Geets, you still have your watch on Philly time, and its been almost 3 months since you are here, you gotta let go you know." That just made me realize how right she was. I have always considered myself to be very independent, but may be I am not really, and that is why I never felt at home in Mannheim. India is home, Philly is home, but Mannheim never became home.

I have met some of the most amazing people here though. My room mate is just too nice to me. I am not as clean as her, I like to play Indian music loud and I am sure I can be annoying at times, but she still loves me :). My flat mates are a mix of people: Polish, French, Dutch, Canadian and American. I have found friends in them and people I can talk to.

Hafenstrasse (the student dorm I live in) is filled with exchange students. And 99% of them just love their time in Germany. Part of it is because they travel to some place or the other every weekend. I on the other hand, can not do that. Money is a constraint so I have not seen much of Europe so far. Whatever I have seen tells me how beautiful the continent is, its a traveler's heaven, but can I see myself live here and make a living. I guess not. Life is very different. Work culture and wages are different. Its just not where I can be forever, even though I would love to see the greens of Ireland, the lights of Paris, you know what in Amsterdam, and just live each moment.

Coming back to the people that I have met here:
I love them because most of them are very hospitable and invite me to all their food parties even though I have never really cooked for them. I have been to numerous parties with all kinds of food: German, French, Spanish, Polish and much more, and just loved the fact how they all feed you and enjoy to cook. I am not much of a cook, so I really depend on these people for food, and they don't mind doing that for me. I know there are some people that I met I would always like to be in touch with. Asia for always asking me to believe in love, Aga for taking care of me, Marie-Claire for being a buddy, Maciek for his jokes, Anne for being the amazing French girl and so many more people.

Frankly speaking I dont know how much I will miss the place or whether I will miss it at all. I will probably not miss the lonely days or long sleepless nights (thanks to the weird bed), but I will miss the learning process. We learn from everything, and I have learned a lot here. A lot about even my friends back in Philly. Weirdly, I know how much they mean to me, or how much I mean to them. I know now Pooja and me would always be the bestest of friends, I know Ankit would always care even if I dont listen to him, I know Ali will always be an ass (I mean his usual self.. mean but nice at times), I know Aditi would always wanna know whether I am ok, and I know most of all I have a home away from home.

Milan and Venice -- kick off to am amazing Italy trip

A month ago I booked my trip thinking I should really have fun, but trust me I didnt know its gonna be so much fun.

Frankfurt to Milan is an hour flight and thanks to Ryanair.com I only paid 30 euros for my round trip given that I am not an EU citizen. Milan is a city for shoppers. You'll find anything you want there, Prada, Gucci, Channel, Zara, anything, you name it and its there. I spent two nights there even though I am not so capable of spending 1000 euros on a hand bag, and just loved walking around the city. I like doing that, just walking around the city and getting to know it. I get lost a million times, but oh well who cares.

From the Milano airport, the shuttle is about an hour to Milano Centrale and then you can buy a 24 hour pass for 3 euros to use the subway, trams and busses.

Ice cream in Milan rocks, and I thought Ben and Jerry's was good. And then ofcourse there is the pizza, the most amazing thing on the planet (never liked it that much before). I survived on a pizza a day there, seriously it is too good to not be eaten.

After Milan comes Venice. A paradise city for all those lovers and car haters. No cars, water water everywhere, and just boats and more boats. Its a small city, so if one has been living there they can go everywhere by foot. Water bus is expensive 6.50 euros for one trip and 14 for a 12 hours pass. I took the pass since I did not want to miss a chance to be on water, and I do not regret it.

The duomo and rialto bridge are two main places to see. The main street is filled with a bazillion shops, and Morano glass is what Venice proudly makes and sells. Being a tourist city, it was full with tourists even in an off peek season. And did i mention, Italians are really friendly ;). So many people did not know English but even then I was able to get what I wanted, except normal coffee.

Coming to Coffee, coffee in Italy means expresso. Depending on where you are it can range between 70cents to 1.20 euros. Its extremely good for coffee lovers, but a little too bitter for the others. Most of the places do not have a to go coffee concept, and you have to sit there, drink it in their china. Very different indeed.

So ya Venice... I spent a day there, and loved every moment of it. Tight budget so couldnt shop much. Since the carnival in Venice is 1500 years old, there were masks everywhere and they were a beauty. Too expensive for me, but they were gorgeous. Some things like that can only be bought in Venice. At night, you can just stand on the bridge and look at the city, thanking whoever thought of this city on water.

Milan is for those who want to shop and stay in luxury, Venice is for peace lovers and beauty appreciators. Both are different, and definately nothing beats Venice. The moment I stepped out the Venezia St. Lucia station, I knew I was in a wonderful place.

So if you are going to Italy, Venice is a must. Trains are much cheaper in Italy compared to Germnay so 100 euros should cover 5 cities. Not bad at all.

Crêpes in Germany

A crêpe (pronounced /kreɪp/, French IPA: [kʀɛp]) is a type of very thin, cooked pancake usually made from wheat flour. The word, like the pancake itself, is of French origin, deriving from the Latin crispa, meaning "curled." While crêpes originate from Brittany, a region in the northwest of France, their consumption is nowadays widespread in France.

Thats the definition I pulled up from wikipedia for the those who dont know what I am talking about. So Anne, the french girl I know, and a friend organized a wonderful Crêpes party for people who dont know what its all about. She lives in a Private house much better than the StudentenWohnheim where I live, and organized it beautifully. Since I am not much of a drinker she saved on the wine, but I ate three of those Crêpes.

When I think of pancakes I think of a thick round piece of flour eaten with loads of maplesyrup. This was different and delicious indeed. Jelly and chocolate was used instead, and I filled mine with loads of chocolate (my new favorite in Germany). Surprisingly, I realized how similar is the preparation from that of an indian delicacy called "cheela". I dont know what are they called in English, but as much as I saw Crêpes being made, I realized I can so do it.

I like it how Europeans (if I may generalize) like to do these small parties for other friends bearing all the costs. I have been to so many of them where people come eat, drink (a must), talk, meet each other, show ineterst in your culture and leave without getting drunk. Its just amazing.

Talking about cultural talks, the one question that I get the most being from India, is about the caste system. I think Germans do read a lot about us. People know so much about India here. Its so refreshing. Sometimes I think they read more about India than I do (bloody American effect).

Stranger: So tell me about India. Is it true, you have a hierarchical structure
Me: You mean the caste system
Stranger: Yeah!
Me: We do, but its not the prevelant in the cities, and I am from Delhi. But in villages it is prolly. You see we are a third world country so these things still exist
Stranger: India is so not a third world country. I mean look at the progress.

Haha! That made my day. I like people here. They get it. They know us. They understand.

Coming back to Crêpes. Thanks for the lovely night Anne. This one is for you :)

The beautiful Heidelberg!

This past Saturday me and Asia (my polish friend) decided to take a trip to Heidelberg. No plans. Just a 15 minute train ride and we were there. The beauty of Germany is that one can just take a train and reach anywhere, and if you know how to plan, it is not that expensive either.

There was a jazz festival going on so there were thousands of people on the road just walking through the city's shopping area. Bands were playing music at various corners so we could here music everywhere. Almost every city I have been too has a castle. Naturally Heidelberg has one too. The hike is not too bad (thank god, hikes just kill me), and the view from the top is just amazing. The city is so beautiful that you just can not miss the chance to look at it from the top. There are small mountains along the river (dont ask me which river), and they add to the scenic view. There are tours all over the city and surprisingly there are tourists from all over the world. I heard more English being spoken around me than German for a change. My main is never shopping, but I felt like doing that there, just because the atmosphere was so good, and there were all kinds of things being sold. The most common item was jewellery. A lot of arab jewellery shops with beautiful rings, neck pieces and more.

The castle has a big courtyard and a garden. People just sit there for hours, and enjoy the view. We sat there since the weather was just perfect for such a trip. Although I suck at frisbie, I gave it a shot, and I am not that bad after all :D. Just walking through the castle, sitting there and listening to the jazz bands play made the trip amazing. Europe is so beautiful that one does not need to do much in order to enjoy it. All you need is a back pack with water ( a must, water is expensive to buy), and some essentials and you are all set. The beauty lies in the mountain, the small shops, the streets and simply out there in the open. Getting away from the tall buildings and killing traffic was never that fun before.

Finally I think I am blessed to be able to see all this. Even though I still moss home a lot, I am glad I got this wonderful oppurtunity. And actually past few days have been good (in terms of you know things that make me happy..lol..people who know me know what I am talking about), so enjoying has been much easier.

A day of seeing the city... hopefully!

I have been inside ever since I came here. I have had a few trips but that's probably two weekends. Otherwise I just stay inside. A very bad thing to do if you are in Germany. There is so much to do and being inside just intenses the boredom. Its 6:15 am on a Friday morning, and I am writing this. Thursday was a day of sleeping out of hunger. I dont think I mentioned it, but I am fasting for reasons only god knows, and so the whole day my mind only thinks about food in the EO (The cafe at the uni, awesome food). I just had an omlette though made out of weird looking eggs. Eating before sunrise you see. Sleepy cooking, but I think I made a fine pre-breakfast. I was just looking out the kitchen window, and the city looked beautiful. There is a canal next to my place, and during the day you see birds (swans, ducks, I dont know) making all kinds of noises in the water. During the night, its much peaceful but cold. Its 5 C outside, and looking out the window, seeing the city getting chills, just feels good. Also, while doing that I realized I have not really seen the whole city. I have just probably seen the areas around the campus, and assumed the city ends there. My flat mate (who is up reading a book till now, and I thought I had sleeping issues), just told me to kill my boredom I should go and check out the city. May be Friday is the day to do that. But you see my fasting doesnt help walking. I need to get used to the whole not eating part. I live in Jungbusch, and I have been told its unsafe. Really!!! Coming from Delhi and then from Philly, it seems pretty safe to me. I have walked alone through the area so many times, and apart from some shady looking people, I never seemed to have a problem. Actually when I walk through the area, I hear people speaking in all kinds of languages (or may be just one), apart from German and English. I havent seen many Indians, so I miss speaking in Hindi. I have to trouble my friends back home all the time, and then speak to them in Hindi. So today's plan hopefully: PLAN A: Be random and see the city. Take the tram get off anywhere, look around and then take the tram back. I have heard there are a couple of Museums here, however much I dislike Museums I think I should give it a try. How hard can that be. PLAN B: I have a lot of reading to do for my classes, I can do that as well, but I suck at reading for classes. I have no idea how do people to PHDs. Beyond me. PLAN C: Sleep through the day, or go to Asia's, see her having a cup of coffee and chat and gossip. Finally someone I can do that with. Random: I forgot to mention that the whole Polish gang is out except Asia, to see Paris. So I have my room to myself for three days. Woohhhooooo!!!! Its not like I like living alone, but this seems refreshing :)

First birthday in Germany

In India we make the birthday girl or guy pay for everything on their birthday. In America, it’s the other way around, so when I went there for the first birthday parties, I was like “What, no treats, this country sucks.” Lol! But I am so used to that now, that on a friend’s birthday in Germany, when people were making her pay for everything I was like “What, you want her to pay, you guys suck.” How places change you. It’s worth experiencing!

By now I thought I am used to culture shocks I receive, but apparently not. Cultures still amaze me and catch me by surprise. I am still uncertain so many times about whether what I said offended someone or not. Not using the curse words is hard, but I am working on it. Not that people will mind, but one never knows.

Europeans, if I may generalize (thanks to my polish gang, and then all kinds of exchange students I hang out with) are very together staying people. They like to take care of each other, care about the family, and like to make birthdays about drinking. The bottom like is definitely having loads of beer in Germany, loads of vodka in Poland and loads of wine in France. So this birthday party I attended today is right now almost on the verge of ending in my apartment right now. I can still manage to write with all the people shouting their lungs out, how amazing is that J. So anyways, the party started with everyone bringing beer pretty much, the Polish bringing the cake and balloons and the Americans (like me) coming empty handed. Embarrassing! But we don’t give presents if we know the person since 20 days, we are like that (I hope other Americans agree, even though I am far from being one yet). People kissing people, you know the greetings types, people drinking beer and getting drunk after 10 beers, people forgetting the birthday girl pretty much and drinking some more. That’s all it was. It was fun. A German told me that’s how we celebrate everything, by drinking beer. So that was my first birthday party. I don’t even know why I am writing about it, but its nice to experience new things and then put them down on paper. Memories. They make me happy J.

oh well, i didnt explain much about the birthday, did i. Please excuse this one, its a tipsy post. I had to write it for some reason. Helps me calm down when I am pissed. That's another story. Some time later may be!

Germany so far!

Its been 22 days since I came to Mannheim, Germany and yes life has been different. I come from India originally, but the past 3 years have been spent in Philadelphia since I go to school there. My main purpose or you can say excuse to come to Mannheim is to study business and information sciences at the Business school, Uni-Mannheim. The whole study abroad program gives me an opportunity to meet students from all over the world, study in a different academic set up, improve my German language skills and most importantly see Europe.

I came here having minimal hopes, because that’s the kind of person I am I guess. I don’t like to pin too many hopes on something because then the expectations are just way too much to cope with. Because of that, everything that I have experienced here has been pleasant and welcomed. Mannheim is a small city in the state of Baden-Wurttemberg. People here speak German only, and it’s a little hard to find nice English speakers. If you are a tourist you can get by, but if you want to spend four months here then you better speak the language. People are friendly, but if you keep on talking in English that friendliness will never turn into friendships. Knowing the language is important to make German friends and experiencing what Germany is all about. I live in housing provided by the University and have a polish room mate, so in Germany, thanks to her, I only hang out with Polish so far and I talk to them in German. I don’t know whether I can generalize, but I feel like for me it has been much easier to connect with Europeans than it ever was with Americans. The warmth and understanding I receive from these people is amazingly surprising, but it is because of them, staying here has been a fair deal so far.

I have not travelled much yet, because of arranging for classes and making new friends and everything, but I do start soon. So far what I have seen of Mannheim, makes me like the city in some aspects. I feel like in some ways Mannheim is like a small city in India, though much more organized and much more clean. There are shops all over the city and mind you, if you are coming here from America or any other country for that reason, your VISA aint any good here. Cash works the best here. Most of the small shops don’t even take the bank debit cards from German banks here (Maestro). If you are really out of cash then Starbucks is your only option, yes yes, wherever you go Starbucks follows you. So coming to my point of similarity between Mannheim and a small Indian city, the small shops with people selling cheap goods and not accepting anything but cash reminds me of India. Euro is expensive, but if you have been here for a while, you know the cheap eats and actually eating here would be cheaper than eating back in the States.

Americans think you cant be cheaper than Walmart, but Germans prove you wrong. Stores like Lidl and Aldi here in Mannheim are dirt cheap, and I mean it. Cheap is always good, and these stores just make my life better . Apart from these stores, the market is divided in two sections. One has all the branded showrooms from ESPRIT to DOUGLAS to NIKE and one side has small bakeries and fruit sellers. It’s the time of Ramdan, and if you are fasting then the Turkish make it easy for you. There are bazillion Turkish shops with food menu specially designed for those fasting. And overall, I just love the food here. German bratwurst is a treat for everyone. I don’t eat beef or pork, but if you do then this place is for you. German food is just great. The bread is mouth watering, and there are so many kinds to choose from. Talking about food, I cant miss the doner kebabs. It is a Turkish specialty, but you get it in abundance here, and the delicacy is mouth watering indeed. McDonalds and Burger King can also be found at many places which is very helpful in case you are only here for few days and all the German food names are making you crazy.

Mannheim is a city for chocolate lovers. The air smells like chocolate all the time because of the chocolate factory close by. I never liked chocolates before coming here, but now I love it. There is so much more I can write here probably, but I think I should save some for later. Haha! Weird ending I know, but I am not that good a blogger yet!