the first days

okay...okay.. agreed that this is not the fastest of recollections, nor the best way to do it, but so what?? whoever said u cannot teach an old dog new tricks, either did not have an old dog, or maybe he did not try hard enough. but why am i talking of animals?? hey, lets get started !! but bear in mind that i did not INVITE u here. u r here entirely by your own choice. it would be great if u have some constructive comments, but if u r lucky enough to be born with a caustic tongue, better keep it inside the yapper.

4th of may, 2pm local time: my first impression of europe, bleak, rainy, people speaking something i didn't know, people who till yesterday were only the part of television, suddenly right there before my eyes. All this after a 7 hr flight which finally convinced me that the hindukush exists, and that the caspian sea does have the shape my geography book of class IX said it has. no place to go, no one to talk to. the last time i had ever felt so alone, so insecure, was when i joined DPS, still a kid, and wondering at the new world that was opening up. Here also the story was not entirely different, except for the calendar maybe. thankfully things fell into a rhythm soon. gosh!! these ppl r so friendly, ever so helpful. i have never found such cheerfulness, such healthy environment back in india. the first week was the quashing of my two greatest myths - 1) IITians r Gods. 2) europeans, especially germans give a cold shoulder to anyone who is not them. i dont think it would do any good, but i found more racism, more hard-nosed feelings in india than here.