Flow with the River...

Well, if you ever get lost in the water (river) says Pojj...just flow with the river, never step on the land. There will always be a township next to the river even if it takes you days to reach there..On land...you might end up messing up your directions.

Ah....with this note I started my canoeing trip. This is the thing with Pojj...he always will tell you the worst case scenario...sometimes I get influenced and start thinking like him...well I am not saying it is bad or anything...sometimes it works....but sometimes - like in this case when we were beginning to canoe...I wanted to direct my thoughts to - how beautiful this is...oh I am so close to the nature..Look look interesting birds...and wooooosh...all I can think of ...If I drown..I shall swim with the river and never make the mistake of stepping on land and find my way. Phew!!

So we began early, took a train from a station K(something). Pu...1.5 hours away was Gyor and we had to start our canoeing trip from there- River Duna (offshoot of Danube). Rented the canoe from a dudes house in that town..pretty cheap. Usually he doesnt give life jackets unless people ask for it (why?? cuz its expensive - he says). So we asked...and he gave cuz he knew Pojjs friend who made our entire itinerary work actually. When we checked with him about dropping off the canoe in the evening outside and the life jackets...he said yes - just keep them in my yard, I am going to be away, and the life jackets would need to dry - they would be wet anyway!! What?? does that mean he's doubting our skills?? (ofcourse we are first timers but what the hell!!) Yes, this thought scared me tooo.

We clicked a snap...and got pushed in water by Pojjs friend. We started. I barely helped Pojj...why? Mostly I was scared, sometimes I couldn't do it all by myself, and sometimes I was just bird watching and making contingency plans in my head. It was windy so my eyes started to water a bit...since I sat in the front, Pojj was controlling..so he had to be at the back....this worked in my favour...cuz I could shed a lil tears..and pass them off as eyes watering cuz of the breeze. As well as it worked for my drama, it didn't too well for our canoe...we had to put in double the effort to keep it straight ...we did hit the river side (which mind you was no sand land, but thick thick forests- scary eh)...had to row backwards...go straight yet again. After about an hour and a half we found a nice peice of land on the left with some grass...good point to stop over and eat something...so we did...carefully with Pojj's instructions...only walk in the middle while getting out..else it would topple and he would as he was at the back...Anyway, all that stop over was great. We ate some bread and drank some juice. Spoke about how lucky we are that we got to do this....and how the weather is working in our favour (by that time....the sun was completely doing its best at shining).

It was time to wear the life saving jacket and start all over for the remaining journey, we were told it typically takes 6 hours for the entire patch of 13kms...and since we are beginners we could stop over whenever tired and Pojj's friend volunteered to pick us up from that point. Well, honestly other than the point where we stopped, I didnt see no place to stop over in those jungles...no place at all :(. So, I got the shivers again..I just didn't want to do this...like it wasn't enough I was praying all along before...but Pojj...he can't do this. This starting a task and ending mid way ...no easy way out...he has to answer himself...and enjoy saying - he did it. Me.....ooops...I was surprised how scared I was....He hugged, he scolded, he was polite....leaving me there and going was not even an option...it didn't work...ahh...something happened and I said okay...we started again.

This time I think I was more confident, I was actually observing, Pojj was sweet and friendly and trying to take my mind off my fears...it was all good. Suddenly, a motor boat happened to pass by...huge ripples...there goes our lil canoe...we banged on the right side of the river in some tall grass (like there weren't enough weeds in the river to make it tough). So we had to pull back..ahh...took a lot of effort, but we did it. This time roles reversed, I was encouraging Pojj - yes, very good, we are almost there... :) I liked this part very much. However, I am not too sure Pojj remembers it.

One more hour had passed, and we didn't see no sign of humans ..only the forest...only the river and the birds..Pojj and me. Then slowly we could see something on the right...some houses a bridge....A BRIDGE.....I was sooo excited. Pojj had exhausted ..I wasn't too much help. But that was motivating, we decided we would pull over there and call the friend to pick up...cuz Pojj had no energy to row any more...and I would be more than happy to do it. Half an hour more...and we see people sun bathing, we see a resturant, we see the bridge...we see families drinking beer. I was happiest :). We parked we got off...and huggggged. We did it :D wow!! We reached downtown...people do it in 6 hours...we took around 3 and a half.

Drank a beer each..a well deserved one.

PS: I think sometimes...depending on someone helps....I think sometimes...going by others thoughts proves correct..I think sometimes...we should just try to overcome our fears....I think sometimes...we should just flow with the river!!

Ten things I would like to do ..

The next two months as I see are fairly easy for me...I am unemployed and as much as it might be a worry for someone...it really isn't for me. Ofcourse, I have Pojj to sponsor me :) and I am not complaining.

So, the past one week at Budapest, I have slept, slept some more (like I was deprived of it for ages), read some.., watched a lot of movies, roamed around wherever Pojj would take me. Well, yesterday Pojj and me had a two hour discussion - during our "post his work" walk session in the park..and he told me...are you happy doing just this? Why don't you get a hobby? Well...err...because...hah..I failed to answer that. I must get a hobby...mmm...if not one...then there are somethings that I have been wanting to do for a long time...and I shall do it during these coming days

• Paint a pot...an artistic one...with golden and copper paints for our lawn at Delhi. It should be long and slender- yet be able to hold some greens.
• Add to my silver jewellery drastically...Delhi is where I am headed next...and this one can have no further debates..cuz after all this is all I have as legacy to boast of!
• Brush up my MS excel skills...I learnt in college...and my past two years of work didn't make me use too much of it. Even if it means I take classes for a week to brush em up..I would.
• Eat loads of fruits - right now sitting here and eating some cherries I can only think of some mangoes...ahh....
• Go for some bakery classes...Pojj loves cakes...and I would surely love to boast that I can make lovely ones...so ...there.. :)
• Dig out all my books from various cartons lying here and there around the house in Delhi and set them...nicely..very very nicely.
• Meet all my old friends in Delhi...it has been long..and I definitely want to catch up ...ah....mebe even visit the college back lawns.
• Blow up some of our snaps - me and Pojj...some beautiful ones that we clicked in Langkawi, during our wedding and some of Delhi..put them all in my room.
• Get some old cards which have the beautiful water colour paintings and copy them by painting on hand made paper, to get with me when I get back. The next few anniversaries or birthdays...I am not buying any cards.
• Wear some of the many sarees lying...when I go to meet the relatives..ahhh...my sarees..I so wana wear em.

So here we are...ten it is....if possible...I wana convince ma-in-law to buy a lab....a dog...gives my life a whole new perspective...he he..!! This is when I crack up :)

I can speak English...fluently, yes!! Hindi...errr

On my way to visit Pojj after almost a month, I had to stop over at Frankfurt. So after the not so comfortable flight for about 11 hours...I landed there.
The Frankfurt airport I must say is amazing (considering the new International Airport at Bangalore where I flew from boasts of being International but the toilets don't have toilet papers...?? weirdly International). But nothing can replace the warmth of Indians...and I don't just say that because of the undoubted loyalty but out of experience.

After the immigration check I had to go and collect my baggage...I wonder why people are surprised - Tourist Visa and Hungary??? Why? Bah...so after convincing the guy why I was really there..he let me pass.. he bordered rude..but whatever. After that, I just couldn't figure my way out, it huge and I admit I would have travelled by train far more than by air. So I came back and asked him for help, I got a look - There is only one way, how can you not figure it out. Okay I would..you can sit there and be not so helpful.

Ofcourse, I figured it out, collected my baggage...drank a cup of hot coffee, caught the hotel shuttle with a Canadian and went and crashed.

I think I slept five hours at a stretch. I woke up and decided to go for a lil tour of the hotel (it was in the middle of a forest). Nice place..I liked it..around 7pm I went to the bar...yes alone (nothing to fear pls). There was OH (the bartender) and me...it was a classic English bar..the kinds that I have only seen in movies. So we started our regular, offering the drinks menu and where are you from kind of conversations. OH was a young fellow, who was completing this as a part of Hotel Management semester. He made me a nice Cosmopolitan and some grilled mushrooms. The conversation started from -Oh you have come from India, very far ...and went on to Billy Joel, famous drinks of Germany (I got to taste some for free - ahh goodwill), why there was no one in the bar today to Shah rukh Khan (amazed to know that people watched him there too, ofcourse they wanted to know why we always make movies around love, I thought I could boast of some Nagesh Kuknoor's movies, but it wouldn't have made sense then).

So while we were both talking about these certain things, we were joined by a Japaneese (forgot his name), he seemed rather quiet, got himself a beer. The moment OH vanished for a minute or two, this guy would start talking to me, ahhh so I knew..may be he thought OH was just supposed to serve drinks and only guests can make conversations :) (weirdo). Anyway, so he asked me - Which country? Aaah India...and where did you study ? (In his very broken English)...India all throughout..oh..how come? I was like huh?? Why is that a question? No he clarified, your English is fluent...so do all people in India speak like this? No not all, but any one who has had a halfway decent bringing up and studied in an English medium school can. Phew!! Is that how they think we are... hmm.

But why do we leave Hindi as a second language...atleast in schools that I have studied...? Why shouldn't we study our regional languages...? These are things I realize now that I am in Europe...not many people know English, but they know their regional language well...well enough..I for one can not boast of it :(