Jaane Kahaan Gaye Woh Din.......

This is not a 'sometimes I think about...' thing...but I think a lot about the days that have gone by. Especially, the years from 2002-2005. I think they were the best in my life so far. I don't think I have ever had fewer problems later, than I had during those years. But, that's not the only reason they were great. 

The people I was with during those times made them great. But now, as time goes by, the people are not close by anymore most of them, fortunately, just due to the physical distance. Some, I am still best friends with, and some have drifted away and I have drifted away from some. I can, though, say with a clear conscience that I have drifted away from hardly anyone. I walk away when I sense that my part in that person's life-story is over. 

I think back to those days, when I was full of hope and ambitions and dreams. It was a wonderful time. Now, I feel I don't even have the freedom to dream. All I have left with myself are the goals that I need to achieve to move on to the next step, whatever that might be. It's not that I don't dream anymore, but the dreams have changed a lot. My dreams are now, unfortunately, quite 'realistic'. And, that effectively defeats the whole purpose of a dream. Is it good or is it bad? Is it a sign that I have grown-up or is it a sign that I have succumbed to the pressure of life? I don't know. I would hope that this is just a passing phase. But what if it is not? Do I then surrender to the fact that my life does not have the charm for me as it used to? Yes, there is a different charm to it now, but I do also long for that innocent charm that I used to enjoy. 

Gone are the days, when having drinks with friends meant having two shots at the most of whatever we were drinking and that was an achievement. Gone is the time when I had my first puff of a cigarette and was scared that I had actually smoked a cigarette (even though it was just one puff). Gone is the time when hanging out late with friends was once in a while thing and it used to be very exciting. Gone is the time, when marriage was a thought of something that was far into the future. Now, in fact, a few of my friends/acquaintances are already married - people my age! 

I think back to the time when I participated in a play with my friends in Khalsa Junior College - 'Kabhi Bhada, Kabhi Raada'. I can never forget the great times I had rehearsing for that. I can't forget the time when we went to my farmhouse and my friend, who was in an extreme hurry to get back home forgot his wallet and we had to go back to get it. Of course, the caretaker had left by that time and we had to jump over the barbed-wired fence. I can not as well forget the New Year's Eve celebrated in my flat in Borivali, which was probably one of the best New Year's Eves I have had so far.  

Of course I can never forget my first year of BMS where I met some of the best people I will ever meet. The projects and the lectures, all very new and exciting. Very different people and the challenges of getting used to them and them getting used to me, which is not very easy at all. The trip that year to my farmhouse with almost 40 of my BMS classmates was again an unforgettable experience. The year also held for me the joy of being in my first ever relationship with a wonderful girl and then also, the pain of it ending. A Goa trip that I made with just another friend during BMS, because two others dropped out, was again very memorable. 

This all seems so much into the distant past now, that it feels like it never happened. But, I do long for those days again. If I could ever relive some part of my life, it would be those 2-3 years. They were the start of my life as it is today. I would also want to have the memory of the last time I had lived through those years and try to enjoy even more the happy times and rectify some mistakes, which I am glad were not too many. 

But, I do wonder how time passes by so quickly. Soon, it will be a few years that I have written this post and I will probably think about the happy times I am going through now. Would it be too arrogant to change a cliched saying? I don't know, but perhaps 'The grass is always greener during a time in our life that has passed by'.

¡Hola! Barcelona

What I did expect to hear in Barcelona, Spain was - ¡Hola!; but what I did not expect to hear in an extremely bad out-of-tune voice was a Sunny Deol song - Yaara O Yaara being sung by an Indian (most probably), hawking an umbrella on a rainy day in front of the Cathedral in the Gothic Quarter.


Having returned last night from a 3-day trip to Barcelona, I was still a bit in the vacation mood when the harsh reality of my classes struck me in my afternoon class today. So, before I completely lose that feeling, I felt I should pen down a little bit of the experience. 

What pleasantly surprised me about Barcelona is that unlike France, many people speak English and do not hate it. Whereas, in France, I have hardly seen even the business owners/employees in the main tourist areas speaking English, which is very surprising considering the fact that Nice is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world. Now, in Barcelona, one might think that being the second largest city in Spain, they mainly speak Spanish; but one would be mistaken. The main language in Barcelona is Catalan followed by Castellano (Spanish) and no, they do not call it Espanol in Catalan. 

The most famous street in Barcelona is 'La Ramblas' and it was highly recommended by everybody and everywhere I searched, but unfortunately, I didn't really find it interesting at all. My recommendation, - avoid it if you can. There are much better places to visit in Barcelona. The street is filled with tourists, and there are some street artists/performers and a few vendors but that's about it. Nothing that got me really excited. Even most of the restaurants are on the expensive side, although I did have my first lunch in Barcelona on 'La Ramblas' in a restaurant called Choquito and it was one of the best meals I have ever had - Paella and Tapas. (For those who don't know, Paella is a rice dish and it is usefully made with seafood; and Tapas are small portions of appetizers, so you order 2-3 to make a meal) Out of my 5 meals in Barcelona, for 4, I just had Tapas and Sangria. The one meal that I did not have Tapas, I dined in an excellent tiny place called 'El Xiringo' on Carrer de Sant Carles near Placa del Mar. The place is owned by the Chef and if you ever end up there, please go with his recommendation. Also, I fell in love with the Spanish sausages called 'Choricitos' or 'Xoricitos' or 'Chorizos'; a little bit salty but excellent!!!

There are two famous personalities from Barcelona - Pablo Ruiz Picasso and Antonio Gaudi. There would be hardly anyone who has never heard of Picasso but I hadn't heard about Gaudi. Antonio Gaudi was an architect in the 19th century in Barcelona. He was the brain behind 'La Sagrada Familia', a church of gigantic proportions whose construction began in 1882 and is expected to be completed some time in the late 2020's. The church is being built completely from donations made by visitors and is not being funded by the Government or a private body or institution. One must visit it to fully comprehend the beauty of this structure. The architecture blows your mind away. I spent an hour there just walking around and I didn't feel like leaving. The majesty is captivating. 

Another creation by Gaudi is the Park Guell, within which Gaudi resided in a beautiful house (now a museum) from 1906-1926. Park Guell is a botanical garden and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site like 'La Sagrada Familia'. The genius of Gaudi was simply mind-blowing. I visited a building he had designed called Casa Batlo and again, the architecture enthralls you. Unfortunately, I couldn't go in because the entrance fee was too expensive. 

There are several architectural marvels in Barcelona and one must try to visit as many as one can. The 'Palau de la Musica Catalana' is another example as well as 'La Pedrera'. The Barcelona Cathedral in the Gothic Quarter is another beautiful place to visit. The architecture - intricate and beautiful! One attraction that I did not expect would be so great was the 'Magic Fountain', which is a sound and light water fountain show. Although I have seen similar shows before, this is definitely worth a mention. If you do ever get a chance to watch it, I am sure you won't be disappointed. 

I took a two-hour walking photography course conducted by a British guy called Ben Evans, It was a really nice informative course and given that I was the only one in that time-slot, I lucked out. During the course , we stopped at a small cafe off 'La Ramblas' called 'Elisabets' for a coffee and some Q&A. It was an extremely good cup of coffee. First, I thought I liked it more because for the last two months I have been drinking really bad coffee from the vending machines in my school and the instant coffee I make at home, but then I tried another cup from a cafe right across and it was fabulous. I didn't realise I would get such good coffee in Spain. After reading up on it later on, I found out that coffee is an integral part of the Spanish culture. 

On 'La Ramblas' there is a fruit/vegetable/fish/meat market. I would say it is worth a visit perhaps just for a few minutes. The quality and variety of goods is excellent and the vendors very artistically arrange the fruits and vegetables in a beautiful manner in their shops. The market looks really beautiful and of course, if you want to purchase anything....

On the last day of my visit, I visited the Picasso Museum - the only one in the world. Now, I must admit, I am not really an art connoisseur. However, even in my ignorance I was able to appreciate his skill. There are two paintings on display at the museum - 'Old Man' and 'Old Man in a Beret', which he painted at the age of 14. They are incredible and it is difficult to imagine a 14-year old to be able to paint with such great skill. 

If you are a football (soccer) fan, you won't be disappointed either. The Barcelona team is considered to be the best in the world and my friends who visited their stadium - 'Camp Nou' were extremely pleased with their visit. 

The one thing that did spoil the experience for me a bit was the fear of pickpockets. I was roaming around without my wallet and just carrying loose money in my pockets. I had my camera in my backpack but was also worried that if I am not careful, someone might open it and take away the camera; an instance I read on a forum had happened to somebody and for others there were similar experiences. I wish the law enforcement is stricter in this regard. However, I am glad that nothing of this sort happened and I survived Barcelona without any theft or any pickpocketing. 

All in all, I had a really enjoyable experience in Barcelona. Many people had also told me that Barcelona is a party-town but I didn't really see the craziness that people had described to me and online. The only thing that was different there was that, many clubs stay open till 6 o' clock in the morning. Perhaps, it is different during the summer...

If you want to take a look at some of the photos, just click on the album below - 

Barcelona 2011

Apart from all the great experiences I had, I did come off wiser as well. One thing that I learnt is to never drink 'Sangria' for lunch on an empty stomach, especially when you are really,really tired ............Well, on second, thought, you might even want to have that experience.............

Gracias!!!

Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do......

I have tried to keep in mind this saying for as long as I can remember now...probably since I was 13-14 years old when I didn't even thoroughly understand its meaning. I think I do understand it to some extent now. I think I understand a different aspect of it as well. 

I don't think it just means that you will be successful if you are tough in one situation or one period of your life. I think it also means that once you go through one situation, you are better equipped - mentally and emotionally, to keep going and face whatever challenges come next. 

I have complained in the not so very distant past about how my life was progressing. I was not too wrong in doing so, I think. Now, it seems like I have an opportunity to form a new path for myself. Even though I think it was tough before, it is even tougher now. However, now it is not as daunting as it might have been before. Now, it feels like a challenge, a challenge to my very being. Facing the challenge comes naturally now, with less of the worries of the 'ifs' and the 'buts' and the 'whethers' but more of 'How can I?' and 'What can I?' and 'When can I?'. There is a method now. There is a plan and there are actions.

It feels satisfying to be in such a situation right now.

A great saying by a great man, that has given me a lot to think about -

"If you are going through hell, keep going

- Sir Winston Churchill".