Sunday, 29th November 2009
23:08 hours
The cold study room
Bristol
This is a tale of a weekend of sleeplessness, drunkeness, kiddy games, graffiti art, rainforest cafe, london tubes, bone-crushingly cold walks, and a bit of family fun. All packed in a two-day London Bristol trip :)
So what would you do, if you had a 7:45 am bus to catch, and you rise out of bed at 7:35 am? Take into account the fact that this is the National Express for Cardiff-Bristol, you are a first timer in inter-city travel, and the bus-stop is a ten minute walk from your place.
Well, I spent one minute staring at the clock, the next two in contemplating not going, the next four in throwing on clothes and packing up, and the remaining three in literally flying to the bus stop, only to find out that the bus was five minutes late. I felt an inexplicable sense of achievement immediately thereafter. I made it!
The bus journey from Cardiff to Bristol was a short, interrupted one. I had to change buses at Newport, a quaint little town close to Cardiff, though not as happening as Cardiff obviously.
The moment we crossed the bridge I knew I was in a different country. Cardiff is truly Wales, and Bristol is truly England. The way the light falls on the city can tell you that you are in a different country altogether. Along with it is the huge row of typical English houses, the red brick ones with sloping roofs and chimneys (was for some reason reminded of Oliver Twist with that image), the cobbled streets, and the stone cold breeze. I was chilled to the bone.
I was staying at my aunt's friend's place. Had never met them before and was bound to feel awkward. However, they were extremely warm people with two cute little kids. Kids cut the ice quicker than an any industrial knife. Pretty soon, I was running about the small corridoors of their house, playing with the little one.
Bristol is a beautiful piece of art, quite literally so. The whole city is dotted with colourful graffiti, not the tacky kind, but tastefully done art. The city is the birth town of Banksy, the guy who created the Graffiti as an art form. The city is thus known for its pop-art culture, and exhibitions like the Art Trail are quite popular here. An art trail is simply an exhibition by artists of their latest works. They set it up in their home studios and people follow a map, going to the artist's studios, checking out their stuff, talking to the artists themselves and buying the pieces etc.
From Bristol, we were to go to London, to another one of my aunt's friend's place, to celebrate her 40th birthday. A massive Indian family get-together, complete with Indian food, bollywood music, kids, and alcohol. I found a sassy girl my age and downed enough alcohol to give me a terrible hangover the next day.
But hangover or no hangover, I was in LONDON, and determined to travel a bit, even though I knew I had just about two hours. (Got up late and was to leave early. Story of my lif)
My and my sassy friend got on a random bus. It was not the best day for a walkabout in town. Cold, wet and grey. But then, that's the 'typical english weather'. Get used to it. The hangover was still lurking. But I was all wide-eyed as we passed the London Bridge, the London Eye and all the Big and Obvious things of London. We got off at Trafalgar Square. Had begun raining heavily. Ran inside the National Art Gallery Museum, made fun of all the paintings we came across and exited from the opposite end, to end up in a street named Orange Street. Was nothing orange about it.
We strolled about. I stared and strolled. London is Delhi sophisticate. Thronging with people, click-clackety heels and a general hurried buzz in the air. Snobbishly expensive cafes, biggest brands on the streets, huge screens with colours moving about, its just the place where Life is. We walked about at random, passing by the Ripley's Museum, the Odeon cinema, the Broadway etc. When hunger called over, we walked inside Rainforest Cafe, which exaclt like its name, is a rainforest from within. Apparently a huge brand in the USA, it has limited branches all over the world, and the only one in the UK in London on Picadilly Circus, where we were lucky enough to be. The cafe was green, with animals and waterfalls and waiters dressed as forest rangers all about. I had a martini (to get over the hangover dah) and my sassy friend, a vodka. After munching on some hummus and bread we realised we were getting late for home. Went out and decided to take the tube as it would be 'quicker'. BIG mistake.
London tubes are horrible! Dirty and overly crowded. Delhi Metro has the crowd, but its surprisingly cleaner. Was hardly any space for me to breathe in the tube. Reached Victoria Station, the Big Daddy station of London to board a train to Herne Hill, only to realise that the train service of that like was out of order. Weekend and trains in London don't go well together. Why did'nt anybody tell us that?
Boarded the replacement bus to take us to the Blackfriars, the station that would lead us to our destination eventually. I was literally nodding off. The big warm bus cuddled around me and we both slept, obviously missing our stop. Sigh. It never ends.
Walking in the rain is something I used to love back in Delhi. Because we rarely got to do it. And now, I dread it. We never like what we have, because it just isn't customized to how we imagine it to be!
Managed to reach the station, but obviously, could'nt find the platform. The elusive Platform 4 showed itself a minute before the train was to leave. We rushed in, and hoped we were on the right train. I just wanted to go home. Home. My sweet little 10x10 matchbox room in Cardiff.
Thankfully, it was a smooth ride from there. We reached the house in one piece, bid goodbye to the wonderful people we had met and made our way back to Bristol. The sassy friend headed back to the train she has now learnt to hate, to return to Derby, where she's from.
And now, Im here, at the comp, trying to write a coherent story. Forgive me for some missing links. They are not deliberate, I assure you.
Another incoherent story will be up soon:)
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
A Randomly Delightful Day:)
20th November 2009
11:40 pm
The Matchbox
If only moments be captured in words, how complete my life would be. Sigh!
Had the most spontaneously brilliant day today. Started off on a hurriedly lazy note. By that I mean I got up at 9:30, knowing fully well I had a class at 10, and stayed in bed deliberatley for another ten minutes, simply because I was lazy, then got up in a dash and dressed and ran to class. Hence, hurried laziness.
The class itself was pretty interesting, for a change. Our International Marketing professor not only made sense, but also managed to get us all hooked to the subject. He talked about the role of culture in business. He talked about various goof-ups campaigns make when they try to venture into new territory. A superbly funny example: In English, 'latte' is a coffee drink. In German, 'latte' means an erection. When the Americans beamed shows like Morning Latte in Germany, the results were, needless to say, highly amusing.
Post class I went to the city-centre and came across the quaintest little cafe in Castle Arcade on Castle Street. Cafe Minuet. A small Italian joint with a faintly red and cream decor, pictures of famous Opera singers framed delicately on the walls. A BFG (Big Friendly Giant) old man and probably his wife (who looked like an opera singer herself) ran the cafe. I had the most deliciously made minestrone soup with garlic bread. Nothing like hot, steaming food in the cold, windy breeze. And its a rarity in the UK! When I couldn't finish it all (thanks to the extra-large UK helpings), the kind BFG packed it up for me to take home for dinner. It will be my morning breakfast now.
Lunch over, I roamed about the city, taking in the pretty colours. If there is anything that never ceases to amaze me about Cardiff, it is the way all the colours sit so perfectly in place. The sillouhette of the tree against the pale blue sky, the purple tinge on City Hall's architecture, the pretty christmas lights dancing
above the people: it looks so perfect! And then the live music on the street, with the freeezing wind whistling in my ears, and tight groups of people walking past me creates the perfect ambience that makes me fall in love with the city all over again.
There was an Anne Frank exhibition today at the Old Library. Organised by the National Anne Frank Trust in Holland, it was a masterpiece. For those fond of History, it was an a living trip down memory lane. For those not aware of it, it was a moving eye-opener. The entire exhibition had two parts to it. One part, talked about the History. It explained what happened during the Holocaust, complete with a film on it and an audio with Anne's voice reading out bits from her Diary. It had a life-size room where Anne went into hiding with her family. Hidden in a corner, was also her diary, with a few pages open, all things written in German. The best bit, a brilliant PR and database creation tactic. There was a board stating the question, ' What would you pack in a small suitcase if you had to leave your home forever?" And small postcards were provided where people were to write what they felt was most important to them and leave their contact details as well (postcard duh). Just reading some of them brought tears to my eyes. 'Memories, crayons, photos, pen, diary, favourite book of stories, doll' were some of the things mentioned. I loved the way it talked to me.
The other section was the Contemporary section. Connecting the past to the present. Showing how the horrors of the past are still continuing today. And the youngster's take on it. There were old volunteers all around, helpful and kind, approaching visitors themselves. I loved the initiative they took. I loved the exhibit. It was a random, spontaneous act. Something I have been missing out on, thanks to my desperate need to bring order into life. Order is created out of disorder. Planning comes out of spontaneity. I keep forgetting that.
I'm not a dimwit for nothing:)
11:40 pm
The Matchbox
If only moments be captured in words, how complete my life would be. Sigh!
Had the most spontaneously brilliant day today. Started off on a hurriedly lazy note. By that I mean I got up at 9:30, knowing fully well I had a class at 10, and stayed in bed deliberatley for another ten minutes, simply because I was lazy, then got up in a dash and dressed and ran to class. Hence, hurried laziness.
The class itself was pretty interesting, for a change. Our International Marketing professor not only made sense, but also managed to get us all hooked to the subject. He talked about the role of culture in business. He talked about various goof-ups campaigns make when they try to venture into new territory. A superbly funny example: In English, 'latte' is a coffee drink. In German, 'latte' means an erection. When the Americans beamed shows like Morning Latte in Germany, the results were, needless to say, highly amusing.
Post class I went to the city-centre and came across the quaintest little cafe in Castle Arcade on Castle Street. Cafe Minuet. A small Italian joint with a faintly red and cream decor, pictures of famous Opera singers framed delicately on the walls. A BFG (Big Friendly Giant) old man and probably his wife (who looked like an opera singer herself) ran the cafe. I had the most deliciously made minestrone soup with garlic bread. Nothing like hot, steaming food in the cold, windy breeze. And its a rarity in the UK! When I couldn't finish it all (thanks to the extra-large UK helpings), the kind BFG packed it up for me to take home for dinner. It will be my morning breakfast now.
Lunch over, I roamed about the city, taking in the pretty colours. If there is anything that never ceases to amaze me about Cardiff, it is the way all the colours sit so perfectly in place. The sillouhette of the tree against the pale blue sky, the purple tinge on City Hall's architecture, the pretty christmas lights dancing
above the people: it looks so perfect! And then the live music on the street, with the freeezing wind whistling in my ears, and tight groups of people walking past me creates the perfect ambience that makes me fall in love with the city all over again.
There was an Anne Frank exhibition today at the Old Library. Organised by the National Anne Frank Trust in Holland, it was a masterpiece. For those fond of History, it was an a living trip down memory lane. For those not aware of it, it was a moving eye-opener. The entire exhibition had two parts to it. One part, talked about the History. It explained what happened during the Holocaust, complete with a film on it and an audio with Anne's voice reading out bits from her Diary. It had a life-size room where Anne went into hiding with her family. Hidden in a corner, was also her diary, with a few pages open, all things written in German. The best bit, a brilliant PR and database creation tactic. There was a board stating the question, ' What would you pack in a small suitcase if you had to leave your home forever?" And small postcards were provided where people were to write what they felt was most important to them and leave their contact details as well (postcard duh). Just reading some of them brought tears to my eyes. 'Memories, crayons, photos, pen, diary, favourite book of stories, doll' were some of the things mentioned. I loved the way it talked to me.
The other section was the Contemporary section. Connecting the past to the present. Showing how the horrors of the past are still continuing today. And the youngster's take on it. There were old volunteers all around, helpful and kind, approaching visitors themselves. I loved the initiative they took. I loved the exhibit. It was a random, spontaneous act. Something I have been missing out on, thanks to my desperate need to bring order into life. Order is created out of disorder. Planning comes out of spontaneity. I keep forgetting that.
I'm not a dimwit for nothing:)
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
The Dumbness That Makes Me
11th November, 2009
4:45 pm
The matchbox
If there is stupidity on Earth, it is here, it is here, it is here. Not the best rehash of a famous quote made by Jahangir, the Mughal Ruler of India. On seeing the beauty of Kashmir, a pretty war-stricken state in North India, he said "If there is paradise on Earth, it is here, it is here, it is here."
Oh well.
I am a nincompoop. Living alone justifies that. I will now proceed to explain my woeful dumbness. Read and learn something from it.
We had a Professional Writing class today. Opinion Writing was the lecture of the day. At the end of it, we were asked to write an opinion article on the Lisbon Treaty, representing one of the newspapers in the UK. Now, dumb as I am, I have no idea what the Lisbon Treaty is all about. So I wikipediad it, found information on it. But certainly not enough information to form an opinion about! At the end of the hour, I told my professor I knew nothing. He looked down at me, made a face and said, "keep working at it then"
Well, I walked back home. Had a nice little plan in my head. Sleep for a bit, then sit and STUDY for REAL. While sleeping, I realised I had left my pen-drive, my precious little life saving pen-drive in the PC in class. Sleep flew out the window. Grabbed my coat, was intelligent enough to grab my keys and sped out. Luckily, it was still stuck at the PC I was working at previously.
Came home and berated my self for a bit. Oh it doesn't end. As I entered my room, I saw a note that said a parcel was awaiting me at the reception. Came down at the reception only to realise I hadn't gotten my Residence Card! You need to show it to get your parcel. I was wondering if the Gods above were deliberatley trying to waste my time. Feeling dumb, I went back up the three long flight of stairs, and came down, this time round, remembering to take my laundry as well. The number of things a child has to take care of !!!
I am dumb and I am careless and I am a screw-up at time-management. I am, at the moment not very fond of myself. I hope I learn as time passes by.
The day hasn't ended yet. I am still capable of making ten thousand "duh" moments alive.
4:45 pm
The matchbox
If there is stupidity on Earth, it is here, it is here, it is here. Not the best rehash of a famous quote made by Jahangir, the Mughal Ruler of India. On seeing the beauty of Kashmir, a pretty war-stricken state in North India, he said "If there is paradise on Earth, it is here, it is here, it is here."
Oh well.
I am a nincompoop. Living alone justifies that. I will now proceed to explain my woeful dumbness. Read and learn something from it.
We had a Professional Writing class today. Opinion Writing was the lecture of the day. At the end of it, we were asked to write an opinion article on the Lisbon Treaty, representing one of the newspapers in the UK. Now, dumb as I am, I have no idea what the Lisbon Treaty is all about. So I wikipediad it, found information on it. But certainly not enough information to form an opinion about! At the end of the hour, I told my professor I knew nothing. He looked down at me, made a face and said, "keep working at it then"
Well, I walked back home. Had a nice little plan in my head. Sleep for a bit, then sit and STUDY for REAL. While sleeping, I realised I had left my pen-drive, my precious little life saving pen-drive in the PC in class. Sleep flew out the window. Grabbed my coat, was intelligent enough to grab my keys and sped out. Luckily, it was still stuck at the PC I was working at previously.
Came home and berated my self for a bit. Oh it doesn't end. As I entered my room, I saw a note that said a parcel was awaiting me at the reception. Came down at the reception only to realise I hadn't gotten my Residence Card! You need to show it to get your parcel. I was wondering if the Gods above were deliberatley trying to waste my time. Feeling dumb, I went back up the three long flight of stairs, and came down, this time round, remembering to take my laundry as well. The number of things a child has to take care of !!!
I am dumb and I am careless and I am a screw-up at time-management. I am, at the moment not very fond of myself. I hope I learn as time passes by.
The day hasn't ended yet. I am still capable of making ten thousand "duh" moments alive.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
My First Cardiff Film!
2nd November 2009
10:57 pm
The matchbox
I saw my first film in Cardiff today!! Its been exactly a month and a half and it went by without me giving a single film a second glance! Of all the idiots in the world. Anyway, I saw Le fabuleux destin d'Amelie Poulain today, a french film by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. At the Graduate Centre. And I loved it.
Happy film about a girl (Audrey Tautou) who'd determined to make life happy for others. She makes miracles happen, by just living for others. It made me so warm and nice inside. Feel like a happiness machine. I consume films. I should watch them more often.
Irregularity being the order of the day, I am going off to sleep.
10:57 pm
The matchbox
I saw my first film in Cardiff today!! Its been exactly a month and a half and it went by without me giving a single film a second glance! Of all the idiots in the world. Anyway, I saw Le fabuleux destin d'Amelie Poulain today, a french film by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. At the Graduate Centre. And I loved it.
Happy film about a girl (Audrey Tautou) who'd determined to make life happy for others. She makes miracles happen, by just living for others. It made me so warm and nice inside. Feel like a happiness machine. I consume films. I should watch them more often.
Irregularity being the order of the day, I am going off to sleep.
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