Deja Vu!! A last minute blog post before I set my foot out of Romania!!
It has been more 2 months into my stay and less than 3 hours to go before I start my journey back to base.
Last time I was here it was the october of 2008. I left hoping I would be back soon. But, things changed and I moved into different projects.My manager wanted me to discover more in Africa and I just nodded to his orders. Hence, the trip to South Africa and Mozambique. Relevant blog posts can be found. :-)
So, once again the cycle of life came back to same point and I was asked to travel to Romania again. So, here I'm back in South Eastern Europe in a place called Bucharest that boasts to be the capital of Romania.
The place I lived in last time wasn't all too great and was very uncomfortable for me.It was a 1 BHK apartment but I didnt like it much as it was cramped and was kinda haunted looking place. So, first thing I hoped for a change was a good place to stay at. Work would have anyways been as hectic as last time , if not more. So, I had no great hopes on that front.
To my good fotune, I was actually given a better place and it kinda set the tone well.
A kitchen that I hardly visited for the 1st week of my stay was bit busy since then. The highlight of this trip has been my attempts at cooking. Sad, bad and pathetic at times. But, interesting nevertheless. The responsibility I felt when I went for grocery shopping is unmatched. :-) I used to feel as if I've to cook and feed the whole of Romania and people are looking upto me. :D
One thing that excited me the most about being in Bucharest was getting a chance to savour the famed 'European Architecture'. And I wasn't disappointed. My weekend strolls around the city gave me sights of some beautiful buildings and my camera was in for a treat.
The first month of the stay was filled with IPL and end of Football season. Some disappointment when RCB under used RD and also couldn't go beyond semis.But, getting the 3rd position was a consolation of sorts.
Witnessing Utd crash out of Champs league and lose out to Blues in League race was disheartening. But, it was pleasant to see the way we fought back everytime we were pushed into a corner(not the footballing corner). Lots of heart to take from this and enough for us to come back roaring next season. Watch out Chels!
For last 2 weeks or so, I was just waiting to wind up all the pending stuff and land in Bangalore so that I can get back to my own self.
From all my visits to foreign land so far, what I've learned the most is to appreciate others' culture. We all are so different yet so same!!
Last evening was one of the most adventurous evenings in my stay here. Rajesh bhaiyya wanted me to get a Cyclocomputer for him and I set out on an expedition to track the shop down and buy it. On their website it all seemed too easy to spot. I set the google maps on my phone for that place and was more than sure that it would be a cakewalk to trace the shop using the maps.
30-40 mins into my expedition, I realised that I was lost!! :D Google maps has a precision range of 20-30 metres, I guess. I took quite a few wrong roads at many junctions and ended up on streets with no human presence at all or so it seemed. I was all cracked up at first and then I slowly figured out that I shouldnt have done something stupid like this just the day before my exit. :D :D
It took me 10 more mins to trace my way back and find a taxi. Showed him the maps on my phone and asked him to take me there. He was delighted looking at it and said , "Ahaaa GPSsss". There are very few taxis in the city that do not have GPS navigation system installed. This guy was one of them. :-P
He forgot that he has to take me there and started asking me questions about the maps application in his broken english. And then he said, "I GPS, phone want want..You internet get..My phone...GPS..".. I understood that he also wants to get it installed on his phone. I didn't say that I would do it. But, all I could say was, "Ok.ok..I'll do it..ok..". He then took out his phone and it was a basic samsung model that I don't think even was a colour one. :-( I was just hoping that he wouldn't force me to get google maps working on it..
I had to get going towards the cycle shop. So, I gave him a deal, "First shop then phone...we go now...ok ?".. He was so happy listening to that and said,"Great my friend..Great.." :D :D
But, my expedition had to end on a sad note as the shop did not have stock of the item I wanted to buy. :-( I wish I had more time to search around and buy it but sadly I was cramped up!!
Also, luckily the taxi guy forgot about the maps and didnt ask me again!!
Finally, I'm now to set for the take-off and will keep thinking of these few minor things in time to come..
Bye bye Bucharest... La revedere...
