My Road

A point in my journey ...
For travel to continue I had to decide 

The roads were a maze, some went left, some right
Looking at all angles, as far as my eyes could
Calculated all probabilities, possibilities that my brain would
For travel to continue I had to decide

The whispers, the voices, the wishers said 
This decision will differentiate men from boys 
The path you take will make or break you
The choice made today will unlock the door for tomorrow 
For travel to continue you have to decide

The right click : hero is made 
The wrong button : you be a shade 
The script read from future to past 
"Telling the great story on a high, somewhere in time
The mazes, unraveling the puzzle any my less traveled path" 
For travel to continue you have to decide

Some say life is a journey, for others its road less traveled 

For travel to continue I had to decide

Dream

I had a dream, don't know what
Long Forgotten, Long erased

As I sleep, I see no light of her
But a clock ticking on

As I wake up, I smell no fragrance of her
But an agenda in calendar waiting

As I ride through, I hear no whispers from her
But a refreshed action list

As I welcome dusk, I sense no smiles of her
But tired, journey men who have covered miles

I can see my shadow with me but not my dream

Slowly, Slowly, between me and my dream
The distance of my routine & its shadow looms large

My Dream where to search, whom to ask, what to chase ?

Moving to Netherlands : A simple check list for Indians

Due since long: Below information is from experience of living in Netherlands from May 2011 in Groningen. Consider this only as a guideline as details will change with time.

Relocating: A bucket list for you

·        National language is “Dutch” but the good thing about Netherlands is that majority of the natives does speak English and are comfortable in helping out. 

·        The temperatures are pretty cold. Yes, 20 degrees is summer here. For 6 months+: Starting end of Sept to Easter time (April) the temperatures are single digit and hover around 3-5 degrees. It doesn’t snow that much in general but the cold winds will make it a rough experience. Do carry sweater, gloves and jackets for the warmth! 

o   Northern part of Netherlands is generally 2 degrees colder than the southern part. Randomness of Weather is what will catch your eye in this country. It can be sunny for couple of hours, rainy the next 30 minutes and then sunny again. One thing that is always certain is Wind (cold kinds).

·        A NOTE OF CAUTION : If you are flying through with stop over, either via Frankfurt/Paris or any other location: Keep the gold carrying to minimum levels as advised by European laws. Do keep the original bills if you have them. Not because the gold will be stolen but the amount that you can carry is limited and recently the checks have been too tight. 

·        CARRY CASH: Cash is KING during uncertainties:  always do keep 200-300 Euros cash even though majority of the places International cards will work but having cash will comfort you during Emergency activities (flight re-routing because of weather conditions etc/stop overs/long night stay in airports etc..)

·        As you land in Schiphol, generally it is a good idea to pick up a SIM connection at the Airport itself. Lyca or Lebara (both have the cheapest rates to India) SIM is recommended. The offers do vary but on average both are cost effective solutions. Generally majority of mobiles phones from India (GSM based) will work here.

·         Airport and Train stations are connected, if you need to move out of Amsterdam then generally every 30 minutes to Zwolle (Leeuwarden/Groningen) and every 15 minutes to Den Hague, Eindhoven and Roterdam the trains are scheduled. Advice is to take a direct train to avoid changing of the trains with the luggage you are carrying. Taxi, is off course an option but expensive in general. If company is paying it then please do use the service to make the travel convenient. Detailed schedules of Trains can be found @ ns.nl and for the local buses and more details please use 9292.nl

·         Do please carry 3 pin to 2 pin converter. It is damn expensive in Netherlands to buy one (Could cost over 10 Euros, where as in India it would be 100-200 Rs max). Especially as our mixers and Laptop have 3 pins and here we have 2 pins that work. The voltage/freq is 220V/50 HZ

·        Do carry your own Medicines from India : Very difficult to get medicines prescribed by doctors here and the process of getting the appointment from doctor and registering before you can visit them makes it a cumbersome process initially, but as other process and procedures we all get used to it. WARNING: CARRY YOUR OWN MEDICINIES. It is common that vegetarians and Indian women do suffer here deficiency of Iron content, so please do carry the needed supplements. (Vitamin D supplements as well : sun is scarce as well L)

·         You are 4 eyed? If yes: please do carry spare spectacles (at least a couple of them would come in handy). They are damn expensive here and will take minimum of 2 weeks to be replaced. Forget this and you are in trouble! NO Joking.

·        Normally shops are open from 9 AM – 5 PM. Grocery shops stay late: Aldi, Lidl, C-1000, Albert Heijn open till 8 PM and the ones in the city center - Albert Heijn is open till 10 PM. One a week you have all shops open till 8 PM and this day is called KOOPAVOND (Shopping evening). Majority of the city’s it could be Thursdays. Since 2014 these shops are open even on SUNDAY from 12 PM – 5 PM: Hip hip hurray. It is a relief indeed!

A tip: Get you haircut before your start (it will save some costs initially) as it is expensive: Starts @ 13-15 Euros most of the times and yes you need appointment for it as well. They don’t cut it properly and your first experience could leave you a little frustrated, KAPSALOON is the place where you need to go..

·        FOOD: You surely want to cook some Indian food I guess. Carry your pressure cooker : A spare spare gasket and safety valve a must. A mixer with spare bush (mixers you get here will not have the grinding quality we need) will serve you well. All the aroma’s and special PODI’s that make your day please carry along. You do have Indian Grocery shops in and around your city or a Turkish/Iraqi/Oriental or Iranian shop(s) that provides Indian foods from Rice to Atta to MTR masalas to Pickles and yes even the ground coconut.

·        Restaurants are always open till 11 PM at majority of the places and you can order the food online. One such website that gives you good information of the available restaurants is justeat.nl

·        Carry your original driving license. There is no need for IDP since Indian license is in English. You are allowed to drive with India license for 6 months after your arrival. If you are Knowledge migrant with 30% ruling then you can swap your Indian license for the Dutch one. NO TEST NEEDED. It is a real advantage than to pass the test here.  Time consuming and crisper than we might have experienced in India

·        If your spouse is not working, he/she can apply for tax return in the local tax office. Non-working spouse will get a monthly tax return depending on your partner’s salary. And If you have child(ren) you can apply for child benefit with SVB. Per Quarter you will get about € 150 for 1 child and more if you children. Please do reach out to our best friend GOOGLE for more info on this.

·        If you have a child and need English medium school, you need to find an ’International school’ first and based on that decide your housing. There are not many international schools and so this check is important. Contact the school immediately (even before coming to Netherlands) to get advice on vacancy, In Groningen it is easier than the other parts like Eindhoven and Amsterdam. So please do ensure that you are well prepared.


Once you are here. The below might make your life a little easier.

·         Public Transport : 9292.nl

·        Train : http://www.ns.nl 

·        Use Smartvoip or Actionvoip to call to India using Smart Phone or from Laptop.

·         Register yourselves in the local Gementee : You will receive BSN (Burger service number) within 3-4 weeks. This is needed for opening a bank account/confirming your insurances with the company.

·         Residence Permit card you will receive in 2-3 weeks’ time, in person you need to go and collect.

·         Open a Bank account: Your company would assist you as per their preference: If not, then go for ABN AMRO: They have English facility, which could make our lives easier.

·        Upon getting insurance letter from your insurance company, you can register yourself with a Doctor. The healthcare system is a weird one but please be patient and you will get used to it. Other than health insurance, I humbly recommend to take 2 more types of insurance. Personal Insurance- in case you/family damages someone else’s property by mistake. Theft Insurance – to cover your house hold items in case of theft. Costs are nominal.

·         Second hand market is unlike India a recommended place to search :http://www.marktplaats.nl

·        Use cycle to explore the city: Please buy a second hand one: Buy from a known network or recommended second hand shops only. Stolen bicycles would also be up for sale, you don’t want to get into this. Bicycles are STOLEN here very often, please buy a Robust LOCK. LOCK could be at least 10- 20 Euros, but worth the investment.

·        Popular movie complex is Pathe: http://www.pathe.nl

·         Want to read news in English and know what’s happening in Netherlands: http://www.dutchnews.nl/

·         Internet is pretty fast here: You can watch all the Indian channels/movies/sports etc online: Would not recommend downloading in Netherlands ;) : Stream online as needed 

o   Nos.nl or Vipbox.tv : for sports

o   Movies I am sure you will tell me more than I know or Ask Google options are plenty

·        Networking is very important here: Facebook: You will find Indian groups: If you are not into it, for sure in Centrum (center) on Saturdays you will find Indians (especially in smaller cities, VISHMARKT or WINKEL CENTRUM). Take the ownership and reach out, most of them will be happy to help out. Please invite and take it upon yourselves to make the network. Join the group activities, children school get together and social events inside Indian community and outside as well. This will help you relax especially as your partner and children will find their own space in the new country.

Beyond Winning - A sheer joy

On Jan 7th it was Mr Cricket - who caught Cricketing fraternity offside by calling it Quits unexpectedly. Watching Australian open today I miss Mr Tennis - Nadal. These two have made sport a treat to watch - some say they are not the most talented but for many sport lovers like they bring the joy in sport.

The sheer joy of No-fuss Huss walking to the crease at any moment of match is gone forever. Even the fiercest competitor would have applauded the tenacity and passion this man brought to the field. There could be countable better talented cricketers who embarrassed the sport but none more so committed than Mr Cricket. Any format he was Mr. Dependable. Switching gears at ease, there will be none like him. Calmness under pressure and never giving up brought him accolades and made him a super star. But, he was grounded, accumulated runs - caressed the ball like there will be no tomorrow. The short arm pull and cover drive will be missed, but more importantly the sheer energy of a man with sun-cream over the nose standing at the Gully or under the helmet or at cover or at long on cheering and enjoying every moment of match is what the sport has lost forever. It will be safe to say there will be none like him as complete and committed. Completely dependable Mr Cricket flew beneath the headlines as his retirement at the peak of the game indicates his modest approach to stardom.

As Hussey retired on his own terms, we can live it by calling it an end of an era. But the continued absence of Rafa in tennis since Wimbledon is hurting the sport. Last time around in Aus open the 11 time grand slam winner participated in a dual over 5 hrs and came second best to Novan but ultimately sport won. Nadal's relentlessness is missed, making opponent hit one more extra ball, that extra rally is not seen. The hard courts and greens are not his favorite but the beauty of his game is that even his losses are a victory to Tennis as they make the opponent stronger, just take a look at career of Djokovic. Federer - swizz express, arguably the greatest to have taken to tennis has lost almost twice as many games to this Spanish Bull than he has won. At a time when sport needed to break to the swizz jinx the Nadal forehand spins brought balance to sport and elevated the game to next level. The measured spinning serve, the precision moment, sliding retrievals, double handed backhand with brute force and the magnified follow through of the bouncing forehand is what tennis is craving for. The best of the top 4, at 26, with injuries might pick and chose tournaments from here on, fewer tournaments for sure, but a fit Nadal is a guaranteed treat to the eyes, especially during the business end of Grand slams. Today it is that much less intense, that little less romantic and that little easier to win without him.

Tennis needs a fit Nadal at French Open and his energy is what Tennis can't miss. Any grand slam winner at French open with an unfit Nadal or without him will not feel the victory - Roger knows it best. As for Mr Cricket : a salute for the joy and purity he brought to the game and hope we do find an apt successor in time until then Cricket will miss that dependability. 

Thanks

Health is wealth, but when I don't have a good one albeit for no wrong doing of mine what should i do ?

Now confirmed with a niggling liver pain that might live with me forever & having been detected with a minor respiratory obstruction i had not an auspicious start to a Monday morning & yes i had a mid year review meeting the same day. For sure it is not comfortable, sometimes it is easy to take in massive impact that these niggling ones', but if i had a choice I would choose none, why would I ? Never i had the pleasure to be spoilt for choices and today is nothing different. Hope one day such an opportunity will arise & then most possibly i will suck at that...But today is more to paying tribute to my body....

"you has always stood with my torture be it those long athletic training hours, bad junk foot eating or be it unplanned long tortures of various activities just to say "Yes my body can take it". May be there was a limit that you could stretch as well".

Time has come to mellow down and remember that you are "boss". I have no idea why i am writing this blog, may be because i am far away from family & friends all alone in my Palace.

In years to come may be Aug 6th would be a day to remember as I almost had sympathy for myself before i remembered this famous Arthur Ashe letter.... It is time to move on with this tribute and experiment with a body that needs change.....Change is constant, Lets adapt now....

“Why does GOD have to select you for such a bad disease”?

To this, Arthur Ashe replied:
“The world over — 50 million children start playing tennis, 5 million learn to play tennis,
500,000 learn professional tennis, 50,000 come to the circuit, 5000 reach the grand slam,
50 reach Wimbledon, 4 to semi final, 2 to the finals,
when I was holding a cup I never asked GOD ‘Why me?’.
And today in pain I should not be asking GOD ‘Why me?’ “

“Happiness keeps you Sweet,
Trials keep you Strong,
Sorrow keeps you Human,
Failure keeps you humble and Success keeps you glowing, but only Faith & Attitude Keeps you going..

Easy !!

For a person who has become a part of this global world, travelling away from his roots in search of better living the PC to PC software's have become a realiable partner. Be it Skype, Google Voice they seem to make us believe that we are closer, much closer to our dear one's. At least they have brought the relationship maintenance cost down drastically + Quality of relationship is made to believe intact. Which is true, isn't it ?

From connecting to friends, family members now the penetration of these tools are far "greater".
Firms under the severe cost tightened budgets have identified these as tools to arrest phone bills and travelling budget. Skype calls for supplier, customer relationship maintanence have become the cost effective means for operations offcourse time is also saved. P&L statements are a proof more and more during recession periods...

So far so good ! But, what is happening just keeps amazing me...

MNC's use this now for Negotiations, Recuritments and some times even Process & Quality audits, i wonder is this start of new virtual world ? Relation maintances tools have with ease been translated into relation start up tools...Effectivenss can be questioned and blame can we purely directed towards CEO/Controllers who drive this as a cost down initiation into organization and end up with lump sums of bonus for themselves (frustration of every employee isn't it, most important work and over virtual tools, bull shit ?)

Aren't we also doing the same ?

The famous "arranged marraiges" of India now get fixed via a Skype call. Families meet personally, groom and bride over skype, couple of conversations and chemistry is stuck. Offcourse "Love" can happen anytime with any body, can't it ?. Fantastic ! Let's move on...Why not engagement over skype ? Oh, great idea, cost savings/time savings lets proceed. Poor relatives or Bakra's are present physically for the funtion but either the groom or bride are missing. Offcourse they do make themselves available for an hour over skype to take blessing and go through rituals..Come on yaar, itna tho banta hain, it's his own.

Next step.....Abh Shaadi can also happen virtually. Groom in Australia, Bride in Netherlands, Friends and Relatives connecting from India, America, Singapore, Spain and marraige rituals being read out in sacred place by the priest. Marraige is done and time is saved and offcourse Costs !

Only if Internet could transfer things physically twice! Gosh it could save costs and time (and efforts) and we would have happily family of 4. All in different time zones, but well connected.....

PS : Not intended to be cynical ! Other nationalities find their own way of absuing.. sorry "starting relation build up's" in their own way....

Rainy Days

I love the music of the morning rainy drops as they beat out the rhythms on my window panes. I love these days as they give me ample time for myself......

Movie Spree : Non Stop movies of my flavor w/o interruption with hot tea and snacks 

Reading/Writing : In normal days where I run around (not knowing what for), i end up missing out having an hour to read/write atleast.

Cooking Spree : Making food that I love :-), experimenting 

Sleeping Marathon : Now body does need a break and non-stop sleeping is wonderful, wrapping up a cozy blanket for dreams unlimited.

Friends : Catching up with friends, can it get better ?

I love the rainy days, the rhythm of rain

In loving you, i am loving myself

Poem

To ink a page

Break the cage

Free the expressions 

That make an impression 

Words with reason

Will last through seasons

These are emotions

By random words in Motion

From the soul, to the world in words....... 

A poem is penned........

"WE"

The Jan Lokpal Bill aims to effectively deter corruption, redress grievances of citizens, and protect whistle-blowers. If made into law, the bill would create an independent ombudsman body called the Lokpal (Sanskrit: protector of the people). It would be empowered to register and investigate complaints of corruption against politicians and bureaucrats without prior government approval.( As Described in Wikipedia)

The man, the Hero, the god Father to this mission : Anna Hazare

As the mission got started, the 'WE' started

a) Adding the message fb wall, liking the posts (the first and easiest way of showing our thoughts), taking it to heart and vouching to never pay corruption
b) Some of us were joining the movements (taking tickets/or being a part of grp)
c) Praising the Anna for his vision, "Jai Anna"

The sessions in parliament have flown by, each and every wording's in the bill have been ripped through (some one said and I quote "Law is made complex, to ensure that people behind the creation safeguard their positions for Generations to come, if it was easier then they would be jobless/powerless"), the govt have sometimes gone left, sometimes right and our very famous Lalu vomited his inference to shake the floor. Even if Lok Shabha agrees, Rajya Sabha (where mostly learned people, independent of electoral representation) need another couple of seasons to read through it (Scholarly house it is). But, this is not the main problem, yes they are doing their best to keep corruption alive and ensuring that accountability doesn't become a parameter to gauge them. For me, the most relevant part is the same "WE"

The "WE" today with time (not generalizing, but may be this is a trend, i hope not)

a) It's my work, if i can pay a broker and get it done, i will prefer it after all it is my personal one. I can't wait for it to happen, money will get it done (read : ex NIT, W friend Kush's post, and was happy that he was an exception, Kudos Kush for going to Police station and not paying the Hawaldar his share to close the incident, hope you remain so and set many more examples).
b) Who will go man, every day there is something or the other and then their air travel tickets are being paid by us, who is paying me for travelling ? I rather not go by taking a leave first and then paying for my own travel to see nothing change.
c)Man Anna has gone for another "FAST", he is overdoing it now


The "WE" cycle goes on ! Hope the "WE"can turn somethings into actions like my dear friend Kush as we call him !

Y am i writing this ? I am also the "WE"

SMILE

Smile is all I want
Smile is all I have

Smile gives sunshine to tired soul
It gives might to the weary heart
Smile brings freshness to the sulked
It brings rest to the worried

To Smile costs you nothing
It gives your friends everything
Hold it, it is of no value
Give it, it is worth gold

Let's Spread the smiles
As we walk the miles
To Smile, it takes a moment
The memory of it last's forever

Smile is all I want
Smile is all I have

Keep Smiling :-)

Silence

Shhh.......Silence

Silence is not lack of words
Silence is collection of thoughts

Silence is not absence of music
Silence is tapping of hearts

Silence is not lack of action
Silence is time for reflection

Silence is not lack of strength
Silence is analyzing the weakness

Silence is Sound
Silence is Love
Silence is Calmness
Silence is Pure
Silence is knowing self !

Shhh.......Silence

Habit

I am in you
I grow with you
In your command, I strengthen you
In my command, I fail you
The good of me makes you
The bad of me breaks you
Show me the way, I perfect the art
Leave me away, I bring regret
I define you to the world
You can’t see me unless someone shows me
Who Am I ??
I am HABIT

FAQ's

1.5 years, life in 3 countries and they remain the same. Dedicated to gonna be European friends/acquittance's !


--> Are all Indians Hindu's ?

Though majority are, we have all religions. If you don't like any we end up following baba's and amma's.

--> Do you also eat with Hands (with all sort of facial expressions)?

Yeah, I do. Indian cuisine with hands tastes better. Try next time when you have our food, you will feel the difference.

-->Do you Speak Indian ?

Excuse me, we have a common language which is Hindi. Gosh, again, please don't mock up a synergy like French, Spanish, Italian.

-->Is Cricket your national sport ?

Nope, National sport is HOCKEY, but yeah Cricket in India is like football to Brazil.

-->You are vegetarian, is it to do with your religion ?

No sir/madam. I am really a wrong sample representing India when it comes to eating, apologies. We have people who will give any one a run for money and they are a growing majority.

-->How can you decide in one meet and accept her/him for life ?

Seriously i have no clue. But, may be one of the reason for less divorces. It is a marriage of two families, much beyond two involved (movies help out man.

-->Bollywood movies have songs and dancing - Hilarious ?

By movies we mean fun. It is a package for us. Dancing, singing, fighting and jokes fulfill our movies and make them rich.

-->Who is the most famous actress, the girl from Slumdog ?

Nope, she is just OK, I would even say we could get a makeup less F.Pinto in our streets and guys wouldn't care, but the best of this generation would be some one like Aishwarya Rai.



PS : To all my Indian's friends, seems that we need to storm this part of the world more and give these chaps an exposure to our culture like we did to Americans :P

5 Reasons Why MAN U will win the CL 2011

a) Sir Alex and Man U would have conquered the long dream of 19th championship. Momentum, calmness, strength and flair will all be with them.
b) Team Man U will play attacking brand of football for 90 minutes with flanks exploding with pace and trickery, in Rome it lasted only 30 minutes and everything went through CR, lessons learnt, Old fox can't be outfoxed again.
c) Schmeichel ended his Manchester United career with 1999 treble so too will Van de Saar with the 2011 double.
d) It is being played in WEMBLEY 60000+ cheering for the Red Devils, Barca’s playing and acting both will give in.
e) Historically neither team has won two consecutive matches, do I need to say more ?

Man U 2-0 !

Will PEP end up doing a ROGER

As it turned out Jose has done it again, though he had to surrender his 10 years of Invincibility at home. It would be a mammoth task for any manager to land a trophy at a new club in less than 12 months let alone do that in 4 different countries. Tribute to the SPECIAL ONE as a new era begins, an era where rivalry will take the sport to unparallelled heights, the winner for sure will be the game.

We have enjoyed the dominance and play of this Barcelona team under PEP, like we enjoyed Roger's dominance of Slams. But the best thing that happened to tennis was when a tireless tenacious 19 year old decided to run down every ball and topple the strength of Roger to a misery under pressure (the lethal one handed backhand wilted and still misses the lines against Nadal).

Here comes the parallels, Barcelona take your breath with one touch passing, sublime 7 second pressing off the ball and truly produce magical football, something similar to what Roger brings to Tennis - Elegance and Perfection. Treat to eyes, moments galore. But such dominance needs spice otherwise it could put off the neutrals and would never appeal to newer audience. To take the sport to the next level you need a rival and finally PEP has his task cut out. Real Madrid with Jose at the helm are molding themselves into a Nadal - Speedy, Tenacious and Never give up (wear your opponent out mentally and mistakes will give you Victory). The parallels dont stop there. Nadal made clay his fortress, improved on grass and then humbled Roger on Hard courts. Bernabeau will be a fortress (jose 10 years of management is a proof for it), neutral venue will give madrid 50:50 chance of winning the match and at Valencia they showed what they are, and it will be a matter of time before Barcelona would be pressurized at Catalan. But for now the philosophy of Barcelona will be under the Jose pump and if Champions league tie over two legs doesn't go their way (they still are the overwhelming favorites) then people would call this philosophy of elegant football as uni-dimensional. No matter how many trophies you win, as the best in sport you always want to win that extra against your nearest rival.

The ball truly is in Pep Gaurdiola's court. Will he stick to his philosophy of elegant one touch football or go the Manchester United way of giving up pleasure for results. Do his players have what it takes to deliver on Big occasions against such rivals (Roger attacking the net against Nadal though keeps the point short he doesnt get the major chuck going his way)?

Only time will tell but for the moment let us enjoy the remaining 2 EL clasicos this year and minimum couple more next season (after which PEP being smart for sure would phase himself out, his engine Xavi would be 30 and wouldnt be the same to feed the little under 5.7 strikers to keep netting).

What better that a tactically brilliant coach with a ready to die team testing his wits against technically brilliant coach with a machine team at the biggest stage "Champions Legue". For sure Barca could wake up and show the kids of RM that it could take longer or Jose might end up having the last laugh.

Will PEP end up doing a ROGER ??

GREY city

Paris – Capital and largest city of France, situated on the river Seine, is in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region. It is a city of dreams, a city of love, fashion capital and a tourist delight. Every description of Paris is true if you are here as a Tourist. It is a sight to behold, a city that is excellently connected and every corner of it has an amazing history. Called the grey city for it building’s it is now turning out to be GREY.
Saint Denis – historic importance, State De France – Stadium of Paris that hosts wonders and a hub of corporate houses surround this region – you might be at no fault if you expected this to be one of the safest regions in Île-de-France region . But the truth remains you are not safe here from 7 to 7, no matter which mode of transportation you use and what gender and colour you are. This is one such region where Asians (Srilankans, Indians and Pakistanis), Arabic (Turkish, Algerians and Moroccans), Africans (all over the continent) out number Chinese who outnumber the original Parisians and there are many more regions in Paris of this ratio.
Paris is no more a city where you would be safe walking the streets of Notre Dame, Basilique du Sacré-Coeur or Eiffel tower in the night. A walk with your love in these streets would have a romantic dream of many from the movies or the books. The reality is those years have gone by and Paris in the night is a scary. It is a city where in just 20 days of living I have seen more crimes than 20 years in my life – cuts, snatches, knifes and even the GUNS.
GREY city it is! And I would now really understand why the true Parisians are reluctant to Internationalise. All the people who have touched their city, their heart have polluted and corrupted the city and I would not be wrong in saying, have de-grown the Aura of Paris. The number of illegal residents out here would make up the numbers of big Europe cities. Attacked and outnumbered by the residents from other countries who now call themselves the “Parisians” with properties and rights to live in this country, I sympathise with true Parisians. If ever the French decide to clean this mess from the CITY of DREAMS, which is highly unlikely because of the corruption that is in the system, I would definitely support the move, hands down. It needs it AURA back otherwise PARIS shall be lost.

Au Revoir

Old faces must move as they have distances to cover
New faces will give longevity to this MSCPM River
Good bye is sad, recollecting the past
Goodbye is hard, memories are cast
From miles we came flying
Enjoyed togetherness with playing
Time flew bye, the year elapsed
Time for goodbye, Moments will be cherished
My hearty wishes to the hunters
Pray for merriness around us the punters
Farewell is beautiful, a glimpse into the future
Farewell is wonderful, it sets for adventure

--- RG

HAT

The hats we wear are many

some not worth a penny, some sweet as honey,

some spreading smiles, some covering stormy miles,

The hats we wear are many

Other night,

wind and lust conspired

taking the dear one down the drain

breeze and silence whispered

initially telling my dear one's pain

and then,

signaling a new start, knowing your craft

wishing you luck, bags of luck

Friend remember, the hat we wear are many

Snow sshhhh

Snow in the day,
Making it a beautiful sight,
At first i start to play,
Hurling snow balls is a delight

As the winter get strong
The snow get hard
The winds get it wrong
Even lips and skin get cracked

Shsh the white carpet is ready
I don't fancy the walk
Work awaits me today
I pray for a snow break

Snow snow go away
I am no Eskimo
Sun please make your way
I had enough of snow

MY LOVE

R says
she is Rare diamond

A says
she is an Attractive wine

J says
she is a Joy to eyes

A says
she is Angel of love

S says
she is Sexy

U says
she is Universe to me

N says
she is the Name of my breath

A says
she is an Abundance of patience

T says
she is the Tranquility in me

H says
she is the Happiness in eyes

G says
she is a God's Gift

I am still searching the SHE though !!