26 July, 2009

Rescued finally...


I'll stop vowing to post often because it never seems to work with me.

My last Saturday here.. in my small messy room overlooking the big garden of someone very big.
And next Saturday, I'll be back to where I belong.

3 months back, I came here... and today I stand transformed in a way I never expected or imagined. And in this sojourn, I met a beautiful friend, an understanding roommate and a person to look up to for advice. Tias. She is from Indonesia. Doing her second Masters in Political Science.

Right from the day I arrived, I have found a familiar something in a totally unfamiliar face. And she has taught me much more than she herself realizes. Teaching me basic things like cleaning the apartment to something much subtle like expanding my views about what MAY be possible that my constricted mind does not allow me to think, we grew a strong bond. Her urge to know about India amazes me! Till now we have covered discussions ranging from the dhaba outside our college to Tata moving out of Singur, over the small kitchen table. And what has awed me beyond anything is her inclination to learn how to use the pressure cooker to cook khichdi. Any now, I can proudly say that I have successfully taught her the recipe of khichdi and she can pick up the right dal from the Asian shop and make khichdi with the right proportion of water, rice, dal! And what worries me now is that I’ve been too much of an Indian influence on her. And now her eating habits stand transformed. Pancakes (Indian parathas) and sabzi cooked in oriental style and not to miss dal has become her daily menu leaving no space for her once beloved tuna fish, tofu and curdbean cake. LOL

Last Thursday, we decided to celebrate my birthday, our friendship and my last week in Kassel together. I was looking forward to it for a very long time. And in all the excitement and our desire to stay out for long, something had to go wrong! Unknowingly, she left her key in the keyhole while I closed the door. And both of us stood outside and realized!! It’s Germany, where security is beyond words. Once out, you have no means to open the door. Even though you might have a key in your hand but a key hanging from the other end traps you. Handicapped! And all the fun that we had planned stood crippled.

Yet, realizing the foreseen and the unforeseen miseries to be incurred before we entered our ‘Home, sweet home’, we decided to still enjoy the evening and contact the Studentenwerk office for help the next morning and spend the night at her friend’s place. I agreed.

And we set out.. under the partly clouded sky with a sunshine smile. And sooner or later, we completely forgot about what had happened or rather what was to happen the next morning and enjoyed walking in the streets of Kassel having ice cream before dinner, clicking picture, taking wrong trams.. we arrived at a small European restaurant for dinner where we sat until we were the last ones to leave. And at 11pm, homeless in Kassel with keys right down my jeans pocket, our beautiful evening came to an end and we took refuge at her friend’s place.

The next morning began with a struggle, RAIN! Being adapted to the uncertain European climate, we went back home. We tried opening the door with a plastic card as her friend had taught us the night before but in vain. We went to the Studentenwerk office and waited for it to open but were denied help. Finally, being left with no option, we called up a private service to open the door. Price? 70 euros . Speechless! We had to solve it on our own now. We went back again. This time, we asked the neighbour with the big garden for a ladder. Tias, had made up her mind, she would climb up and get in through the open window. But how was a question? Thankfully, our kind neighbour had a long ladder. And there.. our plan neatly worked out. Tias boldly climbed up to the 2nd floor and slid in through the window.. And we were rescued!!!

An experience I call it and Tias, the star :)

4 comments:

Panthera Tigris said...

Quite an interesting adventure you had.

Krishna Chandran said...

was the picture taken at a restaurant? or is it your apartment? if its your apartment, uber cool... if not, uber cool all the same...

Beautiful Mind said...

KC... obviously restaurant !!
Look closely.. u'll see a bar behind. Now why will two non-alcoholics have a bar in their apartment ?! :P

Bruno said...

Oh my God. Forgetting the keys inside is the most awful experience. :S Luckily everything turned out fine afterwards.