My Summer Travels..

This is just a listing for my memory, but i do need to spend some more time over the long weekend to fill you on the most exotic of places in Europe.. Ladies and Gentleman, you take my words, Europe is bestowed with beauty by God and for all the fairness he is expected to shower, he did get biased here.. :)
So, it was 15 days, 7 countries, 3 different weather, atleast 8 different delicacies and lots of learnings and experience.. To the person who taught me the best thing ever, "Remember, its only money. It is meant to be exchanged for goods, so just go live.. " and to the quote i will never forget, " There are no strangers in this world, its only friends, we havent met.".. Those were some moments lived.. :)

So, here is my list of countries and my quick one lines:
- Belgium - Umm Chocolates
- Netherlands ( Its cute and one of the few lands where sea is higher than land, go figure out how:)) - As much as Amsterdam is fun for adults, rest of Netherlands is fairy tale for kids, with cheese, clogs and windmills..
- Germany - This is a hi tech country with river Rhine and Alps adding the dash of beauty ( Oops, did i say beauty with brains.. :))
- Switzerland - This is heavenly.. Did you know that Swiss don't fight for anyone but themselves.. They stay neutral in wars.. Is UN established for that??
- Rome - Vatican is as rich and Royal as any religious place can get..
- Venice - Cute! Like this merchant town.. Mysterious is the feel..
- Italy - Being an Indian, i just feel at home.. :P
- France - Class!! Style, food, wine and fashion.. And the city is beautiful, no one can take that away..
- Austria - Small, green and peaceful.. I would want to spend sometime just in Austria..
- Leicistan ( Aah , i dont remember the spelling, but this is the smalled country in Europe or may be competes with Rome:))
- Additional places in UK - Leeds, Dover, Canterbury, (Again) Isle of Whites, Stonehenge, Bath (recommend)

The snow at Mt Titlis, the waterfall inside the swiss mountains, the feel of venice, the grandeur of colossus, the austrain shimmer; everything just fills me with memories and peace.. I think i always feel that travelling adds a lot of perspective, tolerance and truly global mindset in people.. I got to see how borders change the look of land and everything associated with it.. Culture and people are accepted differences and i wonder if world can ever be truly global.. what i also learned was that there is huge element of local flavor to retailing and food in large part of europe.. what runs in UK is very different from what a country like Germany or France adopts.. under every similarity, there is a difference which is nurtured by years of learning and experience.. Value is in local innovation and doing something which appeals to the human soul of the land in question.. what i really liked about europe was that they have preserved and marketed their specialities well.. This is something Indian tourism cam dwell on.. The kind of geographical diversity and hence the culture and stories that India has to offer is unique in this world.. if India had the talent, infra and investment to market it well, it probably would have been the best one stop shop for a tourist.. There is a lot to learn, and do in this sector..

The european holiday was followed by a business trip to vegas again.. no, its not beautiful, its rich and grand and fun.. thats america for you.. if we dont have it, we will create it and live happily ever after.. :D

Learnings in life!!

It is amazing how less we know about ourselves. And how end up losing to ourselves some of the unkown battles of life.. This is about an experience i had few months back.. i went for a buffet with some friends.. laughing and chatting on some things which mattered and some that dint.. there was a debate on what is that unavoidable quality in someone we really like.. no one knows.. so, there were some generic answers that came out.. on smartness, intelligence, compassion.. blah blah.. and then i happned to get up to take a second serving ( hungry as ever, yours truly:)).. i did not notice who was infront of me, i simply queued.. suddenly, a very kind looking and caring face turned towards me, you seem to be hungry?? i smiled, i said yes; had a long day.. and to the best gesture that anyone had ever done to me in last 10 years, the person turned and said how about me helping you choose the dishes that are good and also filling your plate along with mine.. i could not say anything, i followed silently.. i dont know what followed in my plate as my head was simply nodding, my mind was thinking how as a child i used to be chatter box and had it not been for papa consciously putting something in my plate, i would have filled my stomach with talks every night.. :) like everything else, this had to end, so it ended and i came back to my world with a plate full of best food..
it was my turn to talk, and God had told me the answer which i never thought was really my answer few minutes back.. i shouted: kindness, ability to think of others just the way you think for yourself and sometimes understanding that there is some other self who needs to take your thrill moment because his or her happiness will just add to yours.. the sexiest thing in life my dear friends, is a beautiful mind which shows in the patience in your voice, in the cure of your touch and your ability to drive your intelligence to bring out the best in everything around you.. i really had a plate full of best food and it had an effect which 1000 words could have never had on me.. :)