It’s my first time to go on a shopping spree ALONE. In Hyderabad, I had my friends or family with me all the time. Here my roomie accompanied me sometimes. I alone did not go anytime. But i did most of my Birthday shopping today. It’s a different experience. You don’t have anyone breathing over your shoulder to hurry up, you can try any type of clothes and any number of times and spend time wherever you want and how much ever time you want :) .Also, I have to get my wardrobe changed which was due from a long time on my to-do list.

Got myself couple of T’s and Denim Jeans. I also got a Peacoat for me. Though I know that it won’t be of any use once I go back to India, I wanted to have one from sometime now. So, shelled out some bugs and got myself some pairs. Though, my wardrobe makeover is long way to complete. Also, Christmas is round the corner, So shopping is kinda fun as there are overwhelming number of people out for their Christmas’ shopping.

I will continue my shopping if I get any time in next couple of days. The main problem for shopping in weekdays is that I come from office at aronnd 6:30 PM and the shops close at around the same time. So, I don’t get enough time to complete.

Lets see how much I get my things done this week. I have a Camera and an iPod on my list. Also, my birthday gift is pending. This month is one helluva spendthifty one for sure.

Saw scattered flurries for the first time today. It started while I was coming from office. Getting the glimpse of the winter that’s coming it’s way. Goteborg doesn’t get it’s due of snow like the remaining parts of Sweden, coz of the sea. The sea keeps it a bit warm, but at the same time there’s hell lot of rain here…

Anywaz the first glimpse of snow was quite exciting. While everyone was running for cover, I was standing in the open enjoying the flurries.

It’s 1:48 in the morning(or late night) and here I am thinking of a very important decision to make which will decide my life for coming time…gr8 decisions of a company are made in board rooms and in my case..they are made in my bed room :-)

Hope what ever decision I take today will be a rational one…

We always ask God to give what is important to us, not what is best for us. I have learnt very recently that whatever he gives u, is the best for you.Though you may not like that initially, you will realise that it was the best thing to happen to you. Well, there’s always an other side of the coin. If you don’t know if what you got is the best for you, how can you acknowledge that? OR is it that we make ourselves force to think that it was the best to happen to us coz we already got that and there’s no way turning back, so saying something something like this that might comfort you.

Is it the time or my state of mind making rattle all this stuff…I don’t know, but come to think of it, I think I am really on the hot seat ;-)

Last year, this time I just preparing to apply for Carnegie Mellon’s Masters in Information Systems Management(MISM) course for which I had to take my GRE, TOEFL again. I gave them for the second time, the first time it was in my under graduation.

I say that once every hour on every Friday!!

I was not a Friday lover before, I used to get many such forward mails when I was in India, but didn’t care much coz I was having fun all the week along. Be it office or at home or hanging around with friends…

But after coming to Sweden, life has changed. Work takes a toll and the pressure of work at office and at HOME are too boring and monotonous to carry on. I don’t know how moms just do the same stuff all their life for us…I wonder…

But, Friday’s different..it marks the starting of a wonderful weekend and culmination of a stressful work week…

Here whats I do on a friday evening:

• Read Naruto and Bleach Manga
• Go out for dinner..
• Go out to a pub or watch a good flick at home
• watch Naruto and Bleach Anime

I will do couple of other things which I can’t write but the above ones are the a definite subset of them.

4th November 2008, it’s been exactly six months for my stay in Göteborg, Sweden and the journey till now is almost amazing. I have learnt so many new things – both professionally and personally. The leaning curve is very steep..so steep that I was afraid of tumbling down.. :)

Among the many things that I have discovered about myself, the thing which amazed even me is that I am very good at cooking. I hardly went to kitchen back in India and here I am cooking all sorts of dishes..which even my sister can’t  ;-)

Professionally, I got to learn bounds of new things: I met wonderful people who are way different than us,Indians, both at personal and professional level. I got an opportunity to work on the latest technology that my field has to offer, which in turn helped me a lot and the scope of learning was vast. I interact with people who came from different psychological, cultural and geographical backgrounds. The amalgam of experiences which I experience interacting with them is great.

Travelling out of the country for the first time, I experienced almost everything a usual first timer would experience. That includes Culture shock, Home Sickness, Jet Lag, weather change etc,. I came here in May and it was truly unbelievable to see sun shining bright even at night 10 as I come from a place where there are night and day times are constant round the year.

Personally, I can say that I have learnt the most. I had the total control over my life – what I do, when, where, how – everything. I also realized how difficult is to run a house consistently day in and day out. I understood how mothers struggle to complete their daily chores and at the same time keep family members happy. You are great MOM!!!

The only thing I repent when I look back the six months is that I did not utilize the time effectively to see new places. In India, you can go around at almost anytime of the year. But in a country like Sweden where the temperatures are so low, we can hardly do anything in winter. I just lazed off the entire Summer and it was too late for me by the time I realized my mistake. The only places I went were the Archipelago and Botaniska. But better late than never I have started seeing around the places and hopefully cover as many as possible. My next big tour is for Christmas where if everything goes well, I may get a stretch of 9 holidays. I am planning a lot for that vacation. touch wood!

One thing I really miss and being with my nephew Cherry, who was born on July 1st, 2008, a couple of months after I came here. He is already 4 months and I miss being with him dearly.. :-( But I think I will make up to it when I go back.

I came here 4 months back but never had time to go to any temples. In fact I don’t know if there are any near by. But I knew there was iskcon temple in Gothenburg which is a part of Govindas Restaurant here.

I went there once with couple of my colleagues for having a bite…though we got a polite answer from them to try some other time as the restaurant was closing already. But I got to know that they are celebrating the Janmashtami Celebrations on Aug 24th the Sunday. Being away from home for past 4 months I did not get time to feel myself closer to God as there is no hint of GOD in our Apartment. I have two beautiful nude paintings of women in my bedroom. Now I can’t expect to have some religious portrait in a business apartment.

I just wanted to see how westerners celebrate our Indian festivals, but I was in a pleasant surprise. I celebrations were performed very austerity and I felt near to Godly peace there even midst a huge gathering.

There were bhajans started by the time we reached there (Were we expecting Indian Punctuality??) Then we were told the story of Lord Krsna’s birth in more modernised way :)

Meanwhile people who just came in were offering their presents to the birthday boy(Lord Krsna) it was kinda different when people celebrate even Gods birthday just normally as we do…it didn’t strike to me anytime in India.

After the story, there was the Abhishekam for the Lord and everyone was offered a chance to offer their obeisance. All the time during the Abhishekam, we recited the Ubiquitous Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare and some more Sanskrit bhajans.

After the Abhishekam, We all sang and danced along singing some songs of Lord.

After that we had kind of a dinner which had some nice Indian dishes and Juices.

It was a different experience in a good way. I plan to go there as often as possible during my short stay in this beautiful city of Gothenburg.

pic is from Iskcon temple,Govindas restaurant, Gothenburg

Inder Sen blogging live from Goteborg, Sweden...coming after one month after I landed here. For the record, I am here on an overseas assignment from my   company.

Man Proposes and Destiny(God) Disposes....

I have heard this somewhere and felt the same thing during my 8 hours flight from New Delhi to Gothenburg, Sweden...and for a very good reason... After I got an admit in CMU, I thought nothing can stop me from going to CMU...but destiny was smiling seeing my confidence and this is what happened...I had an interview for an urgent requirement in my company(i had to attend that coz I did not yet receive my admission status :( ) and the very next day, I got the admit letter from the Carnegie Mellon, ha!! and here comes the twist, the next day I got a call from the person interviewed me saying I was selected and have to go to Sweden for 6 months work. Destiny is the player who toys us...indeed.

I was confident that I will reject the offer and go for my further studies...how can I let go the amount of hard work I underwent to achieve that (spare a bit of self-boasting here ;) ) But the series of events occurred due to which I had to take a tough call...THE RESULT: I deferred my admission to fall 2009 and accepted the assignment and here I am blogging from Sweden while my friends got the visas to US of A. I am not repenting the decision that I have taken but it pricks sometimes...isn't it?

Gothenburg... in fact Goteborg (in Swedish) is my first place out of India...so,there are many things that I have experienced... from the jet lag(though it was just 3.5 hrs ;) ), to the culture shock(btw it was nice ;) )                                                                                              

I will start right from beginning of this journey...

My flight was from Hyderabad to Delhi and from Delhi to Amsterdam and Amsterdam to Gothenburg. Though Hyderabad's international airport has started, all the flights did not yet start their operations..so we had to experience the gruelling short journey. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport is a real visual treat... the could really appreciate that only after I saw the pathetic condition of New Delhi Airport... Though it is not yet complete, in the little time I got to explore it, I could find everything a traveller longs for...you name it, you have it.

Well, I was taking a domestic flight to Delhi, so couldn't see the international departure terminal...but seeing the domestic terminal, i can imagine how it will be. Our flight's gate changed and the Kingfisher flight we had to take was delayed by 45 min. It was in a way good as I got some time to see the airport. The flight took off to Delhi at around 7 PM snd landed in Delhi at around 9:00 PM. The most arduous task was to get to the International terminal from the domestic terminal. The KLM ppl whose flight we had to board, made us the arrangement to get to the international terminal..Next, came the nightmare...the check-in...

I thought I had a bit of more luggage than the prescribed weight.So, I was a bit apprehensive about checking in. We were a total of 11 ppl going together,so I thought it would be fine if there is an extra luggage as I can adjust that in one of my colleague's baggage. First one to go the check-in counter was my project manager and I was in a line beside him.The person at the counter checked the weight calmly and with same serenity said that my PM has to pay eleven thousand rupees for extra weight...that’s it there swept a layer of panic in our group(coz most of them including me had overweight baggage). Some how my PM got back(of course followed by us) and in the frenzy dumped off all his baggage. In the mean time one of my colleagues checked off his baggage in a counter with a kind lady at it. That's it we all hopped there and completed our check-ins...After this task we went to the immigration check and the time was 11:30PM and our flight was at 12:00 PM...add to this the loooong queue at the counters and again add to this a man having an argument with the officer just when it was my turn...gosh...it was such a cacophony that I thought I will surely miss the flight...and did I mention you that it was around 40 degrees Celsius at that time in Delhi and I was wearing a POLO NECK SWEAT SHIRT and a JACKET(see the pic below which was in the Gothenburg airport) over it :) Sweat was almost dripping from my shirt inside...after i crossed the immigration check there was a security check and the kind person standing there wanted us to remove the Laptop from the bag...heights of things were going in my mind...amidst all these the flight official came and was scowling at us,as we were the only ppl left to board the flight...

We board the flight scrambling our cabin luggage as they were getting overburdened thanx to our exhaustion...I was so tired off that i went to a deep sleep even before the flight took off...after a good nap of one hour,I was woken up by the air hostess to have dinner(I donno if I can call that a dinner as the time was already 3 in the morning). After that, i tried in vain to go to sleep, partly it was because i was a bit uncomfortable(what more can you get in an economy class) and partly because of the boisterous laugh of a kid beside me(not at me!) to the some cartoons she was watching over the set. So, I thought its good time cover up on my pending "must-see" movies and could successfully strike Golden Compass from that.

at around 7:00 AM local time we landed at the Amsterdam International airport...I was told that it is one of the largest airports and really experienced that when I walked almost for 20-25 min to reach my next gate to board the connecting flight. The little time I got to see the airport was enough to tell that it can be the one of the finest airports on the planet. Though many stores were yet to open as it was early morning, there were quite a few coffee bars open to have a sip. I couldn’t get time to really have a look at those coffee bars but really felt the aroma near them…

The connecting flight took off at 8 AM local time and was about 1 hour flight. The flight was a very small one,small seats to sit. They supplied us with the breakfast and I tasted the European cuisine for the first time…really did not know what I ate but the ingredients showed that it had Egg(didn’t taste like that in any bite) and a cheese in that…just surfed some magazines and there we were above Goteborg…the pilot asked to fasten the seat belts as we were landing but there was quite a cloud cover beneath us….I was waiting to get the cloud cover cleared off so that I can have a clear bird’s eye view of the city but alas! the moment the we crossed the cloud cover there was the runway beneath it….I couldn’t imagine how the pilot knew the altitude…phew…anyways…after the landing we expected that we may have to do the same routines of security checks again to enter, but good for us they were hardly any…

We collected our baggage and came out into the lobby where we met our agent who looks after the ppl like us….One thing I understood immediately after meeting her was that Swedes dont work on weekends and unlike Hyderabad where the entire city is in the malls on any given Sunday, Gothenburg almost hibernates on sundays…wonder why?

We exchanged the money from the Forex counter in the airport(we were give traveller checks in India in Euros and we had to convert them into Swedish Kronas(local curency) and almost spend the next two hours in the airport(I still wonder why?) but this was my first pic in Sweden in the airport

So finally we came out almost at 11:00 AM and took a cab from the airport to our destinations and shelled out some 360 Kronas(2000 Rupees…man its almost one month and I still convert the kronas into rupees) for that…gud thing is that our company reimburses that… :)

We took some nice pics of the city when coming to the apartment and have uploaded in the flickr…

After reaching the apartment(U can view the pics here) we just dumped our baggage and were again on the roads to see the city and to search for a gud Indian grocery store…

The second thing I found out was that all the shopkeepers(read 5) were very acquainted with India and knew quite a few places.. they were asking which place in India we belong to.. and the still more interesting thing was that they were all fond of the country…I used to think that not many westerners like India(thanx to the Out-sourcing)

we walked down the entire Aveny road up to Nordstan(a huge shopping mall stands there) and also to hjalmar…only next day we knew that we walked almost for 6 kms) You can have a look at the map below the directions from our apartment to the Nordstan…. We were already starving(ate modestly before boarding the flight in Hyderabad to keep myself safe from any kind of sick feeling) and were strolling on the roads with no idea of what to eat…then there was just in front of us…. McDonalds…we were so happy that we felt that we found some one we knew from a long time….We hurried ourselves in and satiated our hunger(though not our taste buds). We then asked the counter guy to call in for a cab as we don’t know the language(swedish) the drawback which we are still facing, but to learned to live…. Got back to the apartment and just dozed off as we had to go to the office the next day and I didn’t want to look exhausted the first day at my office….

 Next Post I’ll write about the places we are visiting and hopefully I will complete the redesign of my blog till the next post…until then ciao

P.S do chip in your comments leaving your blog address so that I can read whts happening in your life….