The tour de France rode through Grenoble today! It was the 18th stage of the race and started at Bourg-d'Oisans heading out to Saint-Étienne (196.5 km). I went with a couple of other interns to the city to watch it.
About 1-2 hours before the cyclist arrive..there is a procession called the caravan....of the sponsors and cars, motor bikes, people dancing on trucks and plenty of freebies :D and the police. It was fun waving and catching the freebies, it built up the atmosphere for the race.
I also purchased a tour de france umbrella and a tour de france hand band and pen and a poster ;)
About half an hour before the cyclists were scheduled to arrive I went to pick a sandwich from the store next to the route and guess what!! the cyclists arrived early....I ran out of the store and watched them ride by ...they just zoomed by sooooo fast...zoom zoom zoom ...they were doing close to 60 km/hr. It would seem impossible to cycle so fast on the city roads.
So there are a few cyclists that break out of the peleton and ride a little ahead and then the huge bunch (the peleton) follows and then there were two that were trailing behind...since they had lost time due to a fall earlier in todays race. I do not understand how the cyclists in the peleton manage to cycle so fast when they are so close to each other....it seems quite dangerous.
So I didn't get to take many pics of the cyclists myself since I had left my camera with my friends at the place we had picked for taking good pictures and I ended up watching it from elsewhere :P They were so fast that none of us were able to spot the one sporting yellow jersey.....i guess he was in the middle of the peleton i guess...even looking at the pics we have we couldn't find him :P
Will soon post pics of the caravan and also get some pics of the cyclists from my friends
I hope I can catch the tour again someday up the Alps when they navigate the 21 hair pin turns to the Alps d'Huez...it is very beautiful up there and ofcourse they won't zoom by so quickly and yeah I won't leave my camera behind to go get food for even a sec! yeah and one more thing I am gonna buy a cycle when I get back to Baltimore, if i practise hard maybe someday i will be able to go up the alps d'huez..ofcourse i may take forever to get up there...but i am thinking of giving it a shot :D
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Annecy
A month ago on a Sunday, I went with another intern to a quaint little town called Annecy. We caught the train from Grenoble and it took us two hours to get there. Was a very rainy and dull day but the trip was still very enjoyable.
Annecy is to the north of Grenoble. It is called the little Venice of the Alps because of the canals that run through the city. The bridges, canals, arched walkways, pastel colored houses, old churches, and castle are enchanting.
The picture below is outside the church -Notre-Dame de Liesse. The fountain in the middle of the square had water spouting from the lions mouths and the obelisk in the middle supported on the backs of the turtles. When we went into the church, mass was just over and we met an Indian priest at the entrance :)
The canals had some locks built in them and plenty of ducks and swans were lazying around.
Below is one of the most crowded bridges in the town and it over looks the Palais de L'Ile
The Palais de L'Ile below, I read somewhere is one of the most photographed monuments in France. It served as courthouse and prison for centuries and is now a museum.
The Castle de Annecy below is I think the first real castle I visited :)..
The castle is located on the limestone spur of the Semnoz mountain. The oldest portion of the castle dates back to the 13th century.
It was inhabited by the Counts of Geneva and then by the Dukes of Savoy and after World War II by homeless people. The castle also survived a fire and after the restoration it has been used as a Museum.
Below, me! In one of the large rooms which I imagined to be a ballroom :P
View of the town of Annecy from the chateau.
The view of the castle courtyard from one of its towers. I was imaging how it must have been in the old times..with royals, soldiers, and horses ;)
Inside the castle, one of the tiny rooms which looked like they were built only to look outside.
We got a glimpse of lake Annecy and the sail boats on it from this window.
Check out the archways in the ground floors of the buildings. They were of great use when we visited cause that day it was raining soo much all the time. There was a statue of our Lady built into one of the wall of the buildings.
We had lunch and dinner at the same place, I loved the crepes soo much...they are like dosas with meat and other fillings
Lake Annecy is the cleanest lake in Europe.. there was a time when it was endangered but much effort was made over the decade to protect it and now it is the cleanest lake!
The water is very tempting and you can see the sand at the bottom where it is shallow, it is amazingly clean. There was a diving tour in the middle of the lake, like the ones you see at swimming pools and also the lake had metal bars to step in and out like the ones in swimming pools. I haven't seen many lakes but I don't think it is very common to have these things in a lake :P
Le Pont des Amours crosses the Canal du Vasse below in the distance..
We sat at the edge of the lake and ate chocolate and peanuts :)...looking down at the bottom of the clear lake and wishing it was a warm sunny day...would have been nice to dive in...I hope to go snorkeling here someday...seems like I have to visit all these places again sometime....
Annecy is to the north of Grenoble. It is called the little Venice of the Alps because of the canals that run through the city. The bridges, canals, arched walkways, pastel colored houses, old churches, and castle are enchanting.
The picture below is outside the church -Notre-Dame de Liesse. The fountain in the middle of the square had water spouting from the lions mouths and the obelisk in the middle supported on the backs of the turtles. When we went into the church, mass was just over and we met an Indian priest at the entrance :)
The canals had some locks built in them and plenty of ducks and swans were lazying around.
Below is one of the most crowded bridges in the town and it over looks the Palais de L'Ile
The Palais de L'Ile below, I read somewhere is one of the most photographed monuments in France. It served as courthouse and prison for centuries and is now a museum.
The Castle de Annecy below is I think the first real castle I visited :)..
The castle is located on the limestone spur of the Semnoz mountain. The oldest portion of the castle dates back to the 13th century.
It was inhabited by the Counts of Geneva and then by the Dukes of Savoy and after World War II by homeless people. The castle also survived a fire and after the restoration it has been used as a Museum.
Below, me! In one of the large rooms which I imagined to be a ballroom :P
View of the town of Annecy from the chateau.
The view of the castle courtyard from one of its towers. I was imaging how it must have been in the old times..with royals, soldiers, and horses ;)
Inside the castle, one of the tiny rooms which looked like they were built only to look outside.
We got a glimpse of lake Annecy and the sail boats on it from this window.
Check out the archways in the ground floors of the buildings. They were of great use when we visited cause that day it was raining soo much all the time. There was a statue of our Lady built into one of the wall of the buildings.
We had lunch and dinner at the same place, I loved the crepes soo much...they are like dosas with meat and other fillingsLake Annecy is the cleanest lake in Europe.. there was a time when it was endangered but much effort was made over the decade to protect it and now it is the cleanest lake!
The water is very tempting and you can see the sand at the bottom where it is shallow, it is amazingly clean. There was a diving tour in the middle of the lake, like the ones you see at swimming pools and also the lake had metal bars to step in and out like the ones in swimming pools. I haven't seen many lakes but I don't think it is very common to have these things in a lake :P
Le Pont des Amours crosses the Canal du Vasse below in the distance..
We sat at the edge of the lake and ate chocolate and peanuts :)...looking down at the bottom of the clear lake and wishing it was a warm sunny day...would have been nice to dive in...I hope to go snorkeling here someday...seems like I have to visit all these places again sometime....
Theater Festival
Last weekend, I spent Saturday in the city with three other interns from XRCE. There was a theater festival in the city and we caught part of an adaptation of the beauty and the beast. Even though I could not understand the language, it was very entertaining.
There was a narrator who played a guitar and ofcourse beauty and the beast along with a bunch of people who would run around becoming chairs and tables and everything needed for the scene and used a long bedsheet to cover themselves. They sang along with the narrator and repeated words that the lead characters spoke...they were very good.
Other than a couple of plays, the other one we did not understand at all :P...we just rambled from one cafe to another enjoying the city and company and ended the day with some nice French dinner.
There was a narrator who played a guitar and ofcourse beauty and the beast along with a bunch of people who would run around becoming chairs and tables and everything needed for the scene and used a long bedsheet to cover themselves. They sang along with the narrator and repeated words that the lead characters spoke...they were very good.
Other than a couple of plays, the other one we did not understand at all :P...we just rambled from one cafe to another enjoying the city and company and ended the day with some nice French dinner.
Villard-de-Lans, Goulets, et Pont-en-Royen
This post is long overdue. Last weekend of June, Eniko and I set out for a day in the mountains- the Vercors. We met at the Gare with our cycles and got on a bus to Villard de Lans. We could take our cycles with us for no extra charge, just had to put them into the baggage compartment underneath the bus.
Villard de Lans is high up in the Vercors mountain range. We started our bike ride here and followed the road downhill. We were on the roads meant for the regular traffic and not a biking path, so we had cars driving along side and the drivers are quite nice about cyclists-they waited for us to move to the side and also slowed down to let us navigate the sharper turns without rushing past us. The roads in some places were cut into the rocks and the rocks formed a ledge over the road.
Riding in the mountains was awesome. Many times we were at the edge of the cliff and was a bit scary to see the valley just beyond the edge of the road.
At some points, we were high above the valley and at other times we were close to the river below.
Down hill was always super awesome but uphill killed by legs. I had to stop every now and then and if it wasn't for Eniko, I would still be up those mountains.
Along the way, we rode through small tunnels- petit goulets. We had seen pictures of the goulets online and they were our main motivation for undertaking this ride.
Can you spot me on the bridge in the picture below ?? :P
I was terribly famished at one point and we stopped for beers at a small place on the way.
That is enika and me a little high and enjoying a bit of gossip :D
For some reason, the bails of hay in the farms on the hillsides, fascinate me to no extent.
The grand goulets was something we really wanted to ride through but it was closed and we had to ride through this long tunnel alongside the goulets instead. It was quite something riding through it, the noise from the cars was soo loud and a little frightening.
The road was very steep downhill from here and we had to tighten my breaks as I felt I would fly over the ledge into the valley while navigating the hair pin turns.
Our next destination was Pont-en-Royans, a small town overlooking a river. The houses are built into the cliffs and the balconies suspended dangerously over the river.
We stopped for some beer at a cafe on the bridge overlooking the river...can you see the umbrellas of the cafe in the picture below?
The view from the bridge was even better and you can see how the water was so clear and clean.
Try spotting the man mid air in the picture below....diving into the water from the edge of the cliff.
We then continued on the last leg of our journey to the city of Saint Marcellin, where we got on a bus heading back to Grenoble- tired and happy with our adventures for the day. We had cycled more than 42km that day.
Here is the link to the map that outlines the route we took :)
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2032335
Villard de Lans is high up in the Vercors mountain range. We started our bike ride here and followed the road downhill. We were on the roads meant for the regular traffic and not a biking path, so we had cars driving along side and the drivers are quite nice about cyclists-they waited for us to move to the side and also slowed down to let us navigate the sharper turns without rushing past us. The roads in some places were cut into the rocks and the rocks formed a ledge over the road.
Riding in the mountains was awesome. Many times we were at the edge of the cliff and was a bit scary to see the valley just beyond the edge of the road.
At some points, we were high above the valley and at other times we were close to the river below.
Down hill was always super awesome but uphill killed by legs. I had to stop every now and then and if it wasn't for Eniko, I would still be up those mountains.
Along the way, we rode through small tunnels- petit goulets. We had seen pictures of the goulets online and they were our main motivation for undertaking this ride.
Can you spot me on the bridge in the picture below ?? :P
I was terribly famished at one point and we stopped for beers at a small place on the way.
That is enika and me a little high and enjoying a bit of gossip :D
For some reason, the bails of hay in the farms on the hillsides, fascinate me to no extent.
The grand goulets was something we really wanted to ride through but it was closed and we had to ride through this long tunnel alongside the goulets instead. It was quite something riding through it, the noise from the cars was soo loud and a little frightening.
The road was very steep downhill from here and we had to tighten my breaks as I felt I would fly over the ledge into the valley while navigating the hair pin turns.
Our next destination was Pont-en-Royans, a small town overlooking a river. The houses are built into the cliffs and the balconies suspended dangerously over the river.
We stopped for some beer at a cafe on the bridge overlooking the river...can you see the umbrellas of the cafe in the picture below?
The view from the bridge was even better and you can see how the water was so clear and clean.
Try spotting the man mid air in the picture below....diving into the water from the edge of the cliff.
We then continued on the last leg of our journey to the city of Saint Marcellin, where we got on a bus heading back to Grenoble- tired and happy with our adventures for the day. We had cycled more than 42km that day.Here is the link to the map that outlines the route we took :)
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2032335
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Garden Party in the Chartreuse
Last Saturday, I was invited to a party at the home of a Professor I got to know through my Phd supervisor. His house has the most amazing location, set on the mountain slopes with an old church on one side, neighbors who have a flock of sheep, an angled view of a mountain, and a path leading to an icy cold stream in the valley below.
The food, cheese, and wine was amazing! Had a very relaxing afternoon with the kindest people-we had at the party the members of the profs lab and their families..French, Italian, Iranian, and Australian (ofcourse we discussed cricket and Bret Lee's hindi music debut).
Will post more pictures of the home and the party if I get permission from the folks to put them online.
The food, cheese, and wine was amazing! Had a very relaxing afternoon with the kindest people-we had at the party the members of the profs lab and their families..French, Italian, Iranian, and Australian (ofcourse we discussed cricket and Bret Lee's hindi music debut).
Will post more pictures of the home and the party if I get permission from the folks to put them online.
More Music
Last two weeks have been super busy, packed with wonderful experiences and many new friends. After the fete de la Musique two weeks ago, I have had a couple of musical experiences.
An Italian friend introduced me to the underground concerts here in the city. One Saturday evening, we went to this concert where two bands played. One played trash music....very harsh and loud and I thought I'd go deaf...but entertaining nonetheless. And they were followed by another band, about whom the most interesting part was...the bass was provided using a tuba (i think thats the name, check out the pic). Was a very nice evening- great conversation, local beer and loud music :P
Also, Morcheeba gave a free concert last Thursday in the city- I had never heard their music before and the tempo was too slow for me initially but then I began to like it and will be listening to their music from now on and I am now a fan of the lead guitarist.
The concert was at the Parc Mistral and below is picture of the Tour Perret at the park taken on another lazy Sunday evening. This was the luckiest spot in the park..it made me 1.5 euros richer :D
The same evening I tasted the most delicious chorizo pizza ever and the sausage a very similar flavor to our Goan chorizo.
An Italian friend introduced me to the underground concerts here in the city. One Saturday evening, we went to this concert where two bands played. One played trash music....very harsh and loud and I thought I'd go deaf...but entertaining nonetheless. And they were followed by another band, about whom the most interesting part was...the bass was provided using a tuba (i think thats the name, check out the pic). Was a very nice evening- great conversation, local beer and loud music :P
Also, Morcheeba gave a free concert last Thursday in the city- I had never heard their music before and the tempo was too slow for me initially but then I began to like it and will be listening to their music from now on and I am now a fan of the lead guitarist.
The concert was at the Parc Mistral and below is picture of the Tour Perret at the park taken on another lazy Sunday evening. This was the luckiest spot in the park..it made me 1.5 euros richer :D
The same evening I tasted the most delicious chorizo pizza ever and the sausage a very similar flavor to our Goan chorizo.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Fete de la Musique
France celebrates the Fete de la Musique every year on June 21st. The festival has been around since 1982, and the initiation can be attributed to the then Minister of Culture, Jack Lang and Director of Musique, Maurice Fleuret. Through a study, they discovered that among the 5 million French people, 1 out of every two children could play an instrument but did not have an opportunity to show off their skills. Also, 75% of the 4 million instruments owned by the French, were deteriorating away in cupboards and rubbish. So they came up with a plan to find a way to get people to pick up these instruments, restore them, and come out in the streets to 'enchant anyone who cared to listen.'
A request was sent out to "Faites de la musique"- Make Music, between 8.30 and 9 in the evening on the summer solstice. Needless to say, it was a dream come true and now not only in France but in countries all over the world the day is celebrated with people coming out and playing a variety of instruments on the street corners, the market squares, the gardens..
Yesterday, I got to witness my first Fete de la Musique. I went to the city along with a new friend, a French intern who started at XRCE on the same day as I did. At each corner, 'place', garden, and also, at the Bastille, the fort on the mountain overlooking the city, there were concerts. The atmosphere was awesome!
Here are some pics of a few bands, some seemed like professionals and some soon to be professionals and they played French music, Jazz, Rock, English (knocking on heavens door!, Wonderwall!), Rap.
We walked around in the city and kept meeting people we know cause the entire town was out on the streets. Then we took the cable car up the Bastille. The ride was free, this evening because of the Fete :) You can see the bubbles as they are called here, climbing over the river in the pic below.
The view from the Bastille is spectacular and one can also catch a glimpse of Mont Blanc, the tallest mountain in western Europe, the only ghostly white peak on the horizon (BTW, don't want you straining your eyes to catch it, I have not put a pic of it here).
I love the color of the roof tops and even though it is so high, you can see different architectural elements of the buildings and I think I could spend hours looking at the city below.
I plan to explore the fort, with all its ramparts, steps, banquettes ... in the future
but for yesterday it was all about the sound of music... we went back into the city and caught many more mini concerts and ofcourse, some French food- crepes and apple cider. Love both! The cider is less strong as compared to beer and has a very refreshing taste.
One day is too less and I was left wanting more..... many more Fetes de la Musique.
A request was sent out to "Faites de la musique"- Make Music, between 8.30 and 9 in the evening on the summer solstice. Needless to say, it was a dream come true and now not only in France but in countries all over the world the day is celebrated with people coming out and playing a variety of instruments on the street corners, the market squares, the gardens..
Yesterday, I got to witness my first Fete de la Musique. I went to the city along with a new friend, a French intern who started at XRCE on the same day as I did. At each corner, 'place', garden, and also, at the Bastille, the fort on the mountain overlooking the city, there were concerts. The atmosphere was awesome!
Here are some pics of a few bands, some seemed like professionals and some soon to be professionals and they played French music, Jazz, Rock, English (knocking on heavens door!, Wonderwall!), Rap.
We walked around in the city and kept meeting people we know cause the entire town was out on the streets. Then we took the cable car up the Bastille. The ride was free, this evening because of the Fete :) You can see the bubbles as they are called here, climbing over the river in the pic below.
The view from the Bastille is spectacular and one can also catch a glimpse of Mont Blanc, the tallest mountain in western Europe, the only ghostly white peak on the horizon (BTW, don't want you straining your eyes to catch it, I have not put a pic of it here).
I love the color of the roof tops and even though it is so high, you can see different architectural elements of the buildings and I think I could spend hours looking at the city below.
I plan to explore the fort, with all its ramparts, steps, banquettes ... in the future
but for yesterday it was all about the sound of music... we went back into the city and caught many more mini concerts and ofcourse, some French food- crepes and apple cider. Love both! The cider is less strong as compared to beer and has a very refreshing taste.
One day is too less and I was left wanting more..... many more Fetes de la Musique.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
life in grenoble
Almost three weeks have gone by in Grenoble and I am beginning to feel settled and quite at home. For the first two weeks, it was rainy and overcast all the time and I was beginning to associate this place with rain. The weather is getting better by the day and I hope it will stay sunny. Last evening, I caught a glimpse of my favorite mountain range here, the Belledonnes, and the light from the setting sun made the snow and clouds look like light pink cotton candy. I have heard from a friend, that it looks even better in winter when the mountains are blanketed in snow.
Speaking about friends, I am beginning to form friendships here and also made acquaintances with some very interesting folks whom I met by chance. Among these are the guy who runs one of the tabacs stores (tobacco/newspaper etc.) with his brother, in the city. I had stopped by to pick up a calling card and troubled him a lot with all my questions, since he was the first person I met in the city who spoke English! He gave me directions on so many topics and was kidding that I was officially at the tourist office. Now, whenever I need a card I stop by the store - he remembers me and I flaunt some of my French, which is still really very little :P
Then there was this teacher I met at the burger place who just happened to share the table with me since all the others were taken and we had a very interesting discussion about languages and France. She told me that she never stops at the fast food joint but that she was very happy she did cause she got to meet me :D That reminds me- I should contact her and see if she wants to meet up sometime.
During the first few days here, I would visit the grocery store very often, I have been quite fascinated with the food (now, you can imagine me returning home very fat). I got to know this security guard at the store who is very funny. I was passing by when he was spraying himself with perfume outside a store (they have a perfume stand outside the store and anyone can go try some). He asked me to try it and I did. Then I had one of my first multilingual conversations here. He was talking in French and of course, I spoke in English, and somehow we managed to understand each other. He is from Algeria and from what I understood he really likes the color of my skin (now maybe I interpreted that incorrectly :P). So, whenever I visit the store just before it is closing I meet him and we exchange some funny conversation. BTW, the name of the store is Geants- its Giants, so I feel quite at home..lol
Then, the taxi driver who drove me from Geneva airport, happens to be a electrical engineer working on embedded systems and was working as a driver to save up for a bike. He was very nice to talk to during the drive to Grenoble and we also ended up meeting in the city once. Well, I guess I can say that its a small town.
At the apartment complex, I don't know many people yet. There is an Indian couple and they have a baby, but I can't speak much with the wife since they are from the south and she does not speak English or Hindi. They know a Bengali couple that come to visit them and so I run into them quite often. These are the only Indian contacts I have here. I will not make any comments on the number of Indians...cause I remember only too clearly what happened last time I did so at UMBC and I don't want any of you spinning this to your liking. Its funny but at xrce, currently there is no other Indian. I have meet French (obviously), Greek, Hungarian, Brazilian, Israeli, Spanish, and so many other nationalities at xrce but I am the lone Indian :)
Yeah and while we are at it -some ambassador I am for my country..I mean I have people thoroughly confused about my nationality-think abt it- they know I visiting from America and have a French first name and Portuguese last name and Indian face! Well I don't go into details about my middle name :P Anyway, I have to tell people- yes infact it is my real name! And they are very curious to know about India and many have visited India too. Sometimes, I meet people who love Indian classical music and dance and you can only imagine my plight and there confusion about my knowlegde about the Ustads. Anyway, I have had very interesting chats with people- one who has trekked in Ladakh and some who have eaten spicy food when they interned at MS (they love tandoori and palak paneer ofcourse) and one guy actually visited Lonavala to learn yoga and will be going back to Leh this summer. All have fond memories of India and some not so fond ones too...what with all the spicy food and stories of being cheated by taxiwallas :P Oh one guy, he loves Maggi noodles and said he tried looking for it everywhere but never found it. Can you imagine that, our love for Maggi is shared globally?? :D
I am having a good time at work, lots of new things to learn and so little time. The work environment is very nice and people really know how to enjoy life here. Sometimes there are going away get-togethers and they server wine, beer, cider etc. I can't imagine this at work anywhere else I have been. There is cafeteria where you can often find people in groups chatting away over tea and some people cook their lunch in there. There are pots and pans and the basic condiments for all to use. I love the idea! I have not tried cooking in there cause I have a different routing altogether. The girl who I share my office with introduced me to a bakery about 15 mins away from work and often we go together. We get something to eat and then take a walk around the lake there while we jabber about so many things. She is from Hungary and from our discussions, it seems like it is not very different from India. I really enjoy our talks and its somewhat uncanny how we share so many common experiences and thoughts. I got inspired to blog after seeing her blog.
There is so much more to tell you guys but its getting late and I'll post again soon!
Leave me comments so I'll know you are reading...au revoir!
Speaking about friends, I am beginning to form friendships here and also made acquaintances with some very interesting folks whom I met by chance. Among these are the guy who runs one of the tabacs stores (tobacco/newspaper etc.) with his brother, in the city. I had stopped by to pick up a calling card and troubled him a lot with all my questions, since he was the first person I met in the city who spoke English! He gave me directions on so many topics and was kidding that I was officially at the tourist office. Now, whenever I need a card I stop by the store - he remembers me and I flaunt some of my French, which is still really very little :P
Then there was this teacher I met at the burger place who just happened to share the table with me since all the others were taken and we had a very interesting discussion about languages and France. She told me that she never stops at the fast food joint but that she was very happy she did cause she got to meet me :D That reminds me- I should contact her and see if she wants to meet up sometime.
During the first few days here, I would visit the grocery store very often, I have been quite fascinated with the food (now, you can imagine me returning home very fat). I got to know this security guard at the store who is very funny. I was passing by when he was spraying himself with perfume outside a store (they have a perfume stand outside the store and anyone can go try some). He asked me to try it and I did. Then I had one of my first multilingual conversations here. He was talking in French and of course, I spoke in English, and somehow we managed to understand each other. He is from Algeria and from what I understood he really likes the color of my skin (now maybe I interpreted that incorrectly :P). So, whenever I visit the store just before it is closing I meet him and we exchange some funny conversation. BTW, the name of the store is Geants- its Giants, so I feel quite at home..lol
Then, the taxi driver who drove me from Geneva airport, happens to be a electrical engineer working on embedded systems and was working as a driver to save up for a bike. He was very nice to talk to during the drive to Grenoble and we also ended up meeting in the city once. Well, I guess I can say that its a small town.
At the apartment complex, I don't know many people yet. There is an Indian couple and they have a baby, but I can't speak much with the wife since they are from the south and she does not speak English or Hindi. They know a Bengali couple that come to visit them and so I run into them quite often. These are the only Indian contacts I have here. I will not make any comments on the number of Indians...cause I remember only too clearly what happened last time I did so at UMBC and I don't want any of you spinning this to your liking. Its funny but at xrce, currently there is no other Indian. I have meet French (obviously), Greek, Hungarian, Brazilian, Israeli, Spanish, and so many other nationalities at xrce but I am the lone Indian :)
Yeah and while we are at it -some ambassador I am for my country..I mean I have people thoroughly confused about my nationality-think abt it- they know I visiting from America and have a French first name and Portuguese last name and Indian face! Well I don't go into details about my middle name :P Anyway, I have to tell people- yes infact it is my real name! And they are very curious to know about India and many have visited India too. Sometimes, I meet people who love Indian classical music and dance and you can only imagine my plight and there confusion about my knowlegde about the Ustads. Anyway, I have had very interesting chats with people- one who has trekked in Ladakh and some who have eaten spicy food when they interned at MS (they love tandoori and palak paneer ofcourse) and one guy actually visited Lonavala to learn yoga and will be going back to Leh this summer. All have fond memories of India and some not so fond ones too...what with all the spicy food and stories of being cheated by taxiwallas :P Oh one guy, he loves Maggi noodles and said he tried looking for it everywhere but never found it. Can you imagine that, our love for Maggi is shared globally?? :D
I am having a good time at work, lots of new things to learn and so little time. The work environment is very nice and people really know how to enjoy life here. Sometimes there are going away get-togethers and they server wine, beer, cider etc. I can't imagine this at work anywhere else I have been. There is cafeteria where you can often find people in groups chatting away over tea and some people cook their lunch in there. There are pots and pans and the basic condiments for all to use. I love the idea! I have not tried cooking in there cause I have a different routing altogether. The girl who I share my office with introduced me to a bakery about 15 mins away from work and often we go together. We get something to eat and then take a walk around the lake there while we jabber about so many things. She is from Hungary and from our discussions, it seems like it is not very different from India. I really enjoy our talks and its somewhat uncanny how we share so many common experiences and thoughts. I got inspired to blog after seeing her blog.
There is so much more to tell you guys but its getting late and I'll post again soon!
Leave me comments so I'll know you are reading...au revoir!
Monday, June 16, 2008
L'Isere
Last weekend I bought a bike- check it out!
So my bike introduced me to the river. There are paths along on the river open to only bikers, skaters, and pedestrians. The view is simply spectacular.
Oh how I envied them....I so hope to get to kayak down the river!
Well after getting lost a couple of times trying to find the river, I discovered a way to get to the river from right behind my apartment complex.
The path took me closer to the mountains and along fields.
Was getting chilly ...brrrr.......I hope to venture further into the villages on a sunny day.
So my bike introduced me to the river. There are paths along on the river open to only bikers, skaters, and pedestrians. The view is simply spectacular.
Oh how I envied them....I so hope to get to kayak down the river!
Well after getting lost a couple of times trying to find the river, I discovered a way to get to the river from right behind my apartment complex.
The path took me closer to the mountains and along fields.
Was getting chilly ...brrrr.......I hope to venture further into the villages on a sunny day.
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