Remembering India

“कुछ बात है कि हस्ती मिट-ती नहीं हमारी, सदियों रहा है दुश्मन, दौरे ज़माना हमारा!”

It is not often that I became patriotic in mood and shed some tears on the past event of history. Now in Germany, I am just learning about my Dharma and Nation vividly. People are curious to know about my country and its people.

I am feeling certain change in myself and now my attachments to India is increased. It may be the separation and isolation of myself, but really feeling PROUD TO BE INDIAN.

Arrival In Germany

Continuing my journey from last blog post :

I met a person named Ram at Delhi Airport. He works in Kuwait in the petroleum sector. He was an IITB alumnus- 1983 pass out. It was really pleasure to meet him. He told me that he was more interested in music than studies in his younger days. A bit off talk take place and I was informed of a most amazing fact/fiction by him; That his interview of DRDO in 1983 at IIT-B placement was taken by President Kalam who was then Director of DRDO. I was tired and slept in the aeroplane. I have reached Kuwait from Delhi at 9 am( Kuwait timings). Then, we parted without saying goodbye to each other. My next flight was at 9 AM only but it became 1 hour late. Talking about Kuwait airport, I can only say a oasis made in desert from petro-dollars. Its like barren and sandy for miles around but i do not visualize country as a part of Arabian Nights.

Then, I met a German lady [40 years of age]. She was with me from Delhi but we never talked till Kuwait. We talked about India as a common matter of dialogue between two unknown persons. Flying in aeroplane was like dream coming true for me.Watching the marvelous scenario of sky and clouds was like dream . I am not getting proper word till now for describing those moments. Clouds seem to be like a foam spread in the sky. Looking down on the land was like seeing a place through Google earth. I reached Frankfurt after a long journey of 6 hrs. The plane landed at the grand looking Frankfurt Airport. I swear that to make such airport in India will take 20 years minimum.

Suddenly, I felt that I am in Europe. I took my luggage and walked towards Long Distance Railway Station. My train journey begins towards Bayreuth at 3:30 pm Train was late 5 min. I was shocked by alien environment. Just joking; I had taken tickets of ICE, fastest train in Germany. I had to change train for Bayreuth at Nuremberg.

I wanted to write poetry first but words were not coming to me. It was like unspeakable feeling. Then, I write prose on the train. Original Uncut Version is first time revealed here for public.

"This is my first visit to any country abroad India. Germany i.e. The place where i really see what the hard work and honesty means. I am watching the beauty of nature spread all across the country. There is a perfect Harmony between men and nature. I remember a person named Bismarck of Germany. He was called as man of iron and blood. I see the iron and everywhere in the construction, in the buildings almost in infrastructure. Lot have been invested in infrastructure since devastation of his place after world war. I am also moving forward like this train as economics is not my field. I am falling short of words describing the forest and concrete jungles have mingled here in Frankfurt. Mutually bonded by sense of human spirit seems this place. How beautiful a place can be..."

I reached Nuremberg and then to Bayreuth in Bavaria state. Now my journey was nearly finished at 8 pm in the new land (and it was still evening). I was amazed to know the that sun sets at 9 pm in summer season. That was really a new feeling...

Time before Internship -2

The saga of the time before internship continues from the previous post --

And the day when I catch train to Delhi was a busy day of my life. I had put everything in hostel common room and transferred computers to Subhash bhaiya home. I was really much in trouble without Subhash bhaiya's help. Vijay was there with me and helping me to complete all papers and formality before going to visa office. I arrived at nick of time before last train to Delhi on that day. Train to Delhi, Shivganga express was full of Biharis and I was in general compartment with them. I was struggling not to fall sleep after a tiring day with all important documents in a bag only. Train reached to Delhi in morning and I was standing alone on the railway platform at Delhi on the morning of 9th may. My brother received me there and we went to his home at North Delhi. Then, I rushed towards to visa center of German embassy in South Delhi. How fool i feel now, that I had not taken appointment before and return from their with appointment of next day.

10\05\2007 was an important date for me. I submitted all the document and got a date for visa interview on 15th may. I have postponed my flight from 15 to 18th now. I have now got strong emotions inside me that I cannot go back empty handed after getting this close. I was really afraid about what sort of questions will be asked in the embassy? But it was all over in 10 min in morning. The glaring sun in New Delhi looks cool to me and I was scheduled to get my visa on 17th evening from vfs only. It was like a dream come true.

But there was a still twist in the story. On the next day a call came from German embassy. It ordered me to come either with my own or parents bank statement. I was a lucky guy to have passbook with me that was lastly updated on march. I again visited to embassy on 17th morning and submitted the bank statement. The lady there was beautiful though not cooperating like first day. It was ok to me. I got my passport with visa stamped on it on 17th evening. My plane was next morning at 6 am Indian timing (bhai logon plane late ho gaya sahi mein indian timing ka prabawh bahut hai).

I have not met my parents since January. My parents came to see off me. I was a lucky man in my family as the first one going out of the country. My sister was doing training at TELCO, Lucknow at that time. She was missing me and I too was missing her. I was surely missing my friends and especially Vijay...

At last, Kuwait airways plane take off....
BYE BYE INDIA:

Time Before Internship-1

Internship in foreign country is really a shocking thing for a guy with 6.27 CGPA till 4th semester and 2 fakkas in 5th semester. Hence, the result awaits. Funny it appears but it is true. I am saying that there are much better candidates than me, not counting GMAT's in our branch.

It was really hard time to think over my internship in January. I have done my previous summer industrial training at the Modinagar Paper Mill. I could not even think about getting any good internship offer. I was first thinking in making my career in the field of Oil sector so want to pursue internship in that only. Later, I dropped that idea and work in the field of composite. Me and Vijay got a project from Prof. V.K. Srivastava after 2 month long exotic run/ interview/ interaction in previous semester. I was lucky and working on my project. Then, I applied many places for internship but fruitless. I met my foreign mentor in a conference in New Delhi but he was not offering money to us. Now, I took a bold decision and asked my mentor Prof. that can i get a training in N.A.L. Bangalore or V.S.S.C. Trivandrum ? He gazed us for a second and replied that he will try from his contacts. But one day there comes a mail to me that my foreign mentor in Germany has ready to pay me and my friend Vijay 300 euro per month for internship. We agreed and try to get this opportunity in our own way.

I have already taken my training seat at S.N.T.I. Jamshedpur and Vijay has taken in Tata Motors Pune. So here comes a hectic schedule of our making of passport. I have applied for our passport on 23 Jan. without knowing if we ever can use it in this lifetime. It is really long tale of us to go to Lucknow, applying for passport and then open our resources so that our passport can be in our hands on time. Then, I really face Indian bureaucracy first time (Vijay is already more experienced in these matters than me). I don't give a damn that these people should be hanged dead or burnt alive for not doing their work at time. I had gone to Lucknow several times before the end of my 6th semester and already has a short attendance due to my participation in conference blended with the habit of rising late in the morning.

Passport of Vijay has arrived on 30th march with a mistake of his date of birth. He don't want to make it correct but me and others insisted that he should do this and I consider it as most blunderous suggestion given by me. Due to delay in the correction of date of birth in his passport, Vijay can't come with me here in Germany and I will regret this whole life and remember some persons behind the scene. My passport has arrived on 28 April not due to Indian bureaucracy mercy but due to pressure of some one. F###ing Bureaucracy.......

Now my exams were over and I was running out of time as my training period extends from 15 may and we were waiting for passport of Vijay. He waited and tried but all in vain. He took a decision that I must go alone. It was so hard for me that my best pal is leaving behind due to those crooked and lazy bureaucrats and some other person also...

Finally, I leave Varanasi to Delhi alone....