Retrospect 2015!

TWEnTyFiFteEn- A year that was, that is (as I am still writing) and would always be very special for me! A year that saw me grow as a person, that made me a better individual and which marked some beautifully crucial phases of my life!

On the last day of this happening year, as I take a pause to retrospect the happenings that happened this year, I have a SMILE on my face- A SMILE OF SATISFACTION, A SMILE OF CONTENT, A SMILE OF ASSURANCE that things have indeed fallen in place, the way they had to or if I may say, even better than I had thought of! What else would have I asked for!

A year that brought with it the Scholarship surprise in Germany, ends today having given me one of the most precious gift for years to come- that sense of achievement which comes with being a BOSCHLER at the age of 23! ;)

A monthly review of this wonderful year can be penned down in short as:

Jan brought with it lots of pressure of the last Masters semester and the added constant long processing work pressure for the German stay to follow! Thanks to our brilliant M.A. group (brilliant in every sense of the word), we all came out with flying colors and succeeded not only academically, but succeeded also to achieve a special place in the heart of our Professors and leave our "FURIOUS FIVE" mark on the German Department for years to come! (3 cheers to our team spirit! No one can beat us ever when we are together... we are indeed THE FURIOUS FIVE!)

A couple of days after our last paper, we flew to the land which has always been a part of us through books, the land which was long chased, ever since I started learning German! Thus April to August marked an extended academically rich and adventurous stay in Germany and around! Within 18 weeks of my stay there, I have visited almost 32 to 35 big and small beautiful places and experienced their culture hands on! I evolved more as a person! It was my first independent stay, which indeed taught me a lot!

August to November, back in India, brought with it the most amazing experience till date! The happiness and satisfaction of teaching at the same place where you were studying few months back! I completely thank my teachers who showed this trust towards me and offered me with this opportunity. The contentment I have gained by teaching and connecting with my students, who have indeed become in such a short span an integral part of my life, is beyond any materialistic happiness! Few bonds never perish, they grow with every passing moment! Glad and blessed to have found one amongst them!

After the student and teacher phase, came up the corporate phase of my life in November! November marked the beginning of my corporate career in Bosch, which would indeed go on for years to come!

With all the months being fantabulously happening, December didn't go unnoticed either! Rather it happened to be the highlight month of the year which saw the execution of a meticulously planned Delhi trip for the tennis and Federer lover within me! Having seen Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal play live, I literally had to pinch myself!

Such a rich and diverse year that it has been, I thank this year and my stars for shining upon me and making my life, a place which I need not escape from! The well-being of my near and dear ones has been an icing on the cake!

Today I pray and wish for the happiness of one and all in the upcoming year! Wishing all a very happy, prosperous and a satisfying 2016!

Few notes for myself: 1. Try to be a better person! 2. Be more helpful, tolerant, generous and calm! 3. Respect Nature and Be an environment friendly creature!

Cheers!

Love,

Shreya!

Happy 2015 and 2016 ;)




 

Dec 2015 marathon Blog Post 4: Our journey through the heart-stirring Neuschwanstein Castle and the heavenly Austrian beauties!

Our journey through the heart-stirring Neuschwanstein Castle and the heavenly Austrian beauties!

After travelling and trekking to almost all the big and small, famous and remote, but beautiful places in Germany, it was now time to explore the SOUND OF MUSIC CITY Salzburg and the capital city of Austria, Vienna (Wien auf Deutsch).

 

This trip was slotted to be the last long planned trip of our four month stay in Germany. It was in the third week of  summery July. Summer being the peak season for tourism in Europe, we had researched everything thoroughly and planned our trip way back in mid May. For me the trip was all the way more special because my mom was also planning to visit me that time. Although her itinerary and visa was yet to get processed and we did not know that time if things would fall in place and if she would be able to come, with all hopes and keeping fingers crossed I made her Austria bookings also along with us! It was indeed a great risk monetarily, but at the end it was worth it! All hardships paid!

 

So having covered the important chunks and heritage cities like Heidelberg, Black forest of Baden-Württemberg and Rhine falls in a week long trip back in mid June, it was time to cover Bayern and club it with the Austrian trip. A meticulous planning of all the railways, roadways, ticket fare, hostel bookings, check-in, check-out timings, tourist places considering everybody's taste and much more was done by all of us by evenly distributing the tasks. Bravo to our co-ordination and planning, things went really smooth. Now when I flash back, I feel so proud of ourselves. This was the first time we all were visiting Germany, for that matter our first long stay away from homes, wherein we had to manage everything from scratch by ourselves! And we did it so well! Wow! 

 

So tickets were booked, hotels and hostel rooms were reserved, expenses were calculated, bags were packed, mom had arrived and we all were set for a week long Munich, Neuschwanstein, Salzburg, Vienna trip.

 

The mercury had raised to as high as 41 degrees (Europe's highest recorded Summer in past few years) as we were in Vienna, but still it did not stop us from following our plan and exploring the beautiful cities!

 

Munich, not just another city, had all the charm and aura a big city has, but still had that artistic historic touch which made it stand out from other big German cities, and also not to miss the Hofbraeuhaus  (Main Brewery for the beer lovers!). 

 

Words fall short to express the beauty and the charm of Neuschwanstein. A personal visit there is a must to actually experience it with your eyes! A small bit of information that I would like to add here is: this visit was peculiarly special for me. The reason is very silly and childish though! Back in last November when I bought my new phone Nexus 5, the very first wallpaper I had was of Neuschwanstein and I used to keep ogling at that beauty like mad, secretly wishing to capture a snap myself. Whoa! Who knew that time that within next six months my wish would come true :) Life and its miracles! The moment I captured the photo myself on my same phone, I was beyond limit overwhelmed, it was happiness of a kind! *_*

 

Yeah! The perfect click!

The lake below the castle! Paradise!

 

 

I, Me and the castle :P

 

 Followed by Neuschwanstein, we proceeded to the birthplace of Mozart and the SOUND OF MUSIC, the legendry movie !!!

 

                                                     Do Re Me do Re Me

                                                      Do Re Me Fa So La Ti

 

Salzburg! Paradise!

 

Little did we know it was so mesmerizing! The lakes, the greenery are all way beyond realism! How can a place be so serene, so beautiful!

 

Serene!

With a heavy heart, almost unwilling to step out of this paradise, we set out for our last halt Wien (Vienna). We stayed there at one of my aunt's place. She was so loving and caring! Her warmth made our tour all the more special! The city is architecturally so rich, I wonder how it has been maintained and restored after the wars! Hats off! Every single building there is carved. As you walk through the city,  you are bound to be awestruck!

 

With loads of memories, we headed back home. We headed back to OUR Goettingen, which was to be our home for another 5 days that's it!

 

Wonder how easily we get attached to few places, even though we are there only for a short while! I have indeed left a piece of my heart back there in Goettingen, my home (even though it was mine only for four months)!

 

Blog marathon Dec 2015 Post 3: The invisible Schloss Berlepsch!

The invisible Schloss Berlepsch!

Schloss Berlepsch... just an hour from Goettingen, which was my home for four months during my stay in Germany, was on our cards as the next trekking spot during the sunny month of July!

 

The impetus for choosing this place was The Outdoor Society Goettingen, with whom we were associated for our trekking cum hiking expeditions during our stay in Goettingen. Managed by four really beautiful, charming, friendly and amazing German girls studying in the George August University, Goettingen, this trekking group was voluntarily initiated by them as a part of intercultural activities for the exchange students. Our first interaction with this group happened as we registered for the first summer trek organized by them to Harzgebirge (a beautiful place, which indeed deserves a description in a separate blog altogether). We were a bunch of 35 curious minds, across all possible countries, with one common goal to explore the natures' beauty! We connected with these girls so well, that we happened to hang around together a few times later and also share our respective food cultures with each other in a Deutsch-indischer Kochabend organized by us! Its so wonderful at times to see how few relations unleash and flourish! Unfortunately Harzgebirge was the only trek we managed to do with them, the reason being the date clashes with our other pre planed German and Austrian trips!

 

But one day after their trek to Schloss Berlepsch, as they posted the pictures on Facebook, we could not help but to ogle at the beautiful roads leading to this Schloss (Castle). So being very enthusiastic we (4 girls + 1 guy) took it upon us to visit this Schloss by hook or crook  in our real tight travelling schedule :P We immediately googled how to go there and after getting all the possible minute details about the weather and winds there, we set out on the Sunday morning with our bag packs, packed with water and fresh sandwiches! Taking a regional train (R1) to Friedland, we started our hiking from there on! We were indeed guided by the direction arrows leading to the Schloss, and not to forget the Google maps too!

 

Singing, dancing, playing rapid fire along the whole way, we came up to  huge vast spread wheat fields, surrounded from all sides by cherry red cheery trees full of cherries *_* Being in a German province, away from our land, abiding by the stringent German policies, we hesitated at first to pluck the cherries from the trees and kept walking. Later we saw a German family actually walking around plucking and simultaneously eating the cherries. As if we were just waiting for this stimulus, we also started doing the same thing! What fun that was! For a while we actually forgot that we needed to increase our pace and make our way to the Schloss! After all visiting the Schloss was our goal, and not plucking cherries ;) Though that was the best part!



 

CHORI KIYA RE! CHERRY MERRY!!! ;)

 

After filling our stomachs with these deliciously sweet juicy cherries, we finally focused on walking towards the Schloss, which was still nowhere to be seen! Making our way through the fields, we climbed up for about 3 to 4 kms. But we royally missed our path and we did not realize it when! The arrows were no where to be seen. Google also gave up! It started popping up errors in directions! And we were totally lost. We still went ahead in a hope that we would be able to spot the castle. Come on the castle is huge and stands on a height! It should be viewable from somewhere atleast after walking for 10 kms, especially when we were again in the middle of plain wheat fields for acres to come! But no sign at all, neither of the castle nor of any soul to ask help for! Well reality struck us, that was a small secluded village in Europe! To add up to our disappointment, weather changed its colors! While it was not to rain, it started pouring and winds started flowing at a speed of 10 raise to n. We decided to head back, as if we had any other better option, but still I mean, we started our return journey!

 

To our delight, the weather got better and the descent was quick! We passed by the same hills and fields and the cherry trees, singing songs all the way, back to the train and our respective homes!!!

 



 

NEVER MISS A CHANCE TO GET CLICKED! COME WHAT MAY ;)



 

We laughed the whole way in train about whatever happened through out the day! And decided to keep this Invisible Schloss trip a secret! Our two guy friends who had very firmly denied to accompany us are still till date  unaware of the fact that we never ever found that Schloss :P Shuusssshhh let this still remain under cover!

But nevertheless we enjoyed a lot with the cherries and the roads and the photography all along!

Lesson learnt: never rely solely on Google maps! And be open to the adventures which lie on an extremely well planned trip as well! You never know what's in the box for you!

Just for your record... a googled photo of Schloss Berlepsh! The Invisible one!

 

 

THE SCHLOSS BERLEPSCH... INDEED INVISIBLE FOR US!

 

Love!

 

My first post! Finally writing!

03.12.2015

Today's day would go down in history for me! Not for any great reason, but for something very special for me! Yes I have finally started writing.

My first post on my first blog! Indeed very special for me :D

So now that I am writing, I would totally grab this opportunity to thank my tai, my sister, my mentor, my guiding star, who has always been a person, who I have looked upon, a person again who finally inspired me enough to start writing. Thanks tai for everything :*

An avid reader and a heuristic explorer of new cities, cultures, nature, in conjunction with the passion to capture them all through the self perspective, I would be using this platform majorly to share my travel experiences accompanied by few interesting snaps!

A blend of my language (English, German) and photographic skills! ;)

Way to go! #feelingpositive ;) Insta addict that I am... you would find these tags everywhere and anywhere in my posts! Happy reading!

Ich wünche mir alles gute :P

Vergaenglichkeit- Perishability of this beauty! 



Unendlichkeit- A vast horizon which lies ahead!



Identitaetsverlust- Rip-roaring city life! 



Blog marathon Dec 2015 Post 2: Passion for Photography!

PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY!

After a lazy Saturday morning, we decided to leave for exploring the city interiors in Bangalore. The short listed place for visit was ISCKON temple and also the near 

by ORION mall. To reach the destination we had to switch two buses, walk a patch and take a rickshaw. All in all it costed us 3 hours one way! A really good 

Bangalore public transport service is the only good thing in this bad bad Bangalore traffic i feel! Nevertheless we reached there by 13.00 just to know that the temple 

closes at the same time. We had 3 hours in hand till the temple reopened for the day! After coming all the way to ISCKON and not visiting it, instead just hanging 

around in a mall and going back would have really left me questioning at the end of the day: a 6 hour travel for just another mall? 

Having ample time in hand, we decided to roam around. And that's where my photography instincts became active all over again! 

A crazy photo freak that I am, i always find a way to angle out things with my perspective and capture them through my lenses- none other than my nexus phone- my 

camera- my life! Being fascinated by the carvings of the temples around, i clicked a few snaps here and there. 

As we entered the temple, I curiously started looking out for beautiful carvings on the kalash. Making a way through the queue as we approached the main temple, i came across these beautiful shades of the sky, which needless to say i captured, followed by: A beautiful picture with contrast colors of the temple! 

 

Chain of thoughts: Who am I in this vast horizon! Observing mode on! Sky is also NOT the limit!

Saturday special: A visit to ISCKON Bangalore! #goodvibes

 

 So well having traveled for 6 hours in public transport for a three hour visit, was not disappointing! #goodvibes , #tastyprasadam

But with so much of travel in a day, i deserved an extremely lazy Sunday! Woke up late... 10.30! Amazed by myself and the Bangalore weather! Its a record time for me! Chilled the first half and went out for a stroll in this beautiful complex of mine with my brand new Nike shoes! It was a walk come photo session round, where in i got myself photographed on an Iphone 6S and also needless to mention the greenery around!

 

 

Love for trees: Lush green, fresh air, love for photography! That's where I live! #bangalorediaries

I, me, myself :P amongst these humongous trees!

Extremely keen on improving my photography skills, I have these things on my cards: owning a real good camera, just going for walks, trekking, and discovering nature and its beautiful hidden elements! Wish i do that sooner! I indeed want to nurture my passion for photography and take it to the next level! The upcoming photography sight is going to be THE BHARAT KI RAJDHANI- DILWALON KI DELHI, later this week! Details would follow in my upcoming posts!

Hope you all had an amazing Sunday!

 Wishing you all the strength to go fresh on your respective jobs from Monday, without any Monday blues!

Love for flowers!

Good night!

Blog marathon December 2015 Post 1: Saturday Special!

Saturday special!

So our blog marathon begins! First one for me! As I have just started writing. (I know I am sounding like a L. KG kid, but still... it has an implicit meaning: P) So many thoughts and memories pile up. But i hardly make it a point to note them, always giving yet another chance to my memory to memorize things with every passing day and to remember them like forever! But it is too much to expect from my memory, isn't it? Instead what if I actually take some time out to pen down, how my day was! To retrospect it and myself!

 

But when i start writing, i have so many jigsaw puzzled thoughts in my mind that the next question which arise is: WHAT DO I ACTUALLY WRITE? How do I sequence my thoughts into meaningful set of expressions, which then form logical sentences? Too complicated a job, nah? Being a libran, I royally over think. I think, I think and I keep thinking... Then for a person like this, it shouldn't be actually difficult to write what she thinks! But still it is difficult! Amused? Why? Question mark, ah? That's because... I think:

 

1. What to write?

2. for whom to write?

3. Which language to express it in?

4. Whom to address?

5. What would others think?

6. What would be their reaction?

7. Why would someone at the first place take time out to read, what is happening with me throughout the day!

 

And if I happen to clear this step of "self- question- answer series" (or in Marathi as we call it as "SWAGAT") with flying colors, I take up a notepad and pen down my chain of thoughts or

So to say my story in that notepad!  But then just another question arises: would my story be interesting and at first place, where would I have this story from!

The answer to this question is also, to my surprise, very much ready:

 

"People Often Ask Me How It Is That So Many Interesting Things Happen Only To Me. To Them I Reply That In Life S Journey We All Meet Strange People And Undergo Many Experiences That Touch Us And Sometimes Even Change Us. If You Have A Sensitive Mind And Record Your Observations Regularly, You Will See Your Life Too Is A Vast Storehouse Of Stories."

 

This is what one of my favorite authors: Sudha Murthy writes in her book 'The old man and his God'

Simple, yet charming language! A must read!

Getting inspired from this, now that i am fully charged up and ready to take up this MARATHON BLOG SESSION and share my experiences... starting from today... nah now... this very moment... I now realize that I have already managed to write down almost a page without coming up with a single sensible topic! See, that's how my brain functions! But well I at least started!!! Is it not enough for today, especially when the clock is ticking and the day is almost about to end!!?? (FYI its 23.17 as I write this sentence sitting secluded in my bedroom in a notepad on my laptop: D): P (I like to be detailed and specific!!!  :P)

Well so here we are at the end of my today's blog...named... SATURDAY SPECIAL... where in I did not even remotely touch anything about my Saturday happenings, let apart knowing if it was special or ordinary! ;)

But nevertheless, I would come up with different topics in my upcoming blogs in this marathon! Hope we all like them, if not anything have - That little curve just below the nose- called- a smile- on our faces, at the end!

 

So that's how my day ends with a smile :)

 

Happy Sunday!

 

Going back to my THINKING MODE ....... #ThinkingModeOn

 

Bis morgen! :*