Moi Moi Suomi

So, after a somewhat short stint in Finland: I finally return to India. I won’t go into my reverse-culture-shock (honking cars, hot & humid weather, crowded streets, no drinking water in Hall, no awesome-laundry and red tape were some key words #welcome-back-to-India) when I returned as that may not be so pleasant for the readers.

Canada Day: My best ever!

However, the last 15 days may have been one of the most memorable moments of my life, starting with Canada Day on July 1st. Though I had no idea what it meant, the idea of French-Canadian Crepes (sounds like a treaty!) with maple syrup was enticing enough to bring me to the lab kitchen. To me, it was a cross between omelettes and Dosas, but never mind: it was quiet good.

B’day parties!

I wasn’t going to miss anything. Oh, so you’re going to a bar for the party? Ahem, mm, well … ok, I’ll get some juice. Bottoms up, anyone?

For the other party, there was a variation of dumb charades with personalities. Keywords (read pseudorandom guesses) were Nelson Mandela and the pyramids (Tipping point, Scrabble, ellipsis anyone?).

Hula Hooping & Barbeque. Any takers? Hello? #pre-last-15-days

No one? Well, at least there is one such gentleman that I know of. Very good exercise for the tummy, especially after a good meal of steaks, bread, cheese and all the other stuff.

Oh, by the way, if you are looking for moves to start off with, do drop in here: your one stop guide to hooping! (The playlist deserves special mention).

Berry bee goode

Blueberry season finally arrives. Not knowing that the berries are also meant for the bees, wasps (whatever) and the rest of the animals can be somewhat hazardous.

But some effort (police in black dress in black speed-boat? #all-black. No, you don’t get arrested for picking blueberries. Long story) has to go in for a really tasty blueberry pie.

And it all ends with a glass of juice

Mbar, one of the most happening places in Helsinki. Quiet and almost inconspicuous in the day, it springs to activity in the evenings:

Live DJ, clinking of glasses and the ambient noise. Truly a treat for the senses.

Might have come here daily if I knew of it before! But as someone remarked, it was all planned out to the minute.

Moi Moi Suomi!

Update: Just realised that this was my 100th post!

Aye, aye Vice-Captain

C: Hey! Watch out!

Boom!

VC: Aah. That hurt. What was that?

I will never forget the name after that. Hard to tell if that was meant to be onomatopoeic but that was a tough way to learn the name. Sailing is not for amateur photographers like me. But you can always steer the boat for a few miles in the open sea without crashing into many things.

Subtleties Involved

There are certain subtleties involved like you always have to take the boat on the right of the green sticks (so that you don’t go to shallow waters). Then you have to keep saving your location on the GPS and check the map once in a while. Other than that, if you know the ropes right, you are all set to sail! According to the captain (C), one week should be enough to learn how to navigate the seas independently.

Bastards & Fishy Business

One could see the sea gulls following the ships in search of fish that had been thrown onto the surface of the water because of the movement. Then, there was a really beautiful view of the famous fort of Suomenlinna from the sea. And not to forget the racing yatches, barges, ships and boats in the sea that come in all shapes and sizes (and colours).

One particular yatch kept following us around for no reason at all! At times, World War II era propeller bombing aircrafts could be seen droning away in the sky. On the whole, apart from the cool breeze, it was really calm.

I was about to relax but hey! what is that?! A pirate ship! Heading straight at us. Ok. Brace yourselves.

Danger Staved off.

The important thing to keep in mind is to keep having some Karelian Pasties. This not only ensures that you are never hungry but also lets you look you super calm and scares away the pirates.

Talking about amateur photography, how about a small collage of photos taken while sailing and sailoring?

Now I know why Finnish people spend long vacations (going to different countries even! The Greek islands are pretty much preferred) in the sea on solar powered sailing boats equipped with refrigerator, kitchen, bedrooms and complicated toilets. An amazingly eco-friendly way to have an awesome vacation!

Moi Moi.

PS1: If you are wondering who the bastard is, click here. I didn’t do the christening!

PS2: For a possible origin of the name above, see this.

PS3: Some fun facts about sailing:

1. No sailing license required for privately owned non-motorized boats!
2. You always wave your hand to someone passing by. Really nice sea-culture.

Regular readers must be tired of the long postscripts. But that wasn’t the end of the post. The post ends now.

Hei Hei.

PS: Could I call this a nested post script?

Jugendstil Buildings of Helsinki

Helsinki is one of those few towns in Europe which does not dwell on castles and churches to paint its cityscape. The Jugendstil architecture of Helsinki is defined by a spacious and minimalistic look that is a vestige of the idea of futuristic buildings in the early 19th century. 

The stock exchange that you see to the left is one of the numerous buildings that were constructed at the height of the romantic movement in Finland. Although no longer used for active trading, it is one of those places that is a subset of must-see-Art Nouveau in Helsinki.

First up, on our itinerary though was the Pohjola building. Originally meant to be the offices of the Pohjola Fire insurance company but now turned into a run of the mill office building, one could clearly see the influence of Kalevala on the buildings: the beautiful spiral staircases ending in a skylight shaped like an egg (which apparently gave rise to the universe). And then you have references to the birds that laid the egg:         

It seems, many of these buildings were designed by young people who won architecture competitions. Most of them cared the least about reigning architectural styles. In fact, reeling under the repressive rule of the Russians, the Finns were looking for something that was unique to them and these young architects provided them with  just that! Then there was the Uschakoffin house now turned into a café. The original stained glass was no longer to be found. However, one could still find the owls that are quintessential of Nordic Art Nouveau.

And finally, the trip concluded with a visit to the Helsinki central railway station. Masterpiece of Eliel Saarinen, it stands testimony to the spirit of Jugendstil in Helsinki.

 

Suomi Diaries: A trip to Nuuksio

One of the really cool things about the supermarket in Otaniemi is that it opens at 7 in the morning and closes at 11 in the night.

For comparison, the Tech market in Kharagpur would open for 6 hours in a day and remain closed on all (inter)-national/state holidays and Mondays.

The other really cool thing about the Aalto campus is the cafeteria system for lunch – the staff have the same food as the students. Only thing - it is subsidised for the students. Browse through their menus and go to any cafeteria you wish.

Today was one of those rare days when both the cafeteria as well as the supermarket was closed! And you couldn’t turn to the latest Otaniemi Sensation because it wasn’t a Sunday. A trip to Nuuksio National Park was inevitable (unless I wanted to sit in my room twiddling my thumbs). Not really sure of what to expect, I jumped the bandwagon. It wasn’t very difficult reaching the place thanks to amazingly detailed descriptions of routes on the Journey Planner.

And then you could find amazingly detailed terrain maps in the Tourist Information Centres to navigate the area with information about location of camp sites, lakes and even about details such as the kind of trees (conifer/non-conifer) to be found at a particular place.

After a bit of a dilemma*, some crazy ringing sounds in the woods (read lost mobile phones), we finally found a spot that overlooked a lake.

Someone commented that the small piece of land in the lake looked like the famous painting of Michelangelo: The Creation of Adam. Come to think of it, even the colours seem to somewhat match!

One could find people going fishing, hiking, biking, swimming and picking blueberries. (It was too cold for swimming and it is a while for the blueberry season).

We picked up some interesting lines of conversation which I will not describe in detail here. Compressing a 4D event into 2D photographs does cause some amount of data loss. Maybe some of them could be the subject of a blog post!

Hei Hei!!

* We couldn’t really resolve*** our starting points and destinations owing to low signal quality on the mobile phone and an interesting fact** I learnt about how the sun moves near the poles.

**East to West via North/South depending on the season (summer/winter). The peak elevation remains about 60 degrees and not 90 degrees like near the equator. To compound matters, it was around noon: but the sun wasn’t exactly on top of our heads because the noon doesn’t always divide the day into exactly two halves. It depends on the rising and setting time of the sun!

*** See photo above.

Summers Finnished – Not Yet!

Moi. It has been an interesting one month in Finland now and if you have been wondering why there haven’t been any updates from me, that is partly because the Brain stuff has kept most of my brain occupied.

PJs apart, Finland is a beautiful country. Here are some nice shots I took from my digital camera.

  

As you can see, all of them are taken in the day. It gets dark for not more than three or four hours in a day. Of course, none of these are famous landmarks that you are likely to find on the Wiki pages. Some of them are taken on the jogging track (12 kms long!!), others from the bird watch tower close to my apartment and a few at a place called Suomenlinna.

But its really cold out here! No wonder Finland won the Ice Hockey Championships without breaking a sweat! Finnish people are very attached to their language. Practically everything from my work contract to items in the supermarket – everything is in Finnish.

Of course, almost everything here is highly advanced. Take for instance, the transportation system. From telling the time of arrival of the next bus/tram at the bus station, integrated travel card for all modes of transportation, cultural trams to live tram maps, it has everything that a passenger could possibly want!

Or the way in which the waste is disposed – different containers for cartons, metals, biodegradable, plastics and mixed waste! And not to forget the recycling centre at the University where one could exchange second hand items free of cost!

The litmus test for a techie is of course – the internet speed. Here are some interesting (crazy?) speeds I got. If you are more inclined to outdoor activities, a wide range of selection is available: roller skating, kayaking, Ultimate Frisbee et. al all inside the University campus.

I guess there couldn’t have been a better place to spend my summers! I have reached my word limit. More in the next post.

Hyvä päivä!!

Beggars to Entrepreneurs

Travelling in local trains is always a difficult experience. Sometimes it is enlightening too.

This weekend, for example I found that beggars can be entrepreneurs too. They aren’t as dumb as they are made out to be.

Here are some striking instances where the begging party applies itself to the situation at hand.

1. At the ticket counter: If you have ever told a beggar that you don’t have change to give him, beware. Enter the modern day street smart beggar. Standing at the ticket counter, waiting for you to give him the Re 1 change that you got from the counter. No excuses now.
2. Catch me game: This was a really smart lady who sent her small kid to go around to get something. On receiving the coin, the kid would throw the coin or roll it across to her mother as if it were a game he was playing. Not surprisingly, he was more successful than her mother at raising funds. The true virtuosity of the kid came to light when he got a packet of biscuits from a generous bystander and returned beaming to his mother holding it like a trophy.

A third instance, to whom I had referred in passing here, was the snake charming beggar.

Obviously, as impressed I was, so was I distressed. Why did these people not spend their energy on something more productive? Rather than spend their time begging (which did not come across as an easy profession to me), why not go out there and do something of value. Maybe sell some newspapers. Or start a roadside food stall. Or become a local tourist guide. Thousands of possibilities.

What drove them to beg is a mystery to me? Was it their attitude, the government or just chance. I have many questions but no answers.

മൂന്നാര്::Munnar

As I looked up from the book, I could see rain all around. Tall trees towering around us. We were moving through the clouds. But no Velociraptors, Dilophosaurus or T.Rex. Thank God.

It seemed we were in for a dampener with the monsoons hitting the coast just as we planned to visit Munnar. The bad weather notwithstanding, we decided to continue.

Persistence always bears sweet fruits. The next day turned out to be much better. (Better weather == better photos && wonderful trip); The tea gardens around Munnar were wonderful. This is where the Kannan Devan brand of Tata comes from. If you happen to visit this place, don’t forget to drop by at the Tata Wholesale Outlet and take all the Tea & spices home.

You would find lots of waterfalls and lots of winding roads as in any other hill station. But what I was really looking for was being atop Anamudi. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be so and we had to settle for a peak that was 200 metres shy of Anamudi.

Apart from that, the echo point was pretty good. Never expected such a good echo with so less effort. I really wonder how the cows in hill stations always look wonderful. Such a contrast to the cows in the plains (Different cultures? Different races? Who knows?!)

Other than the cows, the other animal worth mention is the Nilgiri Tahr. Finding it near the mountain peak grazing in (almost!) herds was quiet a sight.

That was about it. Nice peaceful place to spend some time. No laptop. No TV. Just peace of mind.

As usual, I’ll leave you with some of the highs of the journey.

All photos courtesy Sony Cybershot (Click to enlarge).

	LEGEND 1 Tea Gardens 2 Echo Point 3 Cows 4 Bird’s Eye View 5 Winding Roads 6 Waterfalls 7 Rubber Plantation 8 Nilgiri Tahr 9 Jurassic Park

Trivandrum: Picturesque City Deep South

I have spent two vacations in Trivandrum now and although I cannot claim to have a diploma in matters relating to authentic South Indian experience - I can safely say that I much better equipped than I was a semester ago about matters quintessentially "Mallu".

For one, I can with fair degree of expertise, read the Malayalam script (though I need to improve upon the Kootaksharams - that is something Shashi Tharoor and I have in common). Here is my name in Malayalam.

മൈനാക്‌ 

Secondly, I have spent some time visiting people in and around Trivandrum - Kovalam beach, Shankhamugam beach, Kanyakumari et al.

Thirdly, I have tasted some Appams and Kadla Curry in a resturaunt downtown.

Kerala although having impressed me in many respects has also disappointed me.

For one, I was told of the magnificient food in Kerala. And though, I fully agree that the food is no doubt good, the spicy and the coconutty nature of the food is bound to discourage any non-Mallu from trying it.

Secondly, Kerala though largely a literate state - has people who are unwilling to converse in Hindi or English.

Thirdly, the trouble with Bengal is the trouble with Trivandrum. The colour Red. The communist colour.

What I liked about Trivandrum was

Their attachment to culture - be it Kalaripayattu, Kathakali, Onam or Ayurveda.

More so, the way Trivandrum being a traditional city is moving forward in the 21st century without detaching itself from the past is worth marvelling!

And the way people in this wonderful city treat guests is something I could go on talking of.

Thanks a lot, Trivandrum!

Cape Comorin - The Southernmost Tip of India

The Southernmost tip of India - not something one dreams of travelling to every now and then. But then, being brought up in a family that has led a nomadic life - or rather - being from an Air Force background - this wasn't much of a surprise.

So, when a day trip to Kanyakumari - which is barely 100kms from Trivandrum is planned - I wasn't excited - but surely looking forward to the trip - as any other.

Vivekananda Rock

I had been to Kanyakumari some time back - well - that is 16 years back - if you can call that some time.

And all I could remember of that trip - was Vivekananda Rock.

That is all I knew was Kanyakumari.

That is what I still know of Kanyakumari.

Even though the trip comprised of much more than Vivekananda Rock, it is Vivekanda rock and the sea-side breeze of the place that has still stuck with me after the journey.

The newly constructed Thiruvalluvar Statue and the town-side shops of Kanyakumari are an added bonus. But it was the Vivekananda Rock that had me stumped.

Padmanabhapuram Palace, Suchindram Temple et al

The Padmanabhapuram Palace although not in Kanyakumari is a must see for anybody going to Kanyakumari.

So too is the Suchindram Temple.

Though I must caution anybody planning a visit to the temple to be prudent in deciding the itinerary for their journey. For all the effort, you may find the temple closed because you didn't know the temple timings - and be satisfied with the photograph of the temple entrance. :D

The Padmanabhapuram Palace - is in India - though many may think otherwise. And if you were to believe all the hogwash of the guides in the Palace, nothing like this has been been built - ever before in India - leading one all the more to doubt its origins.

A Final Word

Those who are visiting Kerala/Tamil Nadu for the first time are advised to play it easy on their cameras. For you wouldn't wish to post photographs on blogs just because multiple shots of the same mountain had been taken at multiple instances of time.

And this - was taken - specifically for Jazzonomics.

And if my esteemed readers don't mind, will be posted at the end of all posts henceforth.

Bangalore Revisited

Bangalore is a picturesque lively city that represents the changing face of India. In the heart of Bangalore is Brigade Road, one of the most happening places in Bangalore. Somewhere along the Brigade Road is McDonald's.

It is 1 pm on 21st June 07. A bunch of 14 are munching away at chips and burgers to their heart's content.

It looks like a regular bunch of college students enjoying their meal. Little known to onlookers is that these 14 were once part of the 2004-2005 batch of X-C.

The same X-C which took the school by storm. The same X-C which terrified not just its peers but also its teachers.

X-C is having a get together.

Somewhere a mobile beeps. The owner informs all that Sherin ma'am is herself coming to meet them in half an hour. The same Sherin ma'am whose name was revered and respected with the same fervour which is reserved for (temple priests?)(political leaders?)(celebrities?)

An hour later, Sherin ma'am arrives. Time hasn't changed her. She is still the Sherni - the Tigress.

Half an hour later, Sherin ma'am is serving Khas juice to a bunch of 4 who in their wildest imagination would never have imagined being present within a kilometer of the epicentre - i.e. Sherin ma'am's living room.

An hour later, she is escorting the 4 to the bus stop, again a first.

Now alone and in the bus, I wonder if it was a dream. As I am immersed deep in thought, images of the past keep haunting me.

On 20th, Arun had come to pick me up at the station. On seeing him, I had dropped my bag and hugged him in an embrace.

We had proceeded to our alma mater in the afternoon. Within half an hour, 5 of us were sitting at a tumble down bus stop talking of chalk fights, football matches and mass bunks.

And now I would be leaving Bangalore. Who knows when fate would bring us all together again when we can cherish the memories of the time we spent together?

Acknowledgements

Arun

For being the finest buddy I have ever had.

Without you, this couldn't have been possible.

HS, Vijay, G, Punit, Shalini, Shreyasi, Sangeeta, Swarna, Vindhya, Girija, Philomina, Harini

For turning up on 21st

Samuels & Suhas

For turning up on 20th

Anshul & Anand

For the last minute rendezvous

Sherin ma'am

You are the finest teacher I have ever had.

Purohit uncle, aunty, Kashika & Pratyush

For being my host, local guardians and much more.

Thank you all so much.

@HMT Watch Factory	@Garuda Entrance
@McDonald's	@Brigade Road
@Garuda: Couple? Nah	@Garuda : Couple? You Decide
@Bus Stop: Arun and Mainak	@Garuda Entrance: X-C
Mainak, the Gourmet?	Or the Glutton?

For the benefit of the X-C junta, the photos are available as a combo pack

File 1: Download [5 MB]

File 2: Download [6 MB]