Let’s start talking

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Growing up I was introvert, shy boy. While I was comfortable starting conversation with some people from common forum (school, university, work place…) but I didn’t feel comfortable among strangers and self-confidence wasn’t my USP. Like most Indians, we don’t always talk to strangers especially to opposite gender. We just look at them from distance and keep wondering should we talk or not.

Somewhere along my journey that got changed slowly. I always had great interest in travelling and I did travel all my life… family summer trip to various parts of India very couple of years from Kashmir to Andaman Islands and I started travelling very early in my career as well but before 6 or 7yrs ago I was relatively new to backpacking experience. I used to share my place-to-visit list, plan trips and would request friends to come along.

Once Me & friend of mine made trip to Romania. This was before Romania was part EU/schengen. He planned the trip and I tagged along. We flew into Bucharest and took train to Brasov. One impressive charming young girl and another gloriously beautiful young girl was sitting opposite to us. And If it’s like in the movies then boy would start talking to the girl and sooner or later song/dance would happen. But we were just two Indian boys still not sure how to start the conversation. 10mins into the journey, the girls started talking to each other in Romanian and we boy was still busy looking at them and imagine song/dance in our heads. 20mins into the journey, one girl saw my friend reading a newspaper. she asked if she would take look. Ofcourse he wasn’t going to deny it. within like 2/3mins later, she returned the paper back. Curious us asked why! and started talking to the gals. Turns out the girls weren’t travelling together. They were strangers to each others. This girl couldn’t even read English well. She asked for the newspaper just to start the conversations with us. so the Charming girl was a teacher(girl sitting left in the photo above) traveling back home and beautiful girl was model(girl sitting right) in Paris. Yes :) 30mins into the conversation, she started showing her portfolio book with all these great photos of her. The girls told us- what to do, where to go, what not to do, etc… by the end of the train ride, we exchanged our contact details. My friend & I kept wondering, admiring how impressive these girls started the conversation with strangers/boys and how we boys suck at it. After wonderful day trip around Brasov, we reached our hostel and noticed we share the hostel room with two young girls from Scotland doing backpacking trip. We are quick earners now we knew how to start a conversations. So started talking- our travel plans, their travel plans, good pubs nearby, etc... And that’s how I started my conversations with strangers.

This experience wasn’t about boys talking to gals. But It was about young Indian boy feeling comfortable with myself to make connects with any strangers regardless of nationality, gender… and making life experience more adventures, interesting & diverse. Since then I was never dependent of any of my friends to travel along because I realized world of full of yet-to-be-friends.

We appreciate our families & buddies for adding colors to our life but we tend to over look those souls who visit us just for brief period- during a trip, in a pub, in hotel/hostels, ticket queues, follow traveler. My life is full of those interesting people, fabulous moments and I am a better person because of them, you, all of you. I will not say thank you since there is no need for thanks & sorry among friends. right!?;)

Dutch weekend

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For last couple of weeks, Rotterdam is my work basic. I decided to spend weekend to catchup with local friends and turned out to be great weekend.

Visited Kinderdijk windmill complex- It was very impressive specially after knowing the history and science behind it. as many might know nearly half of nederland is reclaimed land which is under sea level and making it more vulnerable to floods. Since periodic flooding become problem, in 13th century canal were built to get the water out and in 14/15th century windmill were built to power(energy) to drain the excess water to reservoir. Only during 19th century these windmills went into retirement due to diesel powered pumping stations. But during WorldWar2, again windmills came back from retirement for short time since diesel became scarce. It is beautiful site especially on sunny day.

Sunday with friends, we drove to his mom’s place at North Country side close to Friesland. 90mins drive from Amsterdam thru 30km Dike separating lake on one-side & sea on the other. It’s wonder. 30km road built to separate lake & sea and connecting two parts of Holland.


Reached his mom’s home, which is a beautiful house with garden in-front & yard connecting with canal/water way behind. Meet his grandma 96yr old women, who knew Einstein from her working-years in Berlin per-world war era. Grandma & mom can speak perfect English.
Had wonderful collection of Holland cheese and packed some selection of sandwiches & cheese went out on boat ride. Yes they had own boat. House on river side with boat, that’s dream land. We took ride thru canals & lake. I was driving the boat. With food & drinks in aboard did some pirate acts..;) It was great.


Athens-Friend-reunion dinner planned at Greek restaurant but ended-up in Italian restaurants.In all it was great weekend and once in life time experience. Thanks to lovely Dutch duo(S & E).

in Nederlands

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Currently in Nederlands for work reason with very limited(/no) connections. That's my excuses for not being here for a while. but atleast its help me with 20books in 2009 challenge.