Life is pretty young thing :)

Sent: Friday, January 02, 2004 5:54 AM
To: Sachin Dinkar Wakudkar
Subject: Life is pretty young thing :) ...


After solving one of the crucial bugs in my code I decided to stop working on a sweet note and take a break on New Year's Eve. I din know what was in store for me. But I started happily to hang around in oslo on New Year's Eve. One thing which I don't like about europe is that when there is any festival all shops remain closed. Somebody tell them that this the time people tend to shop more and they spend like a hell. But who wants to do business here and who wants to earn money. They are only interested in enjoying their life. Yeah it's true . On top of that here all restaurants were closed and people who wanted to go out for dinner had to change their plans. But all pubs... discos ... night clubs were open ... so that was clear indication that you are only supposed to drink ...dance and merry on New Year's Eve... and no food ... here I was hungry since morning ... could not lay my hands on any of the solid food item throughout the day ... was waiting for the evening so that I can go to oslo and see if I get something to eat ....
i came to oslo after waiting for a long time for a bus and after changing thrice en route ... you know there are direct buses from my place to oslo but then that day i had to struggle ... and who cares anyway it's going to be an end of year and i was only waiting to greet 2004.

i came to oslo and was looking out for any restaurant which can offer me solid food ... peppe's pizza ... closed ... mac d, berger king ... closed ... i was just saying it to myself ....they don't do that in india and they are open on all big occassions as they know they make lot of money during this time .... and here these people instead chose to enjoy life ...
all bars ... discs ... night clubs ... dispalyed a board outside ... we are open throughout night from 10:00pm ... my watch was showing only 9:00pm and I was planning to get into a disc and I already did my home work where should I get in " Kill yr Ego " ... yeah! i but i wanna munch something before i get in there .... i was walking on the karl johan street looking out for any decent restaurant which can offer me something good .... aha !... that's something an indian ... showing indian mentality of we are always open ... we indians want to do only business in life ... we only want to earn money ... and i could spot one indian restaurant " bombay brassarie" .... i had no other option but get in there and i had only one hour left ... i don't prefer indian restaurant when i'm abroad ... i had no other option ...and i was indeed freezing with temp ging to -15 deg ... uhhhhhhh i better get in ... there was a big queue at the door .... one sardar is owner of that restaurant .... he was typical sardar ... standing in the Q i enjoed talking to him .... the hotel was full with all norwagians and i knew i had to wait for a while before i get any table ... instead of standing idle in Q, i chose to talk to Sardarji ...
" Paaji ! aaj to bahot bhid hai ... khacha khach bhara hua aap ka restaurant ... naye saal mein to aapki to lottery lag gayi ... "
"aji bhai saab ... aapko yeh bahar hua lagta hai ...manne to yeh khali dikhta hai ... " ...he said happily ...
i swear it was full and there was no room even for standing ... but then i never argue with Sardar ...
" haan paji ... kahli hai .... bhaot khali hai ... jara hame bhi baithne ke liye jagah milegi ... kafi der se wait kar rahe hai " ....
finally my turn came and i was being guided to a table ... meant for two people .... and that's the first time i realised i'm alone ... something you always miss when you r in europe ... when you are in one of the most beautiful places one earth ... you always miss somebody when you are here ... somebody holding your hand ... somebody sitting next to you in your arms ... and here i realised i'm gonna be alone ... that chair is for nobody ... but then who cares ... i'm hungry ... i just made myself comfortale by removing my winter clothes .... and i was waiting for another comfort and i started looking out for toilet ... i just followed directions ... and after a long walk a could find two doors ... there was no sign which belongs to ladies and which belongs to gentleman ... just two doors ... i was laughing ... this one is typical sardar again... who cares ... jai ho sardarki ...there were directions all the while and no signs when enter the destination ... jai ho sardar ki ... and i opened the first door ... i got in ... there was nobody ....i was relieved ... i finished my job and washing my hands ... i saw somebody in the mirror ... that was a pretty norwagian girl and she started laughing ... i said " hello " ... this is normal to greet people here ... but she continued laughing ... and i hardly realised what's going wrong .... you know i was relieved a bit so i guess i forgot everything else ...
"you know where you r ...? " she asked me while laughing ...
i just looked around ... i could find wash basin ... piss pots ... and ... i said " Toi ...." i din finish the word ... i realised i'm in a wrong place ... uhhhhhhhh ....i dunno what would happen to me now ... i started explaing her ..." you see there is no sign outside and i just got in as i was in a hurry .... my mistake ... no no it's not my mistake ...
she was laughing ... " it's ok ... we are regular visitors here and we know which one is for ladies ... there used to be a sign board and it's missing now ...."....

i said sorry and before anything happens i just ran away ... you see it was not my mistake ... and i din find any difference at all when i entered ... it's all the same inside .... i was wondering also ...
i just came back and sat on table ... this time i was not looking around ... i was afraid that i would spot that girl ... uhhhhhhh .... if i were in india i would have a got a nice slap from a girl and i would have been put in a jail for an offence of entering in ladies toilet ...
i was sitting there looking only at my food and occassionaly at empty chair ... i'm alone ... and i wish somebody ....hmmmm ...but i was hungry and i was eating ...after a while i saw one girl sitting in that chair ... it was her .... uhhhh why did she come here ...i was afraid ...i don't wish anything ... i can be alone ... the moment i saw her i started saying..." i swear i din know which one is for ladies and which one is for gents ... i din have time to find out ... ..."...

she was laughing and she din let me finish my sentense and said ...." that's ok ... i don't say anything on that ... where do you come from young man? "

" that's ok .... that's nice ... i mean nice of you ... " i was relieved you see .." I come from india ... my name is sachin ..." i gave myself sometime and i continued looking at her .. "what's your name pretty young lady "... and i gave her my first smile ...i was relieved ... i was actaully feeling comfortable then... i started proving my credential .... " i'm a software engineer .... and i work for one company called NERA located in nesbru . " by this time i had pulled out my access card and i had it with me as i came straight from office and i was showing that to her ... i was just trying to show her that i'm a decent (???) and well educated chap ...
"i'm on my third business trip to norway..."..

" aha ! that's nice " she replied back ...

"why don't you join us for party tonight ... it would be nice .." and she scribbled something on a paper and i was only watching her and she handed over it to me
... " this is the address and fone number and all my friends will be coming here .....join us if you can ..."

i normally don't hurt pretties ... "it's nice of you to have invited me ... you see i'm alone and i would be there for sure ..." .....she left to her table and then i knew where she was sitting and i again started looking around ....i was very much comfortable then ...

Aha! it's so nice that i have an invite ...i was happy ...i was eating happily ... it's good that i'm alone...

Before she left she again came to me ... " join us and if you don't come ...and in case we don't see each other ...i wish you a very happy new year ...."

"wish you a very happy new year and i will join in you in another one hour ..." i just said looking at her group with lot of pretties ...she left ...

you see life is so beautiful ... i have two options now ... either disc or with pretties ... where to go ?... i was lill afraid to join these girls as who knows how would they treat me ... i know they would not be as decent as indian girls ... finally i decided to go for both ... i thought i would spend some good time in disco and then go and join that group .... so even if something bad happens to me i know i enjoyed disco .... i spent some time at disco and i came out on streets at 12:00 and was watching nice fireworks in the skies above me .. it was really beautiful and i just thougt i missed my camera ... i now decided to call that lady ... just to make sure that she gave me the right number i called her up ... "hello ....this is sachin "

" hiiiiiiii ... are you joining us"

" i'm walking towards your apartment and i will be there in few minutes ..."

one lady helped me in getting me there and all nice things were happening to me and i was only happy to realise that it's the start of new year ... i was happy ...
i rang the bell and one girl opened the door ...
" my name is sachin ..i got an inviation from ...wish you a very happy new year"
" oh welcome .wish you a very happy new year as well" she said ...i just followed her to a hall and when i entered a big drawing room i saw all pretties ... and i was happy to see few guys as well ... there was also that lady whom i met in hotel ... we just exchanged smiles from distance and i was meeting all other girls and ofcourse guys ... introducing myself ...wishing them a happy new year ... we had a good fun then onwards ... one must learn from these ladies how to dress for parties ... aha ! they look so pretty ...!!!... like dolls ...!!!...and even guys were dressed smart enough ... and i was hanging there in my short orange shirt and faded jeans and with my spikes ... i guess i had a kindda look of one of those ....
i had a blast whole night .... it was so unexpected for me ... from being alone to a part of group and with all dolls ...I enjoyed ... they were all nice to me ... so i din take much time to be a part of their group ... i left that place at 4:30 and we decided to meet again on Sunday ... i was lucky enough to get a bus as there were special night buses running that day .. and i came back to hotel ... with lot of sweet memories and sweet begining to a new year ... 2004 ... i hope it continues ... and remains the same ...

I WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR ... FILLED WITH HAPPINESS AND LOTS OF SURPRISES...

Life is Beautiful Guys :)
Life is pretty young thing :) ...
sachin