Do you speak Glaswegian?

There are something which you already know but still they make you feel happy when you encounter them. Felt same when we landed in Edinburgh. (Yes, I am talking about our last week vacation at Scotland)

Fact that we could actually understand all the announcements, notices, displays, adds...hahaha

We were so happy that wow, here we don't have to wonder what does that announcement or notice means or how to explain something to someone, here language is English !

We came out of Airport, it was easy to follow the instruction, kept walking towards car rental, picked up the car.

Talked with my sister (who is doing her master studies at Glasgow school of arts) in response to her inquiry if we were already there, safely.

I chattered happily ...

Hey wow you know what we love this place, it's so easy to communicate !

arrr...hmmm...likewise?

Everything in English feels so relaxing now !

Ohh ya, that way !

It's nice being able to understand everything.

Ohh wait until you have to communicate more with them.

What do they mean, Official language in Scotland is English, isn't it?

It is.

Then?

It's Scottish English, and wait till you are in Glasgow and you 'll know what i mean !

hmmm ok.

And we knew what she meant as soon as we entered Glasgow and all our first response ended up being same as - huh? sorry?

hehehe

But afterall it's English, ears gets acquainted with it after some time. And good thing, not everyone in Scotland speak that thick accented fast-paced Glaswegian English !

Yes in Glasgow they speak Glaswegian , not exactly English. ;o)

---***---

On the side note, While googling i came across so many website, offering help with Glasgow accent ! Amazing !

Look at this -

http://www.clyde-valley.com/glasgow/dialect.htm

http://glaswegian.info/Glaswegian-to-English-dictionary-Um-U-Urr-Urnae-Scottish-Words.htm

http://maryglasgowmagazines.com/students/features/8951?level=club

Back...

Ok so i am back to office and still quite cant make my mind to work, and so i thought to drop off a few lines.

Slept at around 4:00am last night and so still feeling dizzy, but there was no way i can skip the office, i wish i didn't have to do it yesterday either but that's different as there was no choice.

You know this Volcano... we checked before driving to Edinburgh airport from Glasgow and it did show scheduled. We returned rented car and walked to airport and whoaaa... it's cancelled !

There were lots many people taking bus and ferries, but considering 22 hrs and 15 hrs respectively which it was going to take, we decided to drive to London and take a train for that. I think which was a good decision as it gave us an extra evening which made it possible to spend some time with very good friends from good old days Dipali & Nik. I think it was the first time after graduation that we were meeting, almost after 8 years !

Dipali was my class mate, bench-mate and part of many mischiefs together at the engineering day. Great thing was that gap of time didn't feel a bit that may be due the fact we talk almost everyday online haha.

We saw their son also for the first time, but as he was seeing us for the first time he was shying away and i am hoping a better time playing with him next time. He is such a cute boy !

So it was not that bad that trip was extended. And yeah London, this was the first time and i had totally different image of it than what i saw there... but we only spent half a day there and i have to go back there again.

And yeah that hi-speed train through tunnel, it only took 2 hours to reach Brussels, Belgium from London. This was our first time with this train and this route as well and it was a pleasant surprise ! It made me think we don't have to take flight everytime, train is more convenient and we don't have to worry about what's in our hand luggage, what's in our checked-in luggage and they wont allow my water or juice bottle in hand luggage...hehe

Ok, i better get back to work now, it's already piled up and i don't want to work over-time. I want to go home and sleep well.

Ohh yes, and one more thing, i have a realisation that when i started this blog it was more like sharing as i liked to talk and share and know some other like-minded people, it was never meant to be a bit formal like it was getting lately, and i think that's the reason of posting not so often as well as i am getting so freaked out about everything being so perfect, with pictures and all. But that's not stress-relieving as i wanted it to be, that's more work and more stress.

I want it to be what i intended it to be, my open diary where i write what i think, some expediences i feel like sharing and would like others to know about it or want other opinions.

What does it matter that it doesn't look like an expat blog, it never was and I am not a writer !

See you laterz then if you are still here :)

A Visit to the Police Station.

Back in school days we wrote so many essays on visit to here and there and what not but imagine a visit to a Police station. If i wrote one essay back in school days and i write it now, there won't be any connection.
Okay puzzles off. Actually last week I visited a Police station for the first time here in the Netherlands. And first thing i could thought of was just the vast difference !

Being there felt more like standing at the reception of some hotel or at some service center for some inquiry.

Ohh wait, before there are some speculations on why we were there let me clarify to make it some sense.

5th May - Libration day holiday. (Only once every 5 years and this year being that lucky one). We were at SpuiMarkt, Den Haag. There was a big open air concert going on at same place but we didn't spend much time there. When we came back to underground parking lot after a few hours, front number plate of car was missing. We were not sure if we were allowed to drive without one and unsure where and how we lost it!

So we had some knowledge enhancement

1. We were allowed to drive as long as back number plate was alright.

2. Back number plate is more important than front one.

As soon as we were out of parking at the first turn we came across police who signaled us to stop. Before they say anything we tried explaining and before we explain that we already informed police and from here we were directly going to Police Station in our town he interrupted us with that's later first Alchohol test ....yeah that open air concert i mentioned, remember? which meant lots of beer flowing and also driving after drinking !

People you are allowed to drink, but you are not allowed to drink and drive and hurt yourself or someone else.

After the test he listened to our story and surprisingly he was too cool about it, saying not a big deal, it keeps happening but we need to go to Police Station and report. And that is for our own safety as if its not lost and stolen you have a proof and you can be out of any unpleasant experiences. Agreed.

So that is how we were there... got the story now?

Now imagine standing at a police station, what will you imagine? If i hadn't been here, from my past experience i will expect some noises, some criminal, some authority voices and a kind of atmosphere which makes you feel to run away from there at the first possibility.

But here, it was no where near to my image of Police stations from my experience back home. There was a big nice sitting / waiting area on the left side as we entered and a photo of queen in the front wall. On the right side there were desks like you will see at any reception. There were 2-3 people sitting behind those desks in their uniform behind the computer screens.

They listened to us, took all the required data, put into system and printed a report.

The police officer who was mainly communicating with us started chatting with us afterwards and we chatted about almost whole world. If it was possible we would have estalished the world peace and harmony after that discussion...haha
We talked about languages, difficulties about learning languages, mother/root languages like Latin or Sanskrit, Problems with India, edge which India has over other asian countries, how British colonisation helped India, IT in world and IT in India, technical education and scopes, humanism, gods, how one god or no god and only believing in one another will help whole world ! whooaaa...so you got the idea !

In the case, If you noticed more peace and harmony prevailing around you in last week don't forget to thank us ! hehe

But seriously, it felt like talking with a friend, a long lost friend. After sometime suddenly all of us realised why were we there and we came back to the real world. He explained us all the formalities (which was nothing, just contact your dealer with a copy of that report and they will take care of everything from insurance to new number plate)
And yes, now we know what those superceded small 1 or 2 on number plates mean !

When we left we were smiling and I couldn't help but to linger upon the difference what i saw here and what i grew up with !
In India, job in police department is more about "power" (which unfortunately not all can handle very well) while here it is more about "service". It is all about helping people and that is very clear from ambiance, smiles and friendliness of people.

I know everyone is not same, and all policemen here might also won't be same or like him but i would like them to, we liked him !

Finally... Up in the air!

Do you remember I was planning to do something special on our Anniversary which the weather didn't allow us? (HERE)

Well finally we did it this weekend.

That was the surprise I had planned for Ashu booking a hot air balloon flight for both of us. First time on our anniversary, day was nice and sunny but it had been raining previous week and so fields weren't dry enough for take off and landing. Second time re-scheduled on weekend of my birthday, again day was nice and sunny but it got a bit windy in noon and in a direction which meant going towards sea, not nice thing.

Only thing it didn't remain surprise until we finally did it. After two failed planning, I had to let Ashu know what was that surprise! And you would have seen his face at that moment when I told him, aaah lit with delight hehehe.

And then he was no more upset with what it is, why not this time, this is not done and all frustration and he started looking fwd to it as much as I was.

We had re-scheduled it again for this weekend and finally it was weather perfect, nice sunny warm, perfect for outing, or shall I say outing in the air !

We started for Amersfoort - Hoogland from where our flight was to take place in the evening. We were to meet at this small field from where we would take off. There was one other balloon flight too apart from us which was taking place.

It started with Michael, our pilot briefing us on to do-- not to do and how to do! Sanne, who was my contact through mails, helped us to understand a few things by translating in English.

Most exciting part of whole experience was take off. We started with inflating the balloon with cold air first. Then filling it with hot air. When there is enough hot air inside it starts getting up. Ohh and you are supposed to be inside the basket before it's up.

So while basket is lying on the ground, half of us get into that, apart from those helping with the task of holding balloon straight. Then as air fills in basket tilts upward making it straight and that's the time rest of the passengers gets in.

And then before you know it's in the air. Obviously while it's straightening it's tied with jeep as well until it's straight enough to avoid accidents.

It was a wonderful sight from above. We could see Amersfoort, Utrecht also Amsterdam, Rotterdam at distance.

Awesome view!

Spotted palace from above...

Spotted some fellow travelers in the air...

Awesome sunset view, loved it :o)

Spotted some wild cows in the woods...

That’s the ground where we landed…

We landed at Hilversum - Flying school ground. There were some small cute planes lying around there... hehe

That’s top of balloon opening for hot air to escape….

And perfect landing….

Trying to flatten the balloon, look how tiny they look against the balloon!

When we reached other crew members were already there with help of GPS.

We all helped with again flatting the balloon and packing it.

After everything was packed, Michael again gave a small speech on history of ballooning. Then we had tradition of "champagne christening", followed by a glass of champagne together.

This is the view I captured after pack up…

I don't need to mention it was such a memorable evening or do I? :o)