Monet Talk or Not!

Monet Picture at Ashmolean Museum, Oxford

I am very poor at appreciating art. I know of only a few big names like Monet, Van Gogh and umm, OK, Michaelangelo.

So why am I talking (or not) about Monet now? Well, it all started with this post that I linked at Blogbharti-

Kusum visits the Poppy fields in Antelope Vally in the US and her pictures are a feast for the eyes.

No no, wait, I am coming to Monet. Then came Sunil who left this comment.

Thanks, great snaps.

I suppose the only excuse for not associating with Monet would have to be death.

Now I am curious and ask him (at Blogbharti), "So is Monet associated with death?" I am curious because his comment jogs my memory that I actually have seen a Monet painting at Oxford (the one posted above) and I thought maybe that at home turf (i.e. Blogbharti) I can take the risk of asking dumb questions. Hmm the answer I got convinced me that I should leave art well alone.

Er no. My fault, the way in which i said it. I just wanted to say it reminds me of Monet’s well known poppies. And almost instantaneously one would associate the snaps with the paintings. The only reason not to is if you have died. especially for me coz one monet hangs in my bed room. ;)
Cheers

OK, now that I read it again it makes some sense because Kusum uploaded pictures of poppies and Monet painted poppies ... But then I will not go anywhere near art for quite sometime now. Scares me stiff.

Lazy Sunday Photo- The Millennium Bridge (Nicknamed Wibbly Wobbly), London

The Millennium Bridge, London (Also Nicknamed Wibbly Wobbly Bridge)

I crossed the Millennium Bridge (though I didn't know its name while crossing) after roaming around the St. Paul's Cathedral area. In the background one can see the Tate Modern (at that time I didn't know that the entry is free). And as I was reading these lines again, I can see what a well researched traveler I am!

Anyway, it was later on Sunday when I took the cruise on Thames (I like to think of it as a boat ride rather than a cruise) that I came to know that this is the Millennium Bridge. The excellent commentary we had on the boat, we were told "this is the Wibbly Wobbly Bridge, also known as the Millennium Bridge. As soon as it opened it vibrated so bad that it had to be closed down, so we like to call it the Wibbly Wobbly Bridge."

Lazy Sunday Photo- Oxford City Again

Oxford City, UK

There is a high chance that I will visit the city of Oxford for a week again in June. If it happens, it would be the first time I manage to visit a foreign place twice. Of course the trip would be related to work. But I hope the summer would be a better time to take pictures!

Lazy Sunday Photo- Oxford City Center

Oxford City Center, UK

For the week that I stayed in Oxford, dinner was mostly taken around the city center on all occassions. Never visited the Burger King or any such chain while there, but it is interesting to see these fast food joints jostling for space with really really old structures, like the structure on the left to the Burger King and the tower further left to the old building.

Around Buckingham Palace, London

Taken on a evening in November, 2007, near Buckingham Palace, London

Lazy Sunday Photo- The Chang Story

Chang- The Local Home Brewed Beer from Spiti

Once again, I decided to write about food or rather drinks, this time. I generally do not like alcoholic drinks and stay away from them. Given a choice I like soup over alcohol any day. And both tend to cost a ton in restaurants! I know it is strange comparison but that is how it is.

This changed a little when I discovered chang in Spiti. The locally brewed beer tastes nothing like a Foster brewed in Aurangabad or some such place. I mean I can't stand Foster or Kingfisher. They have such a nasty stink (or so I feel and I know I am alone in this) that after one sip I do not try another. Chang has no nasty sting about it and I liked both the barley and the rice versions.

Then on the trip to Oxford last year we had a dinner hosted by the university (no and this is not the Oxford I am referring to) at a Thai restaurant called Chiang Mai. There were four of us, my colleague from India and two of my colleagues from UK. So when we started ordering soon the question came, "What would you like to drink?" I gave the default option, "Nothing." Then I browsed the beer list anyway and discovered Chang on the list. Not thinking too much, I changed my mind and decided to order Chang. It of course turned out to be a popular beer from Thailand but minus the stink. It was not the Chang I wanted but it was quite OK. The end result was that I ended up trying a lot of beers in UK and now I have to say, once in a blue moon I may pick them up over soup.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Ice Cream on London Streets

Ice Cream Van- Near Tower Bridge, London

No, no, I didn't even think of eating an ice cream in the November cold in London but I liked the scene. And to put it on record I do not like cold weather and it is cold right now in and around Delhi. I envy people who go about unconcerned in the cold weather and it does not bother them in the least. Like my nephew, he is sitting in two warm shirts, while I have packed myself up, sitting in front of TV waiting for Australian Open Men's final to begin.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Two of the Most Beautiful College Buildings in Oxford

Christ Church College- Oxford

All Souls College, Oxford

The Noodle Bar- Oxford, Gloucester Green

The Noodle Bar, Oxford, Gloucester Green

Noodle Bar turned out to be my favorite eating joint in Oxford. One, the place was not too heavy on the pocket and two, if given a choice, I invariably end up eating Chinese. A few of the dinners and lunches were hosted by the university, so it felt quite strange when one day my colleague asked me what should we have for dinner? I have said this before, I am quite indifferent to food. So, I tried hard to make him decide but he would not budge. We were walking around the city and as I am vegetarian my options are just a little bit limited. I think I looked at every restaurant in the two hour walk as a potential eating place. We had ruled out the Indian fare, as we thought we anyway get a lot of it back home. And some places where ruled out because a single dish would cost more than 20 pounds (don't you think it is a neat idea to display the price list outside the restaurants? I wonder why we often don't do it in India).

After walking round and round I remembered the Noodle Bar near the Gloucester Green bus station. So, we decided to head there. I think almost the entire crowd (the waiting staff and the customers) consisted of students, only we and a few others were the odd people out (read older :).

The Dish with Thick Noodles, Noodle Bar, Oxford

I scanned the menu for vegetarian fare and found a dish with mushrooms (my absolute favorites) and decided to order it. But then the young guy who came to take the order had a bouncer. What kind of noodles would we like Ho Fun, Mai Fun, or Udon? Well, the names definitely sounded Chinese to me. Had to ask him to explain what did they mean! He told us one was really thin noodles, the other really thick noodles and the last something in between. But don't ask me which was which. So we decided to try two types. The portions were huge and I really struggled to finish my stuff. My colleague this day also ordered a veg dish.

Then the next day, we had the same question. Where to go for dinner? And you guessed it, we went to the noodle bar again. And this time we realized that out of the three vegetarian dishes we had already ordered two the previous day! Still, it was fun to have dinner at the Noodle Bar in a typical student environment but where none of the students knew me :)

A Boat Ride on Thames at Night

British Airways London Eye (Sore?)- As Described on the Boat Ride on Thames

I really liked the boat ride I took on Thames on the trip to UK. We all know the pound to rupee exchange rate. You have to give more than 80 rupees to get even one of those pounds. So, spending was not what I was looking forward to in the UK. But then we both have been earning for quite sometime and now I have come to the stage that if I wish, I will really not bother myself over spending in the vicinity of 10 pounds. That is approximately what a boat ride on the Thames cost me (I think it was 6.70 or 7.60 pounds actually).

I took the boat ride from Westminster to the Tower Bridge and back. I decided to come back because I did not wish to negotiate my way from Tower Bridge Underground to Victoria station (remember my sense of direction?).

It definitely was cold that day but not unbearably so. I had no clue what to expect. The night view was great and I was trying very hard to use the SLR on the moving boat (without too much success). The people navigating the boat were the best thing to happen on this ride.

On the ride to the Tower Bridge, the person started (and these are not the exact quotes but paraphrases from memory), "Ladies and Gentlemen, we are not professional tour guides, we work with Thames river authority. Still, if you wish we can offer you a commentary, so those in favor of it please raise your hand." I was quite busy with the camera, so didn't raise my hand. Then came the voice "So, only three to four hands are up, maybe we should not." Hearing this I raised both my hands.

I do not remember all of what they said but some of it was really witty and caustic. Like one of the first things that you can see on this trip is the London eye. So they would say, "Ladies and gentleman, on your right is the British Airways London Eye sore (in a dead serious voice) and if you have not been taken for a ride by the BA till date this your chance to be taken for a ride."

Blurred Picture from the Moving Boat on the Thames

In a similar fashion they would make fun of so many things modern. The bluish building above apparently was referred as a 'blue carbuncle' by someone (did they say Tony Blair?). Our boatman rightly likened it to the pit of a nuclear reactor (OK, OK, I have not seen the pit of a nuclear reactor but I like his analogy better). The things that got a favorable word were monuments like Saint Paul Cathedral or Tower of London.

I remember I changed my position once on the moving boat to try and click a better picture on the other side. I must say the person at the helm had his eyes all they way on me till I settled down again. No, I did no fancy a dip at night in Thames in that cold weather. Still, I was thankful for the concern.

On the way back I heard the same stories again but then I still liked them! Also, this was my last day in UK and I was wondering if it would be four years again till I go abroad? Before this I was in Italy four years back and now that I write this, I realize I have blogged very little about it.

Saltaire- An Article for Gonomad

I was lucky to visit Saltaire, an UNESCO world heritage site on the trip to UK in October 2007. Actually, it was included in the conference program that I attended at Leeds.
I remember I was attending a session (thankfully my talk was over in the morning) when an announcement was made, "The next trip to Saltaire would leave in 10 minutes." My SLR was lying in the hotel room, I only had the smaller camera in my purse.

The Picturesque Street in Front of the Pub 'Don't Tell Titus' at Saltaire

I ran to my hotel (Park Plaza, Leeds, just 2 minuets away from the conference venue but the room was on the 15th floor) in my business suit and formal shoes and ran back to join the group with a few minutes to spare with the SLR.

Another View of Saltaire, UK

This was one of the few visits where I managed to see a place with our guides and I must say they did a wonderful job.

My detailed article about this visit to Saltaire is now up at Gonomad.

Park Plaza Hotel, Leeds- A Review

This time in Leeds, I stayed at the Park Plaza. I initially had no clue what kind of money was available for this trip (remember this was for work) and what kind of hotel could I afford. It was quite close to the trip that I realized that I could manage to stay in a place like Park Plaza. I needed a place for two days and my prime concern was to stay close to my conference venue. So, the Park Plaza served the purpose adequately or so I thought (Will write more about this in another post).

I booked the hotel and then went to Tripadvisor! Not a very intelligent thing to do. The average consumer rating was just three and I was a bit disappointed. But what could be done? The hotel was booked and it cost me on an average 75 pounds per day. The Friday rate was low around 59 pounds but the Saturday rate was quite high, more than 85 pounds.

This trip to UK was after gap of four years. I have often said on this blog that my sense of direction is absolutely pathetic and I find maps full of mystery. So, while the Megabus that I traveled from London Victoria was approaching Leeds, I was quite anxious. It did not help that due to the Friday traffic the journey took six hours instead of four and I was completely jet lagged as I had reached London the same day in the morning.

The Park Plaza, Leeds

It was a blessing that I could see the hotel from the bus itself. That gave me confidence that the place existed! That is how nervous I was, traveling alone after so many years. In fact I remember saying to my colleagues, "Kisne kaha tha mugjhse ye saab karne ko?" (Who had asked me to attend conferences and all, so far away? How will I find Leeds from Heathrow when I can't find Nehru Place from Dhaula Kuan). The good thing was that the hotel was still visible from where the bus dropped me. So, one worry was out of the way, I knew where the hotel was. It was right across the bus stop.

The Room at the Park Plaza, Leeds

Then it was time to get inside the hotel and check-in. The lady at the counter was quite pleasant (quite contrary to what I read on tripadvisor about the customer service at the Park Plaza, Leeds). First she could not understand my name, and I don't blame her. I gave her the print out of my reservation and sure enough she could find it. Then she started explaining that I need to pay some advance in cash or through my card as per hotel policies. I thought I would pay cash. But then I was so tired it was difficult for me to understand what exactly was going on. I told her so, and she said she was so sorry! I finally dished out my credit card and she did some transaction (which was not a transaction but only putting some money on hold). Then I got the room key and the room was on the 15th floor. I liked the room, nothing very fancy but a good clean comfy room, with lots of pillows, and hot water.

So, the first hurdle to the UK trip was over. I could find the Park Plaza under five minutes and could safely check-in. Later I realized that the hotel was 2 minutes from the train station, 2 minutes from the conference venue (but this is another story) and 2 minutes from the Megabus bus stop. The Park Plaza, Leeds is quite conveniently located in the city center. I took only a breakfast in the hotel and no other meal. And one of the staff in that shift was an Indian. Of course, we chatted in Hindi! I stayed only two days (mostly out of doors) and I must say I had a pleasant stay!

Zilch Chances?

Marble Arch, London

I did a post long back in 2006 for some London Hotel Portal and I wrote-

They promise me a good hotel deal if I ever head to London, well chances are absolutely slim, zilch I must say, but it is fun to get such requests.

Kent had left a comment on that post-

I bet you will get there! Lve the blog!

Now here I am, I actually went to UK and London in 2007!

Now if I say chances of going to Ireland are zilch, maybe I will get there eventually?

Oxford City Center- If I Had to Pick One Picture!

Oxford City Center, Oxford, UK

Uber Mensch asked me to do a Meme (don't ask me what they are, I only know tags). From the blog-

Here is the new meme. It is simple, easy and gives no room for whining one usually associates with a meme. All you have to do is select and upload one photo that you have clicked this year that is special to you. Could be anything...aesthetic, technical or personal. Also, put in a short note why it is special.

I picked up the above picture for many reasons. One, I went abroad after 4 long years and it felt nice (all my trips abroad have been for work, we do not holiday abroad). It felt nice to be in a 'foreign' country again. It was a nice feeling that I again have the opportunity to work on the things I like.

I visited Leeds, Oxford and London and I think I enjoyed my stay in Oxford the most. The reason is very simple. Oxford is a very walking friendly city and I love to walk. That is the reason why I picked up the picture above. Reminds me of all the long walks that I took.

Update- I wrote a mail to Uber Mensch saying I did the post and he said the meme is not compete as I have not passed it on. Well, here are five people I pass it on to.

Paul Shoul- Ace photographer from Gonomad, I simply love his pictures. If he does this meme, then it would be really interesting to see which one he picks up.

Arun- Another ace photographer, who doesn't blogs as much as I would like to read him. Let us see what he would come up with.

Dev- The 'pizza man' has worked in/with advertising, let us see if he has time to do this and what picture is dear to him this year.

Anil- Can I miss on one of my favorite travel blogger? He too blogs far less than what I would like to read.

Arun Nair- He was asking about SLRs, so let us see what he likes to capture.

Remember the Mind the Gap Post?

Mind the Gap- On London Tube

A few days back I wrote about mind the gap announcements on the London tube. Then I got a mail from Steve of Gonomad sending me a link to this news-

The woman behind the gentle, even voice which warns London's subway commuters to "Mind the gap" was fired after telling a newspaper she thought the transit network was dreadful.

Emma Clarke has been recording messages for London's sprawling subway network, popularly known as the Tube, since 1999. In addition to warning passengers to watch their step in walking between subway cars and the platform, she also reads the trains' stops, tells Londoners how long they have to wait until their next ride, and delivers service updates.

Emma Clarke clarified at the BBC-

"What I actually said was that travelling in a Tube train would be dreadful for me, listening to my own voice and seeing the haunted faces of commuters being subjected to me telling them to 'mind the gap'.

"I would find it quite an uncomfortable experience in the same way that when I call a company when I'm their on hold voice and it's me saying - please press 2 for accounts - it's a creepy experience to be honest."

Lazy Sunday Photo- London Underground, Mind the Gap!

Mind the Gap, London Underground, UK

The phrase 'Please Mind the Gap' grew upon me slowly when I used the London Underground and the National Rail for two days. As a station would approach, the announcement system on the train would go crazy, announcing "please mind the gap" again and again. Once or twice it felt OK, then it became amusing. When I went into a souvenir shop later, I saw a mug with the same slogan, "Mind the Gap." Of course, I bought it.

Later, I googled and found this interesting stuff about Mind the Gap on the BBC-

The Recorded Announcement (Male)

The stern, shouting, male voice announcement for 'Mind the Gap' is being phased out. Fortunately, you can download Peter Lodge's 'performance' - and numerous other train announcements - from this Sound File site. As the webmaster of the site says:

His barked orders to cowering passengers continue to ring out in a recording which is already an historical document³.

The Recorded Announcement (Female)

The female voice for the recorded announcement of 'Mind the Gap' is nicknamed 'Sonia' by tube drivers. Why? Because her voice 'gets on yer nerves', they collectively reply.

Apparently 'Sonia' is thought to be a bit too posh in some circles. In recent tests somebody mimicking the voice of Marilyn Monroe proved to be a favourite.

Mind the Gap on the National Rail, Somewhere Between Victoria and Sutton

Pretty Young Things at the Hyde Park, London

Three Young Girls at Hyde Park, London, UK

While I was taking a stroll (with a colleague) at the Hyde Park, caught a glimpse of these three young girls ahead of us. They were speaking a foreign tongue but one could still make out the excitement in their voices. When they went some distance ahead of us, I thought they made a pretty beautiful picture along with the prop on the right and the colors of the park.

And to my complete surprise, the young lady in the middle suddenly stood on her hands and her friends merrily took her pictures. That is what London does to some people!

But We Changed the Clock!

Leeds City Center and the Bus Stop to the Left as Marked by Two Waiting Buses

My first real stop in UK was the city of Leeds where I was presenting a paper at a conference. It was a hectic trip. I landed at Heathrow on a Friday morning and then took a National Express bus to the Victoria Bus Terminus. From there, I took a Megabus to Leeds. Megabuses are definitely low cost but they also have a very small seat. The journey was supposed to be of 4 hours but due to the heavy Friday traffic it took 6 hours to reach Leeds. The next day morning I had a paper to present followed by a visit to Saltaire. Later in the evening was the conference dinner at the Royal Armouries.

So, it became past 11 at night when I came back to my hotel after the day's program on the Saturday. And then I had to take a Megabus to London at 6.15 the next morning. The hotel phone gave an option of stetting the alarm on my own but I could not figure it out. So, I asked the good people at the front desk to give me a wakeup call at 5.00 in the morning. And then after doing the packing, I collapsed to sleep.

I woke up with a start at 5.00 without any wakeup call. The wakeup call never arrived. By 5.45 I checked out and walked for 3 minutes to the bus stop. Being Sunday morning the roads were mostly empty. Only a place by the name of Blue Leopard had some people mingling about it. I could not figure out what it was. People came out of it for a smoke, some kind of employees hanged at the door. Another surprise was that there was activity at this place at the ungodly hour of 6.00 am.

By 6.10 there was still no sign of a bus and I was wondering what is it that I am doing wrong? Is this not the correct bus stop or the timings have changed or what? By 6.20 I was getting desperate. So, I decided to ask the people at the door of the Blue Leopard if they had any clue about the bus.

A young lad told me I was at the correct bus stop and then asked me what time my bus was. I told him it was at 6.15. Then he pointed out to a town clock and said, "But we changed the clock, look it is only 5.20 in the morning. We put it back by an hour this night!" I had of course read about changing of clocks but as nothing like this happens in India, I could never figure out what this meant! Now that I have experienced it, I am not going to forget it in a hurry.

I finally understood why the wakeup call never came. It must have come through an hour later. Also, it was a cold and windy morning and I did not enjoy the prospect of spending an hour at the freezing bus stop. Luckily the train station was just next door and it was covered. So, I went in and waited for an hour there. And of course later when it became 6.10 am again, the bus promptly came. This time it also took the appointed 4 hours to reach London.

Thumbs Up for BA

British Airways, Terminal 4, Heathrow, London, UK

My tickets for the UK trip were booked with the British Airways. Gradually, it is coming to a stage when I do not feel that enthusiastic about flying anymore, but then it is rare that I get to watch back to back movies ever in my life, apart from a flight. I will write more about the flight later but this is to give the BA thumbs up for a different reason.

I found the prices in UK a little bit strange. Buy something and you will drown in change. I mean if the price is 5.94 pounds you get 4 coins of 1 penny each. A few purchases later, my handbag was full of small change that was unfamiliar. Try as I might, I could not get rid of them at the speed at which they were coming.

So, finally when I took the flight back home, I still had a lot of loose change. Then I spotted a good thing. Along with the Bose headphones (that don't work at times) was an envelope where BA in collaboration with UNICEF was asking to give the loose change (that is anyway useless for me at my home destination) for the fund. So that is where all the loose change went from my handbag. I believe this is a really good idea.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Lady Guide at Saltaire, UK

The Charming Lady Guide at Saltaire, UK

The trip to Saltaire, a world heritage site near Leeds was organized by the good people at the conference that I attended. The trip was wonderful and a detailed account would come a little later.

The charming lady in the picture guided our group for the part of the way. Later, we met near the church for cakes and tea/coffee and I managed to chat with her. She said her pictures are already on the web and I told her I too would be putting up one. It is such a pity that I could not catch her name.

While we were standing outside and chatting, it was overcast, windy and cold. Still, very little can keep me indoors. So, I was chatting with her and feeling guilty all the time that I was keeping her out of doors. She said her family long back lived in India and she comes to the South every year.

Later, she held my hands and said, "Oh dear, you are so cold, why on earth are you standing outside?" I told her I love being out of doors but I would certainly not keep her standing in the cold.

And she has not been a resident of Saltaire since birth (as I had assumed) but she has lived in various countries, including the Caribbean and she came to Saltaire just seven years back.

You Can Go Anywhere You Want!

The Parliament House and the Big Ben, Westminster, London

I was standing in the London underground at Westminster (near Big Ben and London Eye). I wanted to go to London Victoria. My sense of direction is absolutely pathetic, I can get lost even in a telephone booth if it has two exits. I had no clue which platform to go or which line to take. I of course had a map of the underground but maps always look like a tough puzzle to me, not yielding any clues about anything.

My best bet is to ask others and I have always benefited from the random kindness of the strangers. I had quickly realized that the people with the green vest (some sort of officials connected with the underground system) were the kindest. So, I approached one and asked "Hi, Can I go to Victoria from here?" I got a big grin and a reply, "You can go anywhere you want!" And then he directed me to the correct platform. I thanked him profusely. I again was told, "The pleasure is all mine!"

I am really grateful to people who give me the directions, because without them, I am dead. And I do hope I will slowly get to go anywhere I want!

Some Pictures from the Recent UK Trip

The Radcliffe Square, Oxford, UK

Finally, I managed to put a little bit of tiredness of the trip behind and upload the pictures from my recent UK trip.

I did had a wonderful time at all the three places that I visited, Leeds, Oxford and London. As this was for work, could not do much justice travel wise to any of them. Still, travel is always good and all my visits abroad has been for work till date. Among all the trips abroad, this one ranks really at the top.

Not Yet Home

Fall Colors in London (Picture by a Colleague)

Not home yet but almost at the end of the trip. It was not that cold and yes there has been sun almost on all days. I guess I am getting tired now but in all this has been a wonderful trip. Bigger accounts and more pictures when I come back. And thanks a lot for the comments in the meanwhile.