Tuebingen, again....

I;ll start with a little description of the scene now.....

Its 7:55 pm right now....i am hungry but not too enthusiastic about making a dinner...i am too tired for the day to study. Its drizzling outside, and the temp is around 10 degrees. There is a an australian guy, a german girl and a turkish girl behind me eating what looks like some 'chane ki daal' but which lacks the gravy so visibly noticeable in indian curries. I came to the common room hoping to find something on the TV, but the only english channel is CNN, which is lulling me to sleep. I am a little bored, but still happy at just being here.....

Tuebingen has welcomed me more warmly than i could ever imagine. People are warm n friendly, andrei seems to be happy, karin liked my gift, I got a beautiful room with a well-stocked kitchen....its like home coming for me!!!

Serisouly, its more fun than i ever thought it would be. I was amayed by the welcome ir eceived here.....everybody seemed to be expecting me...yesterday morning when i was waiting for andrei...everybody in the lab came forward and asked me about my VISA problem...it was more than comforting....it showed that somebody cared. totally contrary to the kind of oblivion i was expecting here...

And I got 2 angels as my flatmates - Erica and Isabelle. Its been just 2 days with them and already i have this feeling that the next two and a half months are going to be such fun. Erica is pretty - she is like one of those sweet, cute, girls who walks around the house in pyjamas and rabbit slippers. One look at her and you cannot imagine that she is actually 27. Isabelle is witty, who teases me whenever she has the oppurtunity. They just fit each other so well...#

Living with girls can be awkward at times. Like i have to take special care to keep the bathroom clean. I always make sure i dont roam around just like that in the house. And NEVER leave any unnecessay piece of garment in the bathroom. Its actually quite embarrasing to see little pieces of clothing in my bathroom.....and those girly things in the cupboard( if they ARE really what i think they are), but i am sure i'll get used to it. The best deal is that i have good company, so unlike the cold spanish girl i had last time and that dumb nerdish half-indian guy i had to spend so much time with.

I feel so different now, compared to when i came here an year ago. I am more confident, quite, reserved and mature. There is little enthu to travel, practically no home sickness, and an equally strong desire to work hard this year as well.

The first sight that greeted me as i arrived in Tuebingen was that huge grass hill. It kindled happy memories, but i let them drift away as i have been doing for past many months now. There is a huge terrace on my floor( top floor), and the hill seems so small and accessible from there. I can still make out the small bench over there....it is still as beautiful as ever. I plan to go there this weekend, if the weather holds good.

I have been crying for a vacation for such a long time now...and i know this is the perfect vacation for me. I didn't need a vacation from work, but i needed one from the suffocating atmosphere which IIT had put me into. Work , on the contrary keeps me happy. But after Biohorizon and GRE and the majors, I really needed a break. I got an almost perfect one. 'Almost' because nothing is completely perfect without your near and dear ones. Yes, I occasionally miss my friends....

I am still undecided whether i should start drinking again or not. The 'moral' sahil is judging the 'practical' one. There are atleast a doyen bottles of wine in my kitchen(thanks to isabelle, whose uncle owns a wine yard)...and there's good beer in the supermarket. But i have decided to restrain myself. I am letting the 'good' sahil dominate now...so this means that i wake before 7 am everyday...follow it with push-ups and Pranayaam; I work hard, I sleep early, and I try to be as polite and helpful as possible. Non-veg is a strict no no. Will start jogging soon. And of course, there are so many gifts to be brought this year.

I had my first wet-lab experience today. Was so nervous that my hands were literally shaking even while using the measuring balance. The absence of hoods means that sterile atmosphere needs to be maintained in the labs, so the mind needs to be very alert. I was so nervous that i developed acidity in my stomach, and when Michael finally let me off....i ran all the way to the ground floor to the vending machine and got myself a chilled coke. Phew!!!!

Am planning to buy a bike soon....then it will be easier to roam around the country side with friends or alone. I wanna see that castle which i missed the last time....and of course the underground caves. But first I'll got to the that capel on the top of the little hillock and cry a little....

I promise to come back a much better person. And yes, I am very proud of myself!!