[MX6]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

Unlike many people, I do not associate graveyards with sadness or morbidity. I find a great deal of peace and some degree of comfort at a place of death. But that is a topic for a whole new tale that I do not wish to tell.

Instead, I will share with you photos of the town cemetery and some beautiful graves. I mean no disrespect to those that are deceased and their loved ones.
I am just happy that those who are dead are resting in a beautiful place.

True. Though OT, I agree somewhat to this. Arlington national cemetry near DC was an amazing place I visited.

While in london an English friend suggested I visit Highgate cemetry. He said it's one of the most beautiful cemeteries. I responded, "No wonder people are dying to get in".

I missed out on that. I missed out on the Père Lachaise Cemetery at Paris.

[leadf00t]

the "feeding the babies" part is fine and might be funny. but personally i found the pics where those baby mice held a tweezer to be totally gross. cant go back now to page 5. :(

[Sam Kapasi]

We return home to find that Santa's already been in and out. The whole house is full of presents and everyone, everyone -- not only the kids -- are super excited.








It is a long and happy night and we're up almost till the 25th morning. I am still ill and now my left ear is completely close and my right is whooshing as I bend up and down.

One of the most exciting presents is the one for the BIL. A full blown Carrera wireless racetrack with a Porsche, a BMW and a Ferrari racecar to boot. He almost rushes upstairs to his room to assemble it, but then decides to do it on the 25th.

But to be honest, I am not enjoying the games and conversations at all :(

I wish I was better.


Off to sleep and by the time I awake it is already afternoon. I rub my weary eyes and climb up to the living room and then I hear it.

The Carrera Bahn is ready.

I rush up another 2 floors and plonk myself in the room.







Ladies and Gentlemen, and that is all I did on Christmas day. I played Carrera races and it was one of the most exciting things I did. All day long we tweak and bend and adjust the barricades and try to make the turns as fast as we can without letting the car fly off the track. It's FANTASTIC! I've never had this level of excitement from a video game.

As motorheads, you should understand that quite, quite easily lol.

It has been a busy day (or whatever is left of it) - I'm off to sleep tired, sick but happy. I realise that we have not done anything exciting or gone anywhere yet, but given my sick circumstance and the awful weather, what more can I expect?

Little do I know - the next day comes with it's own surprise gift!

[Sam Kapasi]

I wake up bleary eyed and climb up to the living room.

Through my Chinese eyes I find my way upstairs.

It's a bright bright innit?

Morgen ihr zwei!! I say to the 2 kids playing.
Der Schneemann is nicht... something.
Was?
Der Schneemann is nicht... something.

I look at them confused. Something's happened to the Snowman, but what? The little one looks at me dramatically, shaking her head with impatience

SAAMMMM - DER SCHNEEMANN!! she says pointing outside.

JA JA what's with Der Schneemann?


I am led out with my Chinese eyes. I blink. Snowy the armless schneemann is gone. That's what the kids were trying to say. That he's go......



THE SUN IS OUT!!! The sun is out the sun is out the sun is out!!!!!!!

I yell out for TheOne® THE SUN IS OUT!! She comes up, laughing at me.
The Sun is out!
So it is!
Let's go out, let's go somewhere.
Okay, get dressed then.

I don't think I ever got dressed so quickly.

It is still cold, no denying that. But the humidity has reduced, the snow almost gone, the sky clear blue and the temperature a relatively better PLUS 4 degrees.











We're going for a long walk!

[dhirajs]

Sam,you should have posted pics of the schnitzel you had instead of the snake having FROZEN MICE ......man tht completely freaked me out!

Did u try various fruits dipped in swiss chocolate @ the weihnachtsmarkt?
Ive been to konstanz quite a few times now & love the summer in Germany.

Yes ,as you mentioned one has to scrape away the snow frm their respective walkway.And people do it v religiously.

Now..... which are the new regional beers you had this time?

[Sam Kapasi]

On the way to the park we stop at the Kaufhaus and I buy myself a new cap. A nice soft black polar fleece cap, light, but warm. It’s nice, I like it a LOT.

And then we walk to the Sprudelhol, the mineral water bath that gives this city its suffix (As I have explained before, Bad means Bath)











I walk up to the bubbly steaming red water, the air is thick with the smelly steam of minerals and metals. The sun caresses my head and the steam pushes hard, wriggling its way into my half-blocked nostrils. I breathe in harder, assisting the steam all the way into the top of my head where it tickles and burns slightly..


And that’s when my sun-soaked eyes smile through those steamed up Lacoste sunglasses.

I like it here.

This red bubbly fountain is probably my favourite place in Bad Nauheim. Especially when I am here with my lady and my friend, The Sun.

I love the sun. I never tire of telling people in India how completely blessed we are to have the sun almost 365 days a year.
Sure sometimes the sun gets a bit too overbearing in India, just like any mother does at some point in her life. Then I like to sit in the shade and watch the sunlight through my glasses.

But leave me in the sunlight and I feel loved and happy. I feel like I share something with everybody else around me. I’m a sunchild.

And so after days and days of gloom and sunlessness, I’m here with my pal, my mentor, my guide — The Sun.

I’m so happy.

A walk through the park. TheOne® waves out to some, stops and talks to some. Some are still often surprised and do their politest to conceal it

Indien??! Im Indien?? They say before turning to look at me again. The man that stole Bad Nauheim’s favourite daughter.

Translation: India? In India???

Some have seen the Indian man before of course, and smile broadly.

The trees wave out at me slowly, they know me from my trips here before — they smile at me, unashamed of their complete naked state. It feels like they stood up this morning and dropped their snow white blanket and posed proud for me, waiting for me to admire their bare bodies.
And I do just that, smiling back at them and taking a few photos. Not too many though, I’d rather see them with both eyes together, than one through the camera.













Yes, snow is unique and wondrous, snow is beautiful too but give me blue skies and a green earth and I’m happier.

And so we walk. Through the park, over the bridge, over to the lake, we walk.







Coffee?
Yes of course.
In the café we meet TheOne®’s sister and her kids, they too are out to greet the sun.
We sip our coffees in silent peace as the kids play in the cafe.






Later it's time to go.

We walk back slowly together, the adults talking and smiling, the kids skipping and running around.

This day is ending too, but what a Christmas gift it has been! I feel great!

[Sam Kapasi]

Originally Posted by leadf00t

i found the pics where those baby mice held a tweezer to be totally gross(

Originally Posted by dhirajs

the snake having FROZEN MICE ......man tht completely freaked me out!

It appears I may have trod on some sensibilities with my close up of a baby mouse held in a pair of tweezers and held up to a little albino snake for its weekly meal. Brrr....hahaha.

I am sorry if I've freaked anyone out, but come on, you cannot tell me it was not interesting. What makes this any different from offering worms to your pet fish?

And if it made you squirm a little and go eek and yuck, that's good. Every story should have comedy, romance, sorrow and a little bit of squirming too

In any case, I apologise.

Originally Posted by dhirajs

Did u try various fruits dipped in swiss chocolate @ the weihnachtsmarkt?
?

Dipped in German chocolate my man, lol. Yes, candied fruit is quite common, especially around this time of the year. They do it at home too.

I liked strawberries and other small fruits dipped in chocolate. Not Apples. And it's ok for me, I'm not a huge fan.

[normally_crazy]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

I love the sun. I never tire of telling people in India how completely blessed we are to have the sun almost 365 days a year.
Sure sometimes the sun gets a bit too overbearing in India, just like any mother does at some point in her life. Then I like to sit in the shade and watch the sunlight through my glasses.

But leave me in the sunlight and I feel loved and happy. I feel like I share something with everybody else around me. I’m a sunchild.

And so after days and days of gloom and sunlessness, I’m here with my pal, my mentor, my guide — The Sun.

I’m so happy.

The trees wave out at me slowly, they know me from my trips here before — they smile at me, unashamed of their complete naked state. It feels like they stood up this morning and dropped their snow white blanket and posed proud for me, waiting for me to admire their bare bodies.
And I do just that, smiling back at them and taking a few photos. Not too many though, I’d rather see them with both eyes together, than one through the camera.

Yes, snow is unique and wondrous, snow is beautiful too but give me blue skies and a green earth and I’m happier.

Sam,

I normally do not like to butt in before I am done reading - but I couldn't help it here. The above 3 paragraphs are simply inspired writing man. And I am a sun child too - cannot handle the cold and the gloom - unfortunately my better half thinks vice versa !

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by normally_crazy

Sam,

I normally do not like to butt in before I am done reading - but I couldn't help it here. The above 3 paragraphs are simply inspired writing man. And I am a sun child too - cannot handle the cold and the gloom - unfortunately my better half thinks vice versa !

Are you sure the Yeti did not swallow a mouse or two causing a change in behaviour

[Sam Kapasi]

Originally Posted by dhirajs

Did u try various fruits dipped in swiss chocolate @ the weihnachtsmarkt??

Originally Posted by ajmat

Are you sure the Yeti did not swallow a mouse or two causing a change in behaviour

Maybe if it was dipped in chocolate...

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

Perhaps our winters are not cold enough, perhaps they last only for a month in the year -- and that too only in the northern part of India (including a few high altitude places in the rest of India) -- I don't know what it is.

That, and the fact that the same place gets baking hot during the longer summer.

[dadu]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

Ladies and Gentlemen, and that is all I did on Christmas day. I played Carrera races and it was one of the most exciting things I did. All day long we tweak and bend and adjust the barricades and try to make the turns as fast as we can without letting the car fly off the track. It's FANTASTIC! I've never had this level of excitement from a video game.

As motorheads, you should understand that quite, quite easily lol.

Rightly, I played a 4 track one during the younger days. Still have it, but the tyre's are worn out and aged.

There's a light magnet at the base of the cars which holds them to the track to some extent while turning, I removed them altogether for the drift, but wears out the tyres quite fast then.

[leadf00t]

Originally Posted by normally_crazy

Sam,

I normally do not like to butt in before I am done reading - but I couldn't help it here. The above 3 paragraphs are simply inspired writing man. And I am a sun child too - cannot handle the cold and the gloom - unfortunately my better half thinks vice versa !

Ah Ha.. Normally crazy is trying to "uncrazy" huimself since the last few months... the better half effect it seems.

Originally Posted by ajmat

Are you sure the Yeti did not swallow a mouse or two causing a change in behaviour

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

Maybe if it was dipped in chocolate...

yuck disgusting anyways.

still the pics are amazing.... I am still hooked to travelogue.

[KSM-Vtec]

WOWOWOWOW!!!!! thats a dream trip i must say!!! Great pics Sam!!!!

[akbaree]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

I love the sun. I never tire of telling people in India how completely blessed we are to have the sun almost 365 days a year.
Sure sometimes the sun gets a bit too overbearing in India, just like any mother does at some point in her life. Then I like to sit in the shade and watch the sunlight through my glasses.

But leave me in the sunlight and I feel loved and happy. I feel like I share something with everybody else around me. I’m a sunchild.

And so after days and days of gloom and sunlessness, I’m here with my pal, my mentor, my guide — The Sun.

I’m so happy.

Folks who grew in regions near equator, are spoiled with abundantly available Sun. I realized this only while spending the winter months here in Cincinnati.

Even when the Sun shows up, it is always on the corners of the landscape. But still it is like a picnic of sorts (for me) just to be able to enjoy the Sunshine.