Wie in einem Spinnennetz...

"WTF am I doing here???" A simple question which everyone asked himself / herself when'er one felt stuck in situations... But sometimes people like me invite such situations for themselves :)

In past one month or so, I probably asked this to myself the most I've ever done in my life... A decision to act in a German play... For me german starts at Danke, Bitte, Tschuss and ends there only :) But then a voluntary decision to step into something like this seemed crazy many times in past one month... Sometimes I felt it was crazy n sometimes people around, made me feel its crazy... But the itch to do something different probably paved the path for this...

First day of practice, I entered the audimax and met the fellow actors (some native germans & a few others who were equally fluent). I saw various reactions in everyone's eyes, a couple of friendly faces, a few questioning (WTF is this stupid guy doing here who doesn't even speaks German) and few faces who just accepted the fact that they dun have any other alternative...

Well sometimes lack of choices for someone might do the trick for someone else... And their lack of choice did it for me.. Initially, a few times I felt like quitting. Sometimes I was unreasonably frustrated on myself and sometimes when I used to feel others' helplessness of the situation...

And then came a helping hand from somewhere. I was standing on stage (rehearsing) where everyone else was acting and I was reading out my dialogs from my script. Suddenly I noticed a lady who seemed in 40's, was curiously monitoring what ever was going on stage (at first glimpse I thought she's director or something).

And then she asked if I want to practice my pronunciation with her and she could also help me with dialog learning. When she asked me if I'm interested n I was thinking to myself "Beggars can't be choosers M'am, please do something for me, I'm ok with any kind of help".

And then after rigorous sessions of rehearsals and pronunciation sessions with my helping hand "Ingrid". I somehow managed to learn all my dialogs which I initially counted to be something around 110. I dun know how I acted my role but I think acting it well was never at a high priority for me. The highest priority for me personally was not to forget my dialogs and speak in a way that every one understands what am saying. Or atleast no one on the other side of stage comes to know that this guy doesn't knows German at all...

Well.. Well.. Well.. I've already done 3/5 final performances and all I am actually feeling proud of myself at the moment. I actually achieved something which a month ago seemed like climbing Mt. Everest to me. I dun know how much they liked my role or my acting but am happy no one complained that we couldn't understand what this stupid guy was saying.

Apart from what good I did for myself by not quitting and what my helping hand "Ingrid" did for me, there were all the other fellow actors in this play who eventually started showing faith in me and treated me much more than the last choice available. They happily helped me when I felt as 'wie in einem spinnennetz' and were most importantly immensely tolerant to a non german speaker like me. Am actually feeling grateful to Tariq, Michaela, Kristie, Parya, Tobi , Malte, Sebastian and Tristian who helped me in one of the most challenging and exciting chapters of my life (which I guess will stay with me for a long time to come).

"Sometimes it feels good to be lost in translation"

Po'u'nd Bath..

"Tujhe Pound(Pond) main jana hai kya, warna chup baith".. The most common talked about topic in Building 8...

I always wondered how lovely it is to live with frens, but then there are always attached some cons to live together..

You need to adjust to many things, need to listen to things which according to you are tantrums and for the other person are the most logical things... And moreover you're always feared you might land up in Pond...

Well, when'ever some one names "You wanna go to Pond", my subconscious mind shows me a picture all the time.. A man standing at the window and another poor man peeping out of pond with a Lotus Leaf on his head and the croaking green frog being the cherry on the cake.

And then that man dust away his hands, giving a deadly look to the one in the pond..

I dun know if my imagination will ever come true, or even if it comes true, where will I be at that time.. Probably i will be the man in the pond...

Dun speak loud, He's around...

And if you dun listen, he'll throw you in the 'pound'

You know he's back when the silence is profound..

Dun dare come out or, he'll throw you in the 'pound'

If you feel the pressure, go pee in the ground..

but dun dare knock, he'll throw you in the 'pound'

Pls rush to your windows, when you hear splash sound..

I tried a lot, but still he threw me in the 'pound'

VRS - Story behind the scenes :)

Hey "Shaitan".. the pronunciation my name got after coming to Germany.. I heard a German fren calling from inside the class, "Do u know, I think you'll have to study VRS because a guy talked to Mr. Dessloch & he said you can't just take 1 theory course". And I was left dumbstruck there with already 4 lectures missed for VRS.. Well i had to gather my morale cos there was no other option..

And i reached home searching for (at that time) "Fat - Immer" on yahoo(she keeps on changing names every fortnight)..

ME: "Fatiiii.. I have to take VRS :("

Fati: "WTF. How come so late??"

ME : "blah blah blah (dessloch story)"

Fati : "Ach so, C'mon its not a problem. Moreover you can join us in the study group, where we plan to study together.. I mean study from Taslim.. :)"

ME: "Are you sure i can join, cos I dun know any 1 other than you , nune & Edi??"

Fati: "Yeah yeah sure.. NP"

And this is the way i became part of group, famous in all the students who come to Alcatraz study room. Famous or notorious i think people outside group can tell better :)

And slowly started the journey of learning every Sunday. With 60% talks , 10% eating & 20 % studying & 10% times sparring matches between Prof. Anh & Prof. Taslim.

With half of others wondering what they're talkin about n rest half philanthropic people tryin to make them quiet, thinking of other poor people studyin at same time in study room.

And then chapters by chapters & Exercises on Exercises followed. Every week a new alien language came. Till BDD's, people still used to have a blur idea on what's going on but then came aliens named kripke, mu, omega & their king temporal.. which left every body wondering after each lecture what happened in past 1.5 hrs.. But still there was a kind of belief in mind, "Its ok. If I dint get it here.. Taslim is dere"

And am happy that at end of it , we all were part of that alien culture. We all eventually found kinship with Temporals , mu & omega's.. But some thing called Monadic from Mars just came & went without making any mark.

And along with growing size of these alien ghosts, a certain things were also changing..

Sasha had an angel named 'Tara' in his life..

Fati's named changed from "Fat - Immer" -> "Fatty" -> "Fati Apa" -> "Stupid" -> "Indonesian

Shepherd"...

Arvind got promoted from being a lackluster appearance to being the moderator of the group..

During the end days Gabriel's appearance in the group began to increase.. And last but not least

the growing speculation for the allegedly the couple of our group on whether they're couple or not :)

And finally the exam was over (with me almost pissing in my pants during exam) , came the special party, which gave a hint that before a few months we started from knowing each other's names to being friends / atleast more than just knowing each other's name...

And in the end I'd like to thank you all for your lovely contribution..

Arvind - For being a strict moderator :)

Prof Anh - for teaching us in his unique style..

Caroline - Your best contribution was the brownies & desserts during the class & party :)

Edi - The silent lady killer , well every 1 wants to have a husband like Edi :)

Fati - Manager of the group, right from managing the group on Google to time management :)

Gabriel - You'd start Salsa classes , leave Soft Engg & be a Salsa teacher :)

Nima - Thanks for always running away @ the day when you're supposed to teach :) and ofcourse for yum Chilly Chicken.

Nune - Thanks for adding the glamor factor to our group :)

Sasha - Man you're great, how come you've a story for everything in your life.. And for being so modest "Well man, I tried it.. I dun know if I'm right.. But this is the way I see it..."

Prof Taslim - "The Godfather of VRS... "So What????""

Vi & Wan Ai - "Food & fruit suppliers.. And always ready to take difficult topics together :)"

And our secret couple, for being topic of gossip talks always & as some 1 said yesterday "Secret brings the Beauty" , then you two are very beautiful...