Amsterdam- for the artist in you!

I always wanted to see Amsterdam- the Dutch capital, famous for many reasons. Be it the tag of  a party haven,or the beauty of water canals driven into the roadways. My brother and I, set off to explore the artistic side of Amsterdam, on one rainy day in early November.

We arrived at the Van Gogh museum in the center of Amsterdam, only to be greeted by crowds of people standing in the lashing rain, waiting to go in!. Sheer madness! you would say!. But thats Van Gogh for you!. We were lucky to go in, bypassing the long queues (and a sizable fee!), thanks to Shell (my brother's employer- also a major sponsor for the museum).

It is a well planned museum set over 3 floors and appropriately spaced out. Starting with his early days, we travel up to his works and then a few works of his contemporaries. What strikes you about a Van Gogh painting, as opposed to the intricate art works that decorate the walls of other museums like the Louvre, is the simplicity of his subjects and objects. From sunflowers to red cabbages and prawns, to the scene of his bedroom in Arles (south of France), and even the unassuming faces of the "potato-eaters", you are visualizing everyday life in those times, and not a majestic portrait of a duke and his extended family. His works were initially dark and gloomy, but over time he took to more bright and appealing colors. His penchant for self portraits, comes across as strange initially, but as we later understand, he had no money to buy a subject to sit for him!; so he often painted himself, while looking at a mirror, each time working on new technique and color!.

Sunflowers- a Van Gogh masterpiece

Enriched and happy after my first real artistic encounter, I picked up five large Van Gogh painting postcards of my choice to later frame in my living room!.

Post lunch, we drove through the busy thoroughfares (scores of cyclists!) of Amsterdam to see the house of Anne Frank. Set on the banks of a canal, it s a surprisingly congested house, now modified somewhat to host a museum. Again we were greeted by spiraling queues!. But this time I was contend to just take in the view from outside, sitting on the banks of the canal.

Like most places, I have seen in Europe, I would always love to come back again to Amsterdam!. Next time- Rijksmuseum here I come !

Three cities, three days

We made a whirlwind car trip across Germany and the Czech Republic on a long weekend in late October. It started with a 6 hour drive to Berlin. After a restful sleep at night and a hearty breakfast in the morning, we embarked on exploring Berlin- 3 adults and 1 toddler.

We bought a group ticket for a day (just 16 euros!) at the nearest S-bahn. It was the easiest  and cheapest way to get around. Although I would have loved to try out an hop-on-hop-off or some other sight-seeing bus option,  I have been advised against this by many a traveler!. So, using a tourist map and public transport, we went around exploring Berlin.

Our first stop was Brandenburg Tor (Gate). It was just above the subway station. It is a beautiful 12 pillared monument, that has come to be the hallmark of Berlin. Atop the gate is a beautiful "Quadriga" or a 4 horse drawn chariot driven by the Roman goddess of victory- Victoria. The gate was built in the 1780s, as a symbol of peace, but has witnessed anything but that!.

The gate is walking distance from the German parliament- Reichstag. We walked the short distance to the Parliament house. The Reichstag is an imposing building in the midst of manicured lawns, with the words "Dem Deutschen Volke" proudly engraved on the front. There is a wonderful glass dome atop the parliament, which supposedly offers a bird's eye view of Berlin.

From the parliament, we headed back towards the Holocaust memorial, also within walking distance. On the way we passed a simple monument dedicated to the memory of the Sinti and Roma ("Gypsies") who were also killed in large numbers in the genocide. It was a deep black pit with constantly flowing water, situated in a clearing of  trees in the vicinity of the Reichstag. In that quaint, unassuming setting, one does get a feeling of sadness for the meaningless of of lives. There is a simple poem etched on the walls of the pond..

"Sucken in face

Extingushed eyes

Cold lips

Silence

A torn heart

without breath

without words

no tears"

Simple words that describe great emotion!.

The Holocaust memorial was no less poignant. The ground work of grey colored rectangle stone in different sizes doesn't strike a chord initially. But when one enters the underground museum, you are flooded with the sheer magnanimity of the criminal genocide. The stories of families torn apart are truly heart rendering. This place was seriously eye-opening. Every war must have a similar story.

It was nearly lunch time and in vain we searched for the elusive "Hitler's bunker"- the place where he supposedly committed suicide. But after a brief search, we were told that the place had been detonated and no longer existed!. It was now a underground parking lot for an apartment!.

Famished we sunk into the welcoming chairs of a Italian pizzeria for a meal of pizza and pasta. The wonderful thing about Berlin, was the food(international), the people (who converse with you in English) and the historical monuments.

Post lunch, we walked towards the Pergamon museum. We underestimated the distance from the Holocaust memorial, and had to walk quite a bit!. The museum is situated on a museum island (similar to Munich). The beautiful Berlin cathedral is situated close by and was a wonderful background for some memorable photographs.

Pergamon was worthy of the effort and expense to see it!. It had a superb collection, the most memorable were the frieze of the Pergamon altar and the Ishtar Gate of ancient Babylon. But my toddler was in no way awed by Pergamon and it was difficult to keep him out of trouble!.

Nearly dusk, we headed to the nearest subway. Our last stop for the day was the Berlin Wall memorial. Reaching the site after dark, we were disappointed to find the museum attached, had very little in terms of interactive media. The wall (or the last remaining remnant) was right outside the museum. Scribbled with graffiti, it wasn't much of a sight.

The next day, we headed towards Dresden by car. Starting out late(nearly afternoon), we couldn't hope to see much of Dresden. We spent some time in the military museum of Dresden. It was a huge place, with lots of information, but not for a tourist in a hurry!. The city of Dresden has a terrible world war history, being a major military base of the German army. It was bombed by allied forces, where more than 90% of the city was destroyed!. The city has been reconstructed since. Driving through the city at dusk, it is little wonder that this hidden gem of Germany, was once called the "Florence-on-the-Elbe"!.

A few hours of drive from Dresden, is Prague or Praha. Our last stop for the trip, we arrived tired and weary, late into the evening. We checked into a small hotel in the old town district, which had got rave reviews on Trip advisor, and it was not disappointing!. It was a refurbished mansion, now a star hotel, which was decorated with all kinds of stuff. It was warm and cozy. The view from the hotel window was awesome!- the beautiful Prague castle light up with bright lights and a host of other historical monuments!. It was like living in a medieval land of castles and mansions.

We had a scrumptious dinner, not far from the hotel. Food in Prague, like Berlin, was terrific on taste!. Walking through the narrow alleys of Prague's old town, I was struck by how wonderfully architecture had been preserved down the ages.

The next day morning, we embarked on yet another city tour. Prague is a city made for the tourist!. Everything, from the shops to the people to the food, is inviting the tourist and in fact screaming for attention!. Charles bridge is an iconic bridge built over the river Vltava and  was our first stop. There were scores of artists and musicians selling their wares. Its the sheer activity of the place that one finds most appealing. This time we climbed on a short two hour long bus tour with an audio guide, that showed us the landmarks of the city. It is the best way to see a lot of the city in a short span of time. We stopped for a brief time at the Prague castle, just in time to witness the change of guard. There was a beautiful cathedral inside the castle compound, that boasted of breath-taking stained glass paintings.

The most memorable vision of Prague was the famous astronomical clock, near which we settled down fro lunch. Every hour, it chimes and the twelve apostles of Christ can be seen, acknowledging the masses from their window above the clock!.

As I say "Tschuss" to Germany...

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. – Dalai Lama

Reading this saying today morning on one of my friend's Facebook status updates, made me reminisce about my last year in Germany. I have been very unlucky in more ways than I have been lucky, which is rather unusual for me. Usually there are always more good things to be thankful for, than bad memories while I leave a place. And I usually leave a city I have lived in, in good spirits. But this time, I don't feel the same.

Most of my time has been devoted to child care and living within the four walls of our apartment. Of course, They have been wonderful times- for the first time in my life I have taken out time and energy to spend with a child and that too at planning out meaningful activities, fun and learning time. But it does take a toll on you when there is no life beyond that!.

One of the best things about living here in Europe, was the traveling. Seeing new places always contributes to advancement. And some family trips were time well spent.

I always complain about the amount of time I have spent cooking, cleaning and doing household chores!. When the entire onus of the house management is on ones' shoulders, then even the last minutes before falling asleep, while lying in bed, are full of thoughts, planning out the next meal or essentials for the next day!.

I had an old school friend over at my place for lunch last weekend, who has lived in Germany for 5 years and plans to continue doing so. Of course, it helps that he is single and has no kids!. While he agreed with me that it is not easy to have a social life here, he did suggest that having hobbies helps!. Yes, thats a great idea to get started on friends and you need them here in this cold and grey country!. The ordinary guy on the street in Germany is very polite,  but not really friendly!. They don't make an effort to know more about you or your culture. And for some of them, my inability to speak Deustche is a put-off!. Yes. hobbies are a good way to start, but there was no time for one in all those months of child-care, cooking and cleaning!.

My worst experience has been while I had volunteered to do a clinical
observorship at a local hospital. One would assume that in a professional clinical set-up, I could get around with my knowledge of English!. I mean, thats why, they have an exception of the compulsory- knowledge- of-Deustche rule, for highly skilled professionals!. But, sadly, this was not the case. Not many Germans have mercy for the English speaker!- professional or otherwise!.

My greatest disappointment with Germany has been a sense of non- achievement in life beyond the four walls of my house. I was handicapped by my lack of knowledge of German. I was always tied down by the time cycles of my toddler. But perhaps,in the words of the Dalai Lama, maybe, its good that nothing happened for me here! or .. does that sound like sour grapes!. Time will tell!

As the sun sets on our  journey..

Lantern fest in Germany

I was introduced to the "Lantern fest" by my son's kindergarten. Lantern fest or St Martin's day, is an official Catholic holiday and falls on November 11th, but is celebrated anytime in early winter.  It is celebrated in the memory of a saint who was known for his kindness and love for children.

A few days before the proposed lantern walk, all the mothers, were called for a short interactive session, little before noon. We were shown how to make our own lanterns, with glazed paper, strips of colored paper and cardboard rings. It was fun for the kids. It was the first time my toddler was introduced to a "cut-and paste" activity. So far, I have always been wary of giving him the scissors. I was surprised to see, a few kids (only slightly older) handling the scissors like an expert! .

On the day of the lantern walk, we were called to come at dusk to the kindergarten. After a short time of eating cake and drinking, we lined up with the kids, lanterns in their hands. We lit a small electric candle and placed it inside the lantern. The kindergarten teachers handed out sheet of songs that everyone sang out loudly. When it was dark, the kids walked around the street with the lanterns in their hands.

Day trip to Bodensee

October 3rd, is a national holiday in Germany, in view of German Unity Day. It is recognized as the day when the formal reunification process was initiated. I was always under the impression that the Berlin wall was brought down on this day, but, I was surprised to know, that actually happened on the 9th of November, 1990. Seems 9/11 wasn't a suitable day to celebrate, as, it was also an anniversary of a Nazi pro gam on Jews.

Any holiday in Germany means, half the population is driving on the autobahn for a vacation!. And this holiday, we were not to be left behind!. It was our only prospective sunny day in the week!.

We made a short, frugal day trip to Bodensee, situated about 2 hours from our place. Traffic on the autobahn, always frustrates my husband!- surprising for someone who has driven for more than half his life on the chaotic roadways of India!. My toddler son was no less irritated, having being strapped in his car seat for a greater part of the journey.

We finally made it to Bodensee, at noon. Our destination was Unter-Uhldingen, a quite village on the lake shore, that boasts of a Bronze-Age habitat museum.

But first, our priority on reaching there was feeding our famished stomachs!. There were a number of "ristorante(s)" and "gaustehaus'"along our walk to the lake shores. I love the way, the menu for the day is scribbled on a chalk-board at the entrance of the restaurants- you can go in only if you want the food and have the money!. Fish seems to be the entree of choice for all the places. However, we stuck to pizzas and ice-cream at a surprisingly deserted Italian cafe. The "Apfel schorle" (apple juice) was the pick of our meal- it was delicious!.

Stomachs full, we perched on the pebbled banks of the lake and immersed the view. Splendid sight!. The sun was just right. The waters were sparkling blue. Ducks waddled in the waters, occasionally diving whole into the waters and then resurfacing again. Sea-gulls flew overhead. The Swiss shores were diametrically opposite to where we sat, but were clouded in mist. Yachts drifted lazily on the waters. An occasional speed-boat or cruise ship completed the events on the lake. Simple and laid-back.

My toddler son was engaged in a play ground near the banks. After a while, we went for a walk around the lake.

We wrapped our trip, with a visit to a Tractor museum, nearby. I love the way they have museums for everything here!. The tractor museum was a great place to get some in-sight into centuries old farming practices in Europe. It had some wonderful collection of tractors, from John Deeres' to Maser Fergusons'. Also, picked up some super tasty Bodensee apples for 1kg=1euro at an unattended house sale near the museum!. Love the trust in people these country folk have!.

Petting Zoo- Nymphaea

Mid September, we made a short weekend outing to a small petting zoo near home, called Tier park Nymphaea, situated on the banks of the river Neckar. This quaint floral and faunal paradise is commonly called the "other zoo" by Stuttgarters (the main zoo being the Wilhelma Zoo on the north of the city.

Nymphaea is a conservation park, that lets you get real close to a few animals and birds. It is so wonderfully built, without disturbing the natural eco-system of the riverbed. It is run by a club of motivated conservationists who are ably helped by a team of school student volunteers.

My little one, now nearly two and a half, has been to 2 zoos thus far, and has never been too interested in knowing and feeling animals. I embarked on this idea of visiting a petting zoo, to try to get him interested in nature trails. So did my idea work?.. not entirely.. but somewhat!

The park fees is nominal for adults and free for young kids. Once inside, you get to see hens, roosters, turtles, wombats, rabbits, owls, bees, ducks, swans, parrots, peacocks, pigs, donkeys, goats, mice, snakes, otters and deers. Feeding the animals is the best part!. You can buy a mug of popcorn at the cash counter and feed the animals as you go! (feeding the birds is not allowed!).

For me, the highlight of the visit was feeding a deer and feeling an otter. For my son, it was probably seeing a bed of slithering snakes!. Funny, I thought he would be scared of seeing that, but no!, he was clearly impressed!.

A few lessons from a short observer stint at a German hospital

In the first few weeks of September, I had the opportunity to visit a well-known hospital in Stuttgart, to spend a few hours each day, "observing" the system. Not knowing the language, was a drawback for me, impeding any medical knowledge from coming my way. However, it was a chance to learn a few basic things about the "system" and how it works here. Here are some of the things I would love to implement back home.

Keep bedside discussions away from the bedside!

In India, bedside rounds were nearly always, a tedious affair. Doctors would crowd around the patient to discuss the progress (or sometimes the lack of it). The poor patient would lie in the midst of this mob-like discussion of the facts of his/her case, often having to listen to the dismal details of their condition. Moreover, if the resident in-charge was to be reprimanded for any of his/her errors, it would be done right there, in the full galore of all the ward patients!. I always wondered if this entire exercise was necessary or if we could do it in a better way.

Seems there is a better way. Here, the case discussions are done in the doctor's room, before the real meeting between the head doctor and the patient. The resident doctor does his/her clinical rounds before the discussion. Then, they all sit it out in the doctors room, before their electronic gadgets, going over all the patients details. All lab data is just a click away [no need for the resident to memorize (or be tempted to lie about!) nitty numbers!]. The nurse in-charge of the patient is also party to the discussion and often provides valuable inputs on symptoms and complaints. It is a relaxed and mature discussion. It is more fruitful for the patient as his/her case is better discussed and analyzed.

Access technology/ resources when making clinical decisions

Having the discussion in the doctors room, also has the advantage of being able to access valuable information related to individual clinical decisions, at the click of a button or at the hand's stretch (at the book library). Doctors can't keep everything in their head. Using technology effectively and in timely manner is important.

Keep bedside visits pleasant and comforting

Having taken care of the clinical details of the case, the bedside visit is now focussed on exchanging pleasantries with the patient. The patient is more comfortable with the talk directed to him/her rather than between the doctors in-charge. I have often felt, that we don't do this enough in India.

Talk to the nurses

After the discussion and bedside rounds are done with, the resident's task is to call on the nurses and instruct them in a clear format what is to be done for their patients on that day. Everything is written and undersigned by the doctor and the in-charge nurse!. Here, the nurse's role is supreme- in fact she is the primary care-giver here who co-ordinates all the orders.

In India, nurses are given a raw deal. We never really acknowledge them as equals. Of course, in many cases, nurses are not really inclined to work!. But this mature interaction between the doctor and nurse, is something that needs to be emulated.

Patient information sheets for every intervention

Before any intervention, the doctor and nurse, arm the patient with a superbly descriptive patient information sheet, written in a language the patient and family can understand. This is given to the patient well before the time of the procedure. The patients are required to sign the form, as having consented to the procedure, having understood the risks.

Back home. we vaguely describe the procedure (orally!) and take a hasty consent (if at all!). This needs to change.

Acknowledge the primary treating physician

In the discharge sheet of every patient, the primary referring physician is sincerely acknowledged.  A detailed story of the patient's stay at the hospital is written down for their reference.

Very rarely, do we in India, even turn the pages of the case file to see who has referred this patient to us!. Networking is everything.

Have a summary sheet out front which reads like a biography

It only takes 5 minutes to get acquainted with any new case in the wards here. Everything in the patient's medical history is neatly typed out on a summary sheet placed on the front of the file, which is complete with dates and events.

Ward design and care

Cleanliness is one thing; but, having a beautifully designed ward is another thing altogether!. Its amazing how comforting, for any visitor/patient, a brightly lit ward with colorful pieces of art and windows streaming in sunshine, can feel like.