Despite the clamoring public who have repeatedly requested I besiege them with more fascinating glimpses into my wondrous surroundings, I think I shall just ignore their plaintive cries and do what I like doing best - writing monologues meant for the benefit of no-one but me :-)

During our extremely exotic Pizza Hut lunch (HEY - don't cast stones before understanding how difficult it is to eat outside in a country where even desserts have meat in them ... at least with the pizza, I was able to confidently point to the innocent margherita with no fear in my vegetarian heart ... dharm bhrasht and all that) But oh - must must must let you know that Germany is possibly one of the only countries which lets this much accursed birthday-party-and-screaming-kids chain not be deprived of its tipple. In plain language? They serve ALCOHOL!!! Yes, Pizza Hut had a wide range of beers, wines and other cocktails (although the cocktails were a speculation - it was all written in German) and to provide proof of the same ... PFA the photo. I just could not help thinking about our own little desi Pijja Hat, or Pidja Hut (Said in the same way as 'Chal Hat / Hatt') depending on the level of Gujjuness inherent in you, and of all the annoying meals we have had there because of the presence of those happy little frolicking children - and how, a nice drink would have actually made that meal, oh so much more tolerable.

(A glass of the ol' red to the left, and some stolid beer to the right - pls note the Pizza Hut sign)

Today was 'May Day' in Germany (yes, and of course in the world too - its just that my limited world view now limits everything around me) and they had some fascinating practices which I felt compelled to share with my legions of followers, and to hopefully get them to ask that vital question - "how much free time do these people have?"!!!

Haan - so, well, every May Day, people put up these branches / twigs (sometimes small trees - looks like in Germany, size does still matter) decorated with ribbons and crepe papers and hoist it over the house of someone that they love (yes, these things do still exist) as a sign of their undying nonsense etc etc etc. (OK - maybe the last part was my interpretation but you get the general idea) So found quite a few right outside my house (and for the smart-alecs, even if he was whipped and tied to a tree - Gaurav would never do something like that ... i.e. as in if he were able and all that of course :-) Pictures follow ...

So you get the general gist. Spread the word of love, my dear friends ... because, as profoundly quoted by a person of unknown origin on a significant single color sticker I found randomly adhered to a post box ... No, and no means no ... NO sex with Nazis. (Below) Cheerio.