First of all, thanks for your comments on Website & valuable suggestions. I may not be able to do that for even the initial site work took two weekends. Thanks to your responses, I am contemplating of releasing IPO soon on Nasdaq & BSE simultaneously. But already Rediff.com has started talks of acquiring "Polish Times" in an all stock deal. I am thinking about RSOP (Readers Stock options..)

 For the readers to know about the AUSHWITZ GHETTOs, our special correspondent (who else, its yours truly) was sent last weekend. It was amazingly silent & they are preserving all the witnesses like Living rooms, Barracks etc. Atleast 15 lakhs were killed here.. Gas chamber (easiest way to kill atleast 2000 with minimal weapon ie Poisonous Gas..) & Fotos about the atrocities caused to Poles & European Jews were on display. If not in mail, you can find a section on this soon in Website.

 After a bit heavy PT last week, its time for some fun.There were many cultural shocks (atleast initially) for me in first few days. Just in lighter vein I have tried to cover all.

**East is East**

 "East & West will never meet!!"  No wonder they divided the world as East & West. So drastically differentiated are our cultures. Though anyone may be tempted to say that "These people have no culture at all", their culture itself teaches them all what they do now & culture is quite old too.

 "Families are sweet only in Fotos" - A polish proverb puts it in right perspective. May be bit exaggerated as for as my experience goes. If not so tight-knitted as indian family like singing "Hum Sath Sath Hain", it is better compared to any other relationships.
 I have not heard of MOTHER-IN-LAW & DAUGHTER-IN-LAW kind of fights so far like in our india. I even know some of our  M-I-Ls who were harrassing their D-I-L even before the marriage.

 Children are free from the age of 15, to choose whatever life & career they want. Girls go "KAUN BANEGA MERA PATHI" & we wonder "KAUN BANEGA KISKA PATHI". Not surprisingly, Love has so many dimensions.. Check out the conversation below which enlightened me.

 My friend who had little interest in one girl suddenly said that she looks beautiful now & he like her. " I dont know, May be becos its spring.. Birds are singing.. Trees are green.. Chandru,you also should find a girlfriend". I wondered what will happen in summer to this seasonal love. Broken relationships are part of life here. Even I have changed two girlfriends so far..twink.(You know I am kidding.. Be wherever "Phir Bhi dil Hai Hindustani!" Lets shake your hands like shah rukh! ) Before you ponder more, I should say that I have seen many pairs who are together for long time.

 Marriages are done when you find your better half.(or worser half depending on who you are!) "No Marriage fixing like us". I asked my friend why his sister has not married yet, he replied that she has not found her boyfriend yet.. Wow!!  Polish times gives all rights to you to print this & show it to your PARENTS!!

 Though Marriages are as important as ours, surprisingly its done with low profile. Very few people are invited to marriage & mainly are done in saturdays in churches. I wanted to see a polish marriage & I was invited to two marriages of my friends, but unfortunately they fall on Aug 5 & 7 & I'll be in india then. I will be wine & Dine party. Talking of wine, almost everyone were surprised to know that not all indians drink alcohol. "Make chandru drink beer, you will get two bottles of Wodka"  is the latest bet among my friends. Even one of them came for a deal, "Chandru, drink a little, we'll share the Wodka". Poor guy!

Kandu kondein, Kandu kondein..

 Finally I met a true indian in the sense, a fresh out of college, InfoTech guy from Delhi for his training. We met accidently in McDonald & first thing he asked me was to speak in Hindi. We freaked out in streets of wroclaw asking his Irish Friend(whom u saw in pic last week) "Aathi kya Twardogora!!". We went to Panoroma & Muzeum & finally to Indian restaruant. He went mad seeing Panner Makkan & Naan. It was good speaking Hindi with an indian.Since he lives quite far from my place, I just keep in touch thru mails. 

 If it was Indian on sat, then I bumped on Tamilan on sunday. I spoke in Tamil for 1.5 hrs with him which I couldn't do for last six months.(except when I speak to myself,when I cook) Damodharan,at around 60, is owner of the Indian restaurant with four branches in various cities of poland, his whole family are settled in Warsaw. Six months in Poland & Six month in Chennai. From Polish Culture to Jayalalitha, we spoke a lot.He invited me to his house in warsaw for south indian Dinner.

 Talking of food, I gave a party to my friends here with Chappathi & Egg Masala since my french friends were going on vacation. Though polish are known for hospitality, I hardly had a chance to witness that. But after my party, Jacek invited us to his house where his sister made some typical polish food. In the Meantime, I have got a strange feeling that Indian spices that I brought from india will be wasted. :-(

Finally a Snap of party on a colleagues marriage in office.. The picture is very unclear since it was taken in official digital cam,though you can find me in the center with my Tall Co-ordinator.

Do widzenia!!.

Your friend Chandru !
Editor, Polish Times.
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