My New 'Space' - Part I

It has been a long hiatus, and I have absolutely no excuse for being away from blogging for this long. I am writing this piece from Strasbourg, France. Yes, it has been one hell of a ride ever since I left the lush green campus of my college at Trivandrum. I have lived multiple lives in the last 2-3 years, and yet, none of these ever felt a complete one...

My decision to study at International Space University (ISU), Strasbourg was one that baffled many, including myself. Off late, I have developed this habit of surprising myself, and in a way it helps me to keep pushing my limits and remain motivated. I have to admit that coming to ISU was that one odd smart decision that I seldom take. I have studied in a space institute before, and worked in a reputed national space agency, but never before I actually felt the charm and drive of what I was doing. At ISU, I met and mingled with these people who grew up watching TV shows like Star-Trek, Battlestar Galactica, etc., and always dreamt of being associated with 'space'. In contrast, my aspirations for being a space engineer was so fuzzy that I had to do some serious soul searching for why I was actually among these starry eyed kids! Before I get into details of my last 6 months, let me show you where I live!

Strasbourg, located in the north east part of France, is the seat of the parliament of the European Union. It is the capital of the region called Alsace, and is the 6th largest city of France. With its location by the banks of the river Rhine, the region of Alsace has a deep history of violence between the French and Germans, and its possession has switched several times between the two in the last two centuries. They even have a language of their own, which they call as Alsatian, and is very similar to German. Hence, if your are ever here, don't be surprised to see signboards in French as well as German (oops, I mean Alsatian!).

I arrived here via Frankfurt, since air connectivity of Strasbourg is as good as the train connectivity of Sriharikota. On my way to Strasbourg from Frankfurt by bus, I happened to see most of my dream machines - Lambhorgini, Ferrari, BMW motorcycles, a Harley-Davidson chopper, overtaking my bus (moving at around 120kmph) at ease, as if it were an auto-rickshaw. My first evening was very eventful, and that set the tone of my stay here. I understood the importance of two things that day - the battery life of your phone/smartphone (how I missed those old Nokia phones...), and paying attention to learning the local language. 

I was overwhelmed initially by the surroundings, the roads (they are opposite to those in India) and most of all, the number of people I saw around me. Coming from Kolkata, this seemed like a world apart, and it sure was. It took me some time to stop converting the prices in euros to rupee in my mind, but by that time I was completely aware that I was going to be ripped off in this place! France is expensive, and Strasbourg was no better. But that is a small price that I paid to live in this beautiful city. I had traveled around 18hrs straight, but that did not stop me from going to visit the famous Cathedral within 24hrs of my arrival. And I got to see the cathedral like this! (there was a light and sound show)

Same day, I got introduced to two things that I would spend a lot of time during my stay at Strasbourg. This bespectacled half Croatian-half Italian guy, and the awesome Alsatian Blanc beer!  

The first week at Strasbourg was a blurr...I was attending beginner French classes in the morning, and partying every night with the new found group of people, and my future classmates. The only thing that was common among us was that we could speak English. All of us were from different countries and cultural backgrounds. That did not deter us to quickly bond with each other because we all were foreigners in this country. It was an altogether new experience for me. I shed off the fake south Indian English accent I had been wearing for the past few years in a matter of few days. I also shed off a lot of inhibitions, to be able to greet the French way, by kissing them on their cheeks, without the air of awkwardness. Nevertheless, I learnt it the hard way when I met this beautiful French gal who leaned forward to kiss me, and I stuck out my hand instead to greet her, successfully making both of us look stupid. I made up for that lost moment though, when I met her again at a bar later that week ... ;)

It used to be bright and sunny for the first month when I arrived. Somehow I couldn't help but draw parallel between the weather and the mood of the MSS14 class (that's how we call ourselves). But more on that later..Out of my enthusiasm about my new college, I visited its campus (a 10mins walk from my residence) before the classes started. It was a small, yet beautiful campus and I instantly fell in love with it, especially the student lounge, which was fully furnished and totally awesome!

The next few months were he most memorable (though sometimes not) times of my life. I will try to cover some important aspects in my future articles. Keep reading!