What I Think

I've been obsessed with Christmas ever since I was a kid. Back then, I’d flip through storybooks and stare at pictures of Santa, sparkling trees piled high with presents, snowy scenes, and tables loaded with cakes and cookies. I was totally captivated and always dreamed of celebrating it for real. Fast forward to December 2000: a friend and I were hanging out at a mall near Westend Cinema in Pune. The place was decked out for the holidays, packed with beautifully wrapped gifts, and the vibe was just amazing. As we sat there sipping coffee, I turned to my friend and said, "Wouldn't it be incredible to celebrate Christmas in a place where they really go all out—like somewhere in Europe or the US?" Well, Santa must have been listening! Just a year later, my friend got married and moved to the US, while I landed a job in Germany. Talk about a wish granted! By 2001, I was finally experiencing a real European winter, complete with snow and holiday cheer. But something was s...

The German word Burg means Castel. Burg Frankenstein is about 5 km south of Darmstadt in Germany. This castel was first built in 1100 and expanded in the 14th and 15th Centuries. In 1976, American soldiers stationed in Darmstadt founded an annual Halloween festival at the castle, which has grown to become one of the biggest Halloween festivals in Europe. There are few stories about this castel. Every year there is a big famous halloween event at the castel for 3 weekends near halloween. On these weekends , there are different horror shows, enactments of some horror plays and party. Last year one of our friends told us about this and we decided to attend this halloween show and party this year. It is necessary to buy the tickets well in advance as the tickets are limited and many people attend this shows. Well i was very excited to go there as this was my first Halloween party ever. One day of this halloween weekend is for children above 7 years and other day is for adults above 14 y...

Yesterday I attended a Patisserie course at crown plaza hotel. Till now I always used to wonder this dessert buffet at crown plaza . Always used to think that it must be something that only professional cooks can do but never thought its actually really simple to make even at home. This was my first time to attend such course here in germany. We were almost 13 people in the course. course timing was at 14.00hr. and exactly at 14.00 hr. the head cook with his 3 assistants came where we were seating and introduced him and his team to us. Perfect german timing..... :) Everything was well organised. the whole staff there was also very  friendly. We all got one cocktail as welcome drink. when we heard this one of our team member asked oh...is it possible to cook after drinking alcohol? the chef said....well professionals like me can manage it better after 1,5 promillo but u should not :)  well he was kidding. But we all got anyway alcohol free cocktail. then we all got a...

FOOD… My Favourite Four-Letter Word FOOD… what an amazing word! And probably my most favourite one. Just looking at me, anyone can probably figure that out. 😄 I am not a very choosy person when it comes to food. In fact, I just love to eat . I love trying different kinds of food — food from different countries, different restaurants, vegetarian, non-vegetarian… basically, I am open to almost everything! Ever since I was a child, I loved eating at restaurants. Unfortunately, my parents were not big fans of the idea. My mother cooked really good food at home, so naturally she wanted my sister and me to eat at home. But we were much more interested in eating outside. 😄 Luckily, my grandmother understood us! I still remember how, after our exams — and sometimes after we got our results — my grandmother would take me, my sister and my cousins out for a day. It was a complete little adventure for us: going out with Grandma, shopping, and then eating our favourite food at a restaurant. Wow...

Growing up in a traditional Indian family, even uttering the word "alcohol" was off-limits, let alone drinking it. Naturally, I knew next to nothing about different types of drinks or the culture around them. That all changed when I moved to Germany and discovered German beer culture for the first time. Here, beer isn't just a drink—it’s a way of life. Almost every small town takes immense pride in its own local brew. I eventually had the chance to visit Oktoberfest, the grandest beer festival of them all, and I was completely blown away. The massive tents, live folk music, crowds downing one-liter mugs after another, and the waitresses effortlessly carrying ten huge glass mugs at once in their traditional Dirndls —the energy was incredible. Walking into those tents and not having a beer felt like a cardinal sin, so of course, I indulged! However, I realized beer isn't really my thing; I’ve always preferred wine and champagne. Two years ago, a friend mentioned champ...

Last week, I rode past the local fields and saw farmers hard at work, and it suddenly hit me— Spargel season is right around the corner! Fresh white asparagus drenched in rich Hollandaise sauce... wow, my mouth is already watering. Before moving to Germany, I had never even heard of asparagus, but now it’s easily one of my favorite vegetables. Back home, it wasn’t a thing, but here, Spargel —especially the white variety—is absolute king. While you can find frozen or jarred asparagus in supermarkets year-round, nothing beats the fresh stuff. May and June are the peak months when the country goes completely asparagus-crazy. Roadside huts pop up everywhere, market stalls spill over with fresh stalks, and practically every restaurant rolls out a dedicated Spargel menu. People buy it in huge bundles, and the atmosphere is just amazing. At our house, these two months mean testing out all kinds of asparagus recipes. For the past three years, we’ve also made a point to visit the Spargel buf...

Growing up in Pune, walking was definitely not my thing. Until I was around 23, I barely walked anywhere—it was always an auto-rickshaw, my trusty scooty, or a car. Walking just for the fun of it? Absolutely not! That all changed when I moved to Germany. Without a local driving license, a car, or the budget for pricey taxis, I was left with just one option: walk, walk, and walk some more. 🙂 One day at the gym, I spotted a poster for an event called "Wandern on May 1st." I had never heard the word Wandern before, but a friend explained that hiking on May Day—a public holiday here—is a huge German tradition. The weather in May is usually gorgeous, so the idea of spending the day outdoors surrounded by nature instantly clicked with me. I signed up for the gym’s 15 km hike, and it ended up being an absolute blast! Around 40 of us trekked through lush forests and bright green fields under clear blue skies, stopping mid-afternoon at a cozy forest cafe for coffee and cake. I was ...