Volvo Ocean Race

The weather this midsummer in Helsinki wasn't inspiring enough to spend the long weekend in Finland, so I decided to spend the long weekend in Stockholm. Luckily it was also the time for Volvo Ocean race's Stockholm port stopover. This meant that for the first time I could see the yachts from this famous sporting event.



This year the race started from Alicante, Spain eneded on June 27th at St Petersburg, Russia.









Ericsson 4, which was leading the race till the Stockholm leg won the race eventually. The skipper of this boat was Brazilian Torben Grael.





It sure is an unparalled feat to cross the world oceans in nothing but a yacht and one can just imagine the endurance of all those who participated in the race..

India visit

I am travelling; would be in India for next 10 days.

Water under the bridge

Seems like a new beginning for this blog. After 4 years of blogging, I am exactly where I started, a clean slate and my blog only to me. Lot of things worth blogging happened in the last four months. To quote the line from the movie we all know – “A lot of water has flown over the dam and under the bridge”. Can’t say I would remember all of them at this morning hour, without my cup of tea, but let me try.

First mention, the loss of one of my favorite TV journalist – the venerable Tim Russert. I still can’t believe that he is no more and I am still living my Sundays. I haven’t watched any episode of ‘Meet the Press’ after him. It is not like Tom Brokaw is any less of a star, but I somehow feel I would be betraying Tim by watching the show without him. It was so ironical to lose him few weeks after that he was put as TIME’s, 100 most influential people with the comment “ the road to white house goes through Tim Russert ” from former NY governor Mario Cuomo. Half the fun of US presidential election has diminished without Tim’s pronounciations. His last being on May 7th just after Indiana and North Carolina primary when he had said this “We now know who the Democratic nominee’s going to be, and no one’s going to dispute it,” Somehow on my blog, as in my life, I didn’t do the things, I most wanted to – Obituary on Tim Russert, and also a piece on Katie Couric leaving NBC.

A month later, two other notable departures from world scene, Tony Snow, former White House press secretary and Randy Pausch, the CMU professor. Both snatched from the world scene by the cruel destiny.

In another blog-world development, we have now the face behind our favourite Waiter. Steve Dublanica he is, and I always thought he would be bit older. I have been one of his early readers from 2004, when he started to blog on blogger. What a journey for him from blogger to national television. Now our club guy may do a re-thinking of anonymity. And hey, someone do tell me if we have the name behind Fake Steve Jobs yet ?

Last mention for this morning, and I would update this on my blogger profile, I have changed my job role. I have never written about my work on my blog, but after a year of toying with sales, I have moved entirely from consulting to sales. There was lot of thinking behind this move and considering the outcomes of all my calculated, planned and carefully thought moves, I just wish the outcome ain’t the same.

In lesser developments, during my numerous flights I discovered this 2007 movie - The Great Debaters. Though a strange choice for in flight movie, it will get added in my best movies list. Thank you Finnair and wait for my hate post on Lufthansa.

For my best book read during travels it has to be – "Father, Son & Co.: My Life at IBM and Beyond"

Just after 7 months of buying Nokia 6110 Navigator, I now have the Nokia E71. A vastly improved navigation and other similar features over 6110, though I have to discover most of the other features- the manuals are only in Finnish & Swedish. Also my new DELL D630 is so ancient compared to the Think Pad I had.

All done, I should be back to my normal blogging.

Back in town

So it is now a month that I returned to finland after a gap of six months. It was as surprising to me to be back here as to others. I guess there is something in my destiny that brings me back to Finland, every time I leave it.

For all I know, I was supposed to move to Hong Kong for indefinite period. Tickets were booked, my bags were packed, but at the last moment I decided not to go. Ofcourse it was not that easy to say no, I had lot of uncomfortable questions to answers later. Had I accepted that offer, I would not have been here today. So it’s destiny. I don’t know how long I would be here this time. Living out of bags is also one integral part of my destiny.

First time I flew directly to Helsinki from India, unlike the stopover at Paris on earlier flights. The flight was good and totally convenient: just 7 hours of travel time. It didn’t feel like intercontinental flight, most flights in India with delays and congestions are almost 4 hours. Just after landing in Helsinki, in two hours, I had to take the flight to Copenhagen and then train to Malmo(Sweden). The bridge over the sea that connects Denmark and Sweden is quite impressive. First time I crossed that bridge. The trains from CPH airport to Malmo are so frequent, every twenty minutes, and takes twenty two minutes to reach Malmo Center. I think the bridge is called Öresund Bridge. It is 16Km long and was opened to rail and road traffic in 2000. Marevellous infrastructure. Well, after the weekend, I had to take return flight and on Monday evening I was in Helsinki and back to my old office.

Here I am, my fourth successive winter in Finland and I am enjoying it.

Good Bye Finland !

Happy Easter everyone!

So what should have been during last Christmas is happening now – I am making the move from Finland. What was supposed to be short two months assignment became nearly six months, and though it is not yet officially completed, my part is done. So tomorrow I take the early morning Air France flight out of Helsinki.

In couple of hours, all my belongings would fit in two bags and the dumpster, I would book myself a taxi for tomorrow and I am good to go. I won’t even think about what I am feeling now, it is becoming part of my life. Though this time I have several other feelings alongside making the whole process torturous.. I decided to fly only on Wednesday and booked the flight for Monday morning. Now all the intervening days are Easter holiday and I thought I would have ample time to pack and clean the apartment, etc. I didn’t realise it would be so difficult to pass every minute of these days. It is hard to live in the apartment with your bags packed at one corner. I should have booked my flight on Friday morning.

I am not sure what I am going to do next. For now, I have taken two weeks off and after three flights and overnight train journey would reach my parents place. I have no other place to stay in India for now. I desperately need this time to clear my head.