Well, I am on a scholarship programme and thanks to the EU, I am pretty much having a ball. I travel, I keep my eyes and ears open, I smell the fresh air of all the exotic places that I go to and I talk to my mother everyday, trying to pursuade her that I am studying very hard.

Obviously she does not believe me and once in a while I get these ominous sounding calls from my father from India. The poor man attempts, if only vainly, to sound like Jehova from the old testament, but I always get the better of him.

Anyway to return to my point, When I started packing my bags in India, I told myself a whole lot of things. How this was like the mother of all oppurtunties and how I should thank my family and my relatives and friends and well-wishers and....it was as good as getting an Oscar. Then again I made a few promises to my self and the most important one was that I must be 'Smart' at all points of time. It does not matter if I get drenched in the rain or a volcano bursts behind me......I must never let go from being 'Smart".

Initially it seemed like quite an easy thing to do. I looked at the customs officer at the airport and I knew I was better than him. I had a Danish Visa and he asked me where I was heading....ofcourse Paris, since its all part of the schengan.

Then I boarded the plain only to sit next to a young man. I was happy, god was being very kind, knowing that I had been single for a while now......if only I had known that this man did not speak a familiar language and drooled while he slept. I am sure its a turn on but I thought I'll pass!

Then I finally landed in Copenhagen and went straight to the railway counter to book a ticket to Aarhus. I offered the lady some Euros and she stared at me as if I had just undressed in front of her.......Then she spoke to me like I was a retard to whom she had to be sympathetic....I had to speak to her in the same fashion since she did not leave me with much choice. I was still being 'Smart'.

Once in Aarhus, I met my mentor, she was a white doll......she carried all my luggage for me for several hours on end. I kept telling her that she was able to do it because of her long legs......O cummon I am allowed my moments of weakness! Then I went to the nearest bank to open an account and I was particularly aware of my Promise to myself.......I chanted it like a prayer and I went upto her....I told her I wanted to open an account and if she could tell me what was the procedure to transfer Euros and how much did they take as commission.....All this in one breath! She began to answer me and within five seconds I was aware I had lost her! So I just took the card....I now remember her wanting to say something else but i was in a terrible rush!

So much for being "Smart" now I did not know how to operate my Card on the ATM because everything was in Danish. So I asked a fellow passer-by to help me! He did so with amused eyes so I stared right back! Then I got into this terrible habit of asking people if they were danish?

Then all Erasmus scholars had a formal introduction and each was asked to introduce themselves and describe their area of interest, everyone was so serious (Naturally, its a fuckin academic programme silly), it was my turn and i was practicing for so long that I forgot , BLANK.....so I S-P-E-L-T my name (Awww Gawd) and since everyone was looking so Expectantly, I said and I quote in all embarrassment " I cant wait to meet David". There was silence, some amount of awkward staring and then moving on........the girl sitting infront leaned back and asked......"Whose David?" ofcourse I had to be 'smart' and I looked at her incredulously...."But ofcourse Michaelangelo's David!".............."Awwwwwwwww....him" she exclaimed. Does not matter, misfortune befalleth the hero often!

PS: After a series of such note worthy happenings, I am beginning to pray that I may be a little less smart, a lot more stupid and a little less expectant. After all wasn't it Hepburn who said "its good to be top banannas in a shock department"!

I like to think that if not the whole world I have pretty much figured myself out. Most of the times I try to wallow in this glorious understanding and often times when I am all alone in my room, I convince myself that I can stand my own anywhere. However this confidence always eludes me when I am faced with reality. Part of the problem lies never really confronting my very basic animal instincts. I am most like a cat-as I have arrived after much thought!

Now if you read Eliot's "Old Possum's book of Practical cats" you will realize that there is a cat in all of us. I a nothing special. I am extremely thoughtful-I let hours pass by thinking all I could have done and that tomorrow is always another day. I keep my room and my surroundings tidy, but wold never wash that extra pan that I never really used. Very often when I find enough strength to motivate myself, I am suddenly plagued by numerous thoughts all at once and finally I am left absolutely exhausted and I take a short power nap....that lasts for hours!

As of now I have started Blogging to console myself that I dont really 'waste time....I just prefer to wait for the next train really!