25 Dec`- Les 5 Conus sont arrives.

For the 1st day in Malaysia - Samy discovered the mangosteen. Clea wanted to go for shopping at 10.00pm and Tais has waken up all of us at 4.15am.



The next day, before shopping we had our lunch at the KLCC food court where Samy tried the coconut juice and they have all taken the fish & chips. We all went shopping for a while and got back home at 6.30 pm. We all went to the swimming pool and had a dinner at R & K satay. Three of the children loved satay even Clea (so surprise). Until now, everything goes smoothly accept for the night that Tais keep waking up Clea & Samy.......with Ariane & Francois need to open their regulation bible in the middle of the night.

Happy Holiday for all of us :-)

It's a Christmas again

It's Christmas again and also it's a holiday for most of us. As we will leave to Malaysia tonight and don't even know when we can connected again to the world, we would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry....merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2009. We hope that it is not too early.

C'est de nouveau Noel et aussi les vacances pour tout le monde. Comme nous allons partir pour la Malaisie ce soir et nous ne savons pas quand nous pouvons connecter avec du monde de nouveau et c'est pour cela que nous vous souhaitons Bonne Fetes de fin d'annee.....2009 et bonnes vacances.

Big kiss from NDH/Gros becs de NDH

Good bye to Mrs & Mr Dreyer

Together we say goodbye to ambassador and his wife. Celebration has been made in a modest way with local employees and their family.

An emotion smile from both of ambassador and his wife, Sonoko.

Children singing an Indian National thyme and there were few games that has been organised to celebrate the departure of the ambassador. It was fun.

How am I doing?? After a real adventure at the hospital, well I'm fine. For those who doesn't know what happened; actually I was admitted at the hospital few days ago for having so much pain on my left chest. We found out that I suffered from an ovarian cyst which was 4cm large. If I had a choice, I might not end up at this hospital. But at the same time I prayed and I prayed. Finally, last thursday, the doctor has told me that everything was fine. All the result was good. It is time to go for a holiday even Laurent faces so much problem in schengen installation. Hopefully we can go......

Big kiss from NDH/Gros becs de NDH

Terror in Mumbai

Well, it was quiet in Delhi this weekend as there was an election on Saturday. All the shops were closed due to a lots of reasons and further more the attack in Mumbai does make everyone of us afraid to go out even to the market. I am used to that feeling ever since we arrived in Delhi but what else can we do, just wait for the transfer which will be in two years time. I never feel secure everytime during our visit in other city in India. Perhaps I am a little paranoid but I think in this country better to feel unsafe.

Of course for a lot of people everyday life must go on, I am happy for them. Hiding like me at home also won't help anything. Perhaps also, I am tired to go out there, I am tired to see so many people around me....I am tired to see the men pissing around, yes, most of all, I am tired of the hassle. That is me tying to find a reason why I don't like to go out.

I am asking myself; how India wants to tackle to terrorist problem with the number of its popullation. Even I cannot imagine of how they're going to find the suspect with the similar feature of face that we see everywhere. Everyone looks so innocent and yet looks suspicious at once. For me they look the same.

Another story that I sould reveal here is for our smoking friends and family; it is prohibited to smoke in the public area in Delhi. Where is the public area; means everywhere even at hotel's terrace. Where they serve the food, there you cannot smoke. But urinate, as you may know, it is one of the national sport in India. People can urinate anywhere they want even right on your dining table too, it will do. I found that is so funny they don't allowed smoking at public area while urinate can. Isn't it definded the Incredible India.

Big kiss from NDH/Gros becs de NDH

Self-Deception

It is part of the human nature always to judge others very severely and, when the wind turns against us, always to find an excuse for our own misdeeds, or to blame someone else for our mistakes. The story that follows illustrates what I mean.

A messenger was sent on an urgent mission to a distant city. He saddled up his horse and set off at a gallop. After passing several inns where animals like him were normally fed, the horse thought: 'We're not stopping to eat at any stables, which means that I'm being treated, not like a horse, but like a human being. Like all other men, I will eat in the next big city we reach.'

But the big cities all passed by, one after the other, and his rider continued on his way. The horse began to think: 'Perhaps I haven't been changed into a human being after all, but into an angel, because angels have no need to eat.'

Finally, they reached their destination and the animal was led to the stable, where he greedily devoured the hay he found there.

'Why believe that things have changed simply because they do not happen quite as expected?' he said to himself. 'I'm not a man or an angel. I'm simply a hungry horse.'

Big kiss from NDH/Gros becs de NDH

Pollution in Delhi during winter

It seems a nice weather in Delhi now to walk around or to do some outdoor activities. But when winter has started, the air which cover Delhi is also polluted then ever. From the satellite picture which has been taken last week, shown that Delhi is one of the polluted city in Asia.

The huge smog-like plumes, caused mainly by the burning of fossil fuels and firewood, are known as "atmospheric brown clouds". When mixed with emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases blamed for warming the earth's atmosphere like a greenhouse, there are the newest threat to the global environment.

Soot levels in the air were reported to have risen alarmingly in Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata. Brown clouds were also cited as dimming the light by as much as 25% in some places including New Delhi, Karachi, Shanghai and Beijing. The clouds have been found to be more than 2km thick around glaciers in Himalaya and Hindu Kush mountain ranges.

It's definately dangerous to health but we were really enjoying our tennis tournament last week. Even we have lost the tournament but we were happy to participate and myself, I just have a minor injury on my back.

Big kiss from NDH/Gros becs de NDH

I can't get in

Acsa (American shop), in Delhi, there is a strange look that has been thrown to me everytime I visit the shop and today, I decide to go there again as I may need certain thing from the shop. As I am standing before it, a man at the door says:
'You can't come in.'
My intuition tells me that he is saying this purely for the pleasure of saying 'No'. I explain that I've come a long way; I try offering him a tip; I try being nice; I point out that this is, after all, a shop which I have an authorization to go in. Suddenly, going into that shop has become very important to me and I try to show him my authorization card but he just ignore me.
'You can't come in,' the man says again.
There is only one alternative: to carry on and see if he will physically prevent me from going in. I walk towards the door. He looks at me, but does nothing.
As I'm leaving, two other couples arrive and they, too, walk in. The old man does not try to stop them. I feel as if, thanks to my resistance, the old man has decided to stop inventing ridiculous rules. Sometimes the world asks us to fight for thing we do not understand and whose significance we will never discover.

Another day that I leave in Delhi.
Big kiss from NDH/Gros becs de NDH

Arabian cooking

BARKUK (Lambs with prunes sauce)

1kg Lamb leg or lamb shoulder
300g Prunes
100g Shelled almonds
1 Onion (sliced)
80g Butter
Cinnamon sticks
Sesame seeds
Honey
Olive oil

Soak the prunes in water for 30 minutes. Cut the lamb into 5 or 6 pieces. Put the meat in a saucepan with 2 - 3 sticks of cinnamon, the sliced onion, butter, a pinch of salt and 2 glasses of water. Cook slowly for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the lamb, set it aside and keep it warm.

Squeeze out the prunes, and put them in the pan along with 5 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, caramelize over a moderate flame.

Toast the almonds in a skillet with 3 tablespoon olive oil, and toast the sesame seeds in the oven. Serve the meat with the prune sauce, garnish with the almonds and sesame seeds.

Bon appetit.
Laurent et Meenz

Beraya di Seri Maya

Lemang; without lemang, Hari Raya would never been the same. Lemang is a sticky rice cooked with coconut milk and inside the bamboo. Lemang is always served with chicken or beef rendang. It's delicious.

This was break fasting time at Yati's place. Not enough chair to sit, so we have a dinner on the floor
The third hari raya, we received a family who came from Penang, Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur. The apartment was full but it was really fun even we had to cook almost the whole day. We have never thought beraya at Seri Maya could be happening:-))

Just chose which one you like :-))

Big kiss from Seri Maya/Gros becs de Seri Maya

Jerash

Jerash just another one of the romain city in the ancient time. People before knows how to have fun:-))
Jerash - Deuxieme attraction touristique de la Jordanie, apres Petra l'ancienne cite de Jerash a ete habitee, sans discontinuite, depuis 6500 ans.

L'age d'or de la cite remonte a l'Empire romain et la site est aujourd'hui repute comme l'une des cites romaines les mieux preserves au monde. Dissimulee sous le sable avant d'etre decouverte et restauree durant 70 ans, Jerash est l'exemple meme de la planification municipale romaine, vaste et formelle, dans tout le Moyen-Orient. Elle est ornee de rues pavees, a colonnades, d'immenses temples sur la crete des collines, de theatres ravissantes, de places publiques spacieuses, de thermes, de fontaines et de murailles percees par des tours et des grilles.

Sous son placage greco-romain, Jerash conserve un savoureux melange d'Occident et d'Orient. Son architecture, sa religion et ses langues sont le fruit du melange et de la coexistence de deux puissantes cultures, celle des greco-romains dans le bassin de la Mediterranee d'une part, et celle des arabes de l'Orient d'autres part.

La ville moderne de Jerash est situee a l'est des ruines. Bien que l'aspect ancien et le nouveau se retrouvent dans la meme enceinte, la ville a pu se developper loin des ruines grace a une conversation et a un amenagement soignes.

In Jerash, for those who loves the festival: you can partipate in Jerash festival which taking place every year in July. For further information, visit www.jerashfestival.com.jo

Big kiss from DEL / Gros becs de DEL

Having fun in Dead Sea - 05th July 08

It is really a fun place to be. To float in the water without making any effort.....just great. Unfortunately, we can't stay too long, not more then 15 minutes. But you always can come back in the water anytime you like.

Here is Laurent, having a mud musk all on his body.

La mer morte.

La mer Morte beneficie d'un heritage historique et culturel qui lui est propre. On pense qu'elle fut le siege de cinq villes bibliques: Sodome, Gomorrhe, Admah, Zeboim et Zoar (Bela). Aujourd'hui, sa cote partiellement habitee, est tres paisible. Ses paysages n'ayant presque pas change depuis l'antiquite, elle represente un lieu privilegie pour des promenades en voiture. Vous pouvez egalement prendre un bain de soleil, nager et diner; ou vous detendre dans l'eau, au gre des clapotis, et constater avec emerveillement que vous ne coulez pas! Delectez-vous avec un message relaxant ou assayez un bain de boue prelevee dans la mer pour profiter des ses mineraux et vertus apaisantes.

Big kiss from DEL/gros becs de DEL

Jordan and its history

Day 3 - Leaving Petra and heading to Al Karak, we have made a stop at Shawbak Castle. Situated at least one hour on the north of Petra.


Al Karak - Before heading to Dead Sea, we have made another stop at Al Karak.

Ancienne forteresse des Croises, Karak s'eleve a 900 metres au dessus du niveau de la mer et siege a l'interieur de l'enceinte de la vielle ville. Encore aujourd'hui, la ville arbore de nombreuses batisses ottomanes du XIXeme siecle qui ont ete restaurees, ainsi que des restaurants et des gites. Mais c'est sans conteste le chateau de Karak qui domine.

L'habitant le plus celebre de la ville fut Renaud de Chatillon, dont la reputation reste inegalee en matiere de perfidie, de trahison et de brutalite. Lorsque Baudouin II mourut, son fils, lepreux de 13 ans, rechercha la paix avec Saladin. Cependant le roi lepreux mourut sans heritier et c'est alors que Renaud de Chatillon lui succeda en gagnant la main de Stephanie, la riche veuve du regent de Karak qui avait ete assassine. Il rompit soudainement la treve avec Saladin qui se presenta a nouveau avec une armee gigantesque prete au combat. Renaud de Chatillon et le Roi Guy de Jerusalem menerent les Croises et subirent une terrible defaite.

La premiere expansion de l'Islam au-dela de la peninsule arabique etait dirigee vers le nord, en Jordanie. C'est la qu'eurent lieu les premiers contacts entre l'Islam et le monde byzantin non arabe, et donc des batailles strategiques au VIIeme siecle: les batailles de Muta, de Yarmouk et de Fahl (Pella). De nombreux compagnons et leaders militaires du Prophete Mahomet furent eriges en martyr et enterres en Jordanie. Leurs tombeaux sont aujourd'hui des sites de pelerinage tres importants pour les musulmans pratiquants, comme Al Mazar al Janubi, a 25 minutes seulement au sud de Karak.

Shawbak - Le chateau de Shawbak, seul temoin de la gloire passee des Croises est a moins d'une heure au nord de Petra. Autrefois appelle <<>>, Shawbak remonte a la meme epoque troublee que Karak. Elle est perchee sur le flanc d'une montagne et ornee vers le bas de nombreux arbres fruitiers. A l'exterieur, le chateau est tres impressionnant avec sa grille imposante et son triple mur d'enceinte. Malgre toutes les precautions du constructeur le chateau est tombe aux mains de Saladin, 75 annees seulement apres sa construction.



Big Kiss from DEL/Gros becs de DEL

Postcard from Jordan

It has been a long time. Hi everybody. I'm sorry that I had really no time to update my blog until today. Life has been busy for the past few month and we are really happy that this time we have chosen a beautiful destination for our vacation. Even it is only for 6, we had a good time in Jordan.

1st day - 3rd July 2008

We have arrived at Queen Alia Airport at 11.30a.m. My sister, Pete was already there along with her son Yasser as well as Mr.XX from Hertz where we have rented a car. After 20 minutes drives, we have reached Pete's home, where the whole family has been waiting for us. Everyone was so occupied by the time we have reached there. We had lunch with "Pete's family in-law" and guess what we had for lunch: Goat head serve with yellow rice:-)

After 2.30pm, we have started our journey, heading to Petra. A journey to Petra was about a little bit more than 3 hours. Nobody was on the road.....it is completely different than India where there is no place to be alone except in the room....still I'm not so sure about that. It is a pleasure for once we can be ALONE...by ourselves.

It was almost 6.00pm and we have finally arrived at Mövenpick Petra, situated just in front of Petra main entrance. That night, we have agreed to see Petra by night unfortunately we could not take a photo as it was too dark and it was lighten up only with 1500 candles. It was so silence and we have hardly seen the star and sky.

About Petra: (English version will be available in one week and we are sorry for the inconvenience).


"Ahlan Wa Sahlan"

Souvent décrite comme la huitième merveille du monde, Pétra est sans conteste le plus précieux fleuron de la Jordanie et son site touristique le plus convoité. Vaste cité taillée dans la pierre par les Nabatéens, civilisation arabe ingénieuse qui s'est établie en Jordanie il y a plus de 2000 ans, elle constituait un carrefour stratégique sur les routes commerciales de la soie et des épices, reliant la Chine, l'Inde et l'Arabie méridionale à l'Egypte, la Syrie, la Grèce et Rome.

Le royaume nabatéen subsista pendant des siècles et Pètra fut considérablement admirée pour sa culture raffinée, son architecture colossale et son système ingénieux de digues et canalisations d'eau.

Cependant, l'Empereur romain Trajan annexa finalement le royaume et dès le XIVème siècle, le monde occidental perdit Pétra, et ce, pendant trois siècles. Puis en 1812, Johann Ludwig Burchardt, voyageur suisse, persuada son guide de le mener sur le site de la soi disante cité perdue. Dans son carnet de notes et de dessins secrets, il ecrivait: "Il est très probable que les ruines de Wadi Musa soient celles de l'antique Pétra".

Pour protéger Pétra, aujourd'hui classée patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO, tous les équipements touristiques ont été placés dans la ville de Wadi Musa, près de l'entrée du site.

Le principal monument de Pétra est bien entendu la cité elle-même. Le monument le plus célèbre de Pétra, le Trésor d'Al-Khazneh, apparaît de manière saisissante au bout du siq. Utilisée dans la séquence finale du film "Indiana Jones et la dernière croisade", cette façade est le premier des secrets que Pétra vous réserve.....

Big kiss from Jordan.

Federer....a perdu

He has lost again, anyway, we didn't have much hope for him to win and at least at the French Embassy, they served good food during the match. We kept busy enjoying foods and drinks until we don't feel much pain on his lost. Well, let see next year....:-(.

Bye guys....it is time to sleep.

Celebration

21h00 Opening Euro 2008 * Switzerland (CH) - Czech Republic
It has started last night as CH played against CR in Basel. Marthy’s family has taken this opportunity to celebrate their departure from India to Switzerland. It will be one way ticket for this family. So, it was a red and white’s party means that everyone has to wear these two colors. They have also provided the big screen to view the live match between these two countries. Unfortunately, the winner goes to CR.
But it was fun……that is the most important thing.
In this country, there is nothing much we can create to have fun. Once we have a possibility which is not happening often, we have to grab it immediately. The Indian is interested only in cricket. Cricket is everything for them and sometime we can’t even look other sport as the entire sport channel showing a cricket. It is really pleasant for who does not like the cricket. The funniest thing is, now with euro08 and French Open 08 and soon we will have a Wimbledon tennis tournament, the Tata Sky has cut the entire sport channel which is mean that everyone wants the sport channel has to pay extra charges which will costs more. At the moment, we do not have this kind of problem and it allows everyone who wishes to watch French Open or Euro08 can come to our place.
And this afternoon, we are invited to watch a French Open on a big screen at the French Embassy. Well, apparently, it is not for everyone. It is only by the invitation only.

10.30 am Malaysian High Commission in Delhi.
We are invited to celebrate an anniversary of Tuan Yg Mulia Seri Paduka Baginda Yg Di Pertuan Agong (this is how we call our king in Malaysia). It was also an occasion to be with Malaysian who lives in India especially in Delhi and we could taste again a Malaysian dishes. Bonne appétit.

Big kiss from NDH/Gros becs de ந்த்

லுறேன்ட் ஏற மேந்ழ்

Sad news of Jaipur

19h15 - je suis rentre a la maison apres avoir fini de travailler. Enfin, la journee est termine. Quand Laurent a allume la tele, il y avait deja des nouvelles de Jaipur. A Jaipur ce soir, il y a eu 6 explosions. Ce que je me suis dit souvent, il ne faut pas allume la tele apres que le travail soit termine parce qu'a la tele, on n'a jamais des bonnes nouvelles :-(. Pour ceux qui etaient avec nous a Jaipur la derniere fois: c'est exactement les endroites que nous avons visite ensemble qui ont ete touche.

Voila, la nouvelle pour aujourd'hui.....

Big kiss from NDH/gros becs de NDH

Last tuesday with Economic Minister Swiss.

Another visit of Swiss minister and this with Mdm Doris Leuthard the Economic Minister of Switzerland. She came for the inauguration of Swiss-India Chanber of Commerce.

This is the Appenzel Musicien Group. Felt like we were in Switzerland in this particular reception with the music and foods and few of us really knows how to dance:-). Enjoy the picture and our favourite video.

बिग किस फ्रॉम न्यू डेल्ही/ग्रोस बेकस दे नौवेल्ले डेल्ही।

Big kiss from New Delhi/Gros becs de New Delhi.

Sun...sun...sunny

When it is cold, we stay inside and the same thing happen when it is too hot outside. At the moment, we still can tolerate with the sun but soon we will live during the night and day time we'll stay in the office or at home. In Delhi, the weather change radically. Few weeks ago, we had a pleasant weather with the sun and the fresh win but now it is hot and also very dry. Even if we don't stay under the sun the lips are almost burned. If others are suffering with the cold weather like in Europe or else where, Delhi's weather is becoming hot and hotter.

This is Nasi Kuning from Bali, served with satay lilit, chicken masak asam pedas and vegetable. It is served everywhere in Bali. It is a little sad to see that the Indonesian does not serve its delicious traditional foods often as they serve it only for the special occasion. So, everywhere we go, we will find this Nasi Kuning and Nasi Goreng with a little of Gado-Gado.

NASI KUNING (YELLOW RICE)

Serves 10 to 12

3 cups rice, rinsed
3 cups coconut milk
2 cups water
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh lemon grass
4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon, ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter

Place all ingredients, except butter, in a saucepan, then bring to boil. Simmer for 20 minutes over low heat or until all liquid has been absorbed, stirring a few times. Turn off heat and cover, then allow to stand for 20 minutes. Add butter and fluff, then place on a platter and serve hot.

SATAY LILIT (Minced Seafood Satay)

600g Skinned boneless snapper fillet* 1 cup Freshly grated coconut or ½ cup moistened desiccated coconut ½ cup Seafood Spice Paste (see below) 5 Fragrant lime leaves, chopped 1 pinch Black peppercorns, finely crushed 1 pinch salt 305 Bird’s eye chilies, very finely chopped 2 tsp Palm Sugar Lemon grass or satay skewers Mince fish fillet very finely in a food processor or with a chopper. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Mould a heaped tablespoon full of this mixtuyre around a wooded skewer or over trimmed stalks of lemon grass and grill over charcoal until golden brown. Note: this recipe will not work with frozen fish.

Have a nice try and big kiss from NDH/Gros becs de NDH

La chasse, le weekend et le bonheur....

Last weekend we had lunch with few different family. It was nice after a long time we didn't see each other. But on the 14th April, we didn't forget...it was just too many things to do. It was our 7th wedding anniversary. What is 7 if Elisabeth celebrated her 60th's birthday. If we have a long life in front of us we will celebrate again next year. Well let see next year.


Voila, notre repas de samedi passe. La vie n'est pas aussi terrible en Inde car nous pouvons encore manger ce plat. La viande a ete importe des Grison.....ummmpppphhh. Je ne vous dis pas que c'etait vraiment delicieux et cela vaut la peine de travailler un peu plus pour faire les spatzlis. Ce n'est pas encore fini.....hihihi car nous avons encore du stock. Bon appetit a tous.

Big kiss from NDH / Gros becs de NDH

Bali

These two weeks, we have been busy: with lunch and dinner or work. At the same time I had no idea what I need to write.

First of all, we were in KL for the vacations and spent 1 week in Indonesia (Jakarta and Bali). Talking about Bali: too many tourist or what else. Too many tourists that make the place look so happening but we didn’t have a feeling to have fun while we were there.

Perhaps it is not really good to speak about thing that I don't want to. So, we leave Bali here.

Big kiss from DEL/ Gros becs de DEL.

Flight MH190 to New Delhi

Last night, we took flu with Malaysian Airlines back to Delhi. We were shrunk by the Indian traveler who’s visiting Malaysia. They were so rude and making a very loud noise in the plain even by the time that the plain wanted to take off, they were still wander around and discussing with their friends. It was really out of control and the cabin crew couldn’t handle it anymore.

I think most of them having a problem with their ears because every time when they speak they have to shout. It sounds like in the fish market where the people are bargaining for the price. I didn’t know where it was coming from but I just stood up and shouted to all these people until they were quiet. I couldn’t think about anything else. At the end, I realized that all the eyes were on me, but I didn’t care and I felt a satisfaction after that. It has been too long for me to keep it inside me. For the Malaysian Airlines staffs, just to let you know that India is the best country to learn how to be rude and if you like to smile just don’t waste it for the Indians because it doesn’t mean anything to them. Obviously most of them are new rich people and they need to show who they are.

Ohhhhh, how I h…… this country.

Jodhpur with its blue city

With Yann we took a train from Old Delhi Railway Station at about 20.50. But guys, if you need to travel anywhere else in India from Delhi, careful: Delhi has 3 different railway stations that I’m not really sure if it is stating in your guide book. Make sure that you take a train at the correct train station.

We reached Jodhpur early in the morning and there was nothing open by that time. So, we walked around the city, tried to find a place where we could have our breakfast before heading to the Meherangarh fort.

By 10.30 am, we decided to walk through the Old City to reach the fort. Apparently, it wasn’t that far, it was just much complicated to find the way through the Old City, through the narrow roads. The city was still sleeping and it was nice to wander around.

Meherangarh Fort is a significant fort, built on the top of the hill with 400 feet above the city and is enclosed by imposing thick walls. Inside its territorial boundaries, there are several palaces which are known for their intricate carvings and sprawling courtyards.

Since Laurent would join us in Jodhpur, we decided not to spend the night there. We took a train straight to Jaisalmer.

பிக் கிச் பிரோம் டெல்லி / Gros becs de Delhi

Safdar Jung Railway Trip

Sunday - 17th February 2008




From Safdar Jung Railway Station and return at the same station: 2 hours trip and we can see almost all of Delhi. The fare is about Rs8/- (less then RM0.80). The video is showing a little part of Delhi. Buy One Free One: with what we paid, the image and sound and the odor is free. Unfortunately there is still no technology that can add the odor into the image that we take. Pour Michel et Fredy, je suis desole que vous aviez manque cette experience.

Enjoy the video and big kiss from New Delhi.

G

Saturday - 16 February 2008





On occasion of 60th jubilee year of the Indo-Swiss Friendship treaty, the Embassy of Switzerland New Delhi presents G, Galatea String Quartet: Yuka Tsuboi (Violin), Sarah Kilchenmann (Violin), David Schneebeli (Viola), Julien Kilchenmann (Violoncello). The group is coming from Zurich and does the concert also at Kolkata, Bangalore, Goa & Varanasi.

Enjoy the music and big kiss from New Delhi.

Moritz Leuenberger

Friday, 8 February 2008












Life still continue with a little bit of dinner left and right. Last Friday Momo was in Delhi. Ohhh ya, I forgot to introduce Momo to you guys. Momo = Moritz Leuenberger came to India for the 60 years anniversary of friendship treathy. He is a Enviroment's Ministre of Switzerland.

































Go back to Old Delhi with Sugu and Anabell. They are our friends from Malaysia. Anabell comes from New Zealand but lives in Kuala Lumpur and Sugu is Sugi's brother and we've met Sugi in Abuja by the time we were posted in Nigeria. Sugu and Anabell are staying not far away from our apartment in Kuala Lumpur, considering they are our neighbours.

Old Delhi is one of the fantastic place to take a lot of nice picture and going there now is something that I love to do.

Big kiss from New Delhi / Gros becs de New Delhi.

An endless story

Since last week, I’ve been reading the story about this tollgate which is newly open at Gurgoan-Delhi highway. I found out that is so annoying that they can’t stop complaining about the fact that they have to pay for using the highway. Few weeks ago, when the highway wasn’t open but ready to use the people kept asking the government or who ever was handling this highway property to open it as they couldn’t stand anymore with the traffic jam. It is normal while they were suffered all this time during the construction work need to be done and they had to stay hour and hour in the traffic but now it is a different story and I think it is also an endless story.

They are so proud to have this new highway which is 27km long and they said it is a ‘world class’ highway. Everything has to be a world class here. The tollgate has about 15 counters on each side, means it is huge thing but it doesn’t help much as the traffic in Delhi is craziness. Now that the highway is open as well as the tollgate, people start complaining to spend so many hours in the traffic and so much money, and they asked for more tollgate attendant to show them a correct way to go to avoid the traffic. Funny haa….it is even written in the newspaper. By using the highway definitely we have to pay ‘a little amount’ as to give a support for maintenance and technical fees. There’s nothing in the world that we can have for free.

We’ve been there once. We came back from Jaipur and had to wait for few minutes until we could pass through. We observed a little how these people drive. Well, honestly speaking some of them need to go back to school. They don’t want to queue up: in one lane there are three queues, so who is big and strong definitely can go through easily. There’s no way for them to follow the rules and there is no way for them to solve this problem until the people are educate enough to understand a simple thing like ‘queue up’ or ‘wait’. I keep telling myself that this is India and don’t try to understand anything. That’s how you make your life easier.

Big Kiss from NDH/Gros becs de NDH

Pushkar & Ajmer

It was a week after Christophe and Sandra left, Michel and Fredy arrived by knocking our door. The visitors have come and go and now the life goes back to normal. To have a normal life isn’t that easy as we are always planning to discover this Incredible India. I have a feeling that after all these time: started to get use with what we have and what we can’t have, what can see and what we cannot see. It is all about time. The last travel we had with Michel and Fredy, taught us about how to see the thing and accept it as it is and then only we can enjoy what we have seen.

The car broke down again this time. It seems the same problem that we had last time on our trip back from Manali. It was 5.45 am and was cold. We stopped in the middle of no where; there was just an engineering school not far away from where we stopped. After a while that they have tried to repair the car, we found out that the car won’t make it not even for 1 km a head. So, we decided to continue at least until Agra, at least to see the Taj Mahal. If they came all the way from Switzerland, it would be bad if they don’t see the famous Taj Mahal. First, we had to find the transport which can carry us straight away to Agra, and there he was the school bus driver offered us his help by sending us to our destination with only RS.100/- for all of us.

Finally we managed to reach Taj Mahal and decided to continue our trip until Jaipur on the same day and headed to Pushkar on the next day.

Well this time, I will speak only about Pushkar. Bewitching Pushkar has a magnetism all of its own, unlike anywhere else in Rajasthan. It’s a Hindu pilgrimage town, a cluster of pale onion domes, with 400 milky temples, where regular pujas (prayer) create the town’s episodic soundtrack of chanting, drums and gongs, and devotional songs booming out from crackling speakers. The town curls around a holy lake, said to have appeared when Brahma dropped a lotus flower. It also has one of the world’s few Brahma temples. Pushkar is only 11km from Ajmer but separated from it by Nag Pahar, the snake mountain.

The desert town clings to the side of the small but beautiful Pushkar Lake, with its many bathing ghats (steps or landing on a river) and fabulous temples. Pushkar town remain amazingly small despite the constant stream of visitors, and it’s a twisting maze narrow streets filled with interesting little shops, food stalls, hotels and temples. Fortunately, there’s virtually no motorized traffic in the main bazaar, making it a pleasurable place to explore at leisure.

Ajmer is a bustling, hectic town around 130km southwest of Jaipur. Ajmer contains one of India’s most important Muslim pilgrimage centres – the shrine of Khwaja Muin-ud-din Chishti, a venerated Sufi saint who founded the Chisthtiya order, which still exists as the prime Sufi order in India today – and has superb examples of early Muslim architecture. But Ajmer’s combination of high-voltage crowds, commerce and traffic, it’s very much a pilgrimage site rather than travellers’ hang-out, which accounts for the dearth of good accommodation and that was why we chose to stay in Pushkar. Apparently, Ajmer gets busy during Ramadhan and the anniversary of the saint’s death

Big kiss from NDH/Gros becs de NDH

Cette petite histoire de l' Inde

Big kiss from Taj Mahal / Gros becs de Taj Mahal

Voila, quelques jours a la maison. Augustin est malade depuis la semaine passé et je dois faire le ménage moi-meme. Je n’en me plaind pas, au contraire, cela me fait vraiment plaisir de pouvoir faire tout ce qu’il n’a pas fait pendant tout ce temps. Ce n’est pas parce que je ne lui ai pas dit mais tout simplement que je n’avais pas envie de repeter. Des fois, c’est plus simple de faire nous meme….n’est ce pas. Meme si je suis un peu deborde aujourd’hui, mais ce n’est pas grave. Hahahaha….j’ai fait notre lit seulement a 16h00. Hehehe….a la place de faire le lit a 16h00, il valais mieux de ne rien faire du tout car dans quel que heures je vais deja au lit.

Apres deux semaines de voyage, nous avons repris notre vie qotidienne: jouons au tennis et nous pensons deja a faire nos petites grillardes au bord de la piscine.

Hier, le dejeuner: c’etait le Penang Laksa. C’est un plat typique du Penang et Penang est une ile au nord-ouest de la Malaisie. Le Laksa est fait avec 100% du poisson (du maqueraux) et pour ce qu’ils n’aiment pas le poisson, ce plat n’est pas pour vous. J’ai eu trop faim et une envie trop forte de manger jusqu’a ce que j’oublie de prendre une photo. Desole, au moins vous ne baverez pas....n’est ce pas.

Ce matin, je me suis levee a 9h00 du matin. Quel bonheur. En prenant mon petit dejeuner, j’ai lu le journal d’aujourd’hui. Le journal local. Ben voila, encore deux filles qui se font violees. Quellle horreur. Il y a quelques semaine en arriere, il y a une fille qui s’est fait viole a Mumbai, elle vient de Latvie. Celle la est un peu conne. Elle est sortie d’une boite de nuit jusqu’a 1h00 du matin et elle etait seule evidemment. Un mec lui a demande de monter dans sa voiture, comme on tire une vache dans son nez, elle a suivi. Ce que j’ai lu ce matin, c’est une journaliste anglaise qui est venue en Inde pour passer ses vacances et elle aussi s’est fait viole a Udaipur par le maitre d’hotel ou elle dormait. Et une tourist americane qui s’est fait molestee a Pushkar. Alors, les filles, vous savez tres bien que les indiens ont envie de vous, donc faite attention quand meme. Ce n’est pas drole, quand on prend le petit dejeuner avec des nouvelles pareilles.

Voila, aujourd’hui, je ne sors pass…hehehe ce n’est pas a cause de ces nouvelles, c’est juste parce que Laurent a envoie la voiture pour faire le service. Et moi, je dois rester a la maison. Je ne prend plus le rickshaw-wallah toute seule.

28^th Dec 2007 – 29^th Dec 2007

From Varanasi, we came back to Delhi. We stayed for a night in Delhi and we were back on the track again in a train to Amritsar. In a ticket, it said that the journey would take 4 and ½ hours but it takes 5 and ½ hours. Amritsar is located in the northwest of India in the state of Punjab, 51 km from Lahore, Pakistan. Since we arrived in the afternoon, we took that opportunity to visit Attari/Wagah border 30km west of Amritsar.

We stayed one night in Amritsar as the city doesn’t offer much thing to see a part of Golden temple, Jallianwala Barg, Ram Barg, Mata temple and also Sri Durgiana temple. Laurent wasn’t in his best to walk around the whole day as he had a fever after catching a cold at Varanasi few days ago, but he kept on going and trying to stand on his foots. For a dinner we found a pleasant restaurant called Visra which is located not far away from a hotel where we stayed.

The next day, we started with the Golden Temple. The Golden temple is open to all and no-one asks for any money. It has a genuine spiritual atmosphere despite the crowds and, like the Taj Mahal, is worth visiting at different times of day, particularly sunrise and sunset.

The architecture, like the religion, is a blend of Hindu and Islamic styles but very different to both. The golden dome (said to be gilded with 750kg of pure gold) represents an inverted lotus flower, a symbol of Sikhism’s aim to live a pure life.

The Gentle Guru: Born in 1469 near Lahore in present-day Pakistan, Guru

Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, was unimpressed with both Muslim and Hindu religious practices. Unlike many Indian holy men, he believed in family life and the value of hard work - he married, had two sons and worked as a farmer when not traveling around, preaching and singing self-composed hymns with his Muslim musician friend, Mardana. He performed many miracles and stressed meditation on God’s name as the best way to enlightenment.

The saintly mystic believed in equality centuries before it became fashionable and campaigned against the caste system, the worship of idols, fasting and diet restrictions. He was a practical guru – ‘a person who makes an honest living and

shares earnings with others recognizes the way to God’. He appointed his most

talented disciple to be his successor, not one of his sons.

Guru Nanak died in 1539, but his hymns are still sung every day in every Sikh temple, and his picture hangs in millions of homes, from humble farm cottages to the prime minister’s residence.

The train from Amritsar to Delhi will leave only at 5.00 pm; we went from restaurant to other restaurant to kill time and also took a rickshaw going around the market, perhaps we would see something interesting.

We reached Delhi at 11.30 pm. Home sweet home.

Big kiss from NDH/Gros becs de NDH

The City Of Shiva, Varanasi previously called Benares.

(23^th Dec 2007 – 26^th Dec 2007)

Dear friends and family,

We would like to wish you all HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008. It may be a little bit too late but as you know that we weren’t around Delhi during the festivals end of the year 2007. Let me summarize about what we did during these two weeks.

We had Sandra and Christophe who came to visit us as well as India. Our first destination was Varanasi the Holy City. We took a train on 23^rd Dec 2007 to that city which we have known very little about it. As it shown it the photos and the interesting story behind it about the Hinduism, brought us there without to have a second thought.

The services in the train are divided in to two categories: they served food and never stop to serve chai, coffee and other drinks which I think the initiative is very good. But through all the cleanliness in general is very poor especially the toilets. The night seems so long and in the train it was hard to close the eyes as it was too cold. Funny thing with these Indians, they switched on the air conditioner while it was cold outside. We arrived at Varanasi train station the next day at 7.30 a.m. and at the train station, it is written in any travel books that the rickshaw-wallah always finds their way to cheat on the tourist. Well, some of us refused to believe what is written on the books as:

The predatory touts and rickshaw-wallahs in Varanasi pounce on visitors like starving tigers pouncing on a defenseless deer, and are the hassle that most travelers have to deal with. But Varanasi has a darker side and criminal element operates mainly around the airport, train station and bus station, so take extra care in these places.

Well, it did happen to us, when 4 of us tried to take 2 rickshaw-wallahs. When we didn't agree with their proposition to do a city trip with them, they had organized something behind us. What they tried to do was to separate us totally in a heavy city of Varanasi. Laurent and me, we were left at the fuel station, while Christophe and Sandra were left somewhere else. But at the end, we found each other at Assi Ghats with the help pf other rickshaw-wallahs.

It was 24^th Dec 2007, a Christmas Eve and most of the hotel were fully book. After trying and trying, at the end, we found one hotel which is next to the Haifa Hotel. We took a room on the roof top which has a small terrace. Sometime, came a cross my mind: what an idea to celebrate a Christmas in this city. It is so polluted.

About Varanasi:Varanasi, the city of Shiva, is one of the holiest cities in India. Hindu pilgrims come wash away all their sins in the Ganges. Varanasi was previously called Benares and Kashi (City of Life) and has always been as auspicious place to die, since expiring here offers moksha – liberation from the cycle of birth and death. The city is beating heart of the Hindu universe, a crossing place between the physical and spiritual worlds, and the Ganges is viewed as a river of salvation, an everlasting, ever flowing symbol of hope to past, present and future generations. The magical but sometimes overwhelming city where the most intimate rituals of life and death take place in public on the city’s famous ghats. The accessibility to the practices of an ancient but still living religious tradition is what captivates many visitors.
In the history, Varanasi has been a centre of learning and civilizationfor over 2000 years, and claims to be one of the oldest living cities in the world. Mark Twain wrote that ‘Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together.’

Its history dates back to 1400 BC, but it was around 8^th century AD that Varanasi rose in prominence when Shankarach Shiva worship as the principal sect. The Afghans destroyed Varanasi around AD 1300, after laying waste to nearby Sarnath, but the fanatical Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was the most destructive, looting and destroying almost all of the temples. The old city of Varanasi may look antique, but few buildings are more than a couple of hundred years old.

Helping The Great Mother To Breathe Again: The Ganges River, or Great Mother as it is known to Hindus, provides millions of Indians with an important link to their spirituality. Every day about 60,000 people go down to the Varanasi ghats to take a holy dip along a 7km stretch of the river. Along this same area, 30 large sewers are continuously discharging into the river.

The Granges River is heavily polluted at Varanasi that the water is septic – no dissolved oxygen exists. The problem extends far beyond Varanasi – 400 million people live along the basin of the Ganges River. The pollution levels mean that waterborne diseases run rampant among many villages that use water from the river.

2 days, we walked along the Ganges ghats, we witnessed a lot of thing: people taking a bath in this river, children playing around, the women washing their laundries and also the dead body has been burned on the riverside. Life looks harmony even though in the unpleasant condition.

The city of Varanasi is a heavy city and there is no place where you can be alone. Sometime it is easier to take a rickshaw to move around and also easier to see most of the thing around us. We took the train back to Delhi on 26^th Dec 2007. The train was 2 hours late. We reached Delhi end of the day.

Big kiss from Delhi/Gros becs de Delhi