News from Cologne

This morning it was a riot trying to find a parking spot at the station where Ayse and I went, to pick up Bablu. Bablu was returning from Amsterdam. Well, finally Ayse just stopped in the parking lot and told me to wait and that she would be back in a minute or two, with Bablu.

I said, what if someone comes by and picks a quarrel with me about the way you`ve parked? Ayse said, "Just wave your stick at him and tell him to go away!" Luckily nothing happened and Ayse was back - but without Bablu. Maybe the train was late, she said as she rushed back. Eventually we had to go to a parkhouse and Ayse went once more to the station while I hung around the enormous square in front of the Cologne Cathedral. So many people all walking around. Hordes of school kids, tourists, Japanese, Americans, old and young. The youngsters even skateboard around the place.

Within about 10 or 15 minutes Ayse was back, along with this tall imposing looking guy dressed in pyjamas and a blue striped shirt and a colourful orange waistcoat. Bablu, grinning happily as he walked towards me, rolling his small trolley suitcase behind him.

Had hot chocolate at an open air cafeteria in the vicinity of the cathedral and watched a group of Indians, women in saris and men in safari suits, doing the rounds. We talked about bumping into Indians abroad and how Indians never looked you in the eye when you came across each other. Bablu said he was often greeted by the locals and sometimes invited for a cup of coffee by the Europeans and by the Turks but the Indians? They pretend they haven`t seen me, he said.

Then Ayse dropped me off at the shopping centre while she took Bablu to Bonn, where he has to meet someone at half past three. So now I am in Heinz`s office waiting for them to get back.

By the way Samuel has a new mode of transport in Switzerland. I was sitting on the bench outside the workshop house one evening when he passed by and he went "Look! India!" And when I turned my head I saw this scooter rickshaw standing in the courtyard! It is painted a very chic shade of beige - light and dark beige - and I heard he uses it all the time, summer and winter! It was a gift from friends and members of the Swiss community and it was mainly Ulrike who organised it.