Birthday, Bengali food and everything Black.
It has been an exciting month. I have so many stories to tell my Sri Lankan bitching partner and cute little Hungarian soul sister that writing them down will produce more content than my thesis (which is 1 chapter long now). Most of these stories, as usual, are unfit for public consumption.
However, over the past month, I have also gone through experiences that I believe are worth sharing and I'm going to talk about them in this post. Since it was my birthday on 2nd March, most of these experiences are about things that I did leading up to it, during it and after it.
I got a tattoo. Yes. You read it right. I got my first tattoo and albeit painful, it was worth every penny that I paid. I found an amazing tattoo artist, Szofi (pronounced as Sofi in English) very close to my place. Check her out on Instagram and Facebook. She mainly does black tattoos and that was exactly what I was looking for.
I got the Ashoka Chakra on my back. It's the wheel in the centre of India's national flag and is derived from Buddha's Dharma Chakra. The Ashok Chakra signifies that "there is life in movement and death in stagnation". It's a beautiful message and something I'll resonate with all my life. In addition, it reminds me of home, the place that gave me so much without asking back for anything. It's a reminder that I have certain debts to pay back to the culture and the people that have enriched my life.
Another big surprise during the days leading up to my birthday was a short visit from the Jamaican who gave me flu in Prague. Luckily, this time all she carried with her were her fabulously styled curly hair and a sense of humour so bad that she found everything I said extremely funny. In short, she made up for the flu she gave me.
In order to avoid dealing with my midlife crisis, I took a solo trip to Amsterdam for my birthday and I solemnly swear that it was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. While most of the details of the trip are either a bit hazy or unfit for public consumption, the trip was memorable one in a few ways.
On my way back, I had a smile on my face. With a phone full of cliche photographs and a bag full of similar souvenirs, there was a feeling of calmness in my head. Aisle seats on the flight back home and good company on adjacent seats were like icing on the cake. I can't thank my parents enough for sponsoring this trip. It was THE BEST BIRTHDAY GIFT EVER. I may not tell them this often but I am truly blessed to have them in my life.
The trouble with having your birthday on the 2nd day of the month is that you can't celebrate your birthday month for the rest of the month. However, I'm not one to back down. My flatmates made sure that my birthday celebrations went on till Sunday. We dined at Bangla Bufe, a tiny restaurant down the street with amazing Bengali food. The spices brought tears of joy to my eyes. There were samosas for starters, chicken curry and biryani for main course and my birthday cake for dessert. The Argentinian was on cake duty and he did not disappoint - a rainbow cake from Sugar, my favourite bakery in the city along with tea was the perfect cure for my vacation hangover. On Tuesday, my colleagues treated me to a massive chocolate cake as well. I'm pretty sure I've gained back all the kilos I lost in the gym.
Over the past one month, my life has been like an endless roller coaster filled with a lot of fun and memorable moments. I'm really blessed to have so many people in my life who care for me and shower me with so much love. Please don't go. Deep inside, I'm a needy little kid who is still 6 years old and I love you all to the moon and back.
However, over the past month, I have also gone through experiences that I believe are worth sharing and I'm going to talk about them in this post. Since it was my birthday on 2nd March, most of these experiences are about things that I did leading up to it, during it and after it.
Everything Black - the days leading up to 2nd March
I got a tattoo. Yes. You read it right. I got my first tattoo and albeit painful, it was worth every penny that I paid. I found an amazing tattoo artist, Szofi (pronounced as Sofi in English) very close to my place. Check her out on Instagram and Facebook. She mainly does black tattoos and that was exactly what I was looking for.
I got the Ashoka Chakra on my back. It's the wheel in the centre of India's national flag and is derived from Buddha's Dharma Chakra. The Ashok Chakra signifies that "there is life in movement and death in stagnation". It's a beautiful message and something I'll resonate with all my life. In addition, it reminds me of home, the place that gave me so much without asking back for anything. It's a reminder that I have certain debts to pay back to the culture and the people that have enriched my life.
Another big surprise during the days leading up to my birthday was a short visit from the Jamaican who gave me flu in Prague. Luckily, this time all she carried with her were her fabulously styled curly hair and a sense of humour so bad that she found everything I said extremely funny. In short, she made up for the flu she gave me.
Birthday trippin' in Amsterdam
In order to avoid dealing with my midlife crisis, I took a solo trip to Amsterdam for my birthday and I solemnly swear that it was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. While most of the details of the trip are either a bit hazy or unfit for public consumption, the trip was memorable one in a few ways.
- I got 2 more stories to share with my grandkids someday
- The sambuca guzzling Irish
- The Dutch blonde of Krakow part II.
- My former assignment partner a.k.a. Anika Ji was my birthday buddy for 2 years in a row. We spent an entire day consuming fat in various forms and then burning it out as we walked and talked around the city.
- I fell in love with the city. It is indeed one of the most unique places I've seen in my life and I'll surely go back again. There's still so much left to explore.
On my way back, I had a smile on my face. With a phone full of cliche photographs and a bag full of similar souvenirs, there was a feeling of calmness in my head. Aisle seats on the flight back home and good company on adjacent seats were like icing on the cake. I can't thank my parents enough for sponsoring this trip. It was THE BEST BIRTHDAY GIFT EVER. I may not tell them this often but I am truly blessed to have them in my life.
Bengali food to cure vacation hangover
The trouble with having your birthday on the 2nd day of the month is that you can't celebrate your birthday month for the rest of the month. However, I'm not one to back down. My flatmates made sure that my birthday celebrations went on till Sunday. We dined at Bangla Bufe, a tiny restaurant down the street with amazing Bengali food. The spices brought tears of joy to my eyes. There were samosas for starters, chicken curry and biryani for main course and my birthday cake for dessert. The Argentinian was on cake duty and he did not disappoint - a rainbow cake from Sugar, my favourite bakery in the city along with tea was the perfect cure for my vacation hangover. On Tuesday, my colleagues treated me to a massive chocolate cake as well. I'm pretty sure I've gained back all the kilos I lost in the gym.
Over the past one month, my life has been like an endless roller coaster filled with a lot of fun and memorable moments. I'm really blessed to have so many people in my life who care for me and shower me with so much love. Please don't go. Deep inside, I'm a needy little kid who is still 6 years old and I love you all to the moon and back.
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