Post card from Germany .... June 2007

Painting of German friends done in Dhaka

My last visit to Germany in 2005 was at Frankfurt airport to start my 6 months trip around the world. My cheap flight then was from Birmingham, (having slept at Birmingham airport) in the early hours of the morning and I landed my self at Frankfurt airport where I was hanging around for hours, (going through lots of scary moments) for an Indian pilot to find my name on his passenger list so that I could board his plane and continue my journey for my first port of call: India.

 My visit to Germany in 2007 was simply to reunite with my German bhais who were with me in Bangladesh. My Peter bhai who was a student in Mannheim welcomed me to his student lifestyle for one night, where I really felt out of place (old and grey) and had to put up with loud music which went on all night. According to Peter the city Mannheim had very little to offer but with a help from his friends he bought two tickets for a German Opera at the National Theatre of Mannheim. Neither of us understood a word sung by great singers but the experience of being there and listening to great voices was out of this world, Mannheim has nothing to offer?

 My drop dead gorgeous Kirk bhai lived in Frankfurt and agreed to take me out for one meal for all the meals I had cooked for him when he was in Bangladesh.His favourite eating place happened to be where his ex-girl friend was working as a waitress on the night when I arrived with Kirk. Having noticed my grey hair, she could not help but comment on Kirk’s new taste in women!! Poor Kirk bhai, who was clean shaven,( because according to Kirk the German women don’t like men with beard)  was still finding it difficulty to hold on to a good woman?

My last port of call was in a village of Homberg near the city of Kassel. According to my host (5W member) Kassel was bombed during the war, (just like Coventry) and rebuilt, (just like Coventry) and just like Coventry people, the people of Kassel think the builders have made a bad job of building the city!

 

Documenta is an exhibition of modern and contemporary art which takes place every 5 years in Kassel; I was there for one day in 2007 to see it all, covering vast area of the city.