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Arka's adventures with himself 😂 Read more
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  • arka ghoshTravelerTurin ISU study abrd 24 trip

    Make your own dip!

    May 17, 2024 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    Asked for some olive oil and vinegar for the bread for the table, he brought a large bucket/Tin - full of the necessary ingredients and put it on the table. After 5 minutes got a plate for me to mix and make my own dip

    Pasta carbonara was good though!    Read more

  • arka ghoshTravelerTurin ISU study abrd 24 trip

    In search of Madaripur!

    May 17, 2024 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    Well .. after a nice tasty dinner and dessert, during which I watched the extra time to some soccer match (ended in a draw 2-2) at baldassarria and enjoyed heavenly tiramisu with beer and cigarettes (good combo for me I realized), I decided to call a taxi to go to my hotel far far away.

    First I thought I will get some groceries, cigarettes etc for the night. Searched for a local tabacchi.. searched Google and got a store called Madaripur Mini market (or something like that). Hmm ... The Bangladeshi guy at the station said he's from Madaripur - to which I nodded as if I know the place. Madaripur again? Googled. It's a place/region in Bangladesh as expected. Maybe the guy was in a train with me from Turin to Milan to come to this store to work, or maybe family of the owner of the shop! Had to find out.

    Biked around at 1130pm in central Milan to find the shop. Found it. Got to speak in bangla with the owners and bought my stuff.

    BTW, I'm confidently speaking bangla to anyone who seems 40%+ desi to me now. No misfires yet. Saying to hawkers selling knickknacks "na dada .. chai na" (no brother, I don't need it) etc and getting very good response so far.

    No, that random guy at station has nothing to do with the shop owners. But I got my closure (and groceries)!

    Called a taxi. It showed something like $70 to go there. 40 minutes by car! Hotels.com 🤬🤬🤬🤬!!! That means I have to spend something similar to come to the city center again tomorrow. So much for biking around the city center for me. Will try to call and fight with hotels.com but Pooja advised not to since I didn't check the distance ... they won't refund.

    After talking to Pooja decided to check in to a hotel nearby. Saw this one called hotel Paradiso. Seemed nice to look at ... At least the signs were all properly lit (no missing letters or flickering neon sign). Walked in, he said $70 a night and found myself the tiniest hotel room I've been in. Very happy so far (it's been 5 minutes in the room). It even has breakfast and has 4 stars!!! I should have checked all this before I paid for the room, but still .. I checked (after paying)! So that's the end of my adventure tonight.

    Maybe I open a beer (Ceres pronounced CHeres, my new fav beer here), plan tomorrow's activities, smoke and sleep off. Gnite!    Read more

  • arka ghoshTravelerTurin ISU study abrd 24 trip

    Milan day 1 or 2?

    May 18, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Finally updated every important event in my journal. It's 5:15 am now. Didn't plan much of my day. Will sleep now.

    Sure to miss my paid breakfast that is from 7-10 am. More worried about my snoring since my room seems very close to the breakfast area. I will be happy if I get up before noon and don't have to pay for next day.

    What can I do? It's costly to be lazy!

    Gnite? I hear the birds chirping. But my journal is all updated. Tomorrow is a blank slate! Gnite 😘    Read more

  • arka ghoshTravelerTurin ISU study abrd 24 trip

    Coffee with Kavish, kid from Colombo!

    May 18, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Managed to get up before noon! 11 am! Not bad.

    Got a call from the front desk .. saying I have to get out of the room by 1130 because other "clients" are waiting!

    Missed the bfast. Which was the plan. My room is right next to breakfast place. I was more worried about disturbing other guests with my loud snoring.

    The morning guy at the front desk looked desi again. Kavish. From Colombo, Sri Lanka. Young kid. After a little chat he let me take my time until the cleaning lady gets here.

    Oh BTW, Duolingo is mad at me for breaking my 100+day streak. Gave me second third chance to get back. But I am madder at that app. So no!

    Asked if I can get coffee. Kavish made me a fresh cup ... I guess coffee is not to be taken lightly in Italy. It's not like there's a coffee pot over there .... Every cup has to be made fresh and consumed immediately. Had coffee, did my morning rituals and got out of the room!

    Question for myself: what now. I see a farmers market going on outside the hotel in the Piazza (city square, open area between streets?). Last night (anything before I sleep is last night) I decided to do the hop-on hop-off bus tour for Milan today.

    Not sure if I feel like hopping now!

    Also met Kavish's co-worker, from Bangladesh again. His name is Sakhawat, but people call him Arjoo (not Arzoo! He corrected) .. from Feni - near Chattagram. Impessed him too just by speaking bangla.    Read more

  • arka ghoshTravelerTurin ISU study abrd 24 trip

    Farmers market looks interesting!

    May 18, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Ok ... Was debating whether or not to go out and meet the world. But farmers market looks interesting. I'm convinced - it's nicer outside. Not that I have an option to stay in my room - the cleaning lady is here. I can only stall so long in the breakfast area. So going out.... Good luck to myself!Read more

  • arka ghoshTravelerTurin ISU study abrd 24 trip

    Ok Milan, here comes Arka Hopping!

    May 18, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    After stalling for 2 hours at the breakfast area, I'm ready to go out and face the world. I think.

    Got myself a ticket to hop on/off bus ride. Have to see where the closest stop is. I think it's 15 minutes by bike. I should plan better.

    Or maybe not.

    During this time, I met the cleaning lady. Saw fire alarm go off (don't worry, someone was cooking in the basement of the hotel. (Why??? ... Ignored the urge to ask.). Kavish and Arjoo gave me a cup of Sri Lankan Tea that they made for themselves. I even saw an older man (he's at least 60, ok?) get into my room.

    Weird feeling seeing someone else gettlng in the room that you were sleeping in a few hours back. I guess it's a reminder that we don't own anything. Just using the stuff for a short time. Not just hotel rooms, our houses etc too. We are just passing by. Those things will be there even after we are gone. Others will live there. We were just TEMPORARY occupants.

    You think I am thinking too much? Pretending to be philosophical/intellectual ("antel")? Well, you are not alone - I think so too. Can't help though .....

    Downloaded a lot of my podcasts while I still have wifi. It's only barely faster than mobile data for me. Noticed some cool lights in the breakfast area... All this while sitting at the table for 2+ hours inside the hotel... Can you imagine? So much happening outside the hotel ... A few feet away from where I'm sitting. Took me that long to convince that I want to participate in all that!

    Ok ... Our the door ... Into Milan!    Read more

  • arka ghoshTravelerTurin ISU study abrd 24 trip

    Halal Mahatma!

    May 18, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Walked around the farmers market. Lots of fresh food, fish, fruits etc. and cheap Chinese stuff everywhere... Temu/Alibaba quality. Nothing against it - I buy those all the time. Good for me because I don't feel pressured to buy anything here.

    Pooja told me to get "made in Italian" fashion stuff .. will see...

    Everyone looks good. Especially the ladies - all made up! Must have taken a long time to get ready and get out to a farmers market. But most of them don't look happy. Is getting attention worth the time spent doing the makeup?

    Is the time spent writing this somewhat similar?

    Is being happy the ultimate personal goal? What is?

    They say stop and smell the flowers. They don't say don't do it all day in a touristy place ... So, .. will look for my hop on/off bus stop.    Read more

  • arka ghoshTravelerTurin ISU study abrd 24 trip

    Hop off is an option!

    May 18, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Was biking to the starting point of the hop on/off bus. But I saw the bus at a previous stop. Decided to get on it.

    Before that I saw a hawker selling lighters. For a change, it was an Italian guy, not Bangladeshi. I told him I don't need a lighter .. I think I am carrying 4 .. in case I start losing. But he made some gesture that he's hungry needs money type. Bought 2 lighters from him. He said €2.** .. didn't get the centa part. So gave him all the change I had .. maybe $4 ish? Took a selfie though with him.

    The ticket lady was genuinely confused about my bike. Showed her it folds.. and the driver said it's ok ... So I'm in.

    Liking the sitting in the second "floor" of the double-decker bus. Now they are talking about architecture of the Lombardi region and which one used to be the tallest building in Milan until recently blah blah. I think I will just stay on the bus until I see something that interests me!    Read more

  • arka ghoshTravelerTurin ISU study abrd 24 trip

    Controlling the urge to hop off!

    May 18, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Fir stop for me is this grand church/cathedral. Looks super crowded.

    It must be one of the top 1000 beautiful structures in Europe! With a long story etc...

    But while we were waiting here, took a selfie with the cute ticket lady! Asked her thinking it's a creepy request, but she seemed happy. Should have asked her name.

    Tempted to get down, but no! I'm better than that!!

    Not hopping off!

    (Well, the wifi on the bus is not working.. so that's not ok .. maybe I will get off at the next stop)    Read more

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