Three Hours Lunch Break - Only in Spain

Do you really need three hours lunch Break ? Okay, maybe not in other countries but in Spain they probably need extra two hours more for their lunch break :)

I am currently in Spain - a small city one hour drive from Alicante, for Bio-Hpc research collaboration. The place looks normal and pretty much agriculture area. You can see orange trees everywhere in the city. Well, Murcia is the biggest orange producer in Europe :). While working with my Spanish research group, they started work on 9:15 am in the morning and by the time one O'clock they go for lunch. And, very surprisingly the lunch hour is three hours (from 1PM to 3PM). For me, it was very strange to me and some of my colleagues from Nordic countries also agreed with me. Then, I asked my project promoter about such a long hours lunch break - he has nothing to say on it but  highlighted this is the way it is in SPAIN.

For me and probably many others this might be the discouraging lunch break, well nevertheless when you work with your partners you have to follow the flow of the culture of the country- I guess. 

TNT Iceland bad service - Nightmare

I have used TNT express delivery service once before. First experience was good so decided to use again but it turned out in nightmare.

I posted my important document on 27th January 2015 from Iceland to Hayes, UK for the next day

delivery. I had asked my mate to be in the address to receive the delivery. But TNT UK called him next day 28th Jan 2015, and told him that they could not deliver ! -  reason they gave him was they missed the connection. My mate been advised that they might deliver the day after i.e 29th January 2015 and at the same time he been alerted they are not sure though. Again on 29th January 2015, my mate was waiting for the delivery but TNT UK called him telling him, your documents cannot deliver today either. This time they did not gave him neither further reason nor another delivery date and time.

So, I called TNT Iceland, inquired about my documents and asked why it has taken so many days. TNT Iceland neither could tell me where my documents is nor the status of the delivery date and so forth. TNT Iceland put me on dark, and made me extremely  worried person. She said I will be informed later on the day by phone or email. I waited the whole day but receive nothing. As one can think - how much worried & anger person I was !! It has been already 4 days since my documents left from Iceland and have no clue whatsoever where my documents has gone. Next morning I received an email from TNT Iceland, explaining your documents got stuck at the Dublin Airport because TNT plane got hit by Truck on the ground. They gave me assurance my documents will be sent to UK later that night. I was very disappointed and called TNT Iceland asking about the situation. My frustration did not really matter to them - I felt.  Customer support TNT Iceland could  say nothing much but in response - "we understand your situation bla bla". After few hours I received email again, nightmare began. 

TNT Iceland now told me, all the posts that had left on 27 Jan 2015 from TNT Iceland will be returning back to Iceland because it was a wrong container. Agony is,  they still don't know whether my documents are in that container or not. Can you believe this ? I am nearly crying because of this negligence services by the TNT Iceland.  It was 14:30 on last Friday, I received yet another email saying, your documents has been found in the returned container but it has damaged, what you want to do ? damaged picture attached. -- I could not believe this. When I opened the attachment my document was all wet. Simply simply could not understand this TNT Iceland.

I was running out of time, therefore my priority  was to deliver this document back to UK. I went to TNT Iceland office. When I saw my wet documents, my eyes were full of tears - I could not talk for 10 minutes. Water was all over in the documents. Well, you can read the letters so I decided to send them back.

When I returned back to my work and wrote a one full page of complain about the TNT Iceland handling documents like this as well as compensation. I been told my complain has been forwarded but heard nothing until today. This is how TNT Iceland express delivery service works in Iceland.

Unlike others, I used express delivery service so that my documents be delivered on time ,however, this nightmare experience and extremely bad service by the TNT Iceland has not just ruined my time but destroyed my whole future prospects that I was about to do.

No Sympathy for Brazil

When it comes to football, Brazil comes in our mind instantly. Brazil has been producing wold class players over the years and no doubt they still have fantastic individual player across the continent. However, I also feel when we talk about football, people and players in Brazil seem to be dominating the conversation - it seem they are the creator of football and play better than anybody else, showing their superior that nobody can do what they do. With all respect to the players, what we have seen in 2014 world cup was the nightmare for what they thought to good at it. "Disorganised" in the team is the key word to describe Brazilian team in 2014 world cup and perhaps poor selection in the squad. 

Somehow they managed to reach in the Quarter Final where Germany thrashed (the team thought to be the best in the world) by 1-7 goals. I watched players crying on the ground after the game - I have no sympathy for them at all, for me they simply could not perform in the game. Unfortunately, they were thrashed by Holland again for the 3rd position (3-0). 

Where is that BRAZILIAN type of football gone (where we always say wowow)? I certainly feel in the world cup Brazil team failed to unite as a team rather playing individual selfish game. As as example, David Luiz. I hope they will learn the lesson from this disappointing world cup and play as a team in coming national games. 

Those Water PIPES -- Wonder when this will be fixed.

This is a small or even very narrow road in my home town, Battishputali, Kathmandu, Nepal. We call this route "Khari Ko Bato". Route named after the big tree along the way called "Khari Tree". This is the same route I used for my entire school days as well as when I needed to do a short-cut to reach Maitidevi town. 35 years ago when I was a child and after those long years - this particular route has not been changed a bit. It is exactly the same - i.e those water pipe laying on the ground and distribution of water lines to individual houses. During the course of last 35 years - many things has changed in Nepal and even in my home town but "Khari ko Bato" remains exactly the same - nothing has changed.

I wonder when this route/road will get new face, get pipe line structured, get pitched or even put some cover up so that the people feel comfortable to walk. It seem either locals or the council (WADA) has paid no interest at all on the road that I used to use 35 years ago and now. Perhaps one day - HOPE is the answer for this !!!!

Genuine helping hands by the Nepali Immigration officers.

I was on my way to London and checking out from the Nepalese immigration at the airport. While I was standing in front of the immigration desk, immigration officer was not paying much attention to me instead he was busy talking with other officers. Behind the immigration box, there was a young foreign girl crying - it seem something serious. And, here was another guy also standing next to my desk waiting for immigration clearance. Officer were not paying any attention to him either. It was the first time that I had to wait half-an-hour to get the clearance. 

Immigration officers wearing white shirt and blue trouser were circled and discussing, but I have no idea what was the problem. The young lady sitting behind the immigration counters still crying very loud, holding some nepalese money in her hand. After I got the clearance from the officer, I asked the officer about the situation. What I have heard from the officer was simply extraordinary help they were providing to the lady. 

Young lady was on her way to Turkey and her flight was almost leaving. She actually overstayed in Nepal for couple of days and have no money to pay overstay fee. So, all Nepalese immigration officer collected money from themselves, delayed the Turkish airlines by consulting with the airlines, paid the young lady's overstay penalty fee, release her from the immigration and escorted her to the aeroplane. I did ask if I could be any help but those dedicated immigration officer denied my offer.

This is something you do not see especially in Nepalese immigration - as we all (always) hear every now and then immigration officers harassing people, taking money from the tourists', giving unnecessary problem etc etc. But, what I witnessed was a genuine help people in critical situation. I was speechless the way immigration officers offered help to the young lady which  is a genuine gesture and I salute to all the officers at the Nepalese immigration.

I wonder, if officer will extend their helping hand like such to Nepalese national too - which yet to witness. However, I am connivence that if all officer in Nepalese authoritis change the mind set like this, Nepal certainly will not have that tag "Nepal ka karmachri GHUS KHANCHAN".

During my flight to New Delhi, I shared what I witnessed to every single people, they were speechless and saying wowwow.

Football with Þróttur - Old Boys

Though I have been in Iceland for several years, however it was just last year I started playing  football with local club (Þróttur) in Old-boys group. Usually people ages from 30s, 40s and 50s group are organized in regular training schedule  3-4 times a week.  Personally, I am very impressed the way training, match and social events as well as tournaments are organized. Though my intention of playing in such group is a) integrate more into the community, b) socialize and c) having fun being physically fit. Yes, Although you can see once in while those  aggression from some individuals but it mainly remains in the pitch which is good :)

I would recommend everyone to explore "Þróttur Oldboys group"  if you are looking for playing football in regular basis and have fun. Actually, it is well organized both on and off the pitch, welcoming friendly players ( well, you have to count  and ignore those have extraordinary talent & professionalism attitude similar to you see sometime in the premiere league staff screaming their players:) ), I do not think you will be disappointed whatsoever.

By the way, during the summer there is a league organized by the KSI for these group. I was bit of lucky to play last summer - it was indeed fun.

Some Pictures from last year 2013

fireworks amazingly reduced in new year's Eve

I have been observing and participating firework show during new year's eve over the years in Reykjavik city. When it comes to fireworks, people of Iceland like to spend and welcome new year with spectacular firework display. I even heard that people from China espiecally visit to Iceland during new year's eve to witness the specatular firework show - I am not sure how accurate this information though, however. Sometime I felt I am in war zone !!!. However, this year I was totally surpirsed the way poeple of the Iceland did the firework, usually it starts hours before and after the new year,  but last night it lasted only for couple hours then no fireworks at all - not as used to be. I assume, either 2008 banking crisis had impacted people badly or due to the fact things has been extremely expensive since the severe finincial collaspe or people just reliased they cannnot afford anymore. 

Whatever the reason, Happy New year 2014 to all.