Spiritual connections and Hamburg

I was really confused for the title of this blog and finally settled for this one.

It was 1980 and my father got an offer to work with Prof. Armin de Meijere. He was Prof. of Organic chemistry in the University of Hamburg at that time. But unfortunately, due to some political problems, the funding for the project was withdrawn and my father couldn’t make it there. After that, life took a different course for him, but working with this Prof. was something he really missed and wanted to.

Nearly three decades later, in the year 2008, I get a chance to work in the University of Hamburg. It was really a special offer. I met the contact in Czech republic and made arrangements to visit the DESY (Deutche Electroniche SYncrotron) facility in the University of Hamburg to measure Dynamic Light Scattering on my proteins. His name was Dominik and he was doing his PhD under Prof. Betzel. It took me three hours from Muelheim to reach Hamburg. The train journey was brilliant and the main railway station in Hamburg is just similar to our good old Chennai central! Over bridges, kiosks in the platform, huge clocks, battered down main display board, dim lighting, the smell of food and the crowd, it was nostalgia in a new place.

I made my way to the DESY campus by taking the suburban train ( S1 / S11 to Oathmarshen, direction of Wedel and bus from Oathmarshen to DESY ) and was bowled over by the huge campus and greenery there. Dominik took a hungry me to the canteen where I had real good German food! To get good food in the canteen is a blessing and we sadly don’t have in here in Muelheim. And then it was time for measurements. They came out really well and Domink was pretty good in pacing up the work.

I told him, “If time presents, then I need to visit the department of organic chemistry in the University of Hamburg and try to find the whereabouts of Prof. Meijere.” “Dr. Meijere?! How do you know him?! He was my teacher in Organic chemistry in Gottingen” was his surprised reply. Then I told him my father’s story. It was really a very special moment for me. I actually worked with a student of the Prof. with whom my father should have worked with! There is some spiritual connection running beneath everyone. It surfaces during happenings like this.

After a days work in the lab, I met up with my school mate, Harsha. He works in Hamburg. Unfortunately, I could not see the beauty of the city due to my packed schedule. Before boarding the train back, I sent dad a postcard…” Dear Appa, we will visit Hamburg as the first place when you come here to visit me…” Love, Munna.

Railway stations

After more than two weeks, time wants to test me, whether I will write in the after hours of my work and I succeed! Wanted to write about this for a very long time, about something uncommon.

Railway stations.

Railway stations have always been my fascination. I love everything about them and here I will describe about some that have played a very important role in my life and some which I have enjoyed.

Tiruchirapalli Junction or TPJ is the first one that always brings back the sweetest memories. Early morning 5AM is the time when Rock Fort express will enter the well light Junction and I always used to press my face against the window to see the train entering the platform. The smell of early morning in TPJ still lingers around. Way back in 1990, the station used to be filled with the smell of burning coal and oil and after the advent of Diesel and Electric engines, only the smell changed a bit and not the charisma.
My parents used to take me to this station every time I wanted an outing for they know that is the best place to satisfy me! I enjoyed seeing the steam engines pulling the carriages for coupling with the mail line and loved the coupling process. It was here I got my first ambition, to become an engine driver.

Karur station is another beautiful place. Especially in the evenings of October. We used to go to Karur for performing Utsavam to the Thanthondri Perumal (He who appeared by himself) and catch the return train at around 9PM back to Chennai. To the station we used to reach by 7PM and being a restless boy, I just can’t sit still. The station is simple, not a big and complicated one like TPJ. Three platforms, out of that, one unused in the middle, wooden benches, lots of trees and one very old building in the entrance. The breeze will carry the smell of Neem and I used to walk the entire length of the station a dozen times before our train could arrive.

Tambaram, now a junction, is also a very nostalgic one. No roof and the sun used to pierce everyone in the afternoon. The reason why I love this station is because of the brilliant Bonda and the Vadai available in the VRS. My grandfather used to take me in the electric train from Mambalam to Tambaram, get me Aaloo bonda there and then bring me back home. This was the everyday routine for me until I joined school and after that it became a weekend ritual!

Thirumailai, a station with romantic memories! An unforgettable journey with my peppermint started here. Situated above the Buckingham canal, Thirumailai is also a very simple station. Being close to my home, it always kindles memories of TPJ for me whenever I cross it and that was everyday!

Koln is one station that really made me miss home and TPJ. It was around 11PM in the night when I entered the station from Bonn. Had to wait in Koln for an hour to catch my train to Muelheim and that one hour made me relive my childhood and boyhood days. There is a big dome that covers nearly half of the station and the lights are yellow. The breeze enters into the station, bringing with it the wetness of the Rhine running just nearby and the moon casts a shadow of the magnificent cathedral standing just outside the station. The length is long and evenly spaced with seats. I sat down there, away from the roof, and then came flooding back all these memories.