Paralysis at Frankfurt Airport

 It has been a while since I tried writing on this blog. Not that I didn't want to. But things got on the way. Always. Anyway now sitting inside an Air India plane I finally got the push to start composing something. 

It is a three-month stay in Germany that I am returning from. A life changing one in some ways, but that is for sure another post. The three months in Germany, sponsored by the Alexander von Humboldt foundation found me booking tickets to and from Frankfurt, simply because I considered it easier to enter Germany from Frankfurt, being a little scared of the Immigration Officers at Munich. 

 Anyway, since I found myself spending the last week of my visit in Munich, I did take a train from Munich to Frankfurt Flughafen, attempting to leave Munich around noon to catch the overnight flight to New Delhi leaving Frankfurt Airport at 21:15. And that is when the problems started. 

 Carrying a food packet in my hand on the way to the Munich Hbf from LMU (instead of getting a sandwich at the Hbf) was really the least of the problems. In fact, with the confusion that presented itself at the Hbf, I may not have bought any food. The platform from where the train was supposed to be leaving was cordoned off, and a policeman was accompanying a woman who looked distraught. 

  The app was already saying that the scheduled train was delayed by 1 hour, and given the state that the Deutsche Bahn can get into, it was a state of panic for me to be honest. Should I wait and take the scheduled train or take a replacement which involved changing at Mannheim? The suggestion from a DB personnel that I can take another train definitely proved to be the impetus to take the step of looking for a replacement train. 

That did turn out to be the best decision, and with a judicious choice of an unreserved seat, I did manage to reach Mannheim on time. The connection from Mannheim to Frankfurt was delayed by about 30 mins, but this is really nothing. 

 The significant thing that you should know is the presence of extremely virulent thunderstorm that we encountered between Augsburg and Ulm, going eastwards to Munich and causing havoc for dinner and evening plans for some friends still there. While the weather was extremely warm when I reached Frankfurt, another virulent thunderstorm started. Coincidence? Not really. I think this is climate change manifesting itself, via fluctuations before degenerating into a runaway behaviour, which I hope we don't see in our lifetime. 

 Anyway, so we sit down in the Air India flight and the first ominous announcement comes, but still very benign. Due to the thunderstorm they were forced to stop the airport services, and thus the luggage loading would take more time. And yes, having a window seat next to the wings, I see the luggage being loaded. Anyway. Some news items I had read of inordinate delays in the Air India flight come to mind. Besides Indians, there are a lot of Germans travelling on this flight too. A German woman in the seat in front of me is going to Pune because her daughter has had a baby two weeks before. Everyone is eager to set off, and impatiently wait for the flight to depart. 

 From now on things have only started going downhill. The pilot announced that the Air Traffic control gave it a 45-min further delay because of the pending traffic. This was at 22, almost 45 mins after the scheduled departure. Whatever you think you have endured, an unexpected 45-min wait in a closed cabin is not something easy. The air-condition is not enough, so it starts feeling warm. With so many people, all sweating and nervous, it becomes getting even more nauseating. The entertainment is not working, there are no charging USB points so not everyone can use their cellphones. The air hostesses who were being so chatty while the luggage was being loaded have all suddenly disappeared. The lights go dim. People fidget. Worries of catching the connecting flight at Delhi plague thoughts.

 Not sure if it is something you have experienced. Yes flights have been delayed in my own travel history, but almost in all cases I was out of the flight and not in. This was a first for me. 

 The disappearance of the air hostesses were more worrisome for me. It was a foreboding of what would be coming, I thought. Then the next news thunder: there has been a further pushback of the pushback time. Some people said it was set at midnight. 

 By this time, loads of people were already starting to walk around and form groups and talk in clusters. The air hostesses had appeared carrying waters and sometime food. They turned down the lights in order to increase the AC. However, the heat was still getting more and more oppressive. I began to sense that the air hostesses trying to become more helpful. An air hostess was overheard saying that they could not allow us to go out in case it took even longer to pack everything in when we got the green light.

 Another scary word-of-mouth news started to circulate. Frankfurt Airport ceased its operations between 11pm and 5am and that we might stay here on the tarmac until the next day. Phew, what a thought. As if to compensate the worries, the doors of the aircraft were opened and fresh air came in for the first time, and some neurons were for sure happy to send some good signals to the brain rather than bad ones. This however did nothing to assuage my own deliberations. Not really negative, but not positive either. To be honest I am not even sure why I didn't panic more than I would normally have. 

 More clusters of people formed, especially close to the doors. Not unsurprisingly the air hostesses became the centre of attention. After all, they were trying to help, and also any possible news about the future of the flight could possibly come from them. The lady in front of my seat was already fretting if she would get the connecting flight or not. She had stuck up a conversation, already some time back with a much younger Indian man, who was enthusiastic enough to explain to her that she had become a Nani, as she would be called in Hindi. The man was trying to assure her that she would make it, and if she needed another flight, the Airlines should do that. I also found myself hoping for the man's words to come true. What was interesting was that all the time, the conversation began with her worrying what would happen in Delhi, and ended with her saying that she will somehow make it. 

 Meanwhile, another announcement came through. Frankfurt Airport closed its operations after 23, the Pilot announced, but he was able to take a very special decision for us to pushback in 30 mins, confirming the midnight theory. Some excitement and hope came back. By this time however, the closest air hostess to me, who was standing by the door, and was answering the passengers' questions of her career, had switched to the vernacular, regaling the audience that she comes from Dumdum, and had worked in Indigo before coming to the field of Artificial Intelligence (yes, curious that Air India shares the same initials!). Some Khichuri could also be obtained somewhere, and somehow the word Garia also made it into my ear. 

 The finishing of the story should be as abrupt as was the beginning long-drawn-out. Very soon afterwards, the order of the captain came to close all doors. The flight left and was in the air around midnight. However, it has not properly cooled down until now, half an hour after midnight. And the entertainment system is not working, to be expected. Still, I should be glad that Air India could make a stand to leave tonight, while some other flights were cancelled. As I could overhear the two people sitting next to me discussing over a departure list, the Air Canada flights were apparently cancelled. 

 By now, you must be tired listening to the long story. Whatever it was, it was an anomaly that pushed this post out of me. The other curious incident which I would like to say is the event of daytime robbery at a Mini Bar at the Frankfurt Airport. Even though I had quite some food when I got on the train at Munich (if you still remember the mention of the falafel food packet right at the beginning), at some point I decided that I need a pastry or bread with some coffee. Did get a Bretzel and coffee, and the awful bretzel cost atrociously much, 3 euros, and was unnaturally salty, as if dipped in brine. Anyway, so there were three Chinese people also buying some sausages and beer there, and bought stuff worth about 20 EUR. They wanted to pay in dollars currency. The bartender however charged them 30 dollar! I am standing by the side found  this outrageous, especially when the bartender was exploiting their lack of fluency in English to tell them the euro is much more expensive than the dollar. I am sure it was some service charge they were hiding, but the bartender agreed to provide them with a receipt. Anyway, maybe I should have spoken up, but well I am not always so confrontational. If it were happening to me, I would definitely have protested, --- I am not sure what image this gives of me. All the more reason to use some sort of bank card, I guess. 

 The last part of the blog was written after finishing dinner. It is well past bedtime, and though I am sleepy, I don't know how much I will be able to sleep. I will post this when I get connection. Since a lot of this was written in real-time, I have chosen not to change the tenses when posting.

 

2020

This year is proving to be a year of note. Unfortunately with nothing good, but with bad news, bad events of enormous proportions. So much so, that it forces me to write again about the thoughts I keep getting filled up with. 

So what are all these events that have been rocking the world? Since I am not the most updated on all the news from all over the world, I will concentrate on the usual suspects: the West, in particular Europe and North America and then India. Anyway, these are the geographical regions I am most connected to. 

It is not only 2020, but also that 2019 ended on a note that was rather disturbing. With the Indian economy slowly slipping behind, the government decided to introduce and pass the so called Citizenship Amendment Act, a few months later it divided and declared Jammu and Kashmir to be Union Territories. I am not going to get into the latter, or the former in any detail, but suffice it to say that these acts of parliament look clearly anti-muslim. And one would have thought that after the Supreme Court ruling of the Ayodhya case went in favour of the Hindus, they would give it a rest. 

Eateries and Drinkeries VI

 It is perhaps a shame that my taste in food is fine and nice, but it is still not at the level when it starts becoming connoisseur-like. I mean this would perhaps made me eliminate lots of names in this list, but to be honest, none of the places that I remember to mention here are bad. Some are outright excellent, others are pretty decent for the price you pay.  Today, I have a biggish list with me, and will try to go through those.

 First pizza places; pizza continues to be my lieblingsessen!

Masaniello:   Located in Hasenheide, a few steps away from Hermannplatz this place has some of the very good pizza that I have ever eaten in Berlin. The interior is very cool and cozy, to the extent of being quite warm even in winter (well, we were having a tropical winter till November, when I was there!). In any case, do go there, it is among the top pizza places in Berlin. I have heard from friends that the quality is going down, but I can't imagine how it must have been in the yesteryears if a month before it tasted so super!

Standard-Serious Pizza: Right from the name you have it, -- it is about serious food. No jokes here. The first time I was there was on a date, and the pizza must have been super-nice, because the conversation had flowed easily and the date was quite a success. But, jokes aside, it really is a nice place, I've been back there with friends and have yet to say bad things about the place.

Tin Tan: This is a place of Mexican street food, and yeah, this is one of those places that completely stand out. Located in the Chauseestrasse, it is still in the Mitte, and it is a smallish place, liable to get filled quite easily. And the service is slow, but that's because they are making the food super good to eat. Don't miss this, whatever be the reason.

Agni: Germans particularly are crazy about Indian food, which is not a surprise when you see the number of Indian restaurants around. Amrit is one of those chains, but Agni is another. They have one in Moabit, and another now in Prenzlauer Berg. Both I think are quite nice, even though some friends I know decare this to be the best Indian restaurant around. It is admittedly pretty good. In the Moabit branch, they would prepare the food from scratch (well, not absolutely from scratch, but you know!), and it takes some time to come. Personally, I have now been to both of them, and I think that the food indeed is quite good. Although the Kashmiri naan that I had (which should have been coated by some cheese and then raisins) was not terribly good. But everything else was.

Corroboree: An Australian restaurant located in Potsdamer Platz. I was there only once though, but only for a drink. So, I cannot really comment on the quality of food, but at least it was quite full, and had Kangaroo burgers. The interior has a very nice atmosphere. 

Lemongrass: No doubts about this, if you do not come here, you've missed something. I have actually lost count of the number of times I have been to this super nice and cozy restaurant. This has a small cozy interior, with Thai specialities, and never ceases to disappoint. Food is very reasonably priced, too!

Chapa: Another Thai place, at Kotti this time, is also pretty nice and not too expensive. Also try not to miss this one. It's location makes it rather busy and popular.

Maroush: A small cozy Lebanese place, serving a lot of falafels, my visit there wasn't really at the best of times, but I might be easily persuaded to go back there again. It's tiny, serving more as a takeaway place rather than sit-in place, but the quality that you get for the extraordinarily cheap prices is rather surprising. Don't miss this one.

Goura Pakora: Back in F'shain, this place used to serve a lot of vegetarian food, including pakodas and dosas, which are of pretty good quality when open. But, it seems like they are closed now. Hope they open soon, and when they do, don't miss it. 

Gorgonzola Club: A rather funny name for an Italian restaurant, but it is indeed quite good. Quite good I would say, I don't remember anything extraordinary with the food (maybe I had a pizza?), but there are some uncommon menus there. And again, it's kinda popular, located in the Dresdener Str., away from busy main streets of Kottbusser Tor.

Turnhalle:  Close to Ostkreuz, this is an old gym which has been turned into a restaurant. This has pictures of a number of famous people from Einstein to Helmut Kohl and others. And there is a huge nice chandelier. As the name suggests, this is an old gym which has been turned into a restaurant. You can view the inside by the side. The food is cheap and decent. I had good flammkuchens here.

Mi Amor: It is a steakhouse, but I did not have a steak here. I had turkey here, with pepper sauce, and potato fries. Again, this is a quite decent place, but the steaks should be tried.

Amrit: Together with its partners, this is probably the biggest Indian restaurant chain in Berlin. They already have six restaurants in the key places that restaurants should be. Again, nothing very special, but very good food in general. Try it (or them).

Zsa Zsa Burger: I was here in the summer, and the burgers here were really super nice. They always have a special size, and look very polished and were super tasty. Try not to miss this one, it is a gem. And for what's it worth, its located in Schoeneberg, in the Isherwood era of Berlin.

Kimchi Princess: I was here a couple of times. They are always very busy, so please do reserve in advance. The food is quite good, and I have always enjoyed the Bibimaps (that's what I remember having, it is soo long ago).

 It is a bit scary, I had only wanted to write about ten restaurants+bars in all, but only with the restaurants, the number is already crossed! Maybe it is time to start counting the bars. I will start with four absolutely local ones, which are in themselves quite nice and delightful.

Dregendorff: Located on Petersburger Strasse, just at Bersarinplatz, this bar often shows the football matches, the Bundesliga and other stuff. Nothing super special, but the beers are nice and the interiors are cozy.

Trautes Heim: Funny as it seems, I couldn't find an online entry for this  bar. It is located on the other side of Petersburger Strasse as the Dregendorff, and much closer to the U-Bhf Frankfurter Strasse. In recent times, they have reinvented themselves with a new decor which is positively nice and eye-catching. They were closed for a while in between because of some accident, or something, there used to be a memorial at the door, and flowers could be seen. 

Adgedreht: This name serves as both a club and a pub, physically they are a  bit separated, but essentially side by side. I have only been in the pub. The pub is incredibly cozy, and it has quite some variety of beers to surprise you.

CoffeinCentrale: A nice coffeeshop on the Mainzer Strasse, which specializes in the new wave of coffee that's sweeping Berlin off its feet. As with most other coffee shops, a nice place to talk over coffee, and the coffee tastes pretty good here.

Palasteria Galao: The website should be working, but it doesn't. This is in Weinbergsweg, close to Rosenthaler Platz, it specializes in a whole of drinks and snaks, all aimed towards the healthy sides of life. By this alcohol automatically gets ruled out, and coffees, and flavored teas and lassis rule galore! Healthy muesli, croissants can also be seen in plenty!

Apotheke bar: A relatively new player in Mariannenplatz in Kreuzberg, it has a stylish decor. The first time I was there, it was a  bit early, and the inside was much too empty. And I had a simple beer. The second time I went there was after being turned down at the Schwarze Traube (about which I will only write if I manage to get in). I had a rather expensive cocktail which had to do with a lot of mangoes and a whole lot of chillies, not at all sweet, but you know, that is life. So, do try it out, or you will be in the miss list!


ORA: The address is Oranienplatz 14, and I have linked here another blog which gives a more intensive insight into the cafe. Although I had a relatively simple beer here, the inside of this bar is super cool, and chic to be more accurate. Many of the spirits and ingredients for making cocktails are in jars, reminiscent of an old Apotheke, and it was way too full. It wasn't easy to get a place to sit.

Romeo and romeo cafe: A rather revealing name for a cafe, understandably located in the Schoneberg neighbourhood, is frequented by a lot of gay clientele. They have quite a few snacks and coffee on offer, and if I understand correctly, a refill on a coffee is free, or at least much too cheap. They have WiFi so that you can continue to work (or flirt -- online or offline) uninterrupted.

the Club : A delightful bar/cafe located in Hermannstrasse in Neukoelln. The place is a bit special in several ways. The first of all it is bang on Hermannstrasse which makes it a bit revealing. But in spite of this, the inside is neither too shabby nor too polished, and very comfortable. They have several events going on depending on the night, and a rather large dance floor where they have Waltz Thursdays! What a surprise, getting to waltz in a techno city!

Neue Nachbarschaft : Well, this is my first in Moabit, a place which I have never before explored, really. As it turns out, this is a nice bar, which is frequented by a lot of students from the TU (and also the FU). On the friday I went they had a smallish concert by Syrian refugees, which was pretty quaint for me (Germans/Europeans enjoyed it a lot too, by the looks of it!). The bar was overfull for this event, which made even standing not trivial. They have nice bar, and also a small nice dancefloor in the cellar, where they were playing more pop music for a change! Go there, highly recommended!
  
HERMAN Belgian Bar: A gem in Prenzlauer Berg which you cannot simply miss. One of the best places to enjoy high quality beer in Berlin, made by the Belgians. After seeing the menu list, you just have to open your mouths wide, as you realize which country really has a choice in variety of beers. I was taken there by my date (yes, after a pizza at the Standard, in case you have been following my personal life), and the nice beer, aided by the dimly lit cozy interiors only helped in the conversation. It's a super place, and I have been there several times later.

the leap day

"You probably don't want to follow me, I am not a very good example ...", he looked at me, a furtive look, but catching my eye nevertheless.

  Some comments like this I can never rule out, never forget. To be honest, it is not that I remember, until at some obscure moment they flash up in my conscious part of my brain, flooding me with guilt and longing.

 But today is special. It is not the new year, not a birthday, not an anniversary, and indeed there is nothing special I can remember about this day. You could stop me and point out that this day special because it comes once every four years, it's the leap day for three-years, and the non-leap day on the fourth leap year. Even google has a nice doodle about this.


  Rabbits do leap don't they? But does an iRabbit as well?


   Enough vague statements. The reason that this day is special to me is because provides a wormhole into my past life. What? Are you dead, and re-incarnated?, I hear you ask. No, I reassure you, it is just that my life has changed irreversibly, whether for good or worse I do not know, but I know that things cannot ever go back to how they were on the last leap day.

 Having said that I will stop. There is no point in describing the non-consequential bliss during the times before, and the deep absymmal despair that followed. No language, mine the least of all, can describe it. I am just using this day to make a connection with the past life, like when you stand in front of a glass window looking at the neverland behind it, something that you know every bit, and yet, it is quite beyond your reach.

 Hello Dad!




 

Eateries and Drinkeries V

It seems like I am going full gusto with all the places you can go out for. Go out people, take your friends along, smile a while, spread happiness. Be happy. I know. None of this easy. Never has been, never can be. Don't think too more about it now, just plan your next outing.

Schwarzes Cafe: One of the most delightful that the west has to offer, you can get delicious mouth watering cakes, along with satisfying pots of coffee. And White Tea, yes, if you are willing to spend 4,50 Euro for this. It also has all day breakfast, where they serve avocado. And, as if, all this weren't enough, it's open 24 hours a day!

Going up east from the Zoo, you come to the lovely Oranienburger Strasse. Other than the occasional prostitutes that you see roaming around, this is also a hub of Mitte Nightlife. Remember this is Mitte, so prices are high, and people are much more posh.

Hummus and Friends: Another nice place, with lush interiors, and with the motto, "Make Hummus Not walls". Actually, for a place in the Mitte, this is rather moderate priced. I had the daily soup, which was quite nice, though lacking a little bit of salt. But, try this out by all means.

Mogg & Melzer: Ever heard of Pastrami? Well I hadn't, so maybe it is worth checking out here. It's a way of wine-drying beef before the times of refrigeration. This place has an interesting pastrami sandwich to offer, in a very cool, Mitte-like atmosphere. The building I think is distinctly East German with some particular tiling patterns. Be careful, pastrami can be a bit chewy, but even with the big sandwiches, you can eat them in a piece without spilling things on your clothes.

RMCM: Was considerably confused to label this properly. In any case, this is really a very cozy place with nice couches and live music after nine. Then it can be quite loud. The walls are full of autographs from different music bands. A home and museum for music.

Zosch: A very local kneipe, with live music at night. Was there only rather briefly, for a Gluhwein, which was perhaps not the best idea. Other than that, it is a nice place with lively atmosphere. Lively by Mitte standards. Give it a try. As a friend and I sat outside, sipping Gluhwein, two Americans (from the USA) were arguing loudly about the rights of pulling down a building. And we sat there in the wind, trying to make some forced conversation.

La Premiatta Ditta: A tiny little Italian place, a restaurant. You might have the danger of coming out with you clothes smelling of cheese. I imagine the food must be decent, even though a friend complained that the Lasagne was not heated properly. But she was given a free glass of wine in compensation. And you'll have only Perroni beer if it comes to that.

Saint Jean: A super-posh, and super-retro gay bar, this place is just in the ecke of Weinmeisterstr. The looks of the guys who come here are very different, nearly with toned bodies, and less clothing even though it might be cold and raining outside. A very different feel of the gay life in Berlin. Somehow when we were there it was super crowded due to the rains outside. And yes, if you don't have much money try only going for the beers. The cocktails must be very nice, they are aimed at more like 9-10 Euros.

Tadjikistan Teehouse: This is a place you have to go, and give a try even if it is slighly expensive. A tea house, where you have the option of sitting on the floor. They have food as well as a variety of other drinks, besides tea. We had the Russian samovar tea, which is a huge pot of hot water and a pot of very strong black tea. In addition you get different kind of sugar, backed buiscuits, dried lemons, ginger, rum filled raisins and shots of vodka to rinse your mouth before trying out something of a different taste.

Having given you a good survey of places to go in the Oranienburger Strasse and neighbourhood let me touch on two more places before pressing the exit button.

Geist im Glas: This one is truly in Kreuzkoelln, right on a small side street off Kolumbiadamm. One of the best places to have brunch in Berlin (arguably). They have three main options (at least on the day we went): cheese biscuits and sausage, american pancakes with Dulce de leche (a form of thick condensed milk, see here), and Huevos Rancheros (a traditional Mexican style breakfast). Since we were three people, we could sample all the three dishes. Delicious. If you haven't eaten here, you've definitely missed something. And cocktails -- they have wonderful cocktails! I had a coffee chocolate cocktail, heavenly. You should go out and check for yourself.

Cafe Bilderbuch: We end after coming back to the west again, at Schoeneberg. This delightful huge cafe has a wondeful atmosphere. A very unassuming place, it seems smallish from the outside until you go in to find an absolutely huge ante-chamber with lots of cozy couches, sofas and even a piano. Delightful coffee, tea, other drinks and some good variety of cakes and other food. If you have a rainy afternoon, or a cold afternoon to kill, or enjoy, go there. You won't regret it!

And now having counted a full ten places, I will say bye!

Eateries and Drinkeries IV

Again, it has been quite a while, and methinks the time is perhaps right to put up a list of places that you can amuse yourselves with.

Zu Mir Oder Zu Dir: A cozy bar in the "baby boom" district of Prenzlauer Berg. Slightly removed from U Eberswalder Str., this is a world of its own with people crowding to find a place inside. It is lush inside with sofas and stools to sit. Unfortunately (or fortunately, if you are a smoker) it is a smoking bar, so be prepaed for your clothes to smell of smoke days afterwards.

Chilees: Burgers, korean style. They are generally good, but hard to compare with the BBI (Berlin Burgers International) in Neukoelln. But then again, here you will get interesting Korean burger creations. Definitely worth a try!

Szimpla Kaffeehaus: If you want to try out a stout beer brewed with coffee, don't forget this place. I had been searching for this particular kind of beer for ages, ever since I got introduced to Elysian Split Stout in Seattle. Apparently it seems like Hungary has it all. A wonderful Hungarian craft beer place, this also had delicious cakes, which tempted me.

Hamy Cafe: Such delicious Vietnamese food at this price is difficult to find elsewhere. A small-ish show just off Hermannplatz, serves the most delicious Vietnamese food, along with exotic drinks. A food and a drink will leave you poorer by only about 8 Euros!

Roses: A lovely gay bar with very colorful interiors. Is definitely going to keep you wow-ing. Nice crowd, but they don't have dark beers, be forewarned!

Drei Schwestern: Inside a castle-like building, the arched wooden interior boasts of a castle-like dining experience, along with German food for dinner. For the weekend brunch, you can get a wonderful English breakfast.

Z-Bar: Tucked in Torstrasse, this place will definitely leave you with the feeling of wanting to come back for more. A quaint little place with nice lighting, and yeah, movies that you can watch. But, we just leaned against the glass windows and talked. And admired the dim lighting.

Cafe Lux: Another cozy little cafe in Neukolln, has the perfect atmosphere to keep you talking for hours and hours at an end.

Neta: A small place, but serves wonderful Mexican street food, notably burritos. You can choose your own burrito recipe.

I thought for a while about the 10th place, but keep it empty purposely. And Berliner, or an ex-Berliner reading this article should fill it in.

Models

The other day I had a funny thought, which is perhaps true, but perhaps not. But since it is just a thought, I'll expound it. It has to do with models. If you are quite the purist mathematician, there is, perhaps not any place for models: mostly comes from some basic assumptions, and then you build on these assumptions using other assumptions to make a theory, and even prove a couple of lemmas. Physicists would ideally like to proceed that way, but lack both the rigor and the patience, so in many cases they take the short-cut way and build models. These models are supposed be peek into the many complicated things that are quite unworkable with "first-principles" theory, something the physicists like to do call assumptions that do not stem from first principles. Anyway, models are more often used by biologists and chemists, because they want to model things like complicated molecules and chemical substances, organs, nerves, genes or perhaps even the brain. Even the economists and financial analyzers at banks keep making models of the economy in order to maximize profits.

 If you have read on till now, you'll realize that model is essentially meant to be a simplified version of some grand thing we are always trying to emulate. In that respect, it suddenly occurred to me that films, books, poems and songs, and art of course, falls in the same category. They are just models. Models that seek, in some way or the other to mimic the eternal complicated fabric, or the string-net condensed phase of what you call Life. Life, as we know it, is tremendously complicated: human beings are emotional, they kill, they love, they become rulers, the forbid others to eat beef, or to have sex with the same genders, they find tribes, which they call Religion, the make trains, they try to understand the Nature, they are complicated. Animals are simpler, but still they have own traits, own habits. So, when something is captured on film, like the break-up story of a couple, or the hunting habits of lions, whether be it a romantic drama or a documentary, these are all models trying to emulate something complicated -- more often with creativity and inspiration rather than not.

  A simple thought, but this unifies a lot of different things. I felt happy.