You know you are on exchange when...

1. You start appreciating beauty in nature...the trees shedding their yellow brown leaves, the winding streams, the wide canals and beautiful bridges, the glossy green grass, the falling snow, the glistening rain drops on cobbled streets, the blue sky against a Gothic cathedral...they are bound to leave an impression. And realise how easily all of these could disappear...in the absence of protection and conservation.


2. You become a big big fan of your mom's cooking and general house keeping skills - again you are bound to, from the very first time you try making a khichdi on your own.


3. If you are a vegetarian like I am, you luuuuvvvvvve the Arabs and the Italians. No way you can survive without their falafels and pastas and pizzas. Falafel is this delicious vada-pav sort of food (with lesser oil and spice, obviously) and is 100% vegetarian :O:O Did I also mention the cheapest food available by European standards :D )


4. You don't search for drinking water in railway stations and tourist places. Every water is drinking water. And none of it is free. You have pay for water. Fact of life, period.


5. And keeping the above mentioned point in mind, people switch to beer. It's not even considered alcoholic!! And German monastries have been brewing beer with pride for the past few centuries. And serving them in huge halls with a bust of Jesus looking down on all drinkers with loving and caring eyes!


6. If you are in Europe, you become an expert on the train networks. And can do comparative analysis of the French and German train systems even in your sleep. TGV, ICE, X2, EN...seen them all. You even get a high out of remembering vital stats, like which train travels at what speed and which ones are free for Eurail pass holders :D


7. The very first time you see snow hits you. It's all white and fluffy and pretty to touch. So you loose your mind along with your friends and run right out when the whole town is running in. And leave scandalised Europeans wondering what is the matter with a bunch of Indians dancing, screaming and eating the snow :D


8. On the other side, you truly start appreciating the power and might of the sun. All those shlokas extolling the Sun God start making sense to you. I mean, coming from the very hot Chennai or having seen Delhi's 40 degrees of scorching heat, you are thankful that Europe is cold and nice. Not quite!! The minute you land in Berlin or Stockholm, you want the sun and the warmth and even the heat and the sweat...I love my tropical sun :)


9. You will either LOVE walking or HATE it by the end of three months. No middle ground. Coz it's Europe on foot. Mostly. You walk from the station to the town square, then to the palace, then to the market, then to the beach, also the park, did I mention the mountains? well...you get the picture. Walking, occasional running...did I mention the weight loss effect?


10. The same thing to be said about cathedrals and churches. You have to be a devotee or an enemy of church. Every town worth its salt will have a church. It will always be hyped to a degree unimaginable. So you will visit them all. You even start appreciating the finer points of Gothic, Renaissance and Baraque architecture. In the end, the painted glass, the figurines, the lit candles, the soft music, the stories and legends, paintings on the walls will turn you devout. Or atheist.