28th Oct. ’07: I had reached the Indira Gandhi International airport far before time, at-least I felt so. I was stepping out of the country for the first time, thanks to my company, they did not intend to send me to Bangladesh earlier. I was a little apprehensive, about things at the International airport the customs , the immigration etc etc. The flight jet airways, it appeared all people intended to fly by that, I having reached full 3 hrs earlier, was still the last passenger to arrive and check in. Great. And then rush through the immigration etc. My parents friends calling up, if everything was fine, why hasn’t the flight left, it was disheartening to know that more than myself they were willing for me to depart.
To Brussels, it was a wonderful flight, reason being the company. First time in the history of my flight chapter, all domestic, I never got a seat besides a beautiful girl, and she never fell asleep on my shoulders. Thank good “Yeh kandhe aaj bhi chaude aur majboot hain, bhagwan inhein aise mauke ke liye sambhal ke rakhna”. It was a great feeling till Brussels. Thereafter, took another 8 hr flight to Newark again jet. Oh I should thanks jet airways they have a nice collection of movies on the craft, watched Chini kum …mast rapchik pataka, gajab film lagi baaki friends episodes and few angreji movies.
Newark: lovely place, I got to see the airport only, but what makes it lovely…you know it, lovely ladies hanging around, spotless, elegant, perfectly dressed. Then the flight to Fortworth, Texas. I had reached destination.
The things started off well, as soon as I entered the lady at the hotel reception, just said these words “ Hello, welcome, your room number is 215, Good night”. Oh that was to the point conversation not a word less or more”. Nice room, not well lit, probably Americans don’t need much light in their rooms, coz they are famous for things where darkness is the prerequisite. The day started of well, I could not find veggie food, people stuffing down all sorts of burgers idhar udhar ka taam jhaam, except for what we called food, so these guys would just go over to a restaurant, take a burger like something, coke and that’s all, moreover veggie stuff was difficult to find. Man, you have trouble if you don’t have a vehicle here, public transport they don’t know what it stands for. Even greater was when I came back to the hotel, felt like going around somewhere, I happen to read the guest book, it said don’t go out late in the evening, if you are alone and don’t have a vehicle, the place around isn’t safe. Now that’s a topping on the cake.
So schedule was great, wake up--> office--> hotel-->sleep--> repeat. Nice I think, hassle free, like those low fare no-frills airlines. That’s been the first time, I have had a problem of getting around with people, that makes me realize how language and food matter, people tend to mix up best when munching together. I am desperately waiting for one of my colleagues and friend to come here, he finally came and that was a relief, just like a lady feels after she delivers, if not more.
So finally amrica sahi hai, if you have people to talk to, food the kind you can hog, money to be able to get a car and go wherever you like and above all..if you don’t feel like going back to that place you have all these years taken to be far inferior to America---India.
