When Lady Luck finally smiles, she doesn't just smile... she laughs!! How else can you explain this? A full flight from San Francisco to Dubai spanning over 15 tiresome hours- While the rest of humanity is packed like sardines for the entire duration, I get a window seat with no one sitting either in the next seat or the one next to that!! Enough room for me to even do somersaults!
Needless to say, I found it impossible to wipe the smile off my face for the entire journey. Though I tried to avoid eye contact as far as possible (which is always risky in these circumstances), it was tough not to be pierced by shafts of envy from many a pair of eyes! Also, when providence has favoured you in such a special way, you don't want to make a hash of it by being overly chatty and inviting unwanted company! That would be perfectly fine another day. Not for a 15 hour plane journey in economy class. Hence, I tried to be as aloof and unsociable as possible and I must say... I rather enjoyed my flight!!! A most despicable attitude all right, but under the circumstances, may be, a tad legitimate.
Never saw darkness the entire 15 hour journey! By nightfall, the flight was already in the upper reaches of Canada where the sun doesn't set till about 11:00 pm. Close to midnight, the flight was near the North Pole. The sun hovered around the horizon all the time, but never set! By 1:30 am, the airplane was over the Arctic Ocean and the sky was lit up as if it was 7:00 am in the morning! From then on, it was bright sunshine all the way.. right through Russia and Iran till it reached Dubai late in the evening.
Cloudscapes are fascinating- they seem to have topographical features of their own when viewed from an airplane. Flat and creamy, they extend like ice-fields all the way to the horizon, sometimes, fluffy and jagged like rock formations and at times, like a cliff edge... they end abruptly... only to reveal the actual ground... way below... where fields, mountains and the occasional river winds its way. The rays of the sun lit up one side of the clouds and created some of the most brilliant skyscapes.
Wrapping up in the Bay Area wasn't easy- I just about had time to pack up and rush to the airport. I seem to have somehow made a lot of purchase so that the two suitcases are full. I actually had to leave behind an old pair of jeans, my old shoes and even some underwear to make room for the new stuff!
Of course, underwear wouldn't occupy space or contribute to weight. But the dryer at the Hotel had other ideas. After the wash and dry, they all appear a size smaller and seem to squeeze the life out of me! Hence, had little choice but to leave them behind (except of course for the journey). And yes, I did inform the Hotel front desk about it. Last thing you want is a reputation that Indians vacate hotels without their underwear!! This is dark humour all right, but these are facts nonetheless, which need to be documented in appropriate detail!
In a few hours, I should be in Bangalore. It's truly disorienting no doubt- You are driving around El-Camino with the mountains behind you.. with a song on your lips and suddenly, that entire world view completely changes.
I can picture myself at Bengaluru, standing at one one of the BMTC bus stops. I can't read Kannada letters or numbers. As a bus comes by, I need to holler, "Gottigere! Gottigere!! Hogatta?" If the conductor responds in the affirmative, I get on the bus. He offers me a ticket to Gottigere. But I don't want to go to Gottigere. I want to go to Kalena Agrahara!
"Why did you shout Gottigere Gottigere then?" the conductor questions, positively confused.
"Well, that's because Kalena Agrahara is too big a name! By then, the bus would have moved on and I wouldn't have got an answer from you!!" I offer an explanation.
The conductor shrugs his shoulders... in disapproval.. completely baffled by his passengers and their IQ!!
Bengaluru, here I come!
Needless to say, I found it impossible to wipe the smile off my face for the entire journey. Though I tried to avoid eye contact as far as possible (which is always risky in these circumstances), it was tough not to be pierced by shafts of envy from many a pair of eyes! Also, when providence has favoured you in such a special way, you don't want to make a hash of it by being overly chatty and inviting unwanted company! That would be perfectly fine another day. Not for a 15 hour plane journey in economy class. Hence, I tried to be as aloof and unsociable as possible and I must say... I rather enjoyed my flight!!! A most despicable attitude all right, but under the circumstances, may be, a tad legitimate.
Never saw darkness the entire 15 hour journey! By nightfall, the flight was already in the upper reaches of Canada where the sun doesn't set till about 11:00 pm. Close to midnight, the flight was near the North Pole. The sun hovered around the horizon all the time, but never set! By 1:30 am, the airplane was over the Arctic Ocean and the sky was lit up as if it was 7:00 am in the morning! From then on, it was bright sunshine all the way.. right through Russia and Iran till it reached Dubai late in the evening.
Cloudscapes are fascinating- they seem to have topographical features of their own when viewed from an airplane. Flat and creamy, they extend like ice-fields all the way to the horizon, sometimes, fluffy and jagged like rock formations and at times, like a cliff edge... they end abruptly... only to reveal the actual ground... way below... where fields, mountains and the occasional river winds its way. The rays of the sun lit up one side of the clouds and created some of the most brilliant skyscapes.
Wrapping up in the Bay Area wasn't easy- I just about had time to pack up and rush to the airport. I seem to have somehow made a lot of purchase so that the two suitcases are full. I actually had to leave behind an old pair of jeans, my old shoes and even some underwear to make room for the new stuff!
Of course, underwear wouldn't occupy space or contribute to weight. But the dryer at the Hotel had other ideas. After the wash and dry, they all appear a size smaller and seem to squeeze the life out of me! Hence, had little choice but to leave them behind (except of course for the journey). And yes, I did inform the Hotel front desk about it. Last thing you want is a reputation that Indians vacate hotels without their underwear!! This is dark humour all right, but these are facts nonetheless, which need to be documented in appropriate detail!
In a few hours, I should be in Bangalore. It's truly disorienting no doubt- You are driving around El-Camino with the mountains behind you.. with a song on your lips and suddenly, that entire world view completely changes.
I can picture myself at Bengaluru, standing at one one of the BMTC bus stops. I can't read Kannada letters or numbers. As a bus comes by, I need to holler, "Gottigere! Gottigere!! Hogatta?" If the conductor responds in the affirmative, I get on the bus. He offers me a ticket to Gottigere. But I don't want to go to Gottigere. I want to go to Kalena Agrahara!
"Why did you shout Gottigere Gottigere then?" the conductor questions, positively confused.
"Well, that's because Kalena Agrahara is too big a name! By then, the bus would have moved on and I wouldn't have got an answer from you!!" I offer an explanation.
The conductor shrugs his shoulders... in disapproval.. completely baffled by his passengers and their IQ!!
Bengaluru, here I come!
No comments:
Post a Comment