11th of August, 2009. 1745 hrs. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad. No sentiments. No emotional scenes. There wasn’t enough time to see everyone who came to send me off. I directly went through the gate. Checked in my baggage. Had 2 kgs of excess luggage in my cabin. I thought that I had a chance to go out and give back some of the extra things from my baggage to my parents who were waiting outside the gate at the airport with a hope that I’ll come out again and with a desire to see me for one more time before I board the Air India flight to Newark from Hyderabad. I was coming out when the security guard stopped me and asked me what the problem was. I said I have to give some of my luggage to my parents. He showed me a location and asked me to give it from there. I didn’t see the restriction and went directly to my parents, gave them 2 of my shirts (don’t think how 2 shirts weigh 2 kilos..I transferred the other content into my backpack..fortunately for me, its weight was not seen). But didn’t have enough time to talk with them and share any sentiments with them. I don’t know if I really wanted to be sentimental. Though I could not. And did not try to. (Shall not divert from the topic..May write a blog about it later). I said bye to everyone who came to send me off and was about to go right through the gate when I was stopped. Actually I wasn’t supposed to come out to that location. I was supposed to give back my things from an inner location. Obviously, I didn’t know that and the security guards sent me inside after a minute of serious fuss. [;)][:P]
That wasn’t a big problem, though (It'd have been). Went again into the airport, and straight to Gate 30-B (where I was supposed to board my flight) after immigration check and all the other routine checks. Waited for around 1 and half hrs inside before boarding the flight. Had a gentleman to chat with (we shared the same surname…) from the point of boarding to the point of getting down in Newark. My flight was at 2045 hrs. We were slowly called to board the flight at around 2025 hrs. That was a domestic flight from Hyderabad to Mumbai. A usual domestic flight without any leg space. Leave leg space.. I did not have space to put my cabin baggage on the flight. So, finally after sometime, the crew checked in my cabin baggage. I had only my backpack left with me. Thank God, I had my passport, boarding pass and I-20 in the backpack and not the cabin baggage. The flight was supposed to reach Mumbai by 2210 hrs or so. But, due to weather problems and some delay at the start in Hyderabad (the so called Indian punctuality), we reached the place around 2300 hrs. We had two security checks in Mumbai and then boarded the flight from Mumbai to Newark. Didn’t have enough time to sit in Mumbai airport. This flight was scheduled to depart at 0115 hrs (not sure of the timings…its been long time and my memory is not as strong as it used to be. Another blog on my mind and memory later :P). But, the flight was delayed by around an hour waiting for some passengers to arrive. And finally, the journey to the US of A started!!
Again the same problem…no enough leg space. But much better than the domestic flight. I wanted to watch some movies on the screen in front of me. But I didn’t know how to operate it. Was shy to ask the crew members, which I should have. The worst part was that I couldn’t sleep well due to many reasons and there was a pair sitting right beside me, slept peacefully cuddling one another (not to be discussed much.. [;)][:P]). But somehow, just before reaching Frankfurt, asked the crew how to operate it. After that, I realized that I couldn’t find the headphones. Again called the crew for help. Then I didn’t know where the slot to put the headphone was. Was afraid to call them again. But just before reaching Frankfurt, asked and found out. Whoa…what a discovery finally and what an achievement!! Reached Frankfurt at around 0630 hrs (local time), just when I was seeing Jodha Akbar. Everyone was asked to get down to clean the flight. So, we went down to the transit terminal and waited for around an hour and were called back into the flight. This time, I had to change my place. Exchanged it for a guy who wanted to sit with a girl beside me (the previous pair got down at Frankfurt. These were some new ppl). Being so soft hearted, I donated my seat to him and went to his only to find out that I was sitting right beside a giant (That guy was so huge..couldn’t believe how he fit into that small place, when I, myself, had problems adjusting in the seat). Felt very sleepy due to the lack of sleep (:?) in the night. So, slept as soon as I went to that seat, only to be woken up by the crew to serve breakfast (who knows what it is or should be called? all the timings have changed!!) Whatever it is, ate that and watched the rest of Jodha Akbar. Felt sleepy after that. Slept but didn’t have a good sleep (no..its not ‘coz of the giant sitting beside me…but I couldn’t sleep). Finally landed at Newark airport 1 hr behind the schedule at around 11.20 AM (again, local time). Had no problems at all with the immigration and customs. Though took time to find my luggage. Came out of the airport. And realized that I’ve landed in US of A, the so-called land of whatever, I don’t remember!! :P
P.S :- I’ve mentioned ‘crew’ throughout and not ‘airhostess’. Some of them were air'hosts'. And the so-called hostesses were not as I expected them to be. All of them are middle aged. :( AI let me down. :( :( :( :P
That wasn’t a big problem, though (It'd have been). Went again into the airport, and straight to Gate 30-B (where I was supposed to board my flight) after immigration check and all the other routine checks. Waited for around 1 and half hrs inside before boarding the flight. Had a gentleman to chat with (we shared the same surname…) from the point of boarding to the point of getting down in Newark. My flight was at 2045 hrs. We were slowly called to board the flight at around 2025 hrs. That was a domestic flight from Hyderabad to Mumbai. A usual domestic flight without any leg space. Leave leg space.. I did not have space to put my cabin baggage on the flight. So, finally after sometime, the crew checked in my cabin baggage. I had only my backpack left with me. Thank God, I had my passport, boarding pass and I-20 in the backpack and not the cabin baggage. The flight was supposed to reach Mumbai by 2210 hrs or so. But, due to weather problems and some delay at the start in Hyderabad (the so called Indian punctuality), we reached the place around 2300 hrs. We had two security checks in Mumbai and then boarded the flight from Mumbai to Newark. Didn’t have enough time to sit in Mumbai airport. This flight was scheduled to depart at 0115 hrs (not sure of the timings…its been long time and my memory is not as strong as it used to be. Another blog on my mind and memory later :P). But, the flight was delayed by around an hour waiting for some passengers to arrive. And finally, the journey to the US of A started!!
Again the same problem…no enough leg space. But much better than the domestic flight. I wanted to watch some movies on the screen in front of me. But I didn’t know how to operate it. Was shy to ask the crew members, which I should have. The worst part was that I couldn’t sleep well due to many reasons and there was a pair sitting right beside me, slept peacefully cuddling one another (not to be discussed much.. [;)][:P]). But somehow, just before reaching Frankfurt, asked the crew how to operate it. After that, I realized that I couldn’t find the headphones. Again called the crew for help. Then I didn’t know where the slot to put the headphone was. Was afraid to call them again. But just before reaching Frankfurt, asked and found out. Whoa…what a discovery finally and what an achievement!! Reached Frankfurt at around 0630 hrs (local time), just when I was seeing Jodha Akbar. Everyone was asked to get down to clean the flight. So, we went down to the transit terminal and waited for around an hour and were called back into the flight. This time, I had to change my place. Exchanged it for a guy who wanted to sit with a girl beside me (the previous pair got down at Frankfurt. These were some new ppl). Being so soft hearted, I donated my seat to him and went to his only to find out that I was sitting right beside a giant (That guy was so huge..couldn’t believe how he fit into that small place, when I, myself, had problems adjusting in the seat). Felt very sleepy due to the lack of sleep (:?) in the night. So, slept as soon as I went to that seat, only to be woken up by the crew to serve breakfast (who knows what it is or should be called? all the timings have changed!!) Whatever it is, ate that and watched the rest of Jodha Akbar. Felt sleepy after that. Slept but didn’t have a good sleep (no..its not ‘coz of the giant sitting beside me…but I couldn’t sleep). Finally landed at Newark airport 1 hr behind the schedule at around 11.20 AM (again, local time). Had no problems at all with the immigration and customs. Though took time to find my luggage. Came out of the airport. And realized that I’ve landed in US of A, the so-called land of whatever, I don’t remember!! :P
P.S :- I’ve mentioned ‘crew’ throughout and not ‘airhostess’. Some of them were air'hosts'. And the so-called hostesses were not as I expected them to be. All of them are middle aged. :( AI let me down. :( :( :( :P
