Chapter 5th Jan 2010, From Chennai to JFK
Place & Year: Chennai, India/NewYork City, USA / 2010
As it always happens,I had my friends coming home one after the other as I was leaving
to US that night. Home was almost crowded and packing was at full swing. I finished
with packing by 21:00 and plans were to leave home at about 23:30. Roby, Vishnu
were still there and Roby left at 23:00. The cab came on time and I left to the
airport with mom, dad, Shriv, Raagini and Vishnu. On the way I picked one of my
baggage from Balaji Chitappa's (Uncle) place. I left the baggage at his home since
the time whenI start was not proper for commencement of travel based on calculations
of religious notes in whichI strongly believe. We reached airport by 00:15.
I never knew the structure has changed in chennai airport. Previously we could stand
together with visitors almost till we went for check in area. But now right after
we enter the airport, a steel rail that stands in between. Without knowing this
I entered and then to my surprise this rail stood in between. I talked to everyone
for sometime and then went for security check and baggage check in. It took some
40 mins to complete all this and then I returned to the place where everyone was
standing. With the time it took for the check in, they have decided that I went
into immigration. After a small chat session and a couple of snaps and warm hugs,
I left for immigration. Immigration took little time except for the time standing
in Queue. I was sitting in the waiting room and my eyes were almost drooping. It
was about 3:00 andI got a coffee. It was so bad that I took 15 mins to finish it.
Then came the announcement that my flight was delayed. I thought it will take hours
together but by gods grace it was only a 15 minutes delay. It was Emirates flight
and the reception was good. It was a window seat, somethingI wanted inspite of the
fact thatI had acrophobia.
Take off was at 4:30 and surprisingly it was not scary for me. I loved the view
of chennai from such a height. Since it was morning, it was golden lights all over
with a few white lights glittering like diamonds. I had tough time operating the
display since this was my first international flight journey. The amount of stupidityI
showed in operating it forced the person next to me to take a small training session
using it. But after thatI started browsing through the list of available movies.
It was great. The list was exhaustive and had movies of all timeline and recent
blockbuster hits. NoI knew how to while away time. After watching out of the window
for sometime,I slipped into sleep. In an hour, the air hostess woke me up for breakfast,
a least that's what they call it. I don't remember having breakfast at 5:00. I finished
and then could not sleep anymore. I switched on the display and started watching
movie clips. I went back to sleep at 6:00 and then woke up at 6:15 only to see the
most astonishing site of my life time. It was a city before DubaiI believe. Dubai
was my transit. The view showed me a large area of brilliant lights, not just scattered
but arranged in proper shapes. The horizon extended wide for miles together with
a gradient from black to red. I knew there will be atleast one view of this sort,
but this was more than whatI ever expected. WishI had my SLR in hand.
It was 6:30 and we reached Dubai.The airport was very big. Though it did not show
any signs of unbelievable technological advancements, it was a great trading market.
The airport was flooded with goods and jewellery. I was in one of the terminals,
but as they took me from the flight to this terminal in busI could see many of similar
terminals. I could only imagine the size of the airport. The security check was
in depth here, not as the oneI had in Chennai. ThenI entered a lounge area from
whereI will board the next flight. This place was Wi-Fi enabled andI switched my
iPod touch on, sent a mail to everyone and chatted with Janani for a couple of minutes
since she was online in blackberry.
I boarded the flight to JFK from there and it was not a window seat. They served
food at regular intervals and surprisingly it was good. I've heared stories of food
always not being good in flights. ThenI watched three movies and started with the
fourth one when my head almost started to spin without sleep. I grabbed a couple
of hours of sleep. Thats the maxI could. For the last two hoursI was just waiting
for the landing. It was almost 3:30 EST and we landed.I have just heared stories
of the negative temperatures outside whichI will witness in few more minutes. The
immigration against what my colleagues have told was simple and finished off in
a few minutes. ThenI grabbed my luggage in no time and asI found the way to go to
the taxi stand,I stopped just before the door and took the leather jacket and gloves
out of the baggage. The door opened and asI stepped outI could feel the cold crawl
everywhere into me. It was 0 degree and it threw the jacket on me and slipped my
hand into the gloves. Still the cold was something thatI have never even dreamt
of. My fingers were freezing and my nose was as red a chilly.
I rushed to the taxi which I had no idea of how to pay or anything at all. Still
the things that my bro had always told me about US kept up my confidence. The driver
was an African American, I believe and he addressed me as "Paapi" whichI had no
idea of what it meant. Should be a slangI guess. Once inside the taxi. I was very
much fine since it had a heater. The driver drove through Manhattan. The sky line
was great and as we drove through the skyscrappers I could see the magnificence.
I was too tired to enjoy or appreciate it. I just recorded the glimpses which I
barely remember as I was half asleep. I always knew I would come back here many
a time to spend weekends. It took me 1 Hr an 20 minutes to reach the hotel and I
had no idea of getting out of the taxi and step into the cold weather. But with
no other choice,I stepped out and remembered to collect the receipt for the reimbursement.
I pulled all the heavy luggages into the hotel in the below zero degree weather
and check in to rest on the soft bed for a while. I paid to use Wi-Fi in the room
and got back to my mailing work to let people back home know that I reached US safely.
And just at that moment I realized I had 10 Hrs unaccounted, lost in mid air in
my life.