Airport Fun as usual

You never will be the person you can be if pressure, tension and discipline are taken out of your life....James G. Bilkey

Fourth day here in the city of gold. Time’s been flying by, as usual. Let me go back to Sunday morning. Eventful, as usual. Read on:

Got up at 430 AM(After checking the time at 1200, 0130, 0330…LOL) finally. Went to brush teeth and voila- no water in the basin. Apparently, the building’s overhead tank decided to empty itself overnight. Instead of being superstitious (that the day wouldn’t go well or something) or annoyed, I went and told the watchman who immediately switched on the pump and things were normal.:)

The pick-up taxi guy came at sharp 530 and we left- had a ½ hour of sleep on the way. Reached by 730.

A bit surprising to see less of a crowd than usual, even the 20-people-come-to-drop-the-maa-da-laadla-off-at-airport-who-wait-till-plane-takes-off crowd which hangs (literally hangs, on the railings) outside the entry gate were less. I entered, ready for my usual dose of humor, always experienced there. And, I was not disappointed. Maybe the effect of Ash...no, no, Ash wasn't in Ahmedabad- I refer, of course, to volcanic ash which disrupted flights, and some flights of Emirates go from Ahmedabad-Dubai-UK/US/Europe.

First, at the X-ray machine- I saw each and every person ahead of me, carrying a box of ‘Kayrees’, as they lovingly call them in Gujarati, which means, mangoes of course. It had me wondering whether the X-rays would take away some of the nutritious value of the mangoes. (Does it? I don’t know. Do you?). And, wondering how would the mangoes feel, being tossed around in the cargo hold, amidst the heavy suitcases people fill each time(They’d just let out a little juice, I guess)?

Off from the X-ray machine. Over to the check-in.

‘That’s all the baggage, Sir? ‘

‘Yes, I always travel light’. *big smile on my face*

How nice it feels to say that for the third time, after the initial first 2-3 years when I used to pay 2.5k/3k Rs for excess baggage.

There was no rush at the cafeteria in the final zone this time. Probably because the flight was on time, nee, before time. I had tea and a sandwich. Guy next to me didn’t know that there’s an art of picking up paper cuppas of tea here, and he picked it up like a mug-so the cup shriveled and he had tea all over his hands and tees.

Boarding by 845. Walked into the plane and voila-and what do I see? My economy ticket has a business class seat. Good luck, huh? No extra cost, of course.

As always, there were people ahead of me in the aisles. Someone looked all around and asked’ Olo kyaan gayo’(Where did he go?)- obviously referring to their kid who must’ve been happily wandering about somewhere in the plane.

It seems that there were some other lucky people as well, like me. One was an ‘ole’ Grandmom. She sat the traditional way-with feet folded on the seat, the way we sit to eat when sitting on the ground. When the food tray came, they had to make an effort to take it out of the arm-rest and unfold the attached table on her folded feet. Later, I saw her happily picking her nose and tossing the ‘what nots’ into the air around her..arghh!!

The couple in front of me had their wedding anniversary, and the Emirates staff gave them two gift bags and took their photos via a polaroid camera(Like they’d done for me some time back). Made them quite happy- and, it’s these small gestures which makes Emirates so attractive, doesn’t it?

The rest of the time went in watching Friends and other humour shows on the comedy channel.

Landed 15 minutes earlier. Trust this flight to take a shortcut in the air, as usual.:) In 10 minutes, I was at the conveyor belt, which, as I’ve mentioned in the past, ‘spits out’ one’s baggage in the most amusing way….and, was more amusing to see the kayree na toplas being spit out thusly. And, wonder of wonders, at least three boxes of mineral water bottle cases could also be seen moving round the conveyor belt. Wonder why anyone would bring mineral water into the country? No economics, also- it costs 15 Rs there and it costs 1.5 dirhams here(18 Rs). But, carrying 10 bottles of 1.3 litres each, means 13 kgs of your baggage is mineral water. What an idea, Sirji, you say?:)
----------------------

Joke for the day: I failed my driver’s test. The guy asked me "what do you do at a red light?" I said, I don’t know… look around, listen to the radio… (Bill Braudis)

Till next time, keep smiling.