FAQs answered!

Ahem! Everyone was worried about me having to make this excruciatingly long journey to the US of A all alone in this big, bad world. Some bit their nails, some told me I was a brave girl and could certainly make it alone, some gaped at me in awe... all were promptly giving me advices, good, bad, nasty ones even. I appreciate that. I really do. I was made to promise that I'll email them the details of the trip and that I'm FINE.

I am obliged to answer to the same questions over and again, over chats, emails, FB comments, phones and everywhere else that I'm accessible. So I thought of answering to these FAQs on my blog to provide answers collectively rather than deal with them one by one, person by person. So here goes...

1. You reached?

a. Yes, I did.

2. The flight was on time?

a. Yes, it was. There was a delay in Mumbai, but the smart pilot made it here in time.

3. Good journey/ Nice flight?

a. Ok-ok, so-so. It was Air India and thus, airhostesses were to be strictly addressed as "aunties". They were rude and least bothered about providing assistance to the passengers. Moreover, they are crassly underpaid.

4. What did you do in Frankfurt?

a. It took almost an hour to alight from the flight in to the waiting area. Then I was reading my book "The White Tiger" and then coincidently, my ex-boss was on the same flight. So I was talking to him.

5. Saw movies?

a. Only one. Ajab prem ki gajab kahaani. I usually do not make use of the in flight entertainment.

6. Slept well?

a. Hardly for 2 hours... again which was being continually disturbed by one bratty 7 yr old kid. (I don't even sleep while travelling.)

7. How was immigration?

a. Good.

8. So, jet lagged?

a. The day I came, yes. Now, ok. Trying to fit in.

9. Did Kiran come to pick you? 

a. D-U-H! Of course!

10. Was Kiran happy to see you?

a. Yes!

11. Were you happy to see him?

a. I was happy and relieved. (well, what do you expect???)

12. Were you tired?

a. After the 1 hr check-in/ immigration at CSIA, Mumbai, 2.5 hr wait for the boarding, 8 hr flight to Frankfurt, 2 hr wait at Frankfurt, 9.5 hr journey from there to Chicago O'hare and 20 minutes ride back home, I'll say I was a perfect definition for 'tiredness'.

13. What time was it when you reached?

a. It was 6th July, 11:15 AM... that's 6th July 9:45 PM in India.

14. Did you talk to your parents?

a. The day I reached, I managed to say I'm ok. And spoke to them yesterday too.

15. How's your house?

a. Pretty cozy place. I'm loving every bit of it.

16. Done unpacking?

a. No.

17. Any Indians nearby?

a. Yes, one Punjabi family are our neighbours. Ran into them yesterday.

18. Do you like it there?

a. Yes, I do.

19. Did Kiran cook for you?

a. Yes. There was lunch ready for me when I was home.

20. Photos kab bhej rahi hai?

a. As soon as I'm done with setting the house.

Please add on any more questions that you have, will answer them sincerely.

*Offer valid till patience lasts*

At the Airport,

after the security check, getting bored in the waiting area, blogging thru' my lappy, showing-off, trying to look important like the five others. :) I'm zapped at the beautification of the Chatrapati Shivaji Airport, Mumbai. Its quite good, going by the look it had, just the previous year. Impressed! There's stuff to see around... like just see... Gucci, Swarowski, and some perfume shops... (no biiiiig book shop though :( )... and places where u can eat, KFC, Pizza Hut, CCD...

Had to shell Rs. 130 for a cheese sandwich and rs 100 for coffee and idli!!! I think I shud chuck off the 3 !, since I should have seen that coming, innit?

We sailed through the check-in, immigration and the security check smoothly. The staff was courteous too! Guess they finally have learnt their etiquettes while communicating to the passengers. :D

Lotsa passengers, whiling their time. And one that caught my attention was an Indian female donning an "I Love NY" T-shirt, heading for Sg. Why couldn't she buy 'I love my India' T, is out of my comprehension... and fortunately, I don't see any children, that means I can have a peaceful flight, without the stupid brats running in the aisle area. Me is positively beaming!!!


Some Parag fellow has given his pre- boarding speech. so i better get ready to pack my lappy and leave. Will blog when in Sg. :)

Update - 9th March '09

Hi all,

Some update from my side.

I'm gng to Sg to my brother's place this Saturday for it is Baby J's 2nd birthday and V needs some help with his french. That extends my stay for a full month and half. As much as I'm gonna enjoy it there, I'll miss my stuff back home. There's still a whoop of joy that I can manage there, since I'll be carrying my lappy... that means I'll stay connected. :) Yet, I cannot promise you when my next post will make its appearance. :( DDD, Rayshma and Rasna, patience dearies.

I have a lot of blog posts happening in my tiny brain, right now. Lekin time constraints, people!! Can hardly find time to sit with a peaceful mind that doesn't wander around even without provocation. There are Baby J tales, Bagga tales and a very emotional post that HAS to be put up here. Do bug me for them. Else they'll stay forever in my mind.

I've resolved things NOT to do at Sg, throughout my stay :

1. Be lured by the amazing palate of food the food-courts offer.
2. Buy clothes even if they are free.
3. Think of buying stilettos even when I know I can't walk in them. :
4. Give in to V's and my SIL's pampering; for anything; literally.

Siiiigh! gotta go back to packing, unpacking, repacking, super-packing, hyper-packing and finance management.

Will see you people soon enough.

Truly, yours truly,

Purnima

Vacation - Dilli

VACATION TIME FINALLY!!! Yes, it has happened and I am on vacation for full 7 days. Away from home, away from french, miles away from classes. I am at Delhi and will be going to some other places.

So, as I stepped on our national capital, I was elated.... for I came here 20 years after I had first visited this place as a tourist... as well as because after ages I'm seeing a new city. Yup! my friends have contra-complained; when I complained that I don't go anywhere... they say "you run to Singapore at every given opportunity, don't you?" Yes, I do but that's hardly vacation VACATION... its home away from home, thus I am not a tourist there!

Ok.. so here goes....

The foremost :: New Delhi is BEEEEAAUUUUTIFULLLL!!!! I'm impressed.... the roads are chaka-chak clean.. no garbage, no filth, no potholes.... Road signs everywhere and well maintained green circles. The feeling is just AHA! I loved, loved, LOVED it around here.

Me and amma were the tourist for the day since dad had office work and did not join us. My main aim was to go to the "PARANTHEWALI GALLI" and have the scrumptious paranthas there. Our driver cum guide chalked out a plan for us so that we reach the hotel by 6 in the evening.

Our first halt was at the "Red Fort". Nothing much to boast about the place except that there was cleanliness and no chaos even though there were hoards of people. We saw around for an hour - museums displaying the old scriptures/ tattered clothes of the mughals/ larger-than-necessary weapons etc. Frankly, I never really liked the idea of seeing what the dead people wore / used. Also lotsa firang population that seemed to enjoy the whole tour.

Then the cycle rickshaw took us to Chandni Chowk... the must hyped part of old Dilli.... The sights and sounds were similar to that of Tulsibaug back in Pune... except this was much more colourful. Shopping around there was virtually impossible due to the crowd and also our time constraint. Apparently, the only best thing to do was to head towards paranthewalli galli. Need I describe this part, because words fail me to do so. The paranthes were heavenly.... 1 mirchi paratha - made of green chillies entirely, 1 mix parantha - gobi/ aloo/ gajjar/ muli etc. and 1 papad parantha. I had my eyes on this place since I saw it on Discovery Travel n Living. I was mistaken though.... I was planning to hog at the "Karim" which is famous for the mouth watering, lip smacking kebabs and mutton curry and tandoor rotis...Disappointment was in store for me when I came to know that Karims is near Jama Masjid. Yet, I am adamant ... and will go there before I leave this city.

Then we fluttered from there to India Gate (where he said "ek ka pacchas", I snapped decisively "ek ka pacchis"... and we got our snaps for "saath[60] main do" =))) to Lotus Temple and finally to Qutub Minar. It was indeed pleasing to see all these places with my own eyes in front of me, for a change, than to ogle at them through Disc. TnL. Also noted one thing, entry fee for Indians at Qutub Minar and Lal Quilla was rs. 10 per head, whereas for firangs it was rs. 250/-... First I thought that was quite unfair to them... but then "its a few daalaas hiir n theyrr" (read it with American accent ;) )

At the outset, amma was really very worried and skeptical about the people here... basically she thought all of them are thugs...and we are just the two of us all by ourselves.... Fortunately it wasn't so! I found them rather, dilwale, these dilliwale. :) Many snaps, which I shall upload as soon as I reach home. My netcon here is dial-up... hence you gotta wait for the snaps.

Thus, was my one day Dilli Darshan... and I'm looking forward to my further travel plans. Until then Ciao.