Monday, November 23, 2009

a familiar journey..

As I stood in wait for my turn at the long immigration queue at the International airport at Mumbai, several thoughts crossed my mind. There was a mellow song playing on my pod. The excitement too had mellowed down a little, if I compare it to the last time I went. There, I was traveling abroad for the first time; here, it felt familiar. But nevertheless, I was ready for a holiday again.
There is something about traveling alone that I like, not in comparison to having company, but on its own. Nobody to disturb you in your thoughts when you observe the world. Sometimes in our urge to share everything that we see then and there, we miss out on many things.

There was some confusion between me and the fellow standing behind me as to who joined the queue first. We walked besides one another till the queue became narrower and he gave me the space. We exchanged smiles. Check-in was smooth, I got got the passage seat. (Just besides the window seat) The bag that i checked in weighed almost 17 kg! Immigration was smooth too, the boarding gate was changed at the last moment from 14 to 13. 13 was a remote station, we were taken there by a bus. The kingfisher flight took off at 12 midnight.
In-flight service was good. The air hostesses were not exactly pretty, but were polite and well-dressed. I chose the international cuisine, that had Thai rice and chicken gravy. It was pretty goo, not spectacular though. The chocolate pastry for dessert was delicious. I saw a full movie and hardly slept in the flight.

The flight arrived at good time here at Changi airport. The airport, too, felt too familiar as all the formalities were completed pretty quickly. I bought a whiskey bottle for bro's roomies and caught a (mercides taxi) to Sengkang, the name of his place. Reached bro's place at 8 30 in the morning, he got up as I came and there was the usual hug. As I talked to him while unpacking my bag in a manner I have always done, I wondered how time and distance has not brought any difference in our relationship, pretty much of a friend.

6 comments:

Nikhil said...

Excellent. And indeed distances mean much less than they used just say 10 years back... where trunk calls were a major event!
today they will mean a trunk call only if one of 2 people is on the moon! (even that may not be tough, see if skype works on the moon) :P

Have fun.
PS: I wouldn't have taken you wanting to travel alone badly, but then you went and compared it to last time, and last times company(me) and said this time there was and i quote -"Nobody to disturb you in your thoughts". So, i enjoy your company too. ;)

Next post you owe niceties to me. Be nice :)

also you can get me a dabba of Eclipe mint from there.

Akshay said...

Haha dude.....even you seem to have the same problem as fatty . I have clearly written that I like to travel alone NOT in comparison to anything.... But by itself...

Nikhil said...

I have no problem, except that some people keep liking to think I do. ;) And I read what you said, but you should realize alone is always the opposite of with company. And your saying that when alone there is no one to disturb your thoughts is implying that when there is company they disturb your thoughts :) so there.

Now get me mints.

Akshay said...

what if someone likes both for different reasons, like doesn't mean prefer. ;) If there are some people who should be made to think about things, YOU should be disallowed!!

Nikhil said...

The very fact that your point of view needed extra explanation is evidence that you weren't clear the first time.

And not allowing people to think is my dialogue, so remember to give me credit whenever you use it. :)

Akshay said...

Haha ok didn't realize that....anyway u wouldn't use the dialogue on yourself.... So took the liberty... Plus Noone except the two of us visit this :p... So what credit man!.. And sorry sir for being unclear...