Stupendous Man

At last, I have had some time to sit down and blog about my trip back home. Of course I did have loved to have done a blog post daily about my stay in India, but it was not to be, nor was I expecting it to be that way. Anyways, from now on, for at least a couple more posts, I will cover my India trip in general, and of course fill you on the interesting things happening in my world.

And to summarize all the NRI Desh Bashers – please go fly a kite somewhere or better still jump of the building. You certainly are blind. Desh simply rocks.

Of airlines and airports
The first leg of my journey was through a code share flight operated by United Airlines for Lufthansa from D.C to Frankfurt. One thing that was immediately clear right from the airport was the feeling of insecurity and distrust at every corner of the immigration process. A mere request for a window seat resulted in weird looks by the travel representative, though I for once was spared of the “if you are brown, thou shall go through advanced security check” bunkum. But, United Airlines, for all its good will needs to teach their Air Hosts and Hostess some lessons on being normal.

The staff though good, looked dreary, tired and lethargic. Though they did best to be supportive, their apprehensive and tense faces didn’t make matters any better. All the while through out the 8 hour journey, the hosts in United Airlines looked totally hassled and drained out – it was to the point where the entire journey seemed like one big tense ride, half of which was an after effect of the stewards being so damn nervous about themselves. Of course the fact that the more than 3rd of the journey was spent in turbulent weather didn’t make matters any easier.

Much to my surprise, unlike the last time, I found ground staff at Frankfurt extremely polite and very helpful. I was very impressed with Germans for once. I was directed correctly at all locations, people were polite all the way in the airport, and in general the walk around the airport seemed nice.

What I did notice in Frankfurt airport to contrast with D.C airport was the feeling of being at an airport, without the tense bundled in – most times in D.C airport, people are either hurrying, or sitting quietly to themselves. Most people seem afraid to talk to each other, and there is always a sense of fear in the airport. Contrast this to Frankfurt, where people seemed happy about being in transit – people talking in loud voices, cracking jokes and all, made for a very pleasant experience indeed at the airport. I would certainly travel by Lufthansa again.

Of coffee and desi
At Frankfurt restaurant lounge, a desi in front of me asked in a thick south Indian accent:
Can I get 2 cups of Kapi and sendweech ?
Waitress: Sir, for here or to take away?
Desi: No-no, I will buy it here and take it outside and eat it!
Waitress: Yes, you mean you want a take out?
Desi: Yes, I will take out, but I want to buy it here!

Mmmh… it seemed the desi was traveling for the first time.

Of Frankfurt and Bangalore
In contrast to my flight from D.C to Frankfurt, the second leg of the journey was a smooth and a very pleasant ride, and much must be said about the German hospitality in the plane. The staff was courteous, smiling and helpful all the way. No passenger was treated hostile, and everybody got their requests fulfilled. There was none of that hassled behavior of United Airlines.

The food was great, and it was amusing to note that the Chicken had made way for the Turkey. However their vegetarian food was really good.

Of Home
As the plane touched down on tarmac at Bangalore Airport, the first thing I felt was the feeling of coming home. The moment I stepped out of the plane, the wind, the smell of earth after a fresh rain, mixed with a stench not recognizable and something that smelled like burning rubber – and the buzzing mosquitoes – all brought back the gamut of emotions in my heart. I felt at home and like a complete stranger both at once.

Outside my brother was there to receive me in his new car – as we drove back home on Bangalore streets, I felt strange all of a sudden. Suddenly there was too much noise; too many portholes, too many mosquitoes, too many vehicles on road. Even at 1 am in the night, the streets were crowded – half built bridges and flyovers didn’t make for a good impression anyways.

Back to home, it was the familiar sight I missed since many years – the same sofa, the same TV, the same bed – everything seemed familiar. The sound of fan at full speed and the cold wind below brought back the feeling of fresh air… indeed, I was tired of my A.C.

By 2.00 am I settled down to sleep… with a mattress on the floor (as I usually did back then). A window lay open to let some cool air in, and the fan was at full speed because like a typical NRI, I was feeling “hot”. I felt apprehensive about where I had come back to actually at that point – I was not even sure whether I wanted to be back… with these thoughts I slept.

At 7.00 am, I was woken by the familiar songs of yore: Crows cawing, Cuckoos singing, a few other birds making rhythmic noises; the sound of a rickshaw passing by (probably a school rickshaw); bicycle horns; someone was playing a devotional song a little loud perhaps; and lastly the sound of some people playing badminton across our street in the park. And the smell of the morning air, when the sun is just about to come out – the damp, cool breeze. Something hit me at that moment.

This is where I wanted to be. It didn’t even take 3 hours for me to get back in the groove of my desh. Everything seemed changed, and yet nothing had changed.

I knew. I had come home.