HALLO!! I am finally in India and decided a good way to keep in touch with everyone and document my trip would be to start a blog (thanks Alkesh Kaka for the idea). I don't know when and where I will have internet access but I'm going to try my best to keep things updated. I will be in India until April 30th, visiting family and friends, volunteering with Indicorps (www.Indicorps.org), and traveling all over. My mom will be with me for the first three weeks. Then from April 30th to June 9th I will be in Europe with family and to travel. Make sure you holler if you are going to be in Europe at the same time. I have been looking forward to this trip for a long time, but will miss everyone back home greatly. Hopefully this blog will help me keep connected back home and will make my trip better!
So first things first, I have to talk a little bit about my interesting flight over here. I flew from London to Mumbai to Ahmedabad via Air India. Air India is exactly what it sounds like India...on a plane. I'm pretty used to the Indian way, but it was down right hilarious on a plane (the following is in no way complaining). As soon as I walked on, there was one auntie screaming to one of her friends that she had saved perfect seats (the air hostess kept trying to explain to her that there were assigned seats on everyone's ticket) and the smell of nasto was already everywhere. By true Indian Standard Time (IST) we left two hours late because the power kept turning on and off in the plane, to which yells of how to fix it were heard from many passengers. There were about 5 brave white people total on the plane whose faces throughout the flight were priceless. We each had our own individual T.V. screens for movies and such, and they were probably some of the first touch screens ever made. So the Kaka (older indian man) behind me was jamming his screen, AKA my seat, with his thumb for about 30 minutes trying to get some 1960's Amitab Bachan movie to play while his wife poked me through the crack of the seats, telling me to put my seat up so he could watch the movie. Between jerking back and forth while he tried to figure out the touch screen and mom's face of disgust, I could not stop hysterically laughing. As soon as the plane's tires hit the runway, people started getting up and getting bags from the overhead compartment while the air hostess' yells to remain seated with seatbelts fastened were met with blank stares. I was just waiting for a bag to come flying out and hit someone in the face...oh and it did, and it was wonderful. Once we landed in Mumbai, we didn't get off the plane, but kind of put our feet up on the seat while the cleaning crew came in and got the plane ready to fly to Ahmedebad. The flickering power costed us another hour, but finally at 4 a.m. 14 hours after boarding the plane in London, we were standing in the customs line.
The zig zagged or 'jig-jagged' line turned into, of course, a mass of people pushing and shoving their way to the front. Finally someone figured out you could unhook the belts that made the lanes for the lines, and before I knew it the line turned into a mob that just pushed its way to the 6 customs officials. The cops came, yelling at everyone, saying we were uncivilized, to which the crowd yelled back that there was "no system", and that if the security people had had a system this would not have happened (I thought the system was the line). I sat in the mob, half delirious, unable to move, sandwiched between the ladies in full burqas from the Air Iran flight and some Guju kakas behind me who kept on giving me advice on the best way to get in front of everyone else. Then I saw the poor 20 something white kid yelling, "I need some water!!!" When we got to the customs desk, the guy said that the picture in my passport was not me, because I looked older in the picture then I did in real life (I guess the guy in the picture ate all my food). I got all our bags from the zoo that was the baggage claim and me and mom hurried outside to meet our family friend who was picking us up. I stepped outside the airport, took a deep breath of dusty, kinda funky Indian air, and could not have been happier. I had finally arrived in India.
So first things first, I have to talk a little bit about my interesting flight over here. I flew from London to Mumbai to Ahmedabad via Air India. Air India is exactly what it sounds like India...on a plane. I'm pretty used to the Indian way, but it was down right hilarious on a plane (the following is in no way complaining). As soon as I walked on, there was one auntie screaming to one of her friends that she had saved perfect seats (the air hostess kept trying to explain to her that there were assigned seats on everyone's ticket) and the smell of nasto was already everywhere. By true Indian Standard Time (IST) we left two hours late because the power kept turning on and off in the plane, to which yells of how to fix it were heard from many passengers. There were about 5 brave white people total on the plane whose faces throughout the flight were priceless. We each had our own individual T.V. screens for movies and such, and they were probably some of the first touch screens ever made. So the Kaka (older indian man) behind me was jamming his screen, AKA my seat, with his thumb for about 30 minutes trying to get some 1960's Amitab Bachan movie to play while his wife poked me through the crack of the seats, telling me to put my seat up so he could watch the movie. Between jerking back and forth while he tried to figure out the touch screen and mom's face of disgust, I could not stop hysterically laughing. As soon as the plane's tires hit the runway, people started getting up and getting bags from the overhead compartment while the air hostess' yells to remain seated with seatbelts fastened were met with blank stares. I was just waiting for a bag to come flying out and hit someone in the face...oh and it did, and it was wonderful. Once we landed in Mumbai, we didn't get off the plane, but kind of put our feet up on the seat while the cleaning crew came in and got the plane ready to fly to Ahmedebad. The flickering power costed us another hour, but finally at 4 a.m. 14 hours after boarding the plane in London, we were standing in the customs line.
The zig zagged or 'jig-jagged' line turned into, of course, a mass of people pushing and shoving their way to the front. Finally someone figured out you could unhook the belts that made the lanes for the lines, and before I knew it the line turned into a mob that just pushed its way to the 6 customs officials. The cops came, yelling at everyone, saying we were uncivilized, to which the crowd yelled back that there was "no system", and that if the security people had had a system this would not have happened (I thought the system was the line). I sat in the mob, half delirious, unable to move, sandwiched between the ladies in full burqas from the Air Iran flight and some Guju kakas behind me who kept on giving me advice on the best way to get in front of everyone else. Then I saw the poor 20 something white kid yelling, "I need some water!!!" When we got to the customs desk, the guy said that the picture in my passport was not me, because I looked older in the picture then I did in real life (I guess the guy in the picture ate all my food). I got all our bags from the zoo that was the baggage claim and me and mom hurried outside to meet our family friend who was picking us up. I stepped outside the airport, took a deep breath of dusty, kinda funky Indian air, and could not have been happier. I had finally arrived in India.
Good work nikesh... the comment on "the system" will be a re-current theme in India, you will gain a better understanding of Dad.. haha
ReplyDeletehave fun man
Good to know you go there safe brother.
ReplyDeleteHI!! Man, the kaka on the plane is hilarious!! You're going to have a great time, and I'm excited to read more! Gald you got there safely! Keep us updated. Miss you!
ReplyDeleteHey man this is Danny. Gotta love long plane rides! We're glad you made it.
ReplyDeleteBut seriously- that description of your trip is hysterical! The image of the old people behind you poking at your seat is Too Much! Unhooking the belts and carrying on about "no system!"- awesome! I love the part about the poor white kid. "I NEED WATER!" ahahahaha that's going to make an awesome story for him.
Be safe man, and I look forward to reading more about your trip. I'm jealous you are in the land of cricket.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletedamn nikesh good stuff
ReplyDeleteyo nikki whats up its donny. Your dad just came to J Mikes hes hungry cause your mom is in England still, and he told me about this. Hope your having fun out there and glad you got there safe, but i will def be checking this out talk to you soon. Peace little homie
ReplyDeleteI'm SUPER late on commenting on your ARRIVAL.. BUT!!! I do feel for you, those meanies in customs really do try to skip you :-(! ESPECIALLY when you're trying to claim missing baggage.. BOY they start speaking languages you can't even understand all on purpose i think!...
ReplyDelete