Horizontally up in the air

My stomach was beginning to grumble.  I hadn't anticipated such a long line at the immigration desk at the Chennai airport--to get out of the old country, that is.  My original plan was to eat the four idlis that mother had packed in a ziplock bag after I was done with immigration and security check.  But, now, here I was in a slow-moving line.

My stomach grumbled more.  I took out the ziplock bag.  Idlis with the mildest coating of milagai podi.  My stomach welcomed the idea.

One after another, all the four idlis were gone.   More than a few people around me were watching me eat; I am sure many of them were equally hungry as I was.

I was still a long way way from the front of the line.  At least my stomach was happy.  I cleaned up my fingers with Purell.  

"What a crazy line" said the older woman behind me.  Just a tad taller than five feet, she seemed as Indian as I am and as American as I am.

We engaged in small talk.  A retired radiologist from California, she was visiting the old country to spend a few days with her 93-year old mother who is not well.

"See you on the other side" I told her as I headed to the officer for my turn.

A few minutes before boarding time, I saw her at the gate.  "They gave me a free upgrade to business class.  I didn't even ask for it" she said.

"All the way?"

"No, only for the short one."

"It will be cattle class for 15 hours after, eh" I joked.  We laughed.

I passed the business class on the way to my seat in the cattle class.  These days, I don't even dream about a free upgrade.  I have lost my mojo :(

Two hours to kill at the transit airport before the 15 hour nonstop flight.  I sat down at a table at the cafe.  "Toast and a cappuccino, please" I told the Filipino-looking waiter.

The cappuccino barely wet my throat.  I struggled to get his attention.  When I did, I asked for another.

After walking around for a while, I was now ready for the long haul.

I reached the gate.  It was my turn.  I walked up and handed my passport and boarding pass.  He entered something into the computer and tore up my boarding pass.  He gave me back the passport.  With a mischievous smile and with his left index finger over his lips, he handed me a new boarding pass.

I looked at it and smiled back at him.

A free upgrade to business class, where I can lie down flat for hours!

I haven't lost my mojo, after all. ;)

Up in the air

Living in small town, America means that traveling to the old country has at least three flight segments--a short domestic one to a major hub, a long haul from this hub to a global hub, and travel from that global hub to India.  This time was no different.

In the short flight to the hub, in the adjacent seat that was by the window was a young woman, who was chewing gum as her fingers typed on her iPhone at speeds that could have bested Rose Pamphyle.  She introduced herself as a freshman at the local university who was going home for the winter break after an eventful first term.  It turned out that even her trip home was eventful.

When the cabin attendant came with the beverage cart, the freshman asked her, "is there a bag here?  If I end up puking?"

The attendant showed her the bag in the pouch.  I was now on full alert.

I was more than halfway through my tasty sandwich, when she grabbed the bag and heaved into it.

The attendant returned with ice cubes that were wrapped with a wet paper towel.  "Use this to cool your head and neck" she suggested. The seatmate complied.  I offered her the puke bag from the pouch in front of my seat as well.

The attendant came again, this time with gloved hands with which she carefully lifted up the bag-with-puke and dropped it into the garbage bag.

"I'm so sorry," said my seatmate. "I assure you that I am not sick or anything.  The last few days have been rough, that's all.  Including helping out a friend who was completely drugged out."

TMI for me.  "No problems at all.  These things happen. You prepared well for this--sensing that you were not feeling well and getting the bag organized" I comforted her.

"Yeah, imagine otherwise. I would have sprayed all over, including you."  She laughed.  I laughed.  If it were not for such humor even at awkward situations, the US will be a dull and boring country!

"The good thing is that you are going home and your mother will take care of you for a few days."

"Yes, my parents will be at the airport."

She opened the phone to play a video game.

"You might not want to do that now--it could worsen the motion sickness" I advised her.  She complied.

Thus began the long travel to the old country as I finished the rest of the sandwich.