May 3, 2008

• Never Ending Day Dream.-The Journey-Part 2.

  Never Ending Day Dream.
  

  The Journey.

  Part 2.

   I don’t really remember how long I slept, I was luck there
  was no one sitting behind me so I was able to keep the seat all the way back
  all the time I slept and no one disturbed me. Then I felt a slight cold on my
  cheek and shaking my head I woke up. It was the flight attendant, she
  told.  “sorry to wake you up, I cannot
  save your food for too long as it will get spoiled.”

   I told, “Give me ten
  minutes I will wash my face and be back” said that I went to the toilet,
  refreshed myself and got back to my seat to see my food ready.

   After finishing the
  meal, I started looking at the magazines I found behind the seat in front of
  me. Then Mani got up and came to me and said, “Don’t sleep anymore” I asked,
  “Why not?” in my mother tongue he told me, “Your don’t snore, you growl and was
  literally trying to eat the ear of the guy sitting beside you” He laughed and
  went to the toilet. I felt really bad for the guy sitting beside me. He by this
  time was trying hard to sleep.

   I let him to his
  misery and got back to some story on the magazine. Then I remembered seeing
  couple of empty seats in the back side when I went to the toilet. I waved at
  the hostess and she came by and told me, “Sir you don’t have to wave, you can
  press this button” and shown me a button above me. I thanked her and asked her
  if I can go and sit in one of those back seats. She agreed and I moved back.

   Another session of
  good sleep, I saw a dream, a bizarre one, at that time I had the habit of
  writing down my dreams when I wake up. Even though I lost the small notepad
  where I wrote the dream, I still remember seeing me walking through a field,
  filled with dried high grass, about my chest height. The evening sun was
  hitting me on the back of my head so I know I am walking eastwards. Then I saw
  a wonderful flower in the middle of this grass lands, I wanted to take that
  flower, suddenly I heard a noise “Please fasten your seat belts” I woke up and
  made sure the trays are up and my seat was brought to an upright position. Then
  I noted what I saw in the dream down.

    I looked through the
  window and can see way down a big city. I smiled with the thought, how many
  times British and American bombers flew over this country to kill off the Nazis
  and save the world from the grip of an evil mankind never seen before, Frankfurt.
  We landed pretty safely and got into the airport, Anand was pretty tired as he
  was not able to sleep much. He for some reason did not ask the hostess if he
  can move to the empty backseats. We needed to spend nearly seven hours at the
  airport, before we can catch the next flight to New York.
  We reached the terminal and then I asked Mani, if he got some cigarettes. He
  told me, “Man where will we go and smoke?”

    “I have seen places
  where people can go and smoke in the airport, in the movies” I told.

  So we went and asked the nearest gentleman “ May I know
  where we can go and smoke?” He looked at both of us. Then without saying a word
  he turned around and looked at someone behind him. I looked past the guy I
  asked, there is someone sitting on a bench and smoking. I said “Thank you” and
  went ahead. Mani by this time told me “Hey this is Germany,
  people speak German here” I laughed at my yet another stupidity and we both sat
  beside the smoker and smoked.

    We pretty much
  walked this way and that way through the airport, window shopping. Seven hours
  went away like seven minutes as everything was new to me. We got on to the
  place and once again the seats were not nearby. I got an old lady near me. Mani
  luckily got an aisle seat. Anand got another bad neighbor. I had food and as
  the flight attendant was a man I don’t even remember his face. The lady nearby,
  old enough to be my mom, she asked me where I am going. I explained to her what
  kind of computer programmer I am. It was nice talking to her as the nearly nine
  and half hour flight to New York
  was spent talking. When we reached near New York
  we exchanged seats as she wanted to show me the statue of liberty from the
  flight. When the plane took a turn to land, I saw her. In how many movies and
  T.V I saw this statue. Now right in front me. I never imagined seeing the
  liberty lady flying around her. Then I enjoyed the view from above as described
  by the lady sitting nearby, the greatest city on Earth.

   We landed at JFK in
  the morning. We have to sit at the airport for about five hours before catching
  a flight to Atlanta. As we were
  flying on Delta Airlines, we must go through Atlanta.
  At JFK we needed to identify our baggage as it was the first port of entry. We
  did the identification job and put tags and checked in them again. Then came to
  the emigration area. Both Anand and Mani just passed without much hassle. For
  me, it was a young guy and he asked me like a hundred questions, asked me for
  my papers. As I was so organized and coached by people in India
  how to deal with these people. I didn’t 
  swayed a bit. I answered all questions and my papers were all on in one
  big bag organized well. The guy at the emigration was impressed and in the end
  said.

   “Welcome to the United
  States”

   We three guys walked through the Delta terminal. I went and
  bought a pack of cigarettes and told Anand to look after our carryon baggage and
  as there were announcement going on that we have to go outside of the terminal
  to smoke we walked to the door. To our surprise most of the people were looking
  at us in an odd way. Mani looked me and I looked at him and smiling we both
  went out. Like missiles we both rushed back into the terminal. It was cold very
  cold, in fact it was about zero. Both me and Mani were wearing T-Shirt and
  jeans. We had jackets in the carryon bag so we took that and went out for the
  long awaited smoke. After that we found a place in a terminal where we can use
  computers and we both checked emails and I sent an email to Kim Thomas telling
  him about the flight. JFK airport is a living area, it was fascinating to watch
  many different kind of people walking around and I had a bit difficulty
  understanding the American accent and no one understood a word I said as I
  spoke with a very south Indian accent and really fast. Mani’s English was far
  better and Anand was still gloomy.

   Eventually we got into the plane to Atlanta.
  As usual I got a seat far away from Mani and Anand. I was in the front. After I
  sat and tied myself to the seat right before they closed the door a good looking
  flight attendant came in and sat right beside me. I looked at her, she was not
  just good looking, she was one of prettiest thing I have ever seen.

   I told her “Hello”

   She looked at me and smiled and said, “Hello”

   Then she told me, “I am off duty, flying back home”

   I did not smiled, as I know opening my mouth and speaking to
  such a pretty girl is not a wise idea as she may keep on telling “say it again”.

   Then I stretched my hand and said, “I am Riaz Ahammed’ She
  gave me a bigger smile and said, “ I am Georgia,
  where are you from?”

   I told her with a smile this time, “India, I am on my way to
  Milwaukee” I paused a moment and said, “ you know you have the name of the state
  you live” she looked me through the side of her eyes and told “Yes I am” Then
  smiled again and asked “ Are you new here in USA?” I told “yes I am, you might
  have caught me with the accent” Her smile turned to laughs this time, through
  her giggles she said, “Your accent is fine, I have heard worst”

   By this time the flight was about to take off and I started
  my prayers before journey. With an eye on Georgia,
  who was doing some sort of hand signal with the another hostess, who just
  finished showing how to breath and tie oneself to the seat and all. The flight
  took off smoothly to Atlanta. The
  place I saw on T.V during the Olympics.

  • 4:15 am
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