My first U.S trip – Reaching there!
14th November - There was great amount of excitement flowing through me. Not because the kid inside me picked the hint that it was Children's day, but because it's my marriage anniversary and more importantly that I'm about to make my first U.S trip. It's a short trip, focussed (or may be not) business agenda for 8 working days and 2 days holiday and then return back to India, that's the major blue print for the visit. The excitement at home was even more palpable in house mates, much earlier than it occurred to me and at a much greater magnitude as well. It's an occasion to prepare the list of 'sends' up-stream and a separate list of 'asks' down-stream. Everyone is set in their preparations, all I had to do is choose an airline that allowed maximum free baggage allowance and prepare myself for few weight (read heavy suitcases) pull exercises. I did those two and rest is all taken care by the seasoned 'experts' back home. When the day (more correctly evening) arrived on 14th November, all items to stuff in are ready. After a quick yet tiresome exercise of arranging things between bags I'm all set to head to airport in the company sent cab.
Journey began with a 1.30hr leg to Mumbai from Hyderabad on Kingfisher. I checked the bags in Hyderabad for direct receipt at Seattle. Journey was peaceful with KF's in-flight customisable entertainment. I landed in Mumbai airport domestic terminal. I was 'advised' that I check if my bags actually came, personally collect 'em and deposit (thankfully not re-checkin though) at KF booth for further loading onto the connecting BA flight to London. After a long wait for a domestic terminal to international terminal shuttle followed by a re-scan of baggage (I totally did not understand utility of this scan at all) and a subsequent ride of 20mins I reached the international terminal. Though a short ride, i got to know from my neighbour in the shuttle bus, how it sucks to enter India with Mumbai as port of entry. How 'squeezy' the corrupt customs officials are who would litigate even the underwear you wore to be brought for 'commercial use' and not personal use. Such a senseless cost of living place that it turned into, the expectations of the corrupticians (the word came naturally to me, probably inspired by the word politician) are so high, at least 10 folds than what other ports of entry counterparts expect. For once i thanked god that it is not the port of entry for me.
Departing from Mumbai it was a 10hour long journey to London. With a strict mandate that I set to myself, i restrained myself from watching any in-flight entertainment but gained as much sleep as possible (which in the hind-sight seems to be reason why I didn't tire out much through the journey). Much I may wish so, i couldn't tame the way I get/end sleep so only for about 5 hours of the journey time I had good sleep rest of the time I was either watching some entertainment channel or struggling to find a comfort posture that induces sleep. The flight landed on time in London Heathrow early morning at around 7AM and my connecting flight was only at 2.30PM. In the beginning I felt happy that I had enough time to move at a relaxed pace between terminals if needed and be on time to my next flight, but I later realized that the time gap is rather too long and it began to make me feel the forgotten fatigue. The real threat that the extremist terror groups have turned out to be can be witnessed to some extent at the Heathrow airport, i left my bag outside the
washroom to freshen-up and then I see an airport official barging in and crying out whose bag would that be outside, when i answered in affirmative he asked me to carry it along with me all times, no matter ‘where’ I go else it would just be lifted off and destroyed without any liability. When I heard him repeat the word 'destroyed' for the third time, my early morning dormant senses sprung to life - holy cow, I definitely don't want that to happen.
All ablutions done, I set out to security check-in. Seeing the way passengers were asked to take off everything and place in those plastic boxes - shoes, belts, ornaments, for once I felt if officials conned to exercise a mass strip-tease sort around in the airport. Breakfast completed, all sign-boards verified thoroughly at frequent intervals until my connecting flight information popped up on those, terminal width ad-measured with my snail walk around the entire terminal 5, all my emails in the computer including junk were read twice I still see that it is not yet time for boarding. Boy, beyond 4hours you don't need a flight connection transit time in how much ever busy airport.
Finally the much awaited boarding began and I eagerly entered into the flight. The journey was yet another 9.30hours of air time during which I had yet another 4-5 hours of sleep before I landed at Seattle. I had advices all through from the beginning of the journey from Divya, my wife’s sister and an ‘expert’ in U.S travel, on what forms to expect and how to fill those Dept. of homeland security related immigration forms. After confidently filling them, I'm in the queue at the immigration stamping. There were two brief questions on my purpose of visit which I answered with confidence and I'm allowed 'IN' to United States of America. It was certainly a feeling of accomplishment; don't know why exactly I felt so though. After I collected my baggage and passed through one other desk of airport officials I was asked to place my bags on a conveyor belt and collect it upstairs, raising questions in me if any of those infamous sad anecdotes I heard from previous visitors that their so and so items were thrown off as precautionary measures by airport officials, is going to repeat with me as well. Thankfully none of my items were perceived as suspicious and i've all my baggage received in-tact.
Seattle-Tacomo airport had $4 charge to rent out a baggage cart to help your luggage out (possible to dissuade carts being thrown all over the place and the subsequent manual labour involved to collect them all back), that's when I first witnessed the touted expensiveness around any manual labour action involved in U.S. After making a 'hi, i reached Seattle' calls to few people i inquired with a man of my dad's age which way to get to Taxi location, he was more than happy to help me out and even helped me with my luggage to the destination floor probably because in me he identified another 'desi' that he too is/was. All through my journey be it at London airport or in the flights or here in Seattle I could feel the Indian presence. Where there is opportunity, it’s tough to stop the talented secure their place, isn't it?
Journey began with a 1.30hr leg to Mumbai from Hyderabad on Kingfisher. I checked the bags in Hyderabad for direct receipt at Seattle. Journey was peaceful with KF's in-flight customisable entertainment. I landed in Mumbai airport domestic terminal. I was 'advised' that I check if my bags actually came, personally collect 'em and deposit (thankfully not re-checkin though) at KF booth for further loading onto the connecting BA flight to London. After a long wait for a domestic terminal to international terminal shuttle followed by a re-scan of baggage (I totally did not understand utility of this scan at all) and a subsequent ride of 20mins I reached the international terminal. Though a short ride, i got to know from my neighbour in the shuttle bus, how it sucks to enter India with Mumbai as port of entry. How 'squeezy' the corrupt customs officials are who would litigate even the underwear you wore to be brought for 'commercial use' and not personal use. Such a senseless cost of living place that it turned into, the expectations of the corrupticians (the word came naturally to me, probably inspired by the word politician) are so high, at least 10 folds than what other ports of entry counterparts expect. For once i thanked god that it is not the port of entry for me.
Departing from Mumbai it was a 10hour long journey to London. With a strict mandate that I set to myself, i restrained myself from watching any in-flight entertainment but gained as much sleep as possible (which in the hind-sight seems to be reason why I didn't tire out much through the journey). Much I may wish so, i couldn't tame the way I get/end sleep so only for about 5 hours of the journey time I had good sleep rest of the time I was either watching some entertainment channel or struggling to find a comfort posture that induces sleep. The flight landed on time in London Heathrow early morning at around 7AM and my connecting flight was only at 2.30PM. In the beginning I felt happy that I had enough time to move at a relaxed pace between terminals if needed and be on time to my next flight, but I later realized that the time gap is rather too long and it began to make me feel the forgotten fatigue. The real threat that the extremist terror groups have turned out to be can be witnessed to some extent at the Heathrow airport, i left my bag outside the
washroom to freshen-up and then I see an airport official barging in and crying out whose bag would that be outside, when i answered in affirmative he asked me to carry it along with me all times, no matter ‘where’ I go else it would just be lifted off and destroyed without any liability. When I heard him repeat the word 'destroyed' for the third time, my early morning dormant senses sprung to life - holy cow, I definitely don't want that to happen.
All ablutions done, I set out to security check-in. Seeing the way passengers were asked to take off everything and place in those plastic boxes - shoes, belts, ornaments, for once I felt if officials conned to exercise a mass strip-tease sort around in the airport. Breakfast completed, all sign-boards verified thoroughly at frequent intervals until my connecting flight information popped up on those, terminal width ad-measured with my snail walk around the entire terminal 5, all my emails in the computer including junk were read twice I still see that it is not yet time for boarding. Boy, beyond 4hours you don't need a flight connection transit time in how much ever busy airport.
Finally the much awaited boarding began and I eagerly entered into the flight. The journey was yet another 9.30hours of air time during which I had yet another 4-5 hours of sleep before I landed at Seattle. I had advices all through from the beginning of the journey from Divya, my wife’s sister and an ‘expert’ in U.S travel, on what forms to expect and how to fill those Dept. of homeland security related immigration forms. After confidently filling them, I'm in the queue at the immigration stamping. There were two brief questions on my purpose of visit which I answered with confidence and I'm allowed 'IN' to United States of America. It was certainly a feeling of accomplishment; don't know why exactly I felt so though. After I collected my baggage and passed through one other desk of airport officials I was asked to place my bags on a conveyor belt and collect it upstairs, raising questions in me if any of those infamous sad anecdotes I heard from previous visitors that their so and so items were thrown off as precautionary measures by airport officials, is going to repeat with me as well. Thankfully none of my items were perceived as suspicious and i've all my baggage received in-tact.
Seattle-Tacomo airport had $4 charge to rent out a baggage cart to help your luggage out (possible to dissuade carts being thrown all over the place and the subsequent manual labour involved to collect them all back), that's when I first witnessed the touted expensiveness around any manual labour action involved in U.S. After making a 'hi, i reached Seattle' calls to few people i inquired with a man of my dad's age which way to get to Taxi location, he was more than happy to help me out and even helped me with my luggage to the destination floor probably because in me he identified another 'desi' that he too is/was. All through my journey be it at London airport or in the flights or here in Seattle I could feel the Indian presence. Where there is opportunity, it’s tough to stop the talented secure their place, isn't it?
posted by Jayachandra at 11:09 PM
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