Brussels to NewYork

It was a long journey from Brussels to JFK airport(New York). During the flight i asked for couple of beers.. had snacks.. and lunch.. there was nothing to do much in the flight so i went for a sleep once again.

The flight was about to land in JKF airport.. suddenly lots of things started running in my mind.. there were some instructions given to me .. which i had to follow once i reach airport.. i started thinking about my documents.. my passport .. and all.... soon we landed and i had a stop of 5 hours in JFK airport.. and this was bothering me as there were no smoking zone in mumbai airport and Brussels airport.. for 5 hours.. what should be my activity... was not sure of.

The first thing that came into my mind was getting the immigration thing.. one of my well wisher had told me about the complications of this process and the way it would affect my travel stay. So after reading all the sign boards.. trying to listen what was being announced.. reading the instructions that were written in boards..

Never in my life i was so alert.. not even in 1991, when there was a major earthquake hit, in my native place in India measuring about 6.6 in magnitude taking lives of thousands of people.

Soon I was before the counter for my immigration.. officer asked me some questions and he stamped the papers.. gave them to me. It was so quick that i could not imagine.. as my friends told me that it was complicated and all.. might be it was their experience they were sharing with me.

There is one thing which i would like to disclose.. there are people in our country(India) to whom if you listen about their travel experience particularly to US. .. they will tell in such a way that if you close your eyes.. you will feel like being there in US ..... any ways i didn't observed any such things.

There was a break of 5 hours...what to do???? i asked my self.... i started looking for the flight counters from where i had to take the flight.. then i noticed, just outside airport.. i could find people smoking........ without wasting any moment .. i asked security if i could go out smoke and come back.. and he said YES.......

WOW... i had a pack of cigarette in my hand bag... but i didnt had any thing to light it... any ways.. came out .. took my cigarette.. asked gentlemen near for light.. and yes i was smoking.. i was happy for this as no one told me that i could smoke in JFK airport...

I was watching people taking photographs.. smoking.. hugging their friends/ relatives. saying good bye.. have a safe journey....... some rejoicing returning of their loved ones. I was standing in the sun.. as i didn't feel the warmth of sun all time AC was not suiting me .... I saw people sitting in the ground just outside of airport tying to hide themselves from sun..... slowly i noticed me that some of them were watching me... initially i thought they were watching me as my look was not American.. but then soon i realized it was not my look .. it was because i was standing sunlight.. but i knew how good it was for me.. no sunlight for 2 days.. all air conditioned..i ignored them kept smoking standing in the sun.

Time slipped away as i took some photographs. from my digital camera..watching planes landing/flying.. it is a busy airport.. and one can easily find flights.. taking off and landing at the same time.. in same airport.. .as it was a HUGE airport.

During this whole travel i was missing my wife.. It was a short journey and was also my first journey so i didn't wanted to take any chance and as such i had to leave her back in India.... i started missing India once i came to know that flight was delayed for another 2 hours... I had already completed all the formalities and was in boarding lounge.. what next i asked myself...as I could not go back....out of airport... slowly i was not feeling good ... it was really embarrassing for me.. started roaming here and there.. I was not able to remind of, the time running so SLOW in my life.. it was killing me........helpless.... frustrated... then i realized it was not only me who was frustrated/embarrassed .. their were other people also.. suddenly i heard a lady talking to the lady officer in a high pitch... see was loud enough... usually i don't do such tings.. but as i hardly had anything to do in the airport... i started enjoying it .... soon i could figure out some other people joining her..... Any ways.. I was about to board the flight after 7 hours of waiting...

Arrival in Brussels..

From Mumbai to Brussels things went fine as i had couple of beers .. slept well and woke up once the landing schedule of flight at Brussels was an announced. As per my schedule i had to stay in Brussels airport for 2 hours. to catch next flight for JKF airport at NY. Once i entered the terminal.. after finishing all formalities, i started feeling hungry.. as i was sleeping in the flight whole time and as such didn't had anything. I was not sure of what I could get there.. as i am not a lover of sandwich and Pizza.. i started searching but could not find anything which could help me.. at last i got a bottle of coke for myself which i love to have at times..any time . any place.. In my school time.. i had interacted with lots of Europeans.. mostly Germans french..and Italians.. as i belong from one of the known tourists places in India .. I would interact with them as the people in my locality were not that much good in english so at times i used to be like a interpreter or mediator.

Any ways.. in Brussels airport as per my expectation i could see tall men and women.. most of the speaking in their language.. beautiful girls.. with a smile on their cheeks. hanging around .. and to my surprise most of them were busy in listening to music on their gadgets.. it was a surprise for me.. because some where i had a feeling that Europeans are not gadget lovers.. yup i was wrong.. as most of them.. were having gadgets..

i was sitting near window.. i thought of using my laptop to listen some music or do some work.. but then i neglected that idea.. after some time a youth aged somewhere 18-22 came to me and asked me if i was from India.. I said yes.. he smiled and then a small conversation took place.. i was thinking of expanding the conversation .. but the mean time.. it was a call for my boarding.. i had to go.. i felt like i missed out something.. something which i would not like to loose.... but it was not in my hands.. didn't had a choice.. . .i said bye to him.. and told him that it was a nice talking to him and was really upset by the call for boarding the flight.. i boarded the flight in ten minutes.....

Travel to US

It's my first trip to US. I never intended to move out of India reason being i always felt that i wont be comfortable in any other country.. After All India is my country, country where grew up.. studied.. where i can at least fly to my native place meet my parents.. meet my friends....any time i felt like going. Get relaxed .. smell that beautiful fragrance of soil rather i would say a sooth feeling of soil in my village..after hectic work schedule and fast metro life. Trust me village is the coolest place i love to live... all peace .. no disturbance.. all people gathering in night after dinner.. gossips.. and all... but now it is changing and that way at times i feel sad as i will be missing all of these sooner or later..

Any ways.. as I was a novice(in traveling to abroad)... and on TOP was traveling alone, was give tips... instructions from my friends.. and relatives...At one point i felt like if given an opportunity i would go ahead and cancel the trip.. but it was all official.. i had to go.. was left with no choice.

I started from Pune .. heading towards Mumbai to catch the flight... i smoke and drink..hence was adviced from my friends.. to take drinks once i board in. .reason being .. it was a long journey.. and perhaps would help me in getting some sleep.

While i was heading from Pune towards Mumbai by cab.... once the cab entered Navi-Mumbai.... i started taking some BEERS,the time I entered Air Port for security check and other formalities..i was in a pretty good mood. I was supposed to reach airport 3 hours before flight take off as per the travel rule for international flights.... I was roaming inside airport.. visualizing people from different parts of world .Inside airport one could hardly figure out if it was night or day time...fancy lights.. people moving here and there .. coffee shops.. bars.. duty free shops for liquors all open eagerly waiting to make a hole in you pocket....

After some time as I was getting bored my cell phone ran out of battery ...I started looking for smoking zone .. but as expected there was no such place.. slowly these hours started killing me.. i had nothing to do.. I did had a laptop..but i had no intentions of operating it.... finally after 2 hours I boarded the flight. It was about 8 hours fly to Europe.. I was flying to Miami via Brussels(Belgium).