It is 29 december night and i am in chennai with my mom, dad and my cousin Kumar Raja.. He is an ardent supporter of mine.. He is so confident about me.. He is an essential.. I am doing my last minute shopping to glut the Baggage. I am allowed to take 22kgs in check In and 8 kgs by Hand. I have almost 23 kgs for check in and 10 kgs in Hand. But then, we will never stop right. People will be always there to encourage you by saying , " If they say 22kgs, literally they want to restrict you atleast at 25 or 26 kgs. So, they will conclude that 26 is fine." ... I am completely gratified and almost galvanised to see them.. My heart is almost filled with gusto. I want to have a couple of drinks before i leave. But, there is no chance for that.
Then it was almost time and i am supposed to leave. My mom is getting emotional. I told her that i will be back in Five months. Then i said bye to all my friends.
I am really nervous.. You know why...? because, that was my first flight journey.. I was never into this checkin business.. so, i am a bit nervous.. But trying to do my best and pretending as if i used to have international journeys so often. Then the real fun began. One of my cousin who got married to NRI called me to suggest me something on international departures. She suggested me to keep all my important documents in check-in luggage because if your hand baggage is heavy they will keep it some other place in plane, so you may miss your documents. So, I kept everything in check-in luggage. You must be guessing by now what would have happened...? 3.45 is my flight departure, and time is 2.30 and there is a long queue for immigration check.. I stood in the queue.. By 3.15AM it was my turn to meet immigration officer. All those ppl seems to be so arrogant tamilians. As usual i went and he asked for my passport and immigration application form. I gave them both. Since i was going for my project, i am not sure whether i was going for my education, i just selected OTHERS column over there.. So, he started showering questions on me. what is ur purpose, i explained him, it is my final semester project of my undergraduate study. Any proof.....!!! Thats it....!! I have gone thru my hand baggage and i have nothing to show.. I told him i am from VIT University, He asked me whether i can show my ID card.. I have gone thru my wallet, my GOSHHH.. there is nothing in my wallet to prove him that i am a student.. He is saying " Sorry sir, I cant send you...".. OOOOOHHHHH...... Imagine yourself in my position, In few more seconds, i understood that it was over.. Everything is going to become a dream. Anyway i thought, it is k, i may just loose this flight ticket. May be i have to book ticket again.. Even though my family is not really comfortable enough to afford me for another ticket, I am a spendthrift.. So, Anyhow i dont care for the ticket money.. My parents must almost half their way back to my town from chennai.. I was thinking to call them soon and ask them to come back.. So many things were going in my mind you know.. I completely out of my enthuuu mood.. Then i was standing next to that immigration counter.. I told him everything is in my check In and if u want i can show you.. Then he asked me to go and meet some head of the immigration dept there.. I went to him and explained and told that i am a VIT student.. He was like " oh..! You are from VIT.. Wow..". I am thanking my chancellor M.Viswanathan for getting such a good reputation for that college. He said like " NO problem". Then I went back to that Tamil guy and he is like "No way...". His ego is badly hurted by that Head fellow. The nervousness is getting peaked inside me.. Guess what.. they r giving last call for my flight.. "Flight NO. EK543, it is our last request for the passengers to board on to the craft". It was 3.3o, the head walked all the way to the counter and he requested him. His ego was calmed a bit and allowed me to go. Then i went upstairs and walked all the way till security check and i realised that i lost my wallet some where.. Suddenly i realised that i forgot there in that immigration counter.. Mannn.... such a loser I am.. I ran back again, i dont know this arrogant tamil guy is so sweet to me suddenly, he handed me back my purse and asked me to check it for twice and then i left.. I am the last person to board into the flight. It is a memorable one..
This is flight from Chennai to Dubai and i have to get into connecting flight from Dubai to Paaaaaaris......... Lots of Indians go to Dubai for construction worker jobs. My first emirates flight consists of ppl who belongs to such kind of genre.. The guy sitting next to me was almost 19 yrs old and he is also one such kind of guy.. I do have dignity for every humanbeing. So, I am alright with this guy sitting next to me. I was thinking about his lyf suddenly.. I am trying to imagine myself in his position.. There is a screen and phone back to every seat infront of us. This guy took the phone and tried to call some no. It didnt connect. He asked me to show him, how he can make a call...? I told him honestly in tamil, it is my first flight journey and i have to figure it out.. He smiled and then he started beating the phone to the floor.. he almost spoiled tht receiver.. I couldnt stop him, later he is pressing all the buttons on the receiver with different permutations and combinations.. Anyways if the sole purpose of that entertainment system on the emirates flight is to entertain you... This guy is getting it.. He is enjoying with that phone.. so, I closed my eyes and slept.. Some one woke me up for breakfast and i had it.. They kept lot of things, i dont know how to handle all of them. But i just had fruits and bun and again i slept. Few minutes later i landed in dubai. Then i got into my other flight to paris. It was a smooth transition. This time i am the first guy to reach my terminal. I am waiting there for almost like an hour before the time of departure of my flight.. This flight journey was good. It is seven and half hour flight and entertainment system is really entertaining me with hundreds of movies, documentaries, music and TV shows.. The best part in international flight is, You can boose for free.. I asked them everytime, get me the best scotch you can get.. Get me the best red wine u can get.. Get me the best champagne you can get.. Then they replied" sorry sir, You have to pay for champagne in economy class".. then i told best scotch is fine for me...
I wanna literally dance in the flight.. Because i was drunk, watching nice oscar winners, my first flight, on my way to france... what else do i need man...? I went to rest room, even though it is a small place, i just danced for few seconds.. Again came out and pretending as usual as my mom gave birth to me in flight.. They are announcing to fasten the seat belt, we are almost in our destination.. My heart started pounding with joy because i gonna meet kk and challa, but then i am again nervous whether these immigration ppl gonna trouble me someway here.. it is natural to get nervous because after all when our own desi immigration guy created such a hassle for me, why not this france immigration ppl...
