Delayed Flights, Strayed Sights

Just Another Morning

The sun has lit the entire airport up. The engine soundin the background. People trying to put their bags up in the overhead bins. Some breeze on your face because you’re in the very first row. The hostess doing herthings clamping containers back to their positions. The sound of overhead bin shutting. The ground staff facilitating for departure.  Sounds of baggage carrier moving. Children excited despite having to get up so early. Sounds of the Captain making his way in. Listening to all these eyes closed makes it just another familiar morning and the feeling that all is well. 

We First Met on Uber

I tried the Uber pool option and was amused at the enforced socialization one has to go through.  Please note, enforced.

If having a stranger on the same seat as you in a closed space like a car - a vehicle meant to be private - is not scary enough, not knowing who it is you're sharing the enclosed space would be even more scarier.

So, in my first such ride, I was forced to speak to the stranger, more to allay such fears and less in order to socialize. In about 10 rides I have pooled, I have seen my co-passengers immediately look at their phones or take a book out to immerse themselves in possibly to avoid conversations. It is quite easy to get on the phone and finish your calls, but, you'll not be able to talk so freely either.

It changes the way you introduce yourself: Remember, the co-passenger knows your name as it shows on the uber app. Your introduction would be akin to an elevator speech as you'll have less time talk about yourself. One would require to find common ground (or shared interests) quickly as these are the ones that will help reduce the fear of the unknown stranger next to you. Also, the in about 15 - 40 minutes that one would spend in the car, I found the time too short to comfortably ask the other person if I could add him/her on social media.

This would only mean that one should learn to make small talk that would enable one to connect to people faster. A case of the rapid change in technology requiring etiquette to evolve?

No, the co-passenger in a bus / train / aircraft is not the same as the co-passenger in a car. When you're in the former, you're entitled to be silent and not speak a word as it is intended to be a public transport and it would perhaps be scary if you're the only one in it whereas the car was intended to be personal transportation and that fundamental premise is challenged through the pooling option.

It could entirely be possible that I am old-school and need more time to socialize and it could perhaps be less awkward for, say, a younger millennial.

Which brings me to the topic of the post. It could well just be days when you hear a couple say 'we first met on uber'

#Mumbai

In Mumbai for a couple of days. Can't seem to get enough of this city. As I travel in this Uber the Bollywood songs he is playing has completed the image of Mumbai. It's not about the song. It can be any song as long as it is in Hindi. 

I remember I used to travel here from Pune in a shared cab with eyes full of wonder and energy peaking. After all this was the city full of possibilities. A place on the world map and for a 26 year old, it was exciting. In addition to traveling dangerously fast, the shared cab drivers played all the new Bollywood numbers. It captured my imagination about Mumbai. The songs used to come to life.

Hindsight tells me that this is not a surprise as this city is often referred to as the city of dreams. A lot of Indians are known to come to Mumbai to 'make a life' ( that is a phrase that stands for earning money and improving one's lifestyle ). The city itself welcomes all kinds of people offering tons of opportunity. 

"A young man once bought a one way ticket to Mumbai from his hometown and reached in one of the stations. After doing menial jobs in the initial days, he now is a "big man" (Indian slang for someone important) in the city / country. This can be anybody's story. In Mumbai The template is the same. You'll find film stars, businessmen, entrepreneurs, artists, etc., who shares this template of a story.

The city welcomes and treats everyone equally. I did not feel judged here when I stayed for the two years. It runs in its own and doesn't stop for anything. I felt more judged when I participate in an online discussion.

Having moved out of Mumbai, I cherish my travel to this city. If you haven't been here, you should. 

Why Airlines Need to Think For a the Customer

Every visit to the airport has my body parts twist in frustration. I may have unconsciously chosen to vent using this medium giving the blog much needed attention as well.

I have my own workarounds and hacks for each airport - which line would move faster, security frisking station offers the most flexibility to minimise time taken. This coupled with my own preparation that would enable me to save time tremendously from the way I pack, why I always wear a jacket if I'm traveling, the size of the bag I carry, leveraging one of the biggest lines that eats up all the time.i never check any of my bags in. Which would mean, I don't carry much and also I don't carry the hazardous items. This has impacted my choice of dressing and eventually - hold your breath - my first choice of colour for my clothing, my already abysmal fashion sense, etc.,

So, what's the point I'm trying to make? The reason one needs a hack is that the current process causes discomfort to the user. It is the responsibility of the airlines to make it easy for the users of the service it offers. Innovating to solve customer problems can go a long way in addressing these issues. A process to identify the problems could be a useful first step. 

Ticketless Traveler in the Intercity Express

Yet again I leave home 20 minutes departure and huff and puff and make it to my seat in the train. This coach in the Intercity express appears half full despite it being a weekend. I would have imagined a lot of people would travel from Bangalore to Dharwad. I'm sure there will be a reason to travel beyond it being a weekend. 

There is an argument between the Ticket Checker and a passenger - over his supposed entitlement to travel without ticket. It is funny to hear the railway official talk Hindi - not that my own Hindi matches that with the Lucknowi (supposed to be the purest) style. Another random passenger jumps into the conversation supporting the railway official. What a juicy opportunity to kill time on a Saturday afternoon especially when you are in a train. Three more people have joined as I type this and are talking about the possible consequences of putting ticketless traveler behind bars or getting him suspended from duty. 

I must mention there is a man in a pink shirt wearing goggles and peeping into the coach from the end. It's scary because from the time I have started typing, say about 10 minutes ago, he has done it about 15 times. Every time he peeps in, he moves takes his shades off. I think he is keen to know about the commotion between the ticket checker and the ticketless traveler. I know this random event has no significance in my life but please see how his actions are driven from the "what happens next" syndrome.

In the meanwhile, a kid is counting the trees one can see from the window while the mother is teaching her to count beyond 10. I am tempted to say this is a nice way to learn. The reason I want to resist saying it is from the fear that I will become that person who laments how life is ruined by technology. I am not that person because, without technology, I wouldn't be able to blog this live from my phone and publish instantly. 

Unfriendly Indian Airports. Pune Airport Included.

I am convinced that we, as humans, have not made the air travel easy to digest and understandable by someone who doesn't fly too often. 

I think that the problem this can lead to is that, people could easily construe this problem as that between those who know and those who don't. Or between those who have flown often and those who haven't. 

The problem really is about the system can't handle different types of inputs in the same way or it is just too complicated and one needs skill and ability to understand complex interrelated process.

So with the flight delayed and not really feeling like reading the book with me, here I am watching people pay through the nose and eat junk food, not because hey want to eat, but because there is no other option in this Pune airport. I come here almost every week and the stall that sells junk food here is making a killing. 

A girl who otherwise would shriek at the mention of calories is buying Mars bar perhaps to counter hunger. A gentleman is gorging on samosa and is ordering on a sandwich. A lady is awaiting with currency in her hand asking for a roll that looks unhealthy.

There are only a handful of plug points and it is always occupied by people who are charging their phones. Today is no different. All this before my own phone rings and I focus my remaining attention on my phone.

The Next Line is Empty

It's just shocking how people behave in airports. Either they are slave to a particular pattern or they are just so comfortable in their current thought process that they refuse to look around. 

An example I just saw in the Bangalore airport today. There is a long line and there is a short line. People refuse to go to the shorter one. Person B is telling person A that he has to put his mobile phone in the scanner. Person A refuses to go until the security personnel - the one who frisks - asks you to go back. As I type this, the aisle seat in my row is empty and I sit in the window seat ( an aircraft with 3 + 3 seating arrangement). There is a punk sitting next to me who does not move his bottom and occupy the empty aisle seat. I used to wonder who are those people who would be traveling alone and ask for middle seats. The question is answered today. 

What I'm sharing is just very, very few instances. (When you sit with me for a drink, I'll narrate a hundred more!). On one hand I'm happy that these people are going away from Bangalore. On the other, I'm just sad for humanity.

My Experiments with Vegetarian Food in Thailand

“The problem is that you guys don’t experiment”, said my colleague who felt sad at my plight of trying to eat boiled vegetables and the occasional fried vegetable (after confirming that it is not fried in fish oil).

The comment was the last straw needed for me to do something about it. That evening, I set out to find a restaurant that will allow me to “experiment”.

As I strolled along the road, I saw a restaurant named “Bibimbab”. The name sounded familiar as my friend had recently mentioned about this being a dish from Korea and also that it has a vegetarian variant. The familiar East Asian scent of the sea food greeted me as I entered the place. As the waitress handed the menu, I asked her if there was any vegetarian dish. She pointed to not one, or two, but, four of them! This place was heaven. You may think I’m going overboard with the praise, but that is because of my earlier experiences.

In my earlier experiences a few restaurants shockingly declined to serve as they did not have anything in the menu that could be offered to me. I was surprised that a restaurant could rather have a customer walk out hungry. There was an instance in a mall where there was a counter that served only Indian food – Dal & Roti etc., Unfortunately for me, it was a take-away only place and I had to exit the mall to eat. I gave this option up and many declines later, I settled to a burger at Burger King. The fact that I hate burgers did not matter at that point. In another instance I had ordered the vegetarian version of the Phad Thai only to find Chicken in it because the nice people at the restaurant thought Chicken was vegetarian.

I requested my colleagues at the dinner table at a team meeting not to tell me if by chance I eat something that wasn’t vegetarian. It had reached a point where I looked up Quora and a helpful soul had suggested to try the vegetarian friend rice in any of the thousands of Seven-Eleven stores across the country. I had kept this as my last option.

Given this background, four vegetarian options in the menu was indeed heaven. I relished Bibimbab and instagrammed it, affirming my sudden love for Korean food.

Inspired, I spoke with the chef in the hotel I was staying to find out if he would do something in vegetarian, after explaining my preferences and constraints. He made an amazing noodle soup.

I didn’t have to resort to the vegetarian fried rice in the seven eleven store. The formula that seemed to work for me is that if the chef looks like he is ready to talk and has time, then game-on. Else, look out for Korean or Japanese restaurants.

Bangkok Diaries - Day 1

I dreaded the Visa on arrival the minute I heard that I would have to go for that given that I had to travel at a short notice. I remember the last time my wife and I were quite lucky to get an almost empty line. 

This time, it wasn't the same. Half my country was here. The Indian tradition of asking for a pen - usually found in banks and government offices could be seen here. The fights when someone cut the line was rampant. A gentleman, when the authorities asked why he couldn't write a particular field legibly in the application form, said "I didn't get my specs" was simply dumbfounding. It would have been hilarious if one was an observer and not a part of the process. It is not that only Indians underwent this. The drama was a symptom of a bad process. 

I asked whoever I thought would know the answer "what is the difference between this line and the other?" a distraught european said "No idea mate, I have no idea!".

I saw an uncle and his daughter (I think) - who was a Anushka Sharma doppleganger - who were also trying to understand what was happening. So I joined them and went through the process and commenting with the new found friends about the process of giving visas, the people, etc., basically 'being there for each other' and the two hours appeared small. I thought I'd do a selfie with the doppleganger but out of respect for who I thought was her dad, I let it go.

Once I headed out of the airport, the familiar buildings appeared. It was exactly the same two years ago. The coloured taxis, familiar smell, hawkers on the street, the police, street signs et., all of it came back within 20 minutes and all I wanted to do was to go back to my country having seen enough.

(If you are traveling, try to avoid visa on arrival and get it from India itself. You'll save tons of your time, energy and will earn good karma)

Pune Diaries

With the factory that I visit at least once a month closing by 5 PM, I'm often left with the evenings completely to myself albeit quite a distance away from the city. Being in a different city as lively as Pune enhances the feeling of being lonely.

In my early visits, I used to read and and watch TV or movies on the computer but soon realized that I couldn't possibly do this every day. So one such evening in Pune when the energy got better of my mind, I ventured out alone - hailed an Uber and got to the heart of the city. It was a pleasure being amidst people compared to the almost empty guest house that I am lodged in.

So, I have essentially pushed the boundary of what I can do from the walls of the factory to the walls of the city, with the comfort that I can always hail an Uber to get to my destination and back. The other wall that has to be pushed is probably meeting up with groups of people at random and try to socialize.

Exchanges at the airport

person1: I was here before you were

person 2: No, I went to counter 23 but someone else came back and hence I am coming here.

person 1: I didn't see you before me in the line

person 2: Thats because I was in 23 and neither did I see you behind me when I was in the line

person 1: I already have a boarding pass

person 2: I also have one. They give one to every one who does a web-checkin and that does not make you any special

***********************

42 year old: Please stand in line

31 year old: Hello, I was here and I went to bring the tray for laptop

42 year old: That doesn't matter, you should go back to the line

person 3: (to person 2), thats OK, you can stand in front of me

31 year old goes and stands behind 42 year old, but is very, very irritated. 

31 year old to 42 year old: you get 10 points now that you are ahead

42 year old: *smirking* what 10 points?

31 year old: you can go and tell your mother that you won today in the line competition

42 year old: Learn to give respect!

31 year old: are you going to mention the 10 points also to your mother? It may make her proud

*************************

Blossom Book House on Church Street, Bangalore

There's nothing so fulfilling as visiting Church Street on a Sunday afternoon. One almost feels there lies the soul of Bangalore. Be it rummaging through the books in the Bangalore's favourite bookshop - Blossoms, or get a game of bowling or tank up in many of the cafes. The week doesn't seem complete without this visit. Somehow. 

Yours truly went to Blossoms today and saw people from all ages come and search for books. Physically searching for books still appears to be more joyful than typing a few keys and clicking a button. "Is there a lift to get to the third floor or do we have to use the stairs?" a couple of old men enquired. They were least disappointed when the owner said that there is no lift in the building. 45 minutes later, the old men were still looking for what they wanted book after book. 

"Have you read this book?" asks a father to his wife & daughter flashing a book. A foreigner is sitting on the floor and going through each art book in detail from a stack of about two dozen books, blissfully unaware that there are people who wanted to use the lane but took a detour because she was sitting.

People test their knowledge of books with the person behind the billing counter who seemed to know the author if you tell him the title of the book. A young couple patiently waiting while the staff looks up the book of their interest in the children's section.

All the above action was just in a matter of 30 - 45 minutes and observed when I was not looking at books or the contents of one of them. A great place for observing people and makes your Sunday most definitely.

Why Would You Come Back?

I remember reading de Bono say that if you have to get from point a to point b, it might not be a bad idea to wander away to another point d and from there reach point b. It has had a huge influence on my choices in the twenties.

I would intentionally take an unfamiliar route while riding my bike and try to reach the destination, which I would, but without an idea how I reached there. The getting lost in the unfamiliar route was great fun. Finding the route back was equally fun. Those were the days when there was no google maps.

And then this evolved into exploring cities that work takes me to and the countries I backpacked in. Wandering around with a map or a book or based on local knowledge was thoroughly enjoyable.

In hindsight, I think I came back because I had to. Why would all the people who take flight in the morning come back? Is it because they have to? Or is it because they like to?

Shanghai

Some snapshots from Shanghai. The below is a shot of one of the supposedly busiest shopping streets in the world - Nanjing Road. You'll get most major brands and lots of men and women offering you massage. The place is generally full of energy.

 Another snap from Nanjing Road

This is the approach to the Bund. The Bund is a waterfront area, lining the Huangpu river. You can cross the river through a ferry. This is a tourist spot as around the sunset, Shanghai's skyline really lights up and what you see is a symbol of the city's prosperity

A blurred photo from the ferry while crossing the river.

This was at 1 AM. He was singing decent songs, if I remember right, it was English & Chinese songs. There were a few people listening to him and singing with him. 

In front of The Marriott, the place looked deserted, but, I caught this panorama that was too good to resist.

Movie Review: Encounters at the End of the World

The documentary by Werner Herzog is just arresting to say the least. 

This movie blows your mind off. He brings the end of the world - Antartica to your screen like nobody else has. Its not about the visuals, its not about the coverage, its about the experience.

Its awe-inspiring and I am definitely going to recommend this to you. I just wish it were longer. I find the direction quite impeccable. 

The entire movie is a moment of truth. 

Please stop whateverelse you are doing and watch this movie. You'll thank yourself for doing that.

Florist on a Boat

Shared Cab from Siliguri

Towards the end of 2009, I got off the heavily crowded train at Siliguri after a night long travel and headed to Pelling in Sikkim. Today, as I read this wonderful account of the journey of the author from Siliguri to Darjeeling, I am reminded of my own from Siliguri to Pelling. The events that transpired when I traveled were a lot different from what you would read in the link provided, but, the essence, the mood, the setting remains the same. The writing brings the journey alive. Tragicocomedia is a wonderful blog and it captures travel in its true spirit. 

Graffiti in Dhaka

I had to get to Bashundhara from Gulshan in Dhaka and I spotted this very deep question on the wall that has remained with me ever since I have seen it. It is an amazing thought and I am very impressed by the question itself. It brings forth the assumptions and boundaries we hold on to or surround ourselves with. Do I have an answer to this? No. 

I managed to click a photo of the same and here it is. 

The graffiti artist - Guerilla (check their website, they have some amazing work!) couldn't have come up with a more relevant question today that we all should ask ourselves. The answer need not come the minute the question is asked, but, to keep this question at the back of the mind definitely makes the world a lively place to live. Doesn't it?

The Auto drivers in Mumbai. Something is wrong.

What is with the auto-wallah's in Mumbai? If I have to pay them 33 rupees as per the meter, the auto driver smiles and tells me 30 is alright! I am seriously worried, especially because, yesterday when I asked an auto driver for the route to a mall, he said he would drop me half way as he is heading in the same direction. The most painful part is that he didn't want money for it! When the point where he said he would drop me was reached, he refused to take me money because he was only dropping me at a place he chose and failed in his duty to drop me at a place I wanted to go to. No, you don't understand. It went to the extent of me trying to push money into his pocket and he was laughing and pushed my hand away!

The other day, when I had to pay 28 rupees as per the meter and neither the auto driver nor me had the exact change and I had paid 30 rupees, the auto driver refused to acknowledge to my pleas of 'let it be and keep 30' and got change after getting it from fruit vendor at the other end of the road!

I tell you what, something is seriously wrong with the world I live in these days.