It has been long long time since I have posted anything on Bong Buzz & I’m sorry for that. A couple of times I did write drafts but couldn’t post them; it happens I think, after all one cannot jot down all thoughts at one go.
Well America trip, you know however slow and silent you want to make it, it’s gonna get bigger, specially for Indians – family, friends, relatives all with high expectation and sort spreading “my so and so is going to America” message. It will certainly make you feel above average, hehe !! nothing wrong in it though.
My trip is an official one, more surprising because I got the chance after only 5 months of joining my company, Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd, Automotive sector, right after my college. And so proportionally my family members too got hyped. I was to leave my workplace Nashik, Maharashtra in the first week of April, 2010. So I planned a home trip in the meantime for some packing and stuff. I had my US Visa interview in Mumbai which I cleared effusively. And ultimately I set out for the United States on 9th of April 2010 from Mumbai on a Continental Airlines Airbus. All new experiences awaited and every step I had to take on my own, so I think I’m growing up. At Mumbai, immigration was ok , maybe Indian in India didn’t make much difference. For the immigration in USA it was the 1st stop Newark International Airport, New York/New Jersey. The flight journey was not too comfortable being for as long as 16 Hrs. Specially after landing on the land of Christopher Columbus to Sir Churchill to Bill Gates and Twin towers and Hollywood and Julia Roberts you might feel what’s going to be the surprise package in the Immigration; Yes rules after rules, copybook rules, start following them and forget Independence. They will escort you to the department, white people mixed with some black with all sorts of electronic gadgets and technology dependency. Some questions etc, mine was simple having Mahindra and Merc-Benz technology tag with me. Whatsoever I straight went towards next flight which was for Minneapolis. Newark airport- ooribaba….here train runs between terminals, one can imagine well how big it may be. I caught the next flight for Minneapolis there after, a Delta connection flight, comparatively much smaller in size and flew off. Here whatever maybe the food you get Coke/Pepsi/Sprite and their diet version, in flight also. Then I reached Minneapolis and guess what, if I’m not wrong it’s one of the biggest transit centre of the world, some 100-200 gates of terminals, as if a retail shop or distribution centre. hehe!! For me it was a long wait there as my next and last flight for Bemidji, Minnesota was in the evening. I was moving here and there, studying people, so many kinds of people, and the different American techniques as I said starting from self boarding, to golf carts inside airport for conveyance. But the telephones weren’t working with quarter dollar coins, don’t know why. Had some coffee and cookies from Starbucks which’s quite famous here like CCD/Barista(both not being here), then was waiting and waiting, met few Indians who didn’t allow me to make international call from their cell on asking, afterall NRI jo hai. At last time came for my next flight for Bemidji, I board it and again got some Coke. On flight I met Mike and Mark who were test drivers of the to be launched Mahindra vehicle, they were coming from Corpus Christie down south. Economy makes real difference, I was starting to understand. I reached Bemidji, Anand Sir, a Senior from Engines team was there to receive me, went to the hotel, Best Western Bemidji Inn, and…. some briefing about work….some food……and flat…to bed. ….
________to be continued
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Nice photos Amartya. Of all things I like the pristine blue sky! Gosh our cities are so polluted and visibility is so poor!
By the way, when do you plan to release your much awaited part 2 ;)
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