Finallement je suis `a l'Angleterre

WELL THE DAY HAD TO COME SOME TIME . I HAD MARKED A COUNT DOWN ON MY KALNIRNAY. WELLTHE MUCH AWAITED DAY ARRIVED 19/09/2005.
THANKFULLY VARUNRAJA WAS COOPERATING. RAINS HAD LET UP. IT WAS ACTUALLY SUNNY THAT DAY. I REACHED MUMBAI INTL AIRPORT AT AROUND 12:30 AM ON THE 19TH AFTER SAYING ADIEU TO MY FAMILY AND A TEDIOUS BALANCING ACT OF MY OH SO VERY OBVIOUS OVERWEIGHT BAGGAGE, BEGAN PUSHING THE TROLLEY.
THE DAMN THING HAD A FUNNY WHEEL AND I MUST HAVE BANGED INTO ALMOST EVERY THIRD PERSON IN THE AIRPORT. AFTER PROFUSE AND SHEEPISH APOLOGIES AND WITH SARANG AND MY PARENTS LAUGHING AT MY PATHETIC ATTEMPTS AT TROLLEY PUSHING ENTERED THE AIRPORT.
IT WAS THEN THAT I ENTERED THE WORLD OF SELF SERVICE IN ITS TRUE SENSE. I CURSED MYSELF IN UNMENTIONABLES OVER HORDING MY BAGS. HOW IN THE WORLD DID THOSE AIRPORT PEOPLE EXPECT ME TO LIFT AND PLACE BAGS THAT WEIGHED ALMOST AS MUCH AS I DID ON THE XRAY BELT STILL IS UNOMPREHANDABLE TO ME. AFTER THAT WAS DONE I PROCEEDED TO THE AIRINDIA COUNTER FOR CHECKING IN MY BAGS AND COLLECTING MY BOARDING PASS. THERE I DISCOVERED THAT MY BAGS WERE ALMOST 8 KGS OVER THE PERMITTED LIMIT. AND I WAS ALLOWED 10 KGS AS I AM ON A STUDENT VISA. I MANAGED TO EXCEED THAT BY 8 KGS. I AMAZE MYSELF.

THATS WHEN I MUST HAVE UTILIZED THE ENTIRE AMUL BUTTER PRODUCTION OF THE BEAUTIFUL CITY OF MUMBAI ON THAT SINGLE ENTITY, THE AIR INDIA CHECK IN OFFICER. IT MUST HAVE WORKED BECAUSE I DIDNT PAY A SINGLE NAYA PAISA.

HE HE HE GOT TO CARRY HUMUNGOUS BAGS WITHOUT PAYING FINE. DIDNT EVEN HAVE TO HAGGLE.

PROCEEDED TO IMMIGRATION WHERE I HAD A SECOND NARROW ESCAPE . I WAS CARRYING A DIGICAM FOR WHICH THERE WAS NO RECEIPT. AGAIN GOT AWAY UNSCATHED.

FINALLY AFTER COMPLETING A SUPER BORING WAIT BOARDED THE PLANE AT 3AM.

MY FLIGHT WAS AI 111 MUMBAI - DELHI - LONDON - NEW YORK.
WHAT POSSESSED ME TO TAKE THIS FLIGHT I'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN IN A MILLION YEARS. IT WAS SUPERB ATTEMPT OF AIRINDIA TO GUARANTEE A HANGOVER THAT WAS TO LAST FOR DAYS TO COME.

THE FLIGHT WAS OKAY BETTER THAN THE HARROWING PICTURE GLEEFULLY PAINTED BY PEOPLE BASHING AI.

I WOULD LIKE TO EMPHATICALLY MENTION HERE THAT THE TOILETS ARE CLEAN AND AS HYGIENIC AS CAN BE POSSIBLE IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

THIS IS TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE JOYOUSLY MENTIONING HOW AESTHETICALLY BEAUTIFUL THE TOILETS IN BA ARE. OKAY ENOUGH ABT TOILETS.

LANDED AT LONDON AT 11:05 AM (GMT) AGAIN THE HEATHROW PEOPLE ARE VERY SMART . ALMOST ALL INTL FLIGHTS LAND ON TERMINAL 3 BUT AMERICAN AIRLINES HAVE BETTER LANDING SPOTS THAN AI FLIGHTS. IF THE FLIGHT HASNT SUCKED THE LIFE OUT OF YOU THE WALK DEFINITELY WILL.

THEN COME THE PEOPLE AT IMMIGRATION WHO ACT AS IF PEOPE FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES ARE BREEDING STOCKS OF ALL GOD IMAGINED DISEASES.

THE SAD PART IS THAT 90 % OF THE PEOPLE MANNING THESE IMMIGRATION POSTS ARE SOUTH ASIAN.

AFTER THAT, THE WALK OUT OF THAT AIRPORT WAS TOO SMOOTH AND HASSLE FREE ITS STILL SINKING IN.

I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THE EUPHORIA WAS TOO REAL TO LAST LONG. AND WHAT KILLED YES THE PRIDE OF LONDON TRANSPORT "THE BLACK CAB".
IF SOMETHING CAN BLEED YOU DRY FINANCIALLY ITS THE LONDON BLACK CAB WHICH ARENT ALWAYS BLACK BY THE WAY.

THE RIDE FROM HEATHROW TO HIGH HOLBORN, CAMDEN WHIGH IS A BOROUGH IN CENTRAL LONDON COST ME A WHOOPING £ 50.
I HADNT EVEN FINISHED MOURNING THAT LOSS WHEN I HAD TO BEGIN THE REGISTRATION AT HIGH HOLBORN RESIDENCE WHERE I WOULD BE STAYING FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.

I WAS ASSIGNED TO A SINGLE ROOM ON THE 6TH FLOOR. THE BONUS BEING IT HAS A FANTABULOUS VIEW. I CAN SEE THE LONDON EYE FROM MY WINDOW. (PICTURES SHALL BE POSTED SOON)

ITS BEEN SMOOTH SAILING SINCE THEN.

I WAS A LITTLE OVERWHELMED AT FIRST.
BUT AS TIME AND TIDE PASS ITS SINKING IN SLOWLY ONE STEP AT A TIME.

I REALIZED THAT I HAD MANY MISCONCEPTIONS REGARDING THE BRITISH PEOPLE .


1) THEY ARE NOT VERY TALL. SARANG SOME WOMEN HERE ARE SHORTER THAN ME. YES THIS IS TRUE I AM NOT LAPETING.

2) ENGLISH SHOP KEEPERS CAN BE VERY FRIENDLY IF YOU BUY STUFF FROM THEM AND THEYLL REMEMBER YOU AND ALWAYS GREET YOU .

3) I TRULY UNDERESTIMATED THE INDIAN POPULATION IN LONDON. EVERY THIRD PERSON IS FROM SOUTH ASIA AND EVERY SIXTH IS AN INDIAN. I AM STARTING TO BELIEVE SOON THE BIGGEST NATIONALITY IN THE WORLD IS GOING TO BE INDIAN.

4)I MUST BE ONE OF THE COLLECTED NEW STUDENTS HERE. THE OTHER DAY A GIRL FAINTED BECAUSE SHE WAS LATE FOR CLASS.
I MEAN SHEEEEEP TALK ABOUT PRESSURE.

ALL SAID AND DONE NOW I UNDERSTAND WHAT HOME MEANS. IT IS NOT A PLACE WHERE 4 WALLS MEET BOT A PLACE WHERE YOUR HEART IS.

THATS ALL FOR NOW FOLKS.
HOPE YOU ENJOYED READING THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SUNILA GOES TO LONDON.
CIAO
SUNILA