10 Dec 2005
2:30 pm load bags into airport shuttle (damn excited about going back)
3:30pm reach airport, unload bags (hoping bags dont exceed the weight)
4:00pm bags checked in, marathon three hour wait to board the flight (look wistfully through duty free shops and finally pick up chocolates, only affordable item)
5:00pm hope the flight departs on time (damn hungry and very excited)
6:00pm boarding begins (damn! these first class passengers always get to go first)
6:15pm in my designated seat and flight awaiting permission to take off (yipee! finally we are about to be airborne and on our way)
6:30pm bad news, flight has been delayed by half an hour due to inclement weather and we are 10th in line to take off (now I doze off)
7:15pm feeling damn impatient and cant wait any longer (still dozing, wait, did I hear the whirring of engines?)
7:30pm pushed back in the seat and wide awake (adrenalin pumping throught the veins, finally we are airborne and we'll be in mumbai 19 hours later)
8:30pm dinner served (yummy asian veg meal rounded off with gulab jamun)
9:00pm-11:00pm wedding crashers (watched it for the first time...awesome movie)
11:00pm-1:00am drift off to sleep (only time I slept)
11 Dec 2005
1:00am breakfast served (jesus christ! what in the merlin's name)
1:01am realise that we are gonna land at london heathrow in one hour (rush through breakfast and coffee)
1:31am cabin crew getting ready for landing (whoa its 6:30am in London)
6:45am land at london airport in heavy fog (brrrr...its -3 deg celcius)
7:00am realise that this is the time when you would be blissfully in bed under a comforter (for god sake, its 2:00am in Philadelphia)
7:15 am in a queue for security check (looks like a long winding queue and end up spending an hour in there half standing half dozing in a daze)
8:15am in a queue (not again) (this time its for freshening up....i hate queues)
9:00am finally manage to shrug off sleep with a cup of strong english coffee (damn i paid almost 2 pounds)
9:30am still an hour to board the flight to mumbai (call up mom and dad and tell them about your whereabouts)
10:15am at the boarding gate (its all mayhem...no announcements...people in a mad rush to get on board....remember scenes at the ST depot in Mumbai)
11:15am flight is already half an hour late (I can see people following the indian standard tie already)
11:30am all strapped up and we are on our way (hurray! just 8 hours more and I'll be in aamchi mumbai)
1:00pm lunch served (doesnt seem interesting anymore...still eat it)
1:30pm try to sleep (damn I left my sleep in philadelphia...the wine doesnt seem to work either)
2:00pm still trying to sleep (Assure myself that I'll get plenty of sleep in mumbai)
2:00pm-4:00pm catch up another movie (somethings got to give...awesome movie)
4:00pm again try to sleep (no use)
4:30pm idle talk with the passenger next seat (do I hear snoring...I was talkin to a sleeping passenger)
5:00pm seriously sleep deprived
6:00pm give up trying to sleep (snacks served)
6:30pm nth glass of apple juice (I hate appple juice)
7:00pm arouse one friend from deep sleep and walk like zombies up and down the aisle)
7:10pm booted out from the first class section (curse the airhostess under my breath)
7:30pm realize that its half an hour for destination (wide awake and all excited)
7:45pm Ladies and gentlemenn please tie your seat belts, we'll be shortly landing at Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport (nothing sounds more pleasing)
8:00pm(london)-1:30am (Myumbai) This is your captain speaking..we'll begin our final landing descent...the weather out there is a warm 26 deg cel...it was a pleasure flying with you (stop talking and get the plane down)
12 Dec 2005
1:45 am look out of the window and gaze at the lights of mumbai (its amazing)
2:00am step out and stand on motherland after a year and half (no words can explain this feeling)
3:00am finally meet an eagerly awaiting family (its so good to be back...collapse in the back seat and crash)
2:30 pm load bags into airport shuttle (damn excited about going back)
3:30pm reach airport, unload bags (hoping bags dont exceed the weight)
4:00pm bags checked in, marathon three hour wait to board the flight (look wistfully through duty free shops and finally pick up chocolates, only affordable item)
5:00pm hope the flight departs on time (damn hungry and very excited)
6:00pm boarding begins (damn! these first class passengers always get to go first)
6:15pm in my designated seat and flight awaiting permission to take off (yipee! finally we are about to be airborne and on our way)
6:30pm bad news, flight has been delayed by half an hour due to inclement weather and we are 10th in line to take off (now I doze off)
7:15pm feeling damn impatient and cant wait any longer (still dozing, wait, did I hear the whirring of engines?)
7:30pm pushed back in the seat and wide awake (adrenalin pumping throught the veins, finally we are airborne and we'll be in mumbai 19 hours later)
8:30pm dinner served (yummy asian veg meal rounded off with gulab jamun)
9:00pm-11:00pm wedding crashers (watched it for the first time...awesome movie)
11:00pm-1:00am drift off to sleep (only time I slept)
11 Dec 2005
1:00am breakfast served (jesus christ! what in the merlin's name)
1:01am realise that we are gonna land at london heathrow in one hour (rush through breakfast and coffee)
1:31am cabin crew getting ready for landing (whoa its 6:30am in London)
6:45am land at london airport in heavy fog (brrrr...its -3 deg celcius)
7:00am realise that this is the time when you would be blissfully in bed under a comforter (for god sake, its 2:00am in Philadelphia)
7:15 am in a queue for security check (looks like a long winding queue and end up spending an hour in there half standing half dozing in a daze)
8:15am in a queue (not again) (this time its for freshening up....i hate queues)
9:00am finally manage to shrug off sleep with a cup of strong english coffee (damn i paid almost 2 pounds)
9:30am still an hour to board the flight to mumbai (call up mom and dad and tell them about your whereabouts)
10:15am at the boarding gate (its all mayhem...no announcements...people in a mad rush to get on board....remember scenes at the ST depot in Mumbai)
11:15am flight is already half an hour late (I can see people following the indian standard tie already)
11:30am all strapped up and we are on our way (hurray! just 8 hours more and I'll be in aamchi mumbai)
1:00pm lunch served (doesnt seem interesting anymore...still eat it)
1:30pm try to sleep (damn I left my sleep in philadelphia...the wine doesnt seem to work either)
2:00pm still trying to sleep (Assure myself that I'll get plenty of sleep in mumbai)
2:00pm-4:00pm catch up another movie (somethings got to give...awesome movie)
4:00pm again try to sleep (no use)
4:30pm idle talk with the passenger next seat (do I hear snoring...I was talkin to a sleeping passenger)
5:00pm seriously sleep deprived
6:00pm give up trying to sleep (snacks served)
6:30pm nth glass of apple juice (I hate appple juice)
7:00pm arouse one friend from deep sleep and walk like zombies up and down the aisle)
7:10pm booted out from the first class section (curse the airhostess under my breath)
7:30pm realize that its half an hour for destination (wide awake and all excited)
7:45pm Ladies and gentlemenn please tie your seat belts, we'll be shortly landing at Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport (nothing sounds more pleasing)
8:00pm(london)-1:30am (Myumbai) This is your captain speaking..we'll begin our final landing descent...the weather out there is a warm 26 deg cel...it was a pleasure flying with you (stop talking and get the plane down)
12 Dec 2005
1:45 am look out of the window and gaze at the lights of mumbai (its amazing)
2:00am step out and stand on motherland after a year and half (no words can explain this feeling)
3:00am finally meet an eagerly awaiting family (its so good to be back...collapse in the back seat and crash)
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