Coming home...

So, I dragged 100lbs (or more, actually) through seven inches of snow and slush upto the train station. Then got on the plane, prepared for twenty hours of boredom with music and Pride and Prejudice. Braved fifteen of those hours with a metabolism crash, resulting in rather unmentionable effects on my digestive system. Didn't eat for almost twenty-one hours at a stretch, to preserve the semblance of authority I still had on my body. Tolerated the absolutely horrible management at both O'Hare, Chicago and Heathrow, London during security check (I cannot help comparing, but in my own experience, Baltimore-Washington International Airport is SOOOO much better).

And in the bargain, the flight landed over four hours late, my luggage got out last, I missed my cousin's wedding and couldn't eat any of the absolutely delicious food to make up for it, either! And, my parents who were waiting at the gate for me missed the wedding ceremony too.

My aunt, a lawyer, is very seriously trying to pursuade me I should initiate legal proceedings against Air India. What for?? For one, I don't want to waste my vacation. And more importantly, I can do better. I just won't fly AI again if I have a deadline to keep!

Home

"...There's a fire softly burning, supper's on the stove,
But it's the light in your eyes that keeps me warm.
Hey, it's good to be back home again...."

John Denver, Lyrics from Back Home Again.

Leaving on a (Jet?) Plane

Tomorrow at this time, I will be boarding the plane en route to dear old Bombay. And the day after tomorrow, at this time, I will be looking at my first sunrise in Mumbai after twenty-three months or so, and then, soon after, I will be listening to chants and smelling ghee over fire as 'my big brother', the eldest cousin on my mother's side glides into the 'holy state of matrimony'.

All this is assuming, of course, that the flight takes off on time and lands on time. Like clockwork. Might not happen. The prime problem with taking off on time is the HUGE snowstorm Chicago is buried under, today. And the prime problem with landing on time can be simply summed up in the words, I'm flying AIR INDIA. Remember IST = Indian Stretchable Time??? As I told Mom once, I know Air India claims to fly on time 93% of the time (that's from reading all the Maharaja ads around the Air India building in Bombay), but I've just never met anyone who was on that 93% of their flights.

But, all said and done, I'M GOING HOME!!!!!!!! Yes, that was All Caps, but who cares?! I'm going HOME!!!

Wish me luck with the transit!

SEVEN

Boring: I was in a place that didn't have internet access.

Way Too Imaginative: I was held captive by XYZ people and I only just managed to free myself.

Condescending: Blogging? Huh?! Whatever. I've got better things to do.

Could be True: Too much work.

And that is true.

Okay, now that I'm done with the (possible) reasons for not posting for more than two weeks, let's get down to Really Important Message No.1: SEVEN DAYS TO GO!!! Yes, that was all caps. I'm excited. I depart seven days later, and less than nine days from today, I will be in sweet, sunny, warm, polluted, happy Mumbai!

Really Important Message No.2: Ananymous, I haven't gotten on this site since my last blog and so didn't read your message till right now. Me's so looking forward to long conversations with you too! Don't use the word surprise, I almost cannot resist its lure!

And now, on with the rest of it. As always, when I return to my bloggosphere after a long absence, I find myself unable to write. Unsure what to write about, which incident gets how much importance, or do any of them get any importance at all...? It's all work-related anyway. Except, something funny on these lines happened once more with me when I told my colleague (the same) that my last day at work would be the morning of the day I'm leaving for my one-month vacation. It almost seems like I work hard to earn that reputation.

Someone remind me to do these a day before I leave:
1. Pack my bags (this at least three days before I leave, so I have time to repack when I remember other things I have to carry).
2. Give all my library books in.
3. Give cheques to my room-mate for rent and utilities.
4. Dismantle the unfinished jigsaw puzzle.
5. Clean my room (and kitchen utensils), do the laundry, unplug all power sources from their sockets, throw trash.

Owww, now I'm just rambling. Time to go to bed.

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P.S. The title of this blog reminds me of the movie by the same name. (Or was it Se7en??) Horrifying. The plot, not the movie. I hate to say this, but inspite of my violence-intolerant nature, I actually would give a "Well done!" to what I saw of this movie (I could not sit through the entire thing).