My Experiences with... ahem... "Indian Railways"

A few minutes ago, I was trying to figure out a way to spend time in the laboratory. I have absolutely no work to do today and I'm at the peak of boredom. So, I thought it would not be a bad option to write a bit on something I love: "Indian Railways".

If it were not for Indian railways, I'd never have valued my life. Travelling in Indian railways is a unique adventure, especially in the infamous areas of East-Central India. I have travelled across all regions of India and been through some amazing experiences.

I was a pampered kid and I hated it sometimes. I was 18 when I had the privilege of travelling alone. There are certain "don'ts" parents tell us; all of which we do. That was when I started enjoying travel and loved every bit of it. It is my taciturn nature that I usually remain confined to myself. I like to watch the people around, listen to their discussions, analyse their situation and look at their ways to cope up with the journey in an attempt to learn something exotic and broaden my thinking. Other than this, I like to day-dream 'cause I believe that's the happiest way to spend time.

The predictions on "how and why" the train is going to be late is inevitably the hottest topic of discussion in the regional trains of our zone. Each and every person has his own views and he deems himself of having a doctorate in the field.

"Cricket" is another intense topic of discussion. However, there are certain technicalities of cricket which the hoi polloi fail to understand. As an ardent devotee of the game, I cannot tolerate any false criticism on the rules, players, umpires etc. On some occasions, I put on earphones and start listening to music. But, most of the time, I like to get involved in the discussion. People watch me with skeptical eyes and I am sure most of them do not believe in a word I say. It does not bother me as long as I am not tired. Finally, the discussion gets dropped.

I hate the part when someone asks,"Where do you study?" Every time that I answer, there is a long story ahead that some distant relative of the person once prepared for the entrance exam and blah, blah, blah...

Sometimes, I like to sleep during the journey and I am known for missing my destination on several occasions. It was June 2007, when I esacped a major train accident. The train was derailed five minutes after I got down from it and several casualties were feared. I was lucky enough to get down at the right stop. Who knows, I'd not have been able to write this.

I have also been a part of several other funny yet chaotic incidents and I don't think they 're worth mentioning. I am sure every one faces some of these.

It doesn't matter how far I go in life, I'd always prefer travelling in the general classes of Indian railways 'cause I could easily mingle with the people around and that is what I enjoy.

Cheers to 'Indian Railways'!

adios

Viaggio in Italia

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‘Ciao’

...a long break. Junior year was perhaps very hectic.

Well, I am not good at writing but, if you’re reading this, I hope you’ll smile.

There's a thing called “internships”. I got one, though late. Luckily, the Visa was approved just a day (a working day; to be precise) before the flight. It took some sleep-deprived nights and I was at I.G.I. Airport, New Delhi.

The immigration officer asked me to show the offer letter; which I didn’t carry. After long arguments with the officer, it occurred to me that I had a soft copy of the letter. I opened the file and slid the screen towards the old man.

He erupted, “What the hell is this?” and slid the screen back.

The window on the screen read, “YOUR COMPUTER IS NOT RUNNING GENUINE WINDOWS”. Out of nervousness, I pressed some keys. What appeared was "a blue screen" with "WINDOWS IS SHUTTING DOWN TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO YOUR COMPUTER".

Out of ideas, I begged him to find another way.

He asked, “Where are you from?” He frowned at my answer and said, “Look! I am allowing you to go, but you may be sent back.”

[SIGH]

The flight was delayed by a few hours; thanks to volcanic ash. I tried to pass some time on the internet but sleep quickly caught hold of me. I remember having nightmares of being deported to India. Someone woke me up and my eyes opened wide at the sight of a hostess who was saying, “Sir, are you booked on the flight LH-763?”

With my mouth wide open, I said, “Yeeaahh”. I was overwhelmed by her beauty.

“Sir, we have been announcing for the last 10 minutes. You are the only one left. Please hurry up. The flight is scheduled to depart in a few minutes."

I hurried up and she escorted me to the plane.

[SIGH]

The flight arrived late at Munich International. I had missed the connecting flight to Venice. It took some arguments with a German hostess and I was booked on a different flight.

It was late at night and I was finally at Marco Polo Airport, Venice. All the airports in Italy were closed on that day and Lufthansa (a stud airline) was the only one in operation.

My employer had asked me to give a phone-call on reaching the airport. The pay-phones in Italy don't work on coins; they ask for credit cards. It wasn't possible to make a call. I was scared of the loneliness at the lobby and decided to proceed with the onward journey. I looked for a taxi as there was no other means of transport available at that time. I asked the guy to drop me at Mestre(a town next to Venice); so that I could catch the train to my destination.

The next train was in the morning. It was raining heavily and I was drenched and cold. It wasn't a good idea to spend another sleepless night.

I looked around. There was a distant light, probably from a hotel. I knew I had money and didn’t think of anything else.

[SIGH OF HUGE RELIEF]

Everything was awesome since then.

It was a tough journey but when I look back, I do nothing but smile.

‘Ciao’