Friday, January 29, 2010

In a nutshell

Time Files.

Can’t believe it’s been more than 6 months since I laid my foot on the bizarre Z-land. Honestly, life hasn’t changed much. Life back home was mundane. The days were predictable; Setting alarms and all the triggers to rise early in the morning but getting late everyday; slowly going through the morning grinds. Managing to get the 70kg blob called me (minus the mind) to work.

Work was even more of a pain. I would calmly sulk in my corner playing all sorts of flash games and trying various computer tricks. And a few hours later, I was back where I’d begun: home.

And so one day, I made up my mind that I’ll be flying to the Z-land for work, stay back for 10 months and fly back home. I was reminded of a quote in a Seneca essay – “If a man knows not what harbor he seeks, any wind is the right wind”. I couldn’t agree less!

Still clearly remember the star-studded night sky – like a mist beyond the fog, as I pore through the window of the flight. To say it looked stellar would be an understatement. I was somewhere above the Arabian sea and as I looked downwards, I could sense the darkness of the sea.

The scenes on the other side of the window weren’t as great. I was sitting next to a bunch of skilled laborers fumbling with a lot of papers and a pen amidst them. A closer look revealed that it was the immigration form that they were trying to figure out. Their SOS to the cabin crew was met with a cold blooded response. So much for the poor folks!

I volunteered to help them one of them out, asking him to help the others. And with that I peered to the other side of the window. By this time, I’d crossed the Arabian sea and was now flying over the great Arabian landscape. In contrast to the pitch dark Arabian sea, the Arabian land was glimmering yellow. It baffled me at once – was the whole land under a gigantic forest fire? Months later, I would laugh at this thought – after the realization that there is no forest here to catch fire.

As I landed, I was taken aback by a lot of things – the absence of the gangway to take you out from the aircraft straight to the airport. We were instead taken to a bus which would take us under the wingspans of Boeing 747s (parked aside as well as the ones ready to take off!). This was followed by the long wait at the immigration counter. After an hour and a lot of queue jumping, I was out of the airport.

I expected the worst from this place but on hindsight, life hasn’t been that bad. It’s been six months since and I’ve learnt so much! I learnt how to swim. I’ve snorkeled and witnessed the amazing world underneath the red sea; met some really great people and a few capricious ones; learnt to be open-minded about people and the religions they follow (have met radically devout Muslims and equally devout Christians); Made some really good friends. And the voyage is still on.

But I miss my folks back home and in a few months down the line, I wish to go back to my home in the other side of the woods. Till then, I guess, I will survive :-)