Tanya to Texas....

Tanya to Texas....




'Excuse me madam!'...'Would you like to have some coffee'...
This pleasant offer with aroma of coffee from a beautiful lady in Emirates plane which was taking us from Bangalore to Frankfurt pulled me back from the whirl of missed emotions and landed me on the reality.


Sorry! I forgot to mention my story. Myself Tanya, a gal from a middle class joint family. Even though i was born and brought up in the metro city like Bangalore, i never got drowned in the tsunami waves of westernization. I never felt like crossing the lakshman rekha of my family and the society. Its just that the gal who was dressed in short flight attendant suit made me recall the way i was brought up and the way i have lived so far. I must say she was jaw-droppingly gorgeous. She was talking in such a style, allure and glamour as if every person in the flight including pilots have come here to get a slice of her attention. Fortunately or unfortunately it seemed to be true with many guys:0 I would have been the part of the same troop if i were a guy. But in this case, my bottle was pretty filled up with jealous which was anyway considered as birth right of all gals.


Consider my appology again. I never mentioned the reason of my travel. One day my manager came to me and offered me to work for one of our client in Texas, USA. I din't get that offer just like that. (Offcourse we dont get anything for free in IT :0). I was in discussion with my management since six months and i got this offer after putting diplomatic pressure on the management. Am a politician? Yes, you need to pretend like one sometimes for your own survival. The same stubbornness brought me a little improvement in me and made me inviolable when i was suffering from the decease of soft, tolerant, subdued mindset. 


Anyways.. i had to be present in US consulant office in Chennai to get my VISA stamped. Believe it or not, that was the first  time i traveled alone to any place outside Bangalore. The dilusion of fear inside me didn't leave any room for other feelings. I bet many of you have had the same experience and it was far worse than i thought. I was so scared as if my life will get collapsed if i don't get to work in US. There are few things that had put in this state. First, the rejection rate of applicants in L1 category was more and it had scored distinction when you look into the past few months. The comments and share of experiences from the applicants in various websites was not so favorable. Secondly, fear of facing people after rejection. I knew that my friends would use the situation in very effective way to pull my legs in case of failure. Third reason was i dint have answer for 'What Next?'.


God grace! I got visa without any problems. I din't get a chance to use ideas of my friends to pursue consulate officer. One told me to beg in case they decide to reject my visa like "Sir sir sir, please sir.. i have come from bangalore sir.. am very hard worker sir.. i want to see america once sir.. please dont dissapoint me sir.. have spent 1200rs for train and another 3000rs for the room sir.. n so on..."
Other idea was damn good.. he asked me to sing "Why this koleveri koleveri di" song. 


But i must mention few things about consulate office. It was damn worth experience. Consulate office is located near Anna Salai in Chennai. I could smell tamil soil soon i got out of my hotel early in the morning. As i was aware of cranky auto drivers and crowded buses, i booked a cab for the whole day. I could see a bit of queue line outside consulate office. Everyone were so formally dressesed i wonder whether Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg himself is waiting inside to greet them. I was told by many that appearance matters. So i was also expecting to meet Mark as well :0  Anyways.. we had to pass through many procedures.. Security check.. Documents verification.. biometric test.. Check deposit.. and finally visa interview. Most of the security personals and office pivans are Indians. But almost all the consulate officers are either American or Indian-American. But it was the attitude of pivans which irritated me most. They were so arrogant and tyrannical as if they were hand picked by Mrs. Hillary Clinton. I was so happy and relieved when i came out and saw my cab waiting for me right accross the road. 


My mind which was affirmative till then started becoming fickel. "Oh my god! am going to leave my parents, friends and all in few weeks...;(" This one thought acted as catatlyst to many chemical reactions inside me and made passage for so many other grisly feelings. Knowing the reallity i just cried for a while and shower of congratulations cheared me up later. I was told that i might need to travell in first week of January . I had to take of so many things in the little time i had. In that, shopping would eat most of the time like Bakasura. In the midst of excitment, we conquered many malls in Bangalore and shopped with holes in our wallets, as if i never come back to India. Shoes.. shirts.. pants.. thermal wears.. Leather jackets.. n so on... 
One of my friend took me to Gandhi Bazaar and we bought few bags for my journey. Funny thing was we never worried much while spending thousands buying branded clothes but we were looking for cheaper bags which will ultimately hold my stuff inside its cave. I think this is best example i can give to point out our middle class mentality. Lack of generosity even when you earn in lakhs....


When i told my friends that i will wear formals for office and western cusuals otherwise, they started lauging at me as if they just now encountered a brand new SardarJi joke. Yes, there was a reason for their reaction. I always have been wearing Salwars and i was consider as one of most traditional girl in the troop.  This sudden change in me could obviously surprise anyone. 

They postponed my travel twice due to some confusions in replacement/rotation policy and  I had to bare all oppurtunistic teasings from my friends.  I was so relieved when i got my tickets and arrangements for my intial stay in Texas was done. From the night before i was supposed to leave till farewell in the airport, situation was so cinematic i felt it was nothing less than our indian dramatic movies or never ending serials. They made me cut a big cake with wishes written on it. Few of my friends, relatives including our dog Bruno tried to express their sadness towards my departure by crying on the way from our home to airport. I swear i was not in position to console anyone that time.  My flight was at 3:15 early in the morning. I was not lucky enough to get direct flight to Texas. We had to travell from Bangalore to Frakfurt and then to Texas. I checked in by 12:45 and i started looking at my people and tried to speak something but i could not. Many words left behind and still all my messages had reached them through my eyes. With all the difficulty i with hold my tears to avoid embarrasment. Prestige issue you know. Few airport officers extended their help and guided me to get my boarding pass and sent me to immigration check.  Immigration officers did what they were supposed to do and sent me to the terminal point. Thank god i din't have to face any tricky questions. 


I was so rejoiced when i saw a guy who is a manager in our company sitting in terminal point. As if i found oasis in the dessert. Actually it was more than that . Coincidentally he was also travelling to Texas.  I got inside plane with my right leg putting first step in and you all know it is matter of auspiciousness. What you dont know is how many gods i called before my first step but never mind all those calls were free. I had the same innocent joy same as when i traveled in train for the first time when i was kid.  My desire of getting a window seat was vanished  and i had to sit in the middle row. After my colleague saw my uneasiness, he got into the seat next to me. Pilot took our flight till runway as if he was just driving a taxi and then he waited for some time. It took me by full surprise when all engines starting roaring and flight rocketed on the runway and took off before i came to know whats happening.  I was bit embarrassed when i came to know that i was tightly holding my manager's hand.  After chatting for a while with him i started watching movies. We had few perk breaks. Eyes were staring on beauties all time.  After rolling with few movies, i switched into magazines.  I saw outside tiny window and we were flying above white heaven.  It was a mesmerizing sight.  Sometimes flight seemed still on clouds. 


It was lunch time when plane reached Frankfurt after crossing oceans and lands.. It was a bad landing and i was not hoping to die that way. As the accident in Mangalore table-top airport was very much green in our hearts, I felt like i was stading in queue outside entry gate to "Yamaloka".  My head dizzeled and got sickness in my stomach. Pilots had to face shower of scoldings from fellow passangers. We had two and half hours before we leave to Texas. It would have been different senario if we had ended like this in any of our railway station. But not in this huge and high class airport. We just roamed around and did some window shopping. I was happy when i got window seat in the later journey to Texas. A cheeky smile came on face when i remembered my friend'ss advise to me and he had told not to put my hands outside window to buy anything like we do while we travell in buses. POOR FELLOWS :D........  There are no words to explain what i felt when i saw landscapes below from tiny windows and it was a wonderful view. That moment i truely wished to become one bird. Not chicken offcourse:) 


A big queue for immigration check and a few irritating questions from officers welcomed us in Texas airport.  Elevators carried us till baggage point and at one moment i din't believe when saw the fate of my bags. It looked handicaped with broken handles and wheels. Good things comes with good price.... Thats very true...:) I was very embarassed when i saw people staring on bags as if they just saw some alliens popping out of my bags. I wished Spider Man or Super Man would come to rescue me from this. But instead a taxi came and driver started putting my bags inside the car. After taking on roads and few turns we stopped in front of 'Candle Wood Suite'. A hot shower tried to relax my body and took a sound nap for few hours. 


Office cab took me to office next morning. My manager welcomed me with charming smile and kindoff reminded me that the real journey has just now started.................. Picture abhi bakhi hai mere dost:)


With Love,
RD