After all the battling, I was finally at the airport to make my 1st trip out of India. This would probably be the longest one too. A whole surge of emotions, fear, love, ambition and panic :) yes yes I was late as usual. Most difficult hugs: Mom, Ashwin, Sunny, Dolly & my Dad. Inspite of everything somewhere these were the most difficult people to let go off.
I was sure my luggage was overweight, but 30 kgs overweight I did not know. I struggled with the trolley and finally one of the airport assistants helped me push my luggage to the counter. Once my luggage was on the weighing scale, I was in for the most embarrassing moments of my journey. I opened up my entire luggage at the airport and decided what I needed the most and what I dint. Unfortunately, in all that mess I picked the opposite: ( All the frantic calls from people outside at this time definitely dint help. I was so freaked and scared and mad. Finally, got that boarding pass at a whooping 40 kgs and went for immigration. All well here thankfully. Proceeded to the flight, n it hit me. I was leaving my country… my friends … my family…. All the fun and all the food and all I had were my memories, and jus then someone said… Leave everything behind and don turn back… go ahead and make new memories. Today, every time I feel low… I erase a lot from memories and I feel better.
The flight was freezing… yes I was warned … but wid a sweatshirt and 2 blankets I was still cold. Jus got some sleep and there she was waking me …. The airhostess, "Mam, what would u like to eat" Gosh that was so freakin annoying. Anyways, put on a smile n said Veg – No meat plz. She brought me some weird rice and boiled vegetables, some ugly strawberry desert – ate a little and went back to sleep. Woke up to my stop over – Thailand….. What a gorgeous airport so organized, its huge…. And really clean. Got my boarding pass and I had to wait for 4 hours so I decided to tour the airport. I did not change the time in my watch, it was 5am IST.
Went to all the beckoning stores of makeup, perfumes, bags, shoes…. But when your on a student budget u can only gawk. Now I was tired so jus headed to some chairs and crashed. I occupied 3 chairs, used my bag a pillow n jus slept. I woke up wid that horried frenzy that I missed my flight, looked at my watch and dint know wat time it was in Thailand. Looked around and right next to me was this South Korean man- Asked him wat time it was, n he goes like 9.30am. Breath – I had a good hour left : )
Boarded my flight and went right back to sleep. Woke up in a bit to some food, I was jus messing wid a fork – n was wondering wat on earth looked veg like this… well nothing… so called the airhostess n said, VEG – she followed wid a 1000 apologies : ( that was fish, and she replaced it wid rice and boiled vegetables, by now I knew this was gonna be staple diet for the next 2 yrs.
The Hong Kong airport landing is the most wonderful and scary – It's the run way wid jus gravel and stones on either side and beyond is the ocean. I was gawking at this gorgeous scene. Got out of my flight, and follow the crowd. Everyone moves into this super fast train, and I am so hell confused. I cant leave on this train wid out my luggage, there is not a sole to ask so I hop on jus before the warning starts " Pl stand back from the doors beep beep beep" In the next min I am out and heading for immigration. Little trouble here, I look quite diff now, so he asks me to take my glasses off and put them back n the Chinese man keeps lookin at me and clicks some buttons. Finally, he stamps it, and I breathe. Go into the lobby, get my luggage and call Poonam, she says I have to wait for 3.5 hours. So I go back to sleep. Wake up hungry to push my entire luggage to Burger king and ask for Veg, they have jus one Veg burger but the bun has egg. So I say no, n my eyes fill up. Sat down for a bit and then decided to wear my lenses, jus get out of the wash room and I am delighted to c Sachin. So Poonam could not make it and asked Sachin to pick me up.
We headed to some bus and he was teaching me how to swipe the octopus card etc. Got to their apartment on the 27th floor… stunning & elegant. The view is breath taking …one side is the ocean n the other the mountains. Had a quick shower n v left for dinner. Met Poonam, it was a pleasure. Had some thai food and some good beer : ) Came back chatted, called home said I reached and crashed.
The next morning ate, showered and left for my university and tour of Hong Kong. With the entire luggage in the MTR, ferry, bus was exciting. My 1 st time in the MTR, all the hustle and rustle I was quite nervous. Got to the university, it was breath taking. Jus like the pictures, heavenly. This is where I am goin to be for the next 2 yrs : ) Went to the hostel, its quite small and my room mate is Chinese. I dump my bags and leave to tour the city.
We went for lunch to an Indian restaurant, shopped for some things that I needed, got a cell connection, and headed back to Poonams place. We watched the blue umbrella and slept. The next day we had poori allo for Bfast and watched Cash – its horrible. Then I had to leave on my own wid 2 bags back to my uni. The bags were really heavy, 1 st the bus, then the ferry, then walk to the mtr – shift mtr and bus again – 3 hours from Poonams to the college. Get to the college and the walk to the dorm killed me… 2 Km wid the bags of 30 kg was not a joke after all the travel. Reached my room, unpacked and settled in. Quite an adventure. Just then I had a knock – and Indian boy – introduces himself as my classmate and calls a gurl n tells her I have arrived. In the next few mins she comes over – my Indian classmates. And the bonding begins : )
The next day I go to shop for my pillow, rug, sheets, etc… its all quite far. Manage to get it all back and dint loose my way : ) Got my account done, my HK Id and a lot of stuff. Within 2 days I am quite settled… and happy. The view from my room and everywhere on campus is jus so amazing. It's a little warm but I am loving it.
I was sure my luggage was overweight, but 30 kgs overweight I did not know. I struggled with the trolley and finally one of the airport assistants helped me push my luggage to the counter. Once my luggage was on the weighing scale, I was in for the most embarrassing moments of my journey. I opened up my entire luggage at the airport and decided what I needed the most and what I dint. Unfortunately, in all that mess I picked the opposite: ( All the frantic calls from people outside at this time definitely dint help. I was so freaked and scared and mad. Finally, got that boarding pass at a whooping 40 kgs and went for immigration. All well here thankfully. Proceeded to the flight, n it hit me. I was leaving my country… my friends … my family…. All the fun and all the food and all I had were my memories, and jus then someone said… Leave everything behind and don turn back… go ahead and make new memories. Today, every time I feel low… I erase a lot from memories and I feel better.
The flight was freezing… yes I was warned … but wid a sweatshirt and 2 blankets I was still cold. Jus got some sleep and there she was waking me …. The airhostess, "Mam, what would u like to eat" Gosh that was so freakin annoying. Anyways, put on a smile n said Veg – No meat plz. She brought me some weird rice and boiled vegetables, some ugly strawberry desert – ate a little and went back to sleep. Woke up to my stop over – Thailand….. What a gorgeous airport so organized, its huge…. And really clean. Got my boarding pass and I had to wait for 4 hours so I decided to tour the airport. I did not change the time in my watch, it was 5am IST.
Went to all the beckoning stores of makeup, perfumes, bags, shoes…. But when your on a student budget u can only gawk. Now I was tired so jus headed to some chairs and crashed. I occupied 3 chairs, used my bag a pillow n jus slept. I woke up wid that horried frenzy that I missed my flight, looked at my watch and dint know wat time it was in Thailand. Looked around and right next to me was this South Korean man- Asked him wat time it was, n he goes like 9.30am. Breath – I had a good hour left : )
Boarded my flight and went right back to sleep. Woke up in a bit to some food, I was jus messing wid a fork – n was wondering wat on earth looked veg like this… well nothing… so called the airhostess n said, VEG – she followed wid a 1000 apologies : ( that was fish, and she replaced it wid rice and boiled vegetables, by now I knew this was gonna be staple diet for the next 2 yrs.
The Hong Kong airport landing is the most wonderful and scary – It's the run way wid jus gravel and stones on either side and beyond is the ocean. I was gawking at this gorgeous scene. Got out of my flight, and follow the crowd. Everyone moves into this super fast train, and I am so hell confused. I cant leave on this train wid out my luggage, there is not a sole to ask so I hop on jus before the warning starts " Pl stand back from the doors beep beep beep" In the next min I am out and heading for immigration. Little trouble here, I look quite diff now, so he asks me to take my glasses off and put them back n the Chinese man keeps lookin at me and clicks some buttons. Finally, he stamps it, and I breathe. Go into the lobby, get my luggage and call Poonam, she says I have to wait for 3.5 hours. So I go back to sleep. Wake up hungry to push my entire luggage to Burger king and ask for Veg, they have jus one Veg burger but the bun has egg. So I say no, n my eyes fill up. Sat down for a bit and then decided to wear my lenses, jus get out of the wash room and I am delighted to c Sachin. So Poonam could not make it and asked Sachin to pick me up.
We headed to some bus and he was teaching me how to swipe the octopus card etc. Got to their apartment on the 27th floor… stunning & elegant. The view is breath taking …one side is the ocean n the other the mountains. Had a quick shower n v left for dinner. Met Poonam, it was a pleasure. Had some thai food and some good beer : ) Came back chatted, called home said I reached and crashed.
The next morning ate, showered and left for my university and tour of Hong Kong. With the entire luggage in the MTR, ferry, bus was exciting. My 1 st time in the MTR, all the hustle and rustle I was quite nervous. Got to the university, it was breath taking. Jus like the pictures, heavenly. This is where I am goin to be for the next 2 yrs : ) Went to the hostel, its quite small and my room mate is Chinese. I dump my bags and leave to tour the city.
We went for lunch to an Indian restaurant, shopped for some things that I needed, got a cell connection, and headed back to Poonams place. We watched the blue umbrella and slept. The next day we had poori allo for Bfast and watched Cash – its horrible. Then I had to leave on my own wid 2 bags back to my uni. The bags were really heavy, 1 st the bus, then the ferry, then walk to the mtr – shift mtr and bus again – 3 hours from Poonams to the college. Get to the college and the walk to the dorm killed me… 2 Km wid the bags of 30 kg was not a joke after all the travel. Reached my room, unpacked and settled in. Quite an adventure. Just then I had a knock – and Indian boy – introduces himself as my classmate and calls a gurl n tells her I have arrived. In the next few mins she comes over – my Indian classmates. And the bonding begins : )
The next day I go to shop for my pillow, rug, sheets, etc… its all quite far. Manage to get it all back and dint loose my way : ) Got my account done, my HK Id and a lot of stuff. Within 2 days I am quite settled… and happy. The view from my room and everywhere on campus is jus so amazing. It's a little warm but I am loving it.
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