Southport, Connecticut-Bombay, India
Sunday, August 5, 2018
Almost ten years ago to the day, I had left home in Southport, Connecticut, to take on a year-long teaching assignment through New York University in my favorite city in the world—London! This morning, I arose filled with similar excitement. A decade had passed and it felt, as Yogi Beara had put it, like Deja-vu all over again—for I was leaving home to take on a year-long work assignment: this time under the auspices of the US Fulbright Commission, I would be winging it to Bombay, beloved city of my birth.
I felt a familiar sense of trepidation, a fear of the unknown. For much as I know and love Bombay (with the same familiarity as I do London), much remained unknown about my research project and I had trouble keeping the butterflies in my tummy under control. Still, because my day began with 8.00 am Mass at our parish church of St. Anthony of Padua in Fairfield, Connecticut, where I received a send-off fit for a celebrity from our pastor, Fr. Michael Boccaccio and the congregation who clapped me on my way, I was filled with renewed courage and felt completely up to the challenge of my new undertaking: a combination of an exciting work assignment through the Fulbright Commission, no less, and demands that would be made on my time and my resources by my family members in Bombay. Juggling the two would take some ingenuity.
Llew drove me to Newark airport for my non-stop Air-India flight to Bombay where we simply flew along the highway as most of the US East Coast enjoyed a long Sunday lie-in. By 10.30, I was all checked-in and heaving many sighs of relief as I watched my three London Fog suitcases, each exactly 23 kgs (50 lbs), according to regulations, all tagged and looking like soldiers ready to attack the conveyor belt, slip from my sight. I too was ready for a farewell coffee with our friends Ian and Jenny who came from nearby Ocean, New Jersey, to see me off. We settled down at a coffee shop for a tete-a-tete and stayed that way for the next hour. What a grand way to make an exit out of the US—in the company of Llew and some of our closest friends!
When it came time for me to go through Security, we began to say our goodbyes; and then I saw my former student and long-time aafriend Romanee , a crew-member with Air-India go past me. I swooped down on her delightedly at the discovery that she would be operating my flight. After a nice reunion and a meeting with my friends, she flew off to join her crew while we said our goodbyes and I approached Security.
Long story short, I was soon at my gate, saying my final goodbyes on the phone to Chriselle in California and then I was boarding my flight. As luck would have it, a news feature in this morning’s ‘New York Times’ seems to have warned passengers about bed bugs aboard Air-India’s aircraft! A not very auspicious beginning, I thought, as I read tweets from friends who sent me off with pest-ridden fears! But I was determined not to be daunted—after all, Manhattan’s cinema houses are infested with them too!
I was very pleased with my window seat that was not above the wing—thus offering an unbroken view of the sights below. On a fairly cloudless day in New Jersey, I got nice pictures on my camera during take-off of Manhattan island including the Statue of Liberty and then we were cruising over the beach towns of Connecticut such as Southport to which I said a silent goodbye. And so it had begun...another brand-new adventure in my life,
I was amazed that I slept through a great deal of the flight—a deep sound sleep such as I have not slept in my own bed for a very long time! When I awoke, dawn was breaking over Scandinavia and we were crossing from Norway into Sweden. The Baltic Sea was clearly visible beneath us as we flew above Estonia and on to Russia. I watched one movie, ‘Me Before You’ which I thought was far more charming than the book by Jojo Moyes—one of those rare times when the movie is actually better. I also read a good bit of ‘The Girl in the Water’, the new novel by Paula Hawkins which has yet to grab me, even 100 pages after commencing. Meals on board were consumed in turn and I made friends with the two ladies who shared my row.
It was not long before we were preparing for landing. It had been a packed aircraft—not a single vacant seat in sight. Yet, Air-India’s service had been efficient and competent and I was more than satisfied. Somewhere over the Atlantic, August 5 had crossed into August 6 and it was Monday when I arrived in the city of my birth. I felt joyous and nervous at the same time.
From the air, Bombay looked far more lush and green than I could remember—thanks to the current monsoon that has washed the city of its arid flaws. Even the slums looks less ghastly and the tall high-rise buildings were cleaner. It was a very smooth landing indeed and as my rotator cuff tear has caused me to steer clear of handling heavy baggage, I had requested a wheelchair. This led to my being treated like royalty and in no time at all, I was transported to Immigration, which I cleared in minutes and from then on to the Duty Free shops to pick up booze and then I was at the Pre-Paid taxi stand getting VIP treatment. It really was the best way to arrive into the city!
On the ride into Bandra, I found it very pleasant, temperature-wise, and far less traffic-ridden than I remembered. In fact, traffic along the highway moved so smoothly that I was at my Dad’s home far sooner than expected. There too, his watchman helped me with my baggage and in no time at all, I was greeting my Dad and my brother Russel and sharing their joy at being together again after exactly six months.
A couple of hours of chatting followed and then it was time for me to join my Dad at daily evening Mass at our local parish church—for having slept most of the flight away, I felt none the worse for my long haul across to the other side of the world. It could not have been a better homecoming.
Back from Mass, dinner swiftly followed and then a long and refreshing shower and I felt as if I had never left at all. This is exactly what being in Bombay does to me...a couple of days after being here, I always feel as if I left only yesterday.
Jet lag will probably keep me awake for a good long time...but I am glad to be blogging again. Please do follow me on this new journey...and please please please, do write back. It would be a joy to receive your comments.
With any luck, I shall discover that all fears about bed bugs on board Air-India are completely unfounded...
Bye until tomorrow....
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