My first international flight alone. My last one was twenty-two years ago and not alone. So, lets just say this was my first International flight as the last one has been wiped off the memory slate. "My bags are packed and I am ready to go", said my goodbyes and the VISA has luckily just come through.
6th morning, my phone refuses to stop ringing, midst the confusion and the getting ready and last minute packing and running around and last minute shopping I missed most of my calls. I hug Mum and Dad and I am off. Inside I am welcomed with a beautiful long queue. I was wondering if it was just holiday season but it was just Airasia and on the flight I got to know that I was on board of an inaugural airasia Mum-KL flight. Although the queue was never ending, there were numerous counters for airasia and it was very well organised.
Mumbai Airport
Ooo lala! I walked into a high-end mall, oh wait its an airport, or is it? Every unaffordable brand was present, so you move ahead to the eateries, options range from US Pizza to a fancy looking Iifa lounge. I was tempted to look around but every queue was long enough to take that plan off the table.
Moral of the story: if you are flying airasia, reach the airport four hours early.
Airasia
I am finally on board, the attendants, all look stunning and I spot a fantabulously hot flight attendant, eye candy...check. Interestingly they all had different hairstyles and very chic ones at that. They all are trying hard to hide their annoyance on their fellow customers, who are all behaving like they were at the market to buy fish. But if they had to be curt to get the job done, they were. People were off to KL in herds so I had a bunch of them hovering above my head. Yes, we all are going to KL by bus, now lets play antakshari. I chucked my book back in my bag and plug my earphones to block out the noise.
A lot of people had carried their own food, and by food I don't just mean lunch and dinner. A lady unpacked her bag on the two empty seats besides me and her bag only contained sna(ke)cks- chakli, farsaan, theplas, biscuits, chocolates, and some more.
Their seating was comfortable with adequate leg space, the air-conditioning worked fine. Once the bees had cleared the air above my head I tried giving sleep a shot but the enthusiasm of 'flying abroad' made it too difficult. I decided to look around and amuse myself instead.
The sky was a sea of clouds, as beautiful as it could get from a flight window perhaps. A kid points at the clouds and shouts, "Green sky! Green sky!" I hope his mothers brushed up his colours with him. A young couple were all bundled up in scarves and thick jackets like one would for snow, they looked so adorably comfortable. A child that was running around decides to come sit leaving a seat between us. He weasels a pen out of his mother's purse and takes out the magazine to doodle on. I snatch it from him. He takes out a flyer and is about to tear it to pieces, I save it's fate. He takes out another flyer. He doesn't understand English or Hindi so in my broken Gujarati I say "Nooooo! WAIT!". From my purse I quickly give him a scrap of paper.
Reach KL airport
I wait for my friend who is to arrive from Kolkatta. I ask people who look like Indians whether I could deposit my luggage somewhere while I walk around the airport, they don't know English or Hindi, I resign to a corner and sink into my book again.
Post her arrival we walk around the airport all night. People are sprawled all over on the floors, on chairs, sleeping on or around their luggage. There is an instant flashback of numerous scenes of the V.T. Station (Bombay) at night. Sleep escapes us so we decide to make use of the free Wi-Fi and sit on the airport floor after spreading out some newspapers. Eventually sleep wins and we move to chairs which were super uncomfortable.
Next morning we treated our tired and pained bodies to Dunkin Donuts. Bliss!
Smiley Donuts
Stuffed with chocolate! :)
Donut with a blueberry sauce filling.
Moral of the story: Travel light, do not deposit luggage at airport and carry a sleeping bag or a sheet to spread out and just sleep on the damn floor.
