go Michigan

For a day at Ann Arbor Business School

â Timi is the name for Whales in my mother tongue and I remember faintly of a Book ‘Timi-Timingal’ describing Whales, their long polar journey and their friendship bond, their unique feeding procedure, mother instincts and of an incidence of rescuing a mother Whale from a Michigan lake trapped during tidal waves through Hudson Strait and then Hudson Bay!

â Because of the author, I do not remember his name I had a soft feeling for the natural habitat loving Michigan people! The sole reason being the author’s pen, describing Humpy Whales!

â Approaching New York City in the return journey, I was curious enough to have a look below at the City, the surroundings where I had to spend few long hours with a change of Airport, LaGuardia to Kennedy!

â The scenario below showed more water transports moving on water front divided with a patch of greenery and buildings and bridges than the city I imagined of big high rise buildings as is seen in pictures with lights and shades; at night, though.

â Through the weather protected long passage at arrival, reaching baggage claim, in the big terminal itself, I noticed the few words I was eagerly looking for to travel to JFK Airport!

â As President, John F Kennedy had been popular among us. I posses his photograph but turned yellow now, in front of, what it looks like is a fire place with candle stand like some thing on the top right of it. My school friend’s father worked for ‘The Statesman’ and the snap was reproduced by photo lab, USIS (India). On the back with the yellowish clipping:

“ POET AND PRESIDENT – President John F Kennedy chats with poet Robert Frost in the East Room of the White House in Washington January 22. The 85-year-old poet recited one of his own works during the Inauguration Day ceremonies at the Capital January 20. In background is a portrait of John Quincy Adams, President of the United States from 1825 to 1829.”

â Well, to be sure, this name JFK took me back to 19 sixties. My Sari dress made my movement snarl like and I slowly followed the moving crowd with my thoughts miles away!

â Like most ordinary Indian family and society, we were taught from childhood, the thing beyond the reach is just like the moon in the sky.

â And America remained as the moon in the sky, till the visit of the first lady of USA, when we were taken from our school in Delhi to wave our small scented handkerchief, on her arrival.

â United States gained our attention next by the Astronauts after some years and became the subject of our daily discussions in the college common room for girls, adjoining the Principals room, refreshing our-selves and sharing our quick meals, when I was studying for the Masters degree in Christ Church, The Mall at Kanpur.

â Of all the other striking events with walking in space, Stepping on Moon surface was unbelievable and a rock from its surface was unthinkable. But it happened.

â Then one day, we heard the idea of Moonrock exhibition by USIS in Phoolbagh at the King Edward II memorial building, housing the Public library, if I remember correctly.

â I agreed to volunteer the visiting public for the Moonrock exhibition, when asked by the Christ Church authority.

â The rock was in a glass jar taken from the lunar surface on July 21, 1969, one among the ancient samples, first to be seen by man. This most valuable piece of matter, estimated to be 3,500 million years or more old was on display. The viewer’s entry and exit were separate for Men and Women. Among tight security we had to stand for hours counting the female visitors and replying their sweet queries, in the local language.

â The three Astronauts name being uttered, discussed by almost everyone. Only their photographs were missing but the brave trio, Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin, Michael Collins and Neil A Armstrong were present in most talks. M Collins was called a bechara (poor boy) in local words for what I made out was not being able for a Moonwalk spending 31 hours and 31 minutes on Moon surface like Aldrin and Armstrong, but staying guard in Columbia mother ship!

â The short cut to the Business School from the hotel where I had stayed at Ann Arbor was through a park. The under graduate and postgraduate Library buildings flashed back the Red Colonial library building at Phoolbagh. I was extremely excited to be there and I talked and talked simply nothing to some Conference speakers sharing the table while having my favorite dishes at the Conference lunch at the Business School.

â To be able to present my work, to be able to bear long flying hours at a stretch, I enjoyed every bit of the big evening meal, occupying the big table all alone, at Michigan League.

â The single day at Ann Arbor suddenly turned in continuation to the day years back at Phoolbagh.

â And then on way back from Ann Arbor at LaGuardia, brochures of The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey at the information desk and the lady helped the poor Indian me in a poor sari with few additional words from where I can have the Bus to JFK Airport!

â I felt relaxed, though I had checked out of my Hotel at Michigan University Business School before five in the morning! The distance to the Airport long enough, as measured with the taxi fare of 45 US$ in terms of INR.

â The sole meal of the long day had been onboard AIRINDIA with fruit juices and snacks followed by Paupiette of lamb Bourguignon, green garden salad, Parsley Potatoes, Sauté vegetables, pear and almond tart with prune sauce and lastly hot coffee as the plane started crossing the Atlantic towards Heathrow!

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