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ticket booking i shud start from ticket booking. i just went to a few sites on the web and found the best bargain for tickets to newark. no hassles like travel agents, going to the airline, etc. etc. (that reminds me that i have to mention this: be it tickets, cameras or cars - if u want to have the best price - just shop online. every body gives their best prices on-line. people here donot want to go to many places and shop for any thing. u can compare and contrast this with the condition in india where all prices almost fixed in such matters. i am in fact afraid to shop for anything without consulting the internet first. (but flight tickets to india are an exception. web quotes them at $3000 round trip, while air india gives u that for $1000 - ofcourse airindia is not linked to any travel engines) ) getting to the airport ok, getting back to newark - so i got this ticket after expedia.com took my debit card number and deducted the necessary amount. and so, that friday i started in my car to the airport, and then it started raining. to make a long story short - being a new driver in the US - i somehow managed to reach the airport. yes, i did call many gods by name, and i forget now whether i promised a coconut to 'pazhavangadi ganapathi'. (again i have to mention the web here - i was guided to the airport by maps from mapquest.com & yahoo). airport and thus, i was in the airport. this happened to be a busy domestic airport. and it reminded me of majestic inter state bus stand at bangalore. flights were being cancelled at worser rate than BTS buses, there were people sleeping on trolleys (but with better baggages than u find at majestic), and I was first directed to gate C21, then A35 (which happens to be 10 minutes walking distance), then A37 and finally C19! But ofcourse, there were McDonalds, pizza hut etc, in the airport too. flight and at 11.00PM instead of 8.30 i am in the flight. then there is this good 'madamma'. my seat is next to hers, and as soon as she sees me she exclaims - OH HE IS TINY. she is relieved that her neighbour is not an overflowing one! But she was a good old lady - she was at the aisle, and went and got food for me from the stewardess, etc. bcos i happened to be sleeping - though i hope that she used some better toothpaste. newyork ok, now getting to the matter. this is a place none of us should ever miss. if NY happens to be the first US city an indian visits, he/she could never tell it different from indian cities. other than, ofcourse, the tall buildings. there is the rush in the footpaths, there is the heavy traffic, there is the traffic jam, there are people flooding streets, there are people crossing roads at 'DONT WALK' signs, there are vehicles stopping inside Zebras, there are street peddlers, and i got to see the NY KarolBagh too (5 pairs of mens socks for $5, etc.) I also did see the empire state building, the world trade centre, the statue of liberty, the wall street, the newyork stock exchange, the UN building and i forget what other buildings. but i liked NY. it was great. it was just like india. shops all over the place. Texas has a shopping complex, ... then u have to walk miles to find another. i would have felt completely at home in NY. no wonder that there r so many indians there. 5-26-2000 |
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