Boosted by couple of Bloody Mary cocktails (A Vodka and Tomato juice mix), the best Cattle Class can offer, I passes 8 hours flight to Amsterdam to be welcomed by a fleece of pretty bluish white clouds which would have made another Mary of Little Lamb fame proud - for the top view of the spotless white cloud from an unadulterated virgin sky looked like millions of white furred lambs on move.
Kudos to the person who coined the term Cattle Class for the Economy Class which sounds more politically correct. A la Cattles heading for QATAL (kill) loaded in trucks, the economy class passengers are packed like sardines. While getting out of flight, they scramble to pluck their carry ons from the overhead compartments, only the HEK HEK sound of the cowherd goading cattles as seen during twilight in villages of Odisha conspicuously missing.
Curtains fell on the day as it became night around 9.30 PM. Flying East at 50 degree latitude close to a speed of 600 miles (960 km) per hour about a month close to the Summer Solstice, the night was still young. The darkness lasted hardly 4 hours when bright daylight seeped in through the window of my window side seat somewhere above the vast blue Atlantic under a matching azurre sky.
One thing I noticed at Amsterdam Airport Restrooms (toilet) - the faucets on wash basins work opposite to their counterparts in US. You turn the faucet right to get hot water and left for cold.
This is my 5th flight to India via Amsterdam. Like any first experience in life, my first flight to Amsterdam from US was unique enough live an imprint on my mind. The flight left the Detroit airport late due to a thunderstorm. Just before reaching the Schiphol International Airport in Amsterdam, I realized that I might able to make it to my connecting flight in nick of the time - if I am one of the first to get off the Airplane.
I ran to the front and explained to the Airhostess my situation. "May I stand close to the front door, holding the handle of the emergency door on one hand and my carry on bag on wheels on the other before the plane lands ?" - I asked for the permission. That way, I will be the first to run off the plane fast enough to catch my next plane".
She gave me a sarcasm laced look, followed by laughed - " Sir, you can't do that. You need to go back to seat and fasten your seat belt as we are about to descend for landing". I got the message and turned back to my seat.
She must have thought of me of some kind of GANWAAR (rustic) guy. If she would ever had travelled in a bus in Odisha, I am sure she would have empathized with me. I have jumped the line multiple times while travelling from Dhenkanal to Bhubaneswar.
No sooner than the bus reached its final destination of Badambadi bus stand, than I would jump the line to be in the rat race to be the first one to get off the Link Road, appropriately named so, for it provided the link to Bhubaneswar. As I trampled over others and others trampled on me, it's a struggle to finish before I board my bus to BHOWNSARA (as pronounced by touts and bus conductors loitering around).
Apparently, I was still in the Badambadi - Link Road mode, replicating what I used to do on MAHABAHU (The Great Arms, another name for Lord Jagannath) bus on the KLM Airbus 330, another name for the Royal Dutch Airlines. Old habits die hard. More later...
Kudos to the person who coined the term Cattle Class for the Economy Class which sounds more politically correct. A la Cattles heading for QATAL (kill) loaded in trucks, the economy class passengers are packed like sardines. While getting out of flight, they scramble to pluck their carry ons from the overhead compartments, only the HEK HEK sound of the cowherd goading cattles as seen during twilight in villages of Odisha conspicuously missing.
Curtains fell on the day as it became night around 9.30 PM. Flying East at 50 degree latitude close to a speed of 600 miles (960 km) per hour about a month close to the Summer Solstice, the night was still young. The darkness lasted hardly 4 hours when bright daylight seeped in through the window of my window side seat somewhere above the vast blue Atlantic under a matching azurre sky.
One thing I noticed at Amsterdam Airport Restrooms (toilet) - the faucets on wash basins work opposite to their counterparts in US. You turn the faucet right to get hot water and left for cold.
This is my 5th flight to India via Amsterdam. Like any first experience in life, my first flight to Amsterdam from US was unique enough live an imprint on my mind. The flight left the Detroit airport late due to a thunderstorm. Just before reaching the Schiphol International Airport in Amsterdam, I realized that I might able to make it to my connecting flight in nick of the time - if I am one of the first to get off the Airplane.
I ran to the front and explained to the Airhostess my situation. "May I stand close to the front door, holding the handle of the emergency door on one hand and my carry on bag on wheels on the other before the plane lands ?" - I asked for the permission. That way, I will be the first to run off the plane fast enough to catch my next plane".
She gave me a sarcasm laced look, followed by laughed - " Sir, you can't do that. You need to go back to seat and fasten your seat belt as we are about to descend for landing". I got the message and turned back to my seat.
She must have thought of me of some kind of GANWAAR (rustic) guy. If she would ever had travelled in a bus in Odisha, I am sure she would have empathized with me. I have jumped the line multiple times while travelling from Dhenkanal to Bhubaneswar.
No sooner than the bus reached its final destination of Badambadi bus stand, than I would jump the line to be in the rat race to be the first one to get off the Link Road, appropriately named so, for it provided the link to Bhubaneswar. As I trampled over others and others trampled on me, it's a struggle to finish before I board my bus to BHOWNSARA (as pronounced by touts and bus conductors loitering around).
Apparently, I was still in the Badambadi - Link Road mode, replicating what I used to do on MAHABAHU (The Great Arms, another name for Lord Jagannath) bus on the KLM Airbus 330, another name for the Royal Dutch Airlines. Old habits die hard. More later...
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