I’m Baaaaaa~aaaack !!!
Okay, I returned 3 days back, but I was in
the feeling-empty-after-super-busy state. So I let myself just chug along
watching movies and reading books. Now, finally settled on my table, surrounded
by the sweet smell of mangoes (have I mentioned that they’re my favouritest
fruits ever?! Next to my birthday, they’re what I look forward to eagerly every
summer – ok, putting my derailed train back on track) I’m here with the details
:D
So…toing toing toing toing (Flash back
whirls) toing toing toing.
(Please read the following 3 lines in the type written format, with the
tot tot tot sound accompanying each letter)
Day 0
5 May 2012
6:30 AM - IST
The gentle (soon to become really loud)
music of my alarm woke me at it’s first note. Last night, or this morning
rather, I slept only at around 1 AM. I was really excited about the trip, for
one. I also knew that if I went to bed when I am not completely sleepy yet, I
would just be thinking about my last day, and wondering what I’m gonna do next
in life. So, thus motivated, and with a 2 hour battery still remaining in my
net-book, which I wanted to empty, I settled to watch random variety shows. I
had finished packing around 11 PM. 2 hours of DODing later, (Yes Zoo, you know that for good reason I am
embarrassed about expanding that particular abbreviation – nonetheless it had
to be mentioned for that event on May
9th!) I packed away my net book, and slept at 1:20 AM. Bii~iiig
mistake, which I will realize later!
Morning brought with it a small bit of
drama, when my dad’s best friend – who was coming too, suddenly had a family
emergency. Hence he may or may not be able to come with.
We were going to first drive to a city
about 400 kms from home, from where we’re flying to Bangkok. This little set up
because my aunt and uncle are joining us from there.
The plan was to leave by 6:30 AM. We set
off at 8:50 AM. Two very droopy girls and their proud daddy ;) The drive was
quite uneventful. We drove rather slowly. I had packed breakfast for all of us,
so we didn’t have to make a pit stop for that. 90s music filled the car. Good
times for music that! Not like the kids who top the charts, singing about
school and lost love at 16, these days.
Lunch was a relaxed stop. Post lunch, we
had a mission. My dad’s friend’s cousin was also headed to the same destination
as us – so we had to catch up somewhere in between, and hand over his bags
(which we had with us) to them. Just in case he couldn’t make it.
After lunch, we weren’t sleeping so much
anymore. And the stop at the coffee shop to hand over the bag – involved a nice
big park with swings! Weeeeeeee :D
The sign board that said “Children below 15
only” was generally ignored. Hey! Even the security man guarding that place
didn’t seem to mind! Swinging is a nice way to think about things. You go up,
and swing right back up. There are two ups to every down, good ratio right. And
its always given me a euphoric adrenalin rush. Back in Junior School at every
break time, we would all queue up for 20 seconds on a swing. The queue would be
anything from 3 kids to 30 kids. All who rush, and I really mean RUSH, the
second the bell rings to go catch a spot for herself in the queue. The fact
that after school, while waiting for the school van, there is almost no queue
most of the times never mattered. Standing in that queue, knowing you’re
advancing inch by inch towards your twenty seconds of swinging is one heck of a
feeling. I guess that is why I will alwaaayyys love swinging!
We were there at the coffee shop for quite
a while. 2 swings, one slightly crooked, the other half broken. At first, my
sister was more content by a tree truck, with a book. 3 minutes of desperately
trying to concentrate while I swung later, she was sitting on the swing beside
mine. Going slow at first, soon picking up speed. :) Happiness.
A friend of mine called me about then.
Requesting duty free alcohol. International trips, and I wonder if men can
think of anything else. Sigh. He is one of my really good friends, and since
the probability of me making it to his wedding which is coming up next month is
really low, I noted the name of the brand and flavour he wanted. After that was
settled, he was giving me guy advice on why I shouldn’t have picked Pattaya,
and how I should always stick with my daddy there. Venturing alone should be
done strictly only at Bangkok. I’ve always considered myself quite independent.
It always amuses me how strong the protective streaks of guys can get
sometimes. It’s kinda sweet :)
We were soon back on the road. And after a
loooong journey of approximately 6 hours (A destination that has been reached in 4 hours earlier on), we reached my aunt’s place by 3:45
PM. They have a dog, a reason for which I avoid a lot of my relative’s places.
Here luckily, we’ve perfected the me-and-dog routine. So the stop over was
smooth and uneventful. Caught up with my cousin; whom I hadn’t met with for
more than a year. But somehow, as it is only with family, and a few select
friends, we took off right where we left off. I don’t think I’ll ever stop
teasing him about introducing me to some of his co-pilots to be. Crazy jokes,
food, flowers, last minute repacking, getting ready, quickly hobbled dinner and
we were all set to leave for….THAI ~ wait for it ~ Laaaannndddd ! Keke.
We left rather early to the airport, 6 of
us in one car. 2 definitely under the chubby category ;P and one more to get in
on the way. (My dad’s friend was going to make it after all!) One squishy bumpy
funny 40 kms later, we were there! Turned out that we were the first among the
40 (the group we were going to be travelling with) to arrive.
Since we had a lot of time in our hands,
and a camera to add to it, you don’t need to be a detective to know what we
were upto for the next half hour or so. Soon, my aunt’s colleague’s family
arrived. A husband, wife and their daughter. The girl was 3 years younger than
me, and 3 older than my sister. Making her the perfect travel companion. Only,
I wasn’t looking forward to getting to know more people from my coutry. I
wanted to meet Thai people. Nevertheless, knowing me, I was sure that we were
gonna end up friends anyway.
Tickets were handed out, tucked into the
passport, at 10:30 PM on May 5, I checked in, and got my boarding pass. The
tiny piece of paper that was going to facilitate my transition to being a
“foreigner” for the first time ever!
At 11:55 PM, the last thing I did was enter
a Boeing 777, as I was greeted by three cheery sing song Sawasdee~Kaap’s!
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