11 am at Paris CDG
1700 in KL Singapour
5 am in La Habana, Miami
The flight from Paris to London was delayed because of some late arriving passengers, nice of Air France to do that.
Then some couldn't make it, so their luggage had to be taken out. So the flight left about 1 hour late. The flight time is a short 40 minutes but I could see that we arrived over London and then were going around in circles.. finally making a touch down one hour and a bit after taking off from Paris.
Now that we arrived in London, many other long haul carriers also have arrived at Terminal 4: Qatar Brunei Delta Ethihad among others. I dreaded at the thought of all non European passport holders clogging up the line, but what I saw when I entered the immigration hall was incredible. The line was so long that the end couldn't seen or found.
Taking clues from my recent education about living in the present and not worrying too much, I took out the book by Amitav Ghosh and began reading the gripping tale about Mauritius, the second of his three books about the history and other things surrounding the Indentured labourers to Mauritius ( it could be “malabaris” to Reunion, Telegus to Fiji, or Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and even the rubber tappers to Malaysia from Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadou). Erudite to the extreme, brining in the atmosphere of the time so clearly and succinctly, Ghosh entertains us, even in a long immigration queue. Hope he would become yet another Nobel Prize contenders from a country, which has not seen a Nobel Prize winner in Literature ever since Rabindranath Tagore, won it nearly 80 years ago!
Quickly at the desk, very polite immigration officer, what is the reason for this long queue I muttered as I pass to him my very acceptable blue passport. You have seen nothing, sir, you waited no more than a few minutes, the lines moving quickly (the reason behind is that all non European passport holders have to be fingerprinted like they are doing in Malaysia and some other countries, most of the people in front of the long line were passengers from Canada or USA.. Ghana, Qatar, Taiwan and other colourful passport holders were just engorging the line.
Welcome to the UK
Thank You..
Sitting at a chair far removed from the hubbub of the arrival hall, it is nice to reflect the past 7 or 8 weeks, since my departure from Europe.
USA, American Indians, Bangalore in India, KL in Malaysia and a short visit to Singapour…
Each and every place has given me something or other of great significance. I was able to spend time with my family in the USA and get to know some of them outside the rapid magical visits but during prolonged reality visits, shopping for food, having the house clean etc. (Did I actually do that? May be not?)
In KL, as usual an array of good food, chosen by my new sister, Man Lee. Western food was disappointment, so should it be, you are in Asia, enjoy the delicious food there, not some imported prefabricated food!
The Meher Yoga Lifestyle Coaching to which I am the consultant, is growing and glowing like a flame in the forest tree! I was on the verge of leaving the outfit when I realized that it is my cataract that was hiding the beauty behind the closely knit trinity of Myself, MunChing and Man Lee. I am glad to have gone to Malacca with them and rediscovered my purpose in Malaysia.
For the first time surprises waited for me both in Bangalore and Singapour. In the latter, people were friendlier to me than normal, and it was good to run into a haggle of Burmese people sitting out in the sun like a bunch of geese enjoying the vista… I felt genuinely close to them.
I enjoyed my time in Bangalore, and thanks to Dr Jagdeesh my teeth also shines in tune to the heart…
For the first time, since I began traveling to India as an adult, I felt a tinge of sadness leaving Bangalore.
Thank you for my family in Portland, UmonHon Nation, Miami..
My heart glows, my face glows and I am content..
Now for the biggest gift of it all.. by this evening I will be home in Paris!
