SEP 7, 11 (1/2) .. INTO NEW DELHI
NEW DELHI.. INDIA.. BOBBA AND ALL OF THE BOBBSEYS HAVE ARRIVED SAFELY INTO NEW DELHI..
You fly into Delhi but the deal is New Delhi..
Albeit I am more than a tad tired from a travel day.. it is not enough to survive the flight and all that it entails to get to one’s destination.. oh NO.. here in India one MUST SURVIVE THE TAXI RIDE FROM THE AIRPORT INTO TOWN.. and that is a challenge.. NO MATTER how many times you fairly ‘scream’ at the cab driver.. “Go slow.. I am NOT IN A HURRY..” it is to no avail.. harrowing says it all.. once I laid the side of my commando knife up side of a drivers neck to get his attention.. YOUR life is at stake and accidents DO happen.. he sortta slowed for a few minutes and then resumed his driving karma..
.. and when we went past the India High Court the place was swamped with police and an armada of satellite dish vehicles and NOW I KNOW WHY.. bomb blast and several persons dead.. MORE THAN SEVERAL .. big time affair to pull that off trust me..
IT IS UNFAIR THAT SOMEONE SOMEPLACE SOMETIME COINED THE PHRASE.. ‘ CHINESE FIRE DRILL ‘.. China and the Chinese have taken an unfair hit with that statement..
One of the absolutely most touching scenes one can witness in India is that of the band playing at a wedding.. each band member is dressed just slightly different.. and each of the members of the band are playing the same song but with a slightly different tune.. and I love them.. they touch your heart and they touch your soul..
Indian do NOT QUEUE WELL.. so I am in Bangkok.. on a through flight.. I did NOT EVEN REALIZE that I was going from Hong Kong to Delhi VIA Bangkok until about an hour before take off.. so into Bangkok we go and the ‘through passengers’ were told to STAY ON BOARD AND DO NOT DE-PLANE..
So I got treated to watching a small armada of small people.. they are never of large stature because of the work they do.. attack the plane to clean it up for the next flight.. what a scene.. the flight crews come in and meals are loaded and it is some scene..
THEN HERE COME THE INDIANS.. we are flying to Delhi I remind you and Delhi is in INDIA.. so you are going to have a sizeable contingent of Indians coming aboard..
HERE THEY COME.. THREE ABREAST DOWN AN AIRPLANE AISLE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR ONE PERSON.. somehow the Indians manage three abreast.. but that is only the beginning.. each of them seem to be seeking a separate destination.. they start cutting across the seat aisles to get to the other side.. some of them passing each other en route across.. and you ALL KNOW THERE IS LITTLE TO NO ROOM in the aisles with the seats.. oh sigh.. I just sat and smiled..
Those of you who ‘know’ India.. are smiling and satisfied that ‘all is as it needs to be in India’..
SO IT SHOULD BE COINED .. ‘ INDIAN FIRE DRILL ‘ and leave the Chinese ALONE.. in Hong Kong THEY boarded fast and smooth and efficiently.. zip zip zip and we were loaded up..
LORD GOD OF ABRAHAM I LOVE INDIA AND THE INDIANS AND THE WHOLE SCENE.. en route here Cathay Pacific served me two full meals.. Hong Kong to Bangkok and Bangkok to Delhi.. the Delhi leg I got ‘veg’ curry with all the Indian trimmings.. curd and the lime condiment.. the works.. like coming home..
Ah.. well.. I could do WITHOUT a major bomb blast the morning of the day I arrive but.. that is India to some extent..
BUSY DAY TOMORROW.. go to the U.S. Embassy and register and sign in.. BUY A MAJOR CELL PHONE.. first class cell phone this trip.. get oriented.. go to the train station and possibly ‘book to Calcutta’ on the Radjhani Express.. the best train in India.. maybe book a day trip to Agra Cantt on the Shatabdi Express.. another super fast express train and first class.. oh YES.. I know how to do India.. this my ninth trip covering twenty one years..
WAY DOWN DEEP IN MY SOUL I AM DEEPLY SATISFIED TO BE HERE AGAIN.. oh yes.. many of the staff here at the Jai Singh Road YMCA go back all twenty one years with me.. we have all aged together.. they truly are my people.. they all have my back.. we are deeply soul connected.. and in Calcutta another group await and in Agra Cantt India Bags creator Jeevan Lal awaits as do his family..
OH YES INDIA BAG IS SO HAPPY TO BE HOME TO HIS BIRTH PLACE THANKS TO YOU DANNY 48073.. THANKS TO YOU DANNY..
Let’s us call this a wrap.. over and out for now.. and I am up and running in India .. CAP