Monday, December 11, 2006

Where do they go?

Airport is a place where you can see lot love & happiness. People who are travelling for the first time, people who are
travelling on vacation, people who are travelling back after a successful business meet, people who come to see the loved
ones off and people who come to receive the loved ones are the few to quote for love & happiness. Leave out the frustration
that arises because of the flight delays.

I always enjoy my flight journeys. Every trip is a different experience. Sometimes good, sometimes bad and sometimes weird (such as the one that I am gonna talk about).
Couple of weeks ago, I was waiting for my delayed flight at Bangalore Airport almost close to mid night. I was sitting right in front of the booth where the airline staffs announce the status of each flight. I eagerly started observing the representatives (strictly not because that they were girls, please believe me) from each Airlines announcing the delays and departures of their flights.

At the time of departure of almost every delayed flight, representative of the airline was searching for at least a couple of 'missing' passengers. Jet Airway's representative howled over a million times about a missing couple and some Gupta. After a while she was searching for that Gupta guy by visiting each and every row of seating. I was seriously started thinking where do they go? To the rest room? Gone home of frustration after a long wait? To the books shop? I couldn't get the answer myself. While deeply thinking about these people, I dozed off for a while.

At last, my time of boarding arrived. I boarded the plane and sat on a seat next to a man aged in mid forties who was wearing a Gray coloured Italian Suit. He held a blackberry in his hand. I peeped eagerly to see what he was typing. I could only get to see '......close the deal'. Then he received a call. In a few seconds of listening he said
‘…When is the next available date?’
‘....then give appointment in August’
‘…bye’.
I thought he must be a well do to business man. The moment I saw his face I felt that he looked awfully familiar. He looked like my father when he was at that age. I observed that he had a scar on his face exactly like mine. He switched off his blackberry duly responding to the request
over PA by airline staff. He turned to me, smiled and said you look like me when I was at your age. I was surprised to hear that. I started probing about his background. He said he was a CEO of some company that I have never heard of. He originated from the same place as me and studied in the school where I did study. What a weird coincidence? I simply couldn’t believe that. He didn’t seem to be surprised when I said that we both had same background. I humbly asked for his good name. I felt like I was struck by a lightening on his reply. He said that his name was Seenivasan. While I was still in the high voltage shock, a person came to me and shook my shoulder
'…excuse me sir, are you the one travelling in the flight S2-0123 to Chennai?'
I nodded.
His face showed the irritation explicitly and his mouth said, 'Sir the plane is waiting for you as you are the last person to be boarded and we are looking all around for you'.
I came to reality, oh my god...all that was just a dream.

Well, it's not everyday you get to meet "you" after some 15 years, eh?

Now I know where do all those missing people go?

By the way, do you want to share some of your best/worst experience in Airport?

30 comments:

Seenivasan said...

‘....then give appointment in August’

I would like my best friend Arasan to explain the statement above. Cuz that appointment was requested for him only.

Arasa, stage is yours. :)

OVER-the-TOP said...

Kalangaathaala Indha Blog padichadhukku idhuvum veynum innavum veynum....

Mokka Samy kaila kidacha nee theendha da....

Any ways....regular twists [Right-Right-Right....back to same place] in the story is to be appreciated...[:)]

Seenivasan said...

Over-the-top, I dont know how to react to this one.

First two lines are really scary.
On seeing the word 'appreciated' only I felt safe.

Thanks for your comments. :)

Baranidharan said...

Seeni, I do a lot of time travelling mostly to the past sometime to the future. It is a nice experience, in a lot of time it helped me to correct my past failure (??) and recollect the rejoiced moment. We are all Kalam's follower so be a dreamer.

I have some good and bad experience in flight journey. There was a 8 hour delay for AI and AI official neither said one apology for the delay nor updated about the progress. And the other with the continental airlines, the flight was cancelled due to snow storm when I asked to refund the money they said no. I got in to 4 hours of argument to get back the money.

Good experiences, I accidentally got Luftansa Business class from Frankfurt to NY.

A girl I met at frankfurt when I missed my connecting flight. We felt some intimacy with in few hours. Due to last minute rush up we both were put in different planes to NY and I was unable to get her phone number.

Air hostess, who said that my wife is lucky as I did not drink or eat NV ( I was recovering from chicken pox at that time). German man who was explaining Germany for a long time with out noticing I was asleep.

Ooooooh man travel always brings a lot of memories, good & bad.

Seenivasan said...

Thanks for sharing your experience Barani. I still remember about your flight trip from Frankfurt to NY and the girl you met in Frankfurt.

As you have rightly said travel always brings a lot of memories. During my trip to north India, the conversations that I had with north Indians in Hindi still brings out laugh from me & my wife. You know how eloquent I am in Hindi.
‘Haan ji’ has become a super hit word in my family.

Anonymous said...

CEO eh?? nice one seeni.. kept me smiling for a long time..

Seenivasan said...

Nithya, My dream of becoming a CEO at 45 or the entire post...which one kept you smiling for a long time????

Anonymous said...

Seeni, I really enjoyed reading your stuff. A great short story.

Anonymous said...

hahaha.. i actually wanted to leave that to your imagination.. neways, the entire post kept me smiling!!
so.. u r just 30??

DEEP said...

Its a good one

Anonymous said...

Seeni this is the first time I saw your blog. It was nice. Best of luck to be a CEO in 15 years time. Jackson.

Seenivasan said...

Nag & Deep - Thanks for your comments.

Seenivasan said...

Nithya,
r u 30? - an acceptable question.
r u just 30? - rrrrrrrrrrrrrr....

Seenivasan said...

Jack, At last I got your attention. Thanks man. :)

Arasan said...

Apppointment in August...Just a sec (checking my calendar...)Sorry dear My calendar is busy till August 2008. Lets try something for August 2009. If nothing works out then how about August 2010 ???

Blackberry, Mid Fourties, Italian suit, CEO ellam Ok, But tell me whether you met that person in the flight S2-0123???

Seenivasan said...

Dear Arasan, that appointment thing is happening sometime around after 15 years. You dont have to worry about 2008, 2009 & 2010. :)

I met that person in my dream.

For the benefit of others, that '...giving appointment in August' is for my friend Arasan.

Siva said...

Alright August 2022, My calendar shows busy, but dont worry I can spare few minutes for you.

There are lot of CEO lined up in front of my house every day requesting for capital funds, Let me know in advance your business plan (5-10 years), Planned Top line, Planned Bottom Line, PBT, PAT, current NAV. I will take a look and decide whether to invest on your company or not.

Arasan said...

Alright August 2022, My calendar shows busy, but dont worry I can spare few minutes for you.

There are lot of CEO lined up in front of my house every day requesting for capital funds, Let me know in advance your business plan (5-10 years), Planned Top line, Planned Bottom Line, PBT, PAT, current NAV. I will take a look and decide whether to invest on your company or not.

Baranidharan said...

Arasa, pinraeyada PBT PAT NAV ennamo poda madhava investor, ceo , researcher appidinnu namma gang'a oru corporate mathiri ayiduchu.

babujini said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
babujini said...

Very interesting to read.
I believe you are following Abdul Kalam’s words - Gud, keep it up.
I had a short bad and long wonderful experience in a trip from London to Chennai by BA.
I had a BA flight which starts from London to Chennai at 09.20 BST. As usual I always try to do things earlier. So I reached airport at 5.30 am. I never thought there is a complete new experience is waiting for me to handle. When I reached the Check in counter at 6 AM, BA staff informed me that tickets are over booked. So they gave me two options;

Option 1 : BA will give me 400 GBP (RS 35000) if I agree to travel on the next day.
Option 2 : I need to wait till 9 AM and they will let me know the status of my ticket. Remember my flight at 9.20 am.

I had good argument with the BA Staffs and they did agree that this mistake from their side. I asked them to confirm my ticket and I clearly informed them that I don’t want to change my plan. So I refused to accept their money offer. I believe most of the Foreigners they used to think that Indians can do anything for money. I tried to change their image on Indians.

Since I was with heavy luggage, I was not able to do any purchase in London Heathrow Airport. I had a thought of waiting to travel in a local bus not in a flight.

Finally they have confirmed my ticket at 9 am and I reached flight at 9.20 am.
Enoma local busala foot boardala yari pora mathri oru feeling -

I had a big surprise after reaching inside the flight. BA allowed me to travel in Business class. Since I never traveled in Business class, everything was new to me.

Rajamariyatha epadi erugmunu, anikuthan therinsathu -

I had wonderful 12 hours journey from London to Chennai.

So I believe we need to face bad and good things in life and take it that one as an experience in our life.

Finally,

Life is full of experience -

Seenivasan said...

Dear Arasa, if you are going to be my VC I would happily wait in the line. You funded my wedding, my purchasing home and my purchasing a land, everything came out pretty well. I would love to get my business funded by you.

By the way, I hope I didn’t offend you in any ways with this appointment thing.

Seenivasan said...

Dear Babu,

Thanks for sharing your experience.

I really envy yours and Barani's experience in travelling Business Class. I was never lucky enough to get such opportunity.

I think if I were you I would have accepted that 400GBP offer. (that's lotta money though). Moreover they did not offer you the business class in their conversation. Next time I would also fight for getting on the plane if such situation arises. Let me see if I am lucky enough.

OVER-the-TOP said...

Seeni, Babu experience chancey illa....Ennuku onum indha mathiri nadakarathilaye....Oru veyla Sarath oosii la vazha vendam nu Fate irruko :) LOL....any ways....i already knew these tremondous responses when i read at your home....Great....

Arasan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Arasan said...

Dear Seeni,

No Offense, that was a counter statement :)-

If you are the CEO and I am a VC, then definitely your company will be in my portfolio by default.

Its Not because you are my friend / well wisher, its because of your capability to run the show.

All the Best for your wishes to come true!

Seenivasan said...

over-the-top aka Ramesh aka Sarath...unakkum enakkum avlo thaan luck. :(

Seenivasan said...

Arasa....thanks for the wishes...

lets see...15 years is not a very long period. Lots of ground work need to be done. :)

Anonymous said...

Seeni, Nice story... Keep dreaming :) by the way, do you have an italian suit now?!?

Seenivasan said...

Hi GV, sweet surprise...
Welcome to my blog.
Thanks for the comments.

Italian suit...? me...? now...?

The only suit that I bought for my wedding is sleeping in my wardrobe. However, I will buy one when I believe that I need one for my status. :)