Airports

Long time since I visited. Still amateur, maybe blogging has not become a priority.

Anyway, I had another opportunity to go to UK. This time it was official and got to go to London. After much deliberations, I chose to fly Delta.

God, made a wrong choice. Also, I realised the threat of terrorism on US. Just a month back when I flew by Lufthansa, there wasn't so much security check but for Delta the checks started as soon as you enter the airport. They ask you all kinds of questions. I did not feel bad, I had read Paul Krugman's article a couple of months back on how America is slowly become a caged bird inside its own jail. I felt sympathy for Americans.

Biggest disappointment on Delta was that they DID NOT SERVE liquor. I heard later from another passenger that this is soon after the airline filed for Chapter 11.

The crew was completely India and was very young. Though really can say that they were bad, but I could feel that they were not professionals. Maybe for most of them that was the first job.

Also, I got an opportunity to go to CDG, Paris as Delta has a tie up with Air France. Somehow, I felt very strange about CDG airport. Must say it was big much bigger than Frankfurt. If my GK goes right, I think CDG is the biggest airport. It was all made of glass and I think it was designed as a plane or something like that. It was quite a maze too. Just could not understand the airport.

I do not know what chronology they used. The airport must be loosing a lot of money on transferring passengers from one terminal to another. I wish they used solar powered buses. It would be a lot environment friendly.

Anyway, I do not think one should fly Delta right now.

My UK trip

Ah, by the time it ended, I felt like a school kid who had a long holiday after his annual examination and had to return to school.

At work, one hardly gets to holiday for a long time. Last time I had a holiday was when I was getting married. My company gave a 10-day marriage leave. Yeah, that what it was a leave. There was so much work to do, so much of travel, by the time I returned I was only getting sleep even during office hours.

This one was different. My first trip outside the country. The first visa stamping on my passport in its 8 years of life. Another two years, I would have to renew it.

UK was like dream, clean yet beautiful. Modern yet laidback.

Having been in India for a long time, I had never seen such humongous shopping malls. Driving is a pleasure. You do not get to hear 'sound horns', you can feel safe as almost everyone follows the rules.

Scotland is a place to relax. But can be sickening if you get stuck there. The pace of life is rather slow. But people are good. Though did not see the lochs, we did manage to go to Stirling Castle and Scone Palace. Also the trip to Royal Yacht Britannia. Wow!

The shopping malls have things which are above the reach of tourists. I would immediately start calculating the value in India rupee. Then of course, whenever we get to see 'Made in India' label, we would laugh to ourselves.

But a long break is worth every year.

A new beginning