Moments

A delayed flight meant that I was welcomed by a calm and quiet San Fransisco airport an hour past midnight. I collected my baggage and came out following the sign boards to the bus stop where I would catch my shuttle. No need to ask anybody in US for directions!! Neither are anybody available! In India, we have so many people around to help you out that sign boards are not necessary. The deserted look of the place was certainly not appeasing. I waited for few minutes expecting my super shuttle. There were few other shuttles (some other names) that were coming and going and slowly even the few who were there at the bus stop disappeared. To add to my woes, there was a chilly wind blowing (and I had no jackets with me, "summer hai kyon le jaana"). Fortunately, there was another guy who was also waiting for super shuttle to some place in between San Fransisco and San Jose. He called up the Super Shuttle number from his mobile and after some 20 min the shuttle came up. On enqu...

An hr long queue at the emigration check, 16hrs non-stop flight, early morning view of the atlantic and a walk through the immigration counter, of course a small stop over at the counter for stamping :) Entry into United States cant be easier and less eventful than that. The climate was fantastic with little moring mist. My cousin was there at the exit gate to pick me up. Out of the parking lot and through the little traffic onto the highway, it felt like I was travelling in Delhi on a November morning. As we drove further away from the city, the landscape changed from flyovers and sky scrapers to smaller buildings to greenery. The road network is something that you feel first in US. Freeways, parkways, exits to the towns, the street roads and above all the obeyance of traffic rules. You feel amazed how people could stop at an intersection just because someone has put up a STOP sign. The road infrastructure is so massive that you never feel the traffic. Well that was the first impressi...