Here I am, sitting at the Schiphol terminal, Amsterdam waiting for my connecting flight to Minneapolis (MNPLS or MPLS). It had been a while since I had travelled out of the country. May be I had forgotten or may be, age has caught up with me, every bone in my body aches after the flights from Bangalore to Dubai (4 hours) and Dubai to Amsterdam (7 hours) - not to mention the 4 hours wait time at Dubai :(
While Dubai airport becons one to shop, shop and shop (Dubai duty free is a huge shopping experience right at the Dubai airport - I am planning to check this out on my way back !!!)
Upon my arrival at Amsterdam airport, first thing that greeted me were bunches and bunches of Tulips. I forgot that the famous Rekha-Bacchan song - Dekha ek khwab to yeh silsile hue - was shot here...
The airport in itself is HUGE - as all international airports. However, this one represents the country's culture far better. The blue ceramics for which Holland is famous for is on sale at the airport - however a small pair of shoes or key chain costs 3 or 4 Euros.
As usual, my Indian Mentality automatically kicked in... I started converting 1 euro = x INR - OMG !!! that's huge money. Let me not buy anything here.... So, although I was attracted to some very neat pieces of blue ceramics and lindt chocolates, I did not buy any of them... so much for being an Indian.
Will i ever stop converting, stop thinking about money and just buy whatever I want? Without thinking of the money I am going to spend... ???
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Dubai Diary
I landed at Dubai International Airport at 11.30 Indian time (9 p.m. local time)
I see Dubai with a mix of fear, apprehension, and awe - fear because I have read and heard stories of what happens to people who get caught in the wrong side of law - the punishment is gruesome.
Apprehension - my first time here and the airport is huge with more than 260 gates. Takes a long time to go from one gate to the other... Will I get lost? Will I find my connecting flight to Amsterdam? As it is, the kingfisher flight to Dubai was late by 1 hour 5 mins.
Awe because the airport is such. It is immensely clean, provides great facilities to a traveler (including free wi-fi connectivity) and shopping kiosks... :D
Luckily, as I was heading out of the aircraft, I saw this bespectacled person walking beside me. I asked him if he were bound for Amsterdam. He said yes and he would go all the way to MPLS. I was glad - i had company. If not for anything, at least to find gates and terminals and not get lost.!!!
Terribly tired and out of sleep... Missing my home, my bed and the kids. Each time, I hug Aditi and sleep - and once both of them are sound asleep, I wake up, hug and kiss them, say "I love you" to both before hitting the bed...
Sigh....
I see Dubai with a mix of fear, apprehension, and awe - fear because I have read and heard stories of what happens to people who get caught in the wrong side of law - the punishment is gruesome.
Apprehension - my first time here and the airport is huge with more than 260 gates. Takes a long time to go from one gate to the other... Will I get lost? Will I find my connecting flight to Amsterdam? As it is, the kingfisher flight to Dubai was late by 1 hour 5 mins.
Awe because the airport is such. It is immensely clean, provides great facilities to a traveler (including free wi-fi connectivity) and shopping kiosks... :D
Luckily, as I was heading out of the aircraft, I saw this bespectacled person walking beside me. I asked him if he were bound for Amsterdam. He said yes and he would go all the way to MPLS. I was glad - i had company. If not for anything, at least to find gates and terminals and not get lost.!!!
Terribly tired and out of sleep... Missing my home, my bed and the kids. Each time, I hug Aditi and sleep - and once both of them are sound asleep, I wake up, hug and kiss them, say "I love you" to both before hitting the bed...
Sigh....
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