I am always struck by how much people will do for you - even if they don't know you. Perhaps especially if they don't know you... The people you expect the least from :
- The Israeli girl with the child in her arms waiting in queue with you for a transit visa will fight for your cause with the airport police. Knowing nothing of German like yourself but fighting nonetheless for a complete stranger who is probably in a better position than she is.
- The Egyptian lady will give you the other half of her adaptor because she discovers that you have got an adaptor that while it has the right kind of holes - fits NOTHING... Give, mind you - not lend.
- The Sardarji uncle who knows some German but not nearly as much either of us had hoped will stand with you parking his luggage, his wife and his children and asking them to "Shush" while he reads German notices slowly explaining what he can to me...

On other journeys:
- The conductor from a Mumbai bus who asked me to tell the American girl next to me about the bus timings and then bought coffee for both of us , refusing to take money. He bought it for her because she was a guest and he bought it for me .. JUST.
- The sub-inspector in a Mumbai bus who walked with me from a bus stand to railway station just to show me the way. And when i had reached went all the way back to the bus stand but not without telling me to 'Take care and Be Safe' and giving his card in case i ran in to trouble.
- and so many many more...

My wallet has many such cards and tissue papers with numbers and email addresses of people like these... who I will never call or mail.
But they are the reason for my sigh of relief at a crazy airport and for my resolute confidence that i will absolutely and surely Be Okay!

No one needs to know.

- I ate quail awkwardly wondering if the bird would fly out of my plate while i was trying to cut it.
- I got in to the bus not knowing how and who to give the cash to so stood around staring for a bit.
- I gave out a 2 cents instead of 20 (why make 2 cent coins anyway)
- I sweated while eating at the Marriott coz for some reason there were no prices and i didnt know how expensive and i was to embarassed to leave.
- I almost got stuck outside the train door because i just about made it in time.
- I can often not understand what people are saying in calls because of their accent
- I said inappropriate things about the German airport authority to a German person
- I have no idea if they like me - and i am always wondering why they are smiling... like that!

1st time i ever took an international flight was on my way from India to NY..
The BA flight circled around a Bit, had one of its wings hit one of those big ladder things, and then they canceled that flight because of fuel leakage.

The Dubai trip was un-eventful. I think thats coz J's good luck canceled my bad luck.

Now this time on my way to US - a volcano has erupted in iceland which is causing chaos in Europe.. so of course thats where i am - Europe.. with all the chaos!

Everything is in German, All TV channels, newspapers .. when i opened the blog, it asked me if wanted to "Anmalden" and i was not sure if i was being asked to delete the blog... Thankfully, it just means "Sign-in".