Thursday, May 26, 2011

Kindness Unexpected !

Well, in the last post I had written about my first air trip. Here is an continuation of the things that followed that showed me that all those stories I had heard about the Germans being very kind, were indeed true.
So, we reached Frankfurt at around 2 30 pm on 2nd of May. We had a lot of luggages, I mean, a real lot. I was carrying nearly 30 kgs of luggage myself all stuffed into two bags. So imagine the weight it would have had. One was a suitcase trolley and other a traveller's bag. We actually had all our luggages put in a trolley. But we had to go to Stuttgart from Frankfurt in train. The train station was within the airport, but we had to leave our trolley behind since we did not know how to take them up the escalator.
I was pretty proud of myself until the moment that I had not yet slipped and had any mishaps. Well, normally I have a lot of them. My friends comment that I was not taught to walk properly at all. So one can well imagine how proud I was. Somehow, carrying all the 30 kgs of luggage, I was trudging along. As per the Murphy's law, the moment I thought everything was alright, i slipped on the escalator with my luggage and had a minor mishap. I did not actually fall down, but broke my trolley's arm in the process of balancing myself. So now, I had to carry both the bag and the suitcase. somehow I got off the escalator only to reach the top and realise that we were supposed to go the other way. I was standing there, with all the luggages, talking my friend's ear off about the weight of these luggages and speculating on how i was going to carry all of them without any further mishaps.
There was an airport police who was standing near the escalator. He was watching me struggle with my luggage for quite sometime. He came over himself and suggested that we get a trolley. So my friend went off to search for a trolley while I was left standing with all the luggages around me, actually looking like a girl lost in the festival. The officer, then called someone and told them to bring a trolley and then came with it himself and arranged all our bags on the trolley. After my friend returned with another trolley, he showed us how to take it down the escalator and we bid adieu.
I was so grateful. It is not normal that we would find someone show such kindness without being asked to. And that too, a police, no way! not as far as I have seen. But here was a German officer who helped me with my luggages even though I did not ask him to and even though he did not have to. It was then I realised that I have just had my first brush with the legendary German kindness.
It really touched me. That moment, I knew that the German officer will always remain in my memory as this kind stranger who came forward to help and showed me how a small act of kindness can bring a big smile on someone's face and make them happy.





P.S.: This post is dedicated to that unknown German officer who brought a smile to my face by his unexpected kindness.

Monday, May 23, 2011

My First Take-off

I know I have been away from my dear blog for a while. Well, I cannot say I was lazy this time. I have been busy. Yeah, very busy. I was going to go to a foreign country for the first time and I had to pack for it all alone as I had to leave two days after my final exams. The exams, the shopping, the packing, all kept me very busy. Now, when I think of it, I really wonder how I managed to study anything at all.
I am a Big Dreamer. Yeah, I am. So, I spent my days before the trip dreaming about it and now I am living my dream. I have come to Germany, for my internship. They say, the fruit is even sweeter when you are made to wait. Yeah, it definitely is. I can really write one full very long post about the difficulties I faced for this internship. The days filled with worries, thinking 'will this work out ?' 'will it happen?' But, now that I am here, I can say those days did not go waste. This internship would be one of the best times in my life.
There are many things that I would like to write about. Many things have been my first in this internship. So, here's an account of my first take-off.
My flight was at 4 40 early morning of 2nd May. I was not packed until 8 pm of 1st May. I literally, had my mom screaming at my ears to pack up. I finished it in 3 hours, cramming up all the stuffs that I were to take with me, my mom throwing things at me which i was supposed to pack but have forgotten. It was total chaos. But, since when had I ever not been in a chaos! Then, by 12 I was ready to leave to the airport. I was dead tired. I had roamed the whole evening, the whole stretch of Adyar, looking for a studio to take passport photos without any success. I reached the airport in fifteen minutes. I was early, very much. I could not help but ogle at all those perfectly dressed pilots and air hostesses who were crossing the lobby I waited. Finally, it was time to check in. My parents and my uncle had accompanied me to the airport. I had always thought that I will be in tears when I leave (considering the fact how easily tears come to me). But strangely enough, I did not. My mom was almost close. I consoled her that it is just for two months and that I will be fine. I could not believe I was smiling and consoling. My parents were the first to leave. Two of my friends who were also coming for the internship with me bid goodbye to their families. I can say, I was the chattering box that night. Talked the whole night away waiting for the flight.
Finally, the announcement for the boarding came. I was really excited. Being a bit religious, I made sure that I put my right foot in when I entered the plane. Lol. Our seats were in the last row. Soon, the captain announced the flight was about to take off. I wanted to watch my first take off. I was falling asleep. I really had to fight myself to keep my eyes open to see the take off. Never once did it cross to my mind, that since it is my first flight, I might feel the air sickness during the take off. The flight kept on going in slow pace in the runway. It did so, for a long time, a very long time.
And finally, it did take off. Swoosh, I could feel the take off by the pressure I felt on my ears. But, thank God, I was not air sick. It was then the thought crossed me, "Yay, I did it! I am finally on my way to Germany".