When I turned 49, I made a promise that if I survived the year, I would dedicate the next decade in doing things ONLY FOR MYSELF.
I,ME, MYSELF.
So, as I approached the deadline, I started getting excited and Skyscanner came into my life at this point.
I looked at my bucket list and KASHMIR was at the top of it. "Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start", I sang to no one in particular, as I searched for the cheapest flight option.
I told the family we were going to celebrate my coming of age on the snow-capped mountains in the Jannat of India.
Flight tickets booked, tour package booked and all we had to do was wait patiently for three months to pass. It did! And finally we were on our way to Kashmir.
Now let me tell you a secret to saving some money. Managing booking is a money trap, guys. I wandered into its vise by mistake. They ply you with reservations that cost you good money. Aisle seat, window seats are reserved for a premium. Middle seat was free for the airlines we booked, so I reserved all the middle seats, of course. Must stay true to my middle class upbringing.
I only permitted myself a little luxury on one flight and bought a window seat reservation for my son and daughter to experience the joy of looking out, a view I knew they would appreciate.
THE VIEW OF KASHMIR AS WE LEFT IT.
Besides the 'seat' trap, there's also pre-booking of food and baggage. Why would I want to eat samosas on an airplane that costs ten times the actual amount when I can order a burger from Macdonald's from my local outlet and carry that into the airport to munch BEFORE/AFTER the flight? Or better still, prepare some homemade breakfast/dry lunch and carry it into the airport premises?
The only thing I couldn't do, for obvious security reasons, was carry hot water in my flask to make instant coffee. Airports should provide hot water for baby formula and people like us who are just not prepared to spend Rs 430 on a mocha capucchino at the airport food court.
Anyway, truth be told, the only time I actually spent some money on a plane was during a return flight to India after a short holiday in Australia. I said to myself, "I need to experience how a rich person travels." And I ordered the cheapest item on the menu - noodles in a cup. $5. That's Rs 250 in case you don't know. Air hostess opens the seal of the plastic container, pours in some hot water, stirs it with a spoon and says,"Ma'am, let it absorb the water for about five minutes, then you can have it."
Domestic flights have become so cheap that nowadays even middle class people are travelling by plane. Flights are sometimes cheaper than road or railways and reach you zillion times faster. But with this cheap option comes another headache.
The average middle class mentality.
I was traveling to Jaipur and a group of over-enthusiastic youngsters were seated around me. All through the flight, there was so much laughter as wisecrack after wisecrack were made at everything from the seating to the lights to the service that I felt like I was in some weird Three Idiots movie, only there were about a dozen idiots here. I tried to drown their noise out by listening to some music with the earphones but I was so psyched by then that I could hear bits of their words and bits of the lyrics sung by Taylor Swift. I swear I could hear her go, "See that cute hostess, she's standing there, she's got class, she's got mehendi in her hair, she's got an amazing....."
Indians travel by plane like they would normally travel by train. Or bus. When the ground crew call out 'Gate is open', they will jump out of their seats and stand in line. They forget that their seat has already been fixed when the boarding pass is given to them. Then they will unnecessarily block the aisles, which is why some airlines have started taking the back benchers first then the middle section and finally the business class. I'm so used to this drama by now that I make it a point to board the flight last.
No one except a first timer ever pays attention to the flight safety instructions. Even the cabin attendants giving it look so offended with the attitude of their audience that I feel sorry for them and pay attention just so they won't feel insulted.
Passengers will not adhere to the take-off and landing signs, making life really difficult for the air hostesses. What does it take to fold up your tray, straighten your seat and fasten your seat belt, yaar? But no, they have to be told.
And after the plane has landed and even before the seat belt sign goes off, there is the simultaneous click-click-click-click-click as passengers leave, yes, actually leave their seats, to open the overhead luggage compartments. This is my cue to slide quickly into a window seat, to enjoy the view and keep out of the stampede that is sure to follow. And I'm smart enough to get someone else to remove my luggage too. He removes mine to get to his and I say, "That's mine, thank you very much." And the poor guy is made to feel like I'm doing him a big favour.
I've travelled with family, I've travel with one son but flying solo is a challenge for me. This is because every airport has a different orientation and that requires me to find my way on my own. Also, going to the washroom warrants that I carry all my luggage in with me, right into the cubicle which is not equipped to handle more than a handbag. I was happy to see washrooms abroad with extra large cubicles, meant to accommodate wheelchairs or prams and I would wait to get into one but sometimes I couldn't wait, if you know what I mean.
Flying solo teaches you to communicate, it teaches you independence, it teaches you patience, it teaches you to go way beyond your comfort zone. It also helps you make acquaintances even if they are encounters of the brief kind. You enjoy unique experiences like foot massages by a vibrator (Singapore) and pushing 40 kg of stuff packed in cartons for a kilometre in the streets to get to your next flight (Chennai).
FLY SOLO is the new mantra for me, folks. For the next ten years or till a bedridden sickness stops me. Come join me if you can. Or just enjoy the stories of the lands I FLY SOLO to.
Bon Voyage.
Shubh Yatra.
Glückliche Reise.
Счастливого пути.
快乐的旅程
رحلة سعيدة
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