Monthful Bliss - Part 3 (There is something about Singapore)

Let me describe the incredible four who were present at Anna International Airport embarking on a 9-day journey of their lives. Except for one demented fella driven to the limits of sanity by their pre-journey enquiries and concerns, the three co-passengers were all new to travelling onboard. The chaos started much before, as there was a miscommunication and they booked for an afternoon Air India flight while I had booked for a night Indian Airlines. So, I had to change mine to an afternoon flight (afternoon flights are cheaper than night flights by Rs 5000 aam..juz an indication of whats gonna hit me!), so that I can travel 30 mins before them and land before as well. One of the main concerns of amma was on her technique to negotiate the stairway to hell aka escalator. Appa was confident about his abilities, and after an initial stutter was through. Amma had the technique, but was scared like hell. Paati trusted me, so after some initial coaxing everytime there is an escalator, she would go up. Trust me we made a mini traffic jam at every escalator for the whole week that followed!

So, once we were safely seated after the security check, I got a lump in my throat. A quickfire briefing on what to expect onboard followed. As expected, amma and paati had nothing to do with the food served onboard, even the peanuts, cos they found people enjoying a glass of wine and beer, as well as using their trained fork and knives on things amma has just seen on tv. On the other hand, I was agitated as my flight was delayed by about an hour, which meant the possibility that I will reach after them and they might get lost in the vast airport! Then I realised I hadnt given them my address and telephone number! So much for planning! Finally when I reached the airport, I rushed to their exit to find that their flight is also delayed. Vaazhga India! Valarga Indian kalacharam!
Not only that, the pilot parked at the wrong bay!

Finally I got to say "Welcome to Singapore" and usher them through the formalities. They werent as astounded as I was when I first saw the airport or the high rise buildings or the smooth roads. All they remarked was that everything was clean. Yeah right, more emotions people!!! We reached home just in time to grab something from a closing nearby Indian restaurant. So much for the welcome day I thought.

I showed them around all the tourist attractions in Singapore and my university, but whts more interesting is how they took to it. As I had predicted earlier, my dad was quite comfy and liked the place a lot. His first concern was on the allowed smoking spaces. He was just upset he couldnt see more things and roam about more freely cos of paati. Paati was eager to come along everywhere, but her 80 year old body and her weakened legs did not offer her much mobility. This meant I had to take them everywhere in cabs, which contrary to expectations, had an increase in my wallet. What else with ATM and Debit cards and accumulated bills? My paati saw a few "things" here and there, but to be relief, chose to ignore it. My mom, on the other hand, did not like much of what she saw in the people, their lifestyle, their "behaviour", their clothes and so on. She did like a few things which largely had to do with vegetables and birds and animals. This was another reason I took them in cab most of the time, even if paati wanted to go by bus and train. Just once, planned to perfection on Christmas day morning, when I know all the teens would either be at their parents or bf place, I took them in a bus and train. But it was a 30 min journey and my heart stopped a few times along the way (in every station intently analysing the boarding passengers for any cause of "concerns", like I have never done in my 7 yrs here). Ufff, was sure an experience! If any "concern" arose, I would stand in the way of their eyesight and start talking seriously about some topic that came off my lips. Once I even clapped above my head and said "mosquito" only to get the weird stares of everyone around :P And when I was sittin with them, I admired the intricate design and plating of the train floor, so that I neednt look them in the eye. After telling me about how they served wine and beer in the aircraft, the first thing my mom checked out was the fridge and lying there proud was a couple of half empty whiskey bottles. So much for her first impression about her "nice boy" living in "foreign". It followed an intermittent week long hushed enquiries about my drinking and eating habits, as well as reminding about a "girl back home". My amused smile on all this was conceived as dont care attitude and she was even more worried! Countless assurances later, she was just the same :P

I also took them for a brief 2 day tour of Kuala Lumpur and its pheriphery, but more about Visithra's territorial terrors later in the day....

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