First International Flight

This is recollection on 03-apr of events on the date of my journey to dubai (25 feb):

I am in airport. Ammachi(Grandma), Dhana and Amar are with me. Venkat, who is also joining with me in MERCATOR, forgot his laptop and waiting for his wife to bring it. So i had to do all airport formalities alone. I got baggage screened, checked in my baggage and then got boarding pass using my e- ticket. The guy at the check-in counter looking at my staff ticket, asked me how i got job in emirates. I just said i am a software engineer :). I forgot to exchange Rupees to Dirhams and i was thinking to do it in airport. They said that in Indian airport exchange rate is low and i decided to do it in dubai airport. I came to my family again. Till now i was just nervous. But i got moved when Ammachi broke into tears. Everybody including me suddenly got tears. I hugged all and said bye. Waving hands at them, I proceeded to Immigration counter. Queues are long even at early morning. I was wondering whether i am in annternational airport.People were not wearing tuxedos and ties. Dhoties, Lungies were common. They looked like they are going to catch a bus to some parts of tamilnadu and kerala. I can understand now why people say "Going where? Oh just Dubai" :). Anyway i know dubai imports cheap labour from India and it dont apply for all who goes there. Finished immigration and security check. My flight is at 8.30 and i am waiting in the lounge. I had some noodles and cool drink (price was high). Venkat came and we both got acquainted. The ticket showed that we didn't have seats nearby. I thought i can go craz again, on flight all alone :). We moved into flight. My seat was in the middle of the flight. I kept my cabin baggage inside shelves and sat down.


To my right , there was a young chennai fellow(silent-first time flight for him too). To my left an andharite. He looked like a farmer. There was a headphone in my seat and before me there was a monitor. I didn't were to plug the headphone and the andharite showed me where to plug in and how to use the display. His appearance was certainly deceptive.

The display is called ICE (Interactive Communication and Entertainment), an award winning product, that showcases thousands of channels, serials, games,news, movies (even new) and aircraft cameras( front -pilot view and down -aerial view). I was so happy to fly in EMIRATES flight. They served us food after 1.5 hrs. The andharite was able to neatly eat in the cramped space. It seems he is frequent flyer :). Me and the other guy had small difficulty in identifying and using things in packets , but got it learned from andharite gentleman.
I asked for wine when the other two ordered for mango juices. Its the first time flight and i dont know how to get down in dubai and go to hotel, but still i didn't care. I wanted to have full joy in flight. Anyway wine didn't give that much effect, except for a small kick.


I reached dubai in approx 3.5 hrs. Its first time i am landing on other country soil. I was already prepared to witness the beuatiful structures in Dubai. Inspite of that, i got amazed when i landed in Dubai. I couldnt control the joy that i was filled with. But since venkat was nearby i didnt go crazy.. I was wondering how much a day can change in one's life.

Starting to Dubai

This is recollection on 03-apr of events on the date of my journey to dubai (25 feb):
I woke up with a heavy heart.
Look at me... I have resigned from TCS (the company that saved me and my family from lot of problems and sufferings) and that too at the time of recession, thereby exposing myself to the risk of not paying my personal loans, in case i don't get salary, even for a single month. i have neglected an opportunity to get US onsite through TCS (of course they just promised that they will give after 2 months) I have to leave my friends (especially my 'S') and a place i have been for more than 3 years. I have to leave to new country which is very different from my place. They say i cant speak to a girl in a working environment. They say temperature is going to be terribly bad. From the friends who couldnt stay for more than six months there, i learnt that i may feel lonely every second i spend there. I myself had a feeling that i am going to leave all the fun and relations and a better career here and flee to some place for money.

I argued with myself. Its not that bad too. My brother have got a job (oh! man that was really a great gift from god in 2009). That helped me to not worry more about his career and life, and gave me room to experiment my life. I am really lucky to get this opportunity (Thanks to RKarthick and Mohanchandar) and i got this because i was "TPF SYSTEMs" guy for sometime(I have brooded many times. that the same fact pushed me backwards in my career, inpite of my great interest in TPF, as few of my TPF friends who worked in application teams already enjoying the onsite). I am the first to have middle east opportunity(comparatively better than 6 months US onsite), in my batch TPF-19.
Its going to be new place, with an incredible infrastructure.I know, I would be definitely getting amazed by architectural magic in Dubai. Another thing that i am happy about is, the monetary benefits (if i adjust and stay for longer period) It can change my lifestyle. The happiest feeling of all is, that I am going to fly out of India, overseas for the first time in life, thereby breaking the curse of stagnation in one place,that i had for 3 consecutive, eventless (except for the relationships i had!), financially messy years. This day could be an end to all these. Saying this i started to get ready for the my, first ever international journey, in the beautiful "EMIRATES flight".