Life at Pune airport and other boring stories...
A young and newly married couple snuggling up a cozy corner, old man with Gandhi topi reading about Neeta Ambani in a Marathi newspaper, a woman who looks suspiciously similar to my ex's close friend watches me from the corner of her eye, another middle aged man ogling at Rani Mukherji dancing away to glory on 'hata sawan ki ghata' and much much more. Such are my mornings as I sit and wait at the my city's airport to catch my insanely timed morning flights.
Life at airports can be boring, especially when you are at one every week waiting to catch a flight or two. But that hasn't been the case with me on most occasions, especially when traveling in India. Thankfully our airports are way more vibrant with interesting people and conversations, than anything you would find abroad. And we have TVs, especially in smaller cities where you can also listen to grooving music (with those fantastic pelvic thrusts - remember Govinda and Karishma Kapoor?), or look around and observe people with their eyes glued a younger Aishwarya, Rani or Mamta (last heard Mamta is now a spiritual guru in some African country, but I can't be sure about this).
On other occasions the TV plays advertisements by Lloyd in loop for hours (I know it because I have waited for hours on some I occasions). Unless you are a huge fan of Shruti Hassan and enjoy seeing her married on-screen to a funny looking, short and much older man, the novelty of these ads can wear out soon. If you are (un)lucky, on some days there are ads of upcoming real estate projects around Pune which look either unaffordable or too good to be true. In either case, I forget the name of both the builder as well as the project as soon as I get away from the to sets. This despite the fact that these ads also run on loops. How about non-Pune travellers? But what about them? It's just their bad day :)
Oh and you can also eat some surprisingly tasteless food, though the coffee isn't so bad. But I order it anyway as somehow I am hungry at the airports and also because I dread the taste of food up in the air (apart from it's cost). If you must eat, try the bread pakoda or cheese sandwich, and avoid the mawa cake (its stale, dry and tasteless).
Since I belong to the cattle class of travellers, I have only eyed the lounge at the airport with dreams and desires. All the pretty girls in short dresses always disappear in the lounge and come out only when it's time for their flight. Many of us wait for departure of other flights, just to get a glimpse of these nubile beauties. I also strongly suspect that there is a spa and some of these pretty girls go there also and come out looking even prettier. They never look at me, or for that matter at anyone else, and in a sadistic way it's comforting to me - I am not singled out for this mistreatment.
Last but not the least, there is also a possibility that you can find something really good to read and often it's a free copy of city's favourite Marathi newspaper - Sakaal. I can't read Marathi, so I just see people reading and make promises in my mind that I will start learning the language as soon as I get back to the city. So far I have been highly unsuccessful :|
Maybe I will do something about learning Marathi, now that I have mentioned it here on the blog also - it will help me in many many ways. Am I stubborn or just dumb that I take so long to learn a new language?
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| A screen grab from 'Hello Brother' (ref: Age of movies) |
Life at airports can be boring, especially when you are at one every week waiting to catch a flight or two. But that hasn't been the case with me on most occasions, especially when traveling in India. Thankfully our airports are way more vibrant with interesting people and conversations, than anything you would find abroad. And we have TVs, especially in smaller cities where you can also listen to grooving music (with those fantastic pelvic thrusts - remember Govinda and Karishma Kapoor?), or look around and observe people with their eyes glued a younger Aishwarya, Rani or Mamta (last heard Mamta is now a spiritual guru in some African country, but I can't be sure about this).
On other occasions the TV plays advertisements by Lloyd in loop for hours (I know it because I have waited for hours on some I occasions). Unless you are a huge fan of Shruti Hassan and enjoy seeing her married on-screen to a funny looking, short and much older man, the novelty of these ads can wear out soon. If you are (un)lucky, on some days there are ads of upcoming real estate projects around Pune which look either unaffordable or too good to be true. In either case, I forget the name of both the builder as well as the project as soon as I get away from the to sets. This despite the fact that these ads also run on loops. How about non-Pune travellers? But what about them? It's just their bad day :)
Oh and you can also eat some surprisingly tasteless food, though the coffee isn't so bad. But I order it anyway as somehow I am hungry at the airports and also because I dread the taste of food up in the air (apart from it's cost). If you must eat, try the bread pakoda or cheese sandwich, and avoid the mawa cake (its stale, dry and tasteless).
Since I belong to the cattle class of travellers, I have only eyed the lounge at the airport with dreams and desires. All the pretty girls in short dresses always disappear in the lounge and come out only when it's time for their flight. Many of us wait for departure of other flights, just to get a glimpse of these nubile beauties. I also strongly suspect that there is a spa and some of these pretty girls go there also and come out looking even prettier. They never look at me, or for that matter at anyone else, and in a sadistic way it's comforting to me - I am not singled out for this mistreatment.
Last but not the least, there is also a possibility that you can find something really good to read and often it's a free copy of city's favourite Marathi newspaper - Sakaal. I can't read Marathi, so I just see people reading and make promises in my mind that I will start learning the language as soon as I get back to the city. So far I have been highly unsuccessful :|
Maybe I will do something about learning Marathi, now that I have mentioned it here on the blog also - it will help me in many many ways. Am I stubborn or just dumb that I take so long to learn a new language?
I am cattle class traveler too... so totally understand what your thoughts and experiences are at airports.... i especially try to take air india flights out of delhi as atleast ill fly out from T3!!
ReplyDeletewww.myunfinishedlife.com
I (Chetan) used to work for airlines and Pune airport used to be my hangout place. It was purely domestic terminal that time. Security was never an issue. We could go on tarmac and nobody would stop us. Major attraction was to watch Russian pilots doing test run of Sukhoi 30. Noting is more thrilling than watching airshow from the tarmac. On our next trip we have multiple airport halts, thanks to budget airlines :-) You've inspired us to write about airport tourism now. Happy travels! :-)
ReplyDeleteI agree about tasteless and stale food stuff. But, dunno what too conclude:
ReplyDeleteOn-the-go packed stuff is tasteless
OR
Expensive packed stuff is tasteless
OR
It is so overpriced that your expectation is set high and hence a moderately tasty food, appears relatively tasteless, but yet acceptable at the same time (sorry can't frame this sentence simpler)
OR
travelling people are so tired (zombied) that taste is secondary so 'they' feel free to never care about giving some taste
OR
Business people somehow empathize with stall owners, "that so much tax they have to pay to airport n govt. etc, how can he spend money on taste ingredients, still I can buy a cheese sandwich for mere 120 Rupees, poor (Airport) stall wale," (Ahmdbd airport experience)
(Gujju business community are very empathetic , I must say)
OR
Finally,
somehow we all are benumbed and accepted tasteless food as a norm at any damn airport
Hey Sidharth, Marathi is very easy language to learn. Try out, I am sure you will pick up fast :) All the best!
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah great post as always!