Travel Experience

Idho vandhuten. Ungalukellam ennoda Australia trip pathi solla vandhuten. Will continue in English, inorder to avoid any confusions. I left to Australia on 02nd August 2008, by Malaysian Airlines flight MH180. Initially my trip was planned for 24th July. But then my Visa did'nt come. I guess, as I have experienced in the past 24 hours, my name and its length gave the Australian Immigration department a problem. So, I have to reschedule my travel to 30th July. Australian Immigration Department will, only, send a document to say that the Visa has been granted from this date to this date. But it needs to stamped or in other words eveidenced or authorised in my passport. Without which I cannot travel. I was waiting for that till 01st of August. I was forced to reschedule my ticket for the second time. And I have booked the tickets for 02nd August. I have a biiiig suitcase from American Tourister, a medium sized suitcase, a small suitcase and a travel bag full of vessels. I was wondering how much will be the extra baggage charge i need to pay. Even though my company reimburse me a good amount i dont want to get into trouble by paying a huuuuge amount. In the airport, I met Chintamani Mama, Padma Mami, Ramani Mama, Bharathi Mami, Guru, Swami Mama and Sathy Mama. Appa, Amma accompanied me in our i10. Priya with the luggages and her parents and sister came in a qualis. Rajmi and kids came in an indica. Athi came from office. It was only me travelling but there were 14 people to see me off. Mamas and their families left the airport at 07:00pm as they had to perform few duties the next day. Appa, Amma, Akka, Athi, Surabhi, Shrawan, Father-in-Law, Mother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law got entry ticket and came inside the airpot to see me off. Good that they came inside.

When I went to check-in my baggages, I had 33 kgs extra. And then the person in the check-in counter threw a bomb on me that the cost per KG will be 1100. My God. I was shell shocked and managed to stand straight. Then trolled off the luggages to the palce where the others were standing. Discussed with them and gave them back the travel bag which contained the vessels. I should thank the Malaysian Airlines officer as he increased the maximum eligible luggage limit to 25 from 20, due to which i need to pay for 20 kgs. After paying it and after attaching the tags to my check-in bags, with a heavy heart that i have to pay so much for the extra baggage, i came to the place where others were standing. Bade my final byes to them and proceeded to immigration. The queue was huge and there was only one officer. I thought it will take the entire time. But to make us feel relieved two more officers joined in and the queue moved faster than I expected. The proceeded to the security check. With a single suitcase to walk around was much easier. But since the check-in officer told me that my hand baggage should be only 8 kgs I need to remove the handy cam from the hand baggage. I need to carry it around and also use the stroller to pull my hand baggage with me. Security check was never a problem as i dont carry illegal or harmful. So, finished off the security check and proceeded to the lounge and wait. Since two passengers who has to arrive in the flight, from Malaysia to Chennai, took time to retrieve their baggages, our flight got delayed by 15 minutes. At 10:15 the flight started and by 10:25 we were flying.

They gave us a headfone which cannot be used outside the flight because the wire had two pins in the end which makes it impossible to connect it to the reggular audio player we all use. There was a in-flight radios playing tamil and hindi songs. So were listening to it. In my ticket the meal preference was given as "Asian Veg Meals". And I was thinking of getting a roti and rice. I was shocked. When others recieved white rice and sambar, a saffron rice was given to me packed with half cooked veggies. I couldnt eat the veggies. So with difficulty finished off the rice and then had a bread and some juice and slept off, not to feel hungry. But thank god i didnt feel hungry when the flight landed in malaysia at 05:00 am the next day. Being a known place to me, malaysian airport was more friendly than frightening. I went to change my AUD to MYR and then had a nice cup of coffee. I was sitting in the lounge for a long time. Then it struck me what if these people give me the same meals again. I went to the Malaysian Airlines counter and asked them to change the meal preference. They said it cant be done as i am approaching them just an hour before. I felt a bit disappointed. Since I have got the frequent flier card in the flight(thanks Ramani mama for notifying me about this), added the miles of my trip, MAA to KUL to MEL. I went to burger king and had a large fries and a ice milo so that, even if i get same the meal i wont feel hungry. Then went back to the lounge and I was one of the first few to clear the check off and set in the gate lounge. Lounge i was sitting earlier was outside the gate. Unlike Chennai airport where you have lounge just outside the gates, in KLIA(Kuala Lampur Internation Airport) has a lounge inside the gate so that people can finish of security check and get into the flight. If you have noticed in chennai airport we wont be having chairs to sit once you are inside the check-in area. But in KLIA they have put chairs at every possible place to make you comfortable.

I dozed off during my waiting time before getting into the flight. Then the announcement came and the entire crowd rushed up to board the flight. Unlike the earlier flight, this had tvs on the back of every seat. And they were telecasting movies and TV programs continously. One channel dedicated to one movie. Once the movie gets over it starts off again. So, I watched Billa 2007, Aaja Nachle and Independence Day(Priya, see how i am lucky all are my favourites). They served meals and I recieved a similar meal. I asked the airhostess, a kind good looking one, whether i can swap it. She asked my preference and i told indian vegetarian would be fine. Priya would have loved the meal served to me initially. It was rice with brinjal. The airhostess got me basmati rice with channa masala and told that this is the only one available. I was so happy and grabbed it immly. I stuffed the entire content into my stomach without delaying. Had a cup of coffee and back to watch movies. All the movies was over by 6pm. I still had 1.5 hours travel. If you have thought that i watched the enire movie, no, starting from a good scene till the end!!!. I slept off for the rest 1.5 hours. I was given a passenger information card which has few questions. You need to answer either 'yes' or 'no.

Some of them are
1. do you carry more than 10000AUD in cash or other forms.
2. do you carry gifts or gift articles more than 900AUD
3. do you carry sport shoes or shoes with mud
4. do you carry wooden articles or traditional medicines.
5. do you carry any processed foods.
6. do you carry any articles with feathers or eggs
7. have you visited south africa or africa in the past 6 days
8. have you visited any farm house or animal farm in the past 3 months.

Three more questions were there but i forgot. I woke up only after the flight landed. Even though it was a smooth landing we experienced a bit of bumps which woke me up. I was thinking of Tulimarine International Airport to be as big as KLIA. But it wasnt. We got out of the flight and came to collect baggages. As my friends told me already there were officers with dogs to sniff the luggages you carry. These were not big dogs but small cute dogs. I loved one of them which was roaming around in a rather sturdy looking officers hand. Then proceeded to the customs. In between a officer was checking the passenger information and guiding through various gates. I was wondering about the concept behind it and till now I couldn't understand. I was in a long queue which was moving at the rate of a snail's speed. The only difference is it didnt come back everytime it moved forward. I got the answer for the delay, the moment the custom officers came into my view. They read our passenger information card. They ask you to put the luggage belts for scanning. If we have answered Yes for any of the questions, especially 5 and 6, and if they find anything suspicious they ask you to open the bag and examine it clearly and thoroughly. There was a guy who was having 4 suitcases with sweets from Sri Krishna Sweets and Adyar Ananda Bhavan and the officer was rather strict and examining it as if she is looking at ugly insect. It was written in the Airport that, don't put Australia's future in trouble.

For me since nothing was there except clothes and clothes and clothes, the custom officer left me off after me informing him that i have ayurvedha medicine and a pair of new formal shoes. They didnt ask me for the prescriptions for the medicine and Priya, no metal detector gave a beep at my knee. I came out and was searching for the person who has to pick me up. Unfortunately I have made a mistake again. I didnt send me the itinerary to them. They dont follow the details in the mail it seems. I was waiting there for 45 mins and then picked up a tax and came to the hotel. It was a service appartments and it was good. I loved the place. I settled down and went to the nearest 711(24 hours store which sells of important day to day need products - like milk), and got a phone card to india. It was pretty chill outside. But manageable. I came back to the room and since i was not feeling hungry, i started trying to reach pgthur or blore. My bad luck I couldn't get connected to both. So enquired the reception and that guy told me it will be 2.50AUD per 30 secs. I thought ok I need to inform them of my safety so i dialled pgthur as Priya will be travelling and informed my parents. Then went to bed. And slept off right away the moment my head hit the pillow. There is a train station very near to my guest house. But since today is the first day, I thought instead of getting into trouble finding the right train and station let us go by a taxi and return back in train. In the morning i need to rush up to the office so didn't want to take risk. But in the evening I can right.

Came to the office and informed my team Prashanth and Atanu. Prashanth came down to pick me up as Atanu was not in office. My laptop was almost ready when I reached the 19th floor. I met my connections manager to do my onboarding formalities and came back to collect my laptop and settled down. The office is huge. Next to the Yarra River and nearer to Findlers Street station, which is similar to our Chennai Central. I need to check out the train tonight. Had mini meals from the Indian Restaurant which is in the ground floor food court. Had rice, channa masala and dhall. So yet to venture out to find out more about this exciting new place. I haven't taken much photos. But will take a few tomorrow andshare it with you. Expect the link which has photos of people who came to see me off in Chennai Airport. Will meet you all soon with more updates. Bye for Now. Enjoy Life and Take Care.

And if there are any mistakes please bear with me as i have been writing this parts by parts from the morning. I was moving aorund to meet people and to settle down.