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US Trip for the NextGen Workshop

I was to travel to US on Friday night (early Saturday morning, Aug 13, 2011) for New York. From Friday morning, I was not feeling well. Had a slight fever, headache and a queasy feeling. Overall, a bad day to start travel on a 21 hour flight away from home.
I got to the airport and it was raining really heavily. Then as lady luck would have it I got upgraded to Business Class! My first trip on business class. So, the flight experience was good. After a while, the effect of the medicines that I had taken took effect and I started feeling a better. Slept nearly all the way to Frankfurt.

At Frankfurt, I had to go from one end of Terminal 1 to the other end. A good 1-1.5 km walk in the morning. Then for the New York flight was announced and it was a A380. Had heard so much about it when it was launched. From the outside it looks imposing, nearly 1.5 larger than the regular size. But the inside, atleast for this particular flight, was the same old one. Here again, I got a good seat, although no upgrade to Business Class this time :-( I got a seat near the emergency exit, so miles of legroom. And no one on the seat next to me.

My mama was there to pick me up at the airport. We then went to Jackson Heights, Queens, for an Indian lunch. I was not hungry at all, so had very little to eat, though the Tandoori chicken was very nice. Mama, as usual, had enough for between 2 to 3 normal people. I don't know what would have happened if he had not been such a regular and prolific tennis player. With his kind of appetite, he would burst at the seams, had he not got the regular rigorous exercise. Or maybe it's the other way round!! Maybe he eats so much because he plays a lot. Who knows!!

We then went off and bought some Hilsa and then went and met one of Mama's friends - Kerry. Kerry has half-billion dollar business empire and lives accordingly. Haven't seen a palatial house with a swimming pool, tennis court, indoor auditorium and an outhouse anytime before in my life. Keryy seemed a really nice and down-to-earth person. He was playing tennis when we got there. We chatted a bit and then we had to leave. My friend, Bishu, was waiting to pick me up from a nearby shopping mall.

I cam with Bishu to his place. It is so good to see your friends and family when you are away from home. Bishu and I had lived together for 4 years during our college. Hostel mates, room mates and it was no nice to see him here now. He hadn't changed a bit from when I last saw him a year or so back.

Then we drove to his place. His son is about 2 years now and is so cute. Keeps reminding me of Neil. Radhika, Bishu's wife, had cooked a great deal for dinner, but I guess was very disappointed when she saw the quantity I eat.

Then I went off to sleep bringing to end an eventful day. More tomorrow.

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