Happy Coming Home

After five days away from Indian shores, it was a good home coming. I was mentally really not with myself when I was away this time. Before I was leaving, it left me in a quandary whether to go or opt out of this trip. Then said my mind not to compromise on the professional front and shy away from the duties. With a lot of internal rift, I decided to go to Singapore - a town I have visited five times till now. It was an internal event so this visit was a little different from the previous ones which which were press junkets and the treatment given to us was no less than a prince/celebrity. Unlike that, this was a different experience where we were hosts to as many as 80 odd people who didn't go nasty but could have gone anytime.

Anyway, from the very fact that we were traveling Jet airways to the fact that I was leaving my new born chota bheem (I call Ananya by this name)and her adorable mother behind, things were really not working around but work is work and to me its a little more than that so had to go. Anyway, the experience this time was not so good to be honest. Not because that I wasn't being treated like a celebrity but the beginning was faulty. For a flight which could be as short as four and a half hours, it took us a full night and a few more hours as we were traveling low cost and thus had to undergo the agony of an unwanted hop. And then started the clockwork. Every day till 10 at night we were working like mad maniacs and robots. Time after 10:30 PM was our own as if we were left with a 1000 horse power energy to run around the town and enjoy. But still everyone made most of it because there were many first-timers and probably the last timers too. I had no idea why the hell in this world journalists are pampered to this extent...Why?

Probably this backlash is because of that pampering only. Never mind. During this trip three of my colleagues lost a whole lot of money. Nitin, my colleague from Delhi lost some 15,000 and Rupesh from Mumbai lost around 50,000 and Chetan, who was from Mumbai too lost around 10-15,000. I was feeling so very sad for all three. Hard earned money should not go the easy route and specially in a foreign country where you don't have anything to fall back. As I said, this was not my first trip to that town, i was shell shocked to witness three thefts in a day's time. But with the office coworkers, in a foreign land - it was definitely a different experience. When we go as journalist, we really don't know who is who (in case we are lucky, there are a few known friends around). But office colleagues you know well and thus you don't have to waste time to mix up and make plans for the unofficial hours. We all grouped according to our tastes, likings and wants. I didn't want to explore/exploit the town so preferred to be a part of the group which was like me. But there weren't many like me. Somehow, people tend to do more with less - even if it is time they follow the same route. But I certainly don't believe in it. Shopping...I was not too keen except for the fact that I'd determined to buy some good toys for Ananya and a few souvenirs for Vasudha.

Can I finish this tomorrow?