My Maiden Flight!!!

The year was 1978.My husband was selected on a one year scholarship to UK.He left India early 1978.The first few months I spent in Mayuram and then came to my parents house.My husband decided that I too could join him the last few months.So I started preparing for my trip.First passport,then visa procedure,so my father&,me were regular travellers by the deccan express (Pune-Mumbai).Though the visa procedures were pretty tough and long I did finally manage to get the visa.Went through plenty of new experiences all through the way.
My father and I next went for the air booking,booked by Britih Airways.I can still remember my father doubly making sure with the travel agent how safe it is to take the flight and she was telling her "uncle nowadays people are going to moon, you should not worry uncle, this is only a flight to UK,she will be fine uncle".So it was all set and I was ready to venture my first flight.

In those days I certainly had no clue about the weather in UK,the dresses that would suit the weather etc.

I start my trip,a jolna pai on my shoulder,that was my hand bag I imagineHere I am reminded of the film "Nala Damyanti"http://movies.sulekha.com/tamil/nala-damayanti/default.htmwhere Madhavan travels to Australia first time and carries a Manja pai with him .I boarded the flight and was shown my seat,went and sat there(aisle seat).Beside me were an Australian couple.I safely kept my jolna pai below my seat.It was a non stop flight and in 7 hours I landed at London's Heathrow airport.It was huge airport,and being my first trip outside India,it was a great experience I must say.I weny through all the formalities and was greeted by my husband waiting outside.

We stayed in London in a hotel,my husband took me that afternoon to meet the director of the CBI(Confederation of British Industries).After the preliminaries he asked me if my journey and everything associated was comfortable, without a second thought pat came my reply, Sir,I think the visa procedure for the wives should be made easier than this.(Today when I think about this I feel amused at my self for having been so rude and blunt to him) He probably did not expect this reply, any way he was indeed good nad ofcourse wise.After sight seeing In London for 3 days we came to Manchester where my husband was staying.

I had plenty of experiences during my stay here.Will quote a couple of them here.

We had no car here so needed to walk whenever we went out.Walking in the snow was a really novel experience for me specially after the snow when it becomes ice.Initially when I did not have the right shoes,I used to slip and fall.

Here I have to quote one incident which is very fresh in my memory still.We had gone for our weekly shopping to TESCO.We did the shopping and were back on our way home, chatting away when I sliiped and fell what with all the bags in hand.My husband gave me a helping hand and very unsuspectingly he too fell with a thud bags and all.The best and interesting part of all this is when passers by ask you,"ARE YOU ALRIGHT??when you are actually not alright and feeling pretty miserable after the fall and the broken jam bottles in the shopping bag.

Now to some things I really liked during my 3 months stay here.First it was the worst snowfall ever in the last 40 years,second I used to love watching snowfall from indoors and children playing in the snow,making snow man and throwing snow balls at each other.

Good memories I must say.









down below my seat.