A Disappointing Trip - Chennai
Unlike the last time when I went for my H1-B stamping, this time around, going for H1-X stamping was via a train journey. I was glad that it was not in a plane, where even though the time it takes is much much less, the trouble in commuting to and from the airports, sitting with legs twisted in the economy class of the planes, I reckon I could avoid in a train journey, happily sleeping in the night while on the move. The other advantage was not to spend a forlorn night in a hotel, which I always hated. Satisfied with this and also the fact that a lot of cost to the company could be saved, I embarked on this trip.
Catching the Chennai Express on the 06th January, I was looking forward to a special sojourn in Chennai the next day, once I complete the formal interview at the US Consulate. Earlier in the day, I heard from a senior colleague about a Lord Jagannath temple in the outskirts of Chennai, which was a miniature model of the original temple in Orissa's Puri. I resolved that I will at any cost visit this shrine and since it was an auspicious day, the Vaikunta Ekadasi, a darshan of the Lord of the Universe would be an ideal way to spend my time in Chennai. Presently, on board the train, I gave a call to Madras Cabs to arrange for a personal cab on an hourly basis for me. It was set and done. I then immersed myself into the book "Hotel" by Arthur Hailey, which I have been reading for almost a fortnight now. Mine was a side-lower berth in the two-tier AC compartment. As time flew by, an elderly lady from the adjacent seat requested me if I could swap her Upper Berth with my lower berth. Owing to the fact that she could not climb up, I readily agreed to her request. Soon I set my stuff up on the berth and started for an early nap, as I was totally tired and my eyes were burning.
It was around 06:10 am when the train finally entered the platform 5 of the Chennai Central station. I was kind of glad to look at the familiar station after a pretty long time- almost 4 years now. I quickly rushed past the crowd and took a left turn and bought a cigarette at a road-side vendor and lit it. The sky was overcast with clouds and it seemed it would rain. I was not sure if it's going to be good or bad, if it rains, I mean. After a couple of puffs of the Goldflake Kings', I thought I could not use it anymore and then moved on walking towards North on the street in search of the hotel Bhima's Inn, suggested by my father. I found it on the right side of the street after passing a half-a-dozen blocks. The reception clerk suggested there was only AC rooms and charge was around 450 INR. I took the room and ordered a cup of tea.
By the time I completed my bathing, did my morning Sandhya Vandanam and was ready, it was around 8:00 AM. There was still time for the cab to come and pick me up. I cross-checked my Green BEP file and all the documents were in order. I tried to switch on the Television, but nothing was on the screen, except a blue background. I quit. Just went on thinking about the trip later this afternoon to Kannathur, on the East Coast Road. I prayed to Sri Vishnu, to see that things went in order so that I could make the trip possible. I received by SMS the cab number and the driver's name and phone number details from Madras Cabs at around 08:30 AM. I was thinking, if I should leave my bag in the hotel, come back after the interview and thence start to the temple or rather check-out and leave the bag with Saravanan- the driver, in the cab. By around 09:00 AM, I decided on the latter. I gave a call to Saravanan and informed him to pick me up at Bhima's Inn instead of the Chennai Central. He said he would reach here by 10:00 AM.
By 09:30 AM I packed up and checked-out of the hotel. I waited in the lobby till it was 10 o'clock and gave a call to Saravanan. He said he could not find the hotel. I suggested he wait in the Central parking lot and started walking briskly, fearing it would ruin my dress-up for the interview, if it rained. Luckily it didn't and I found Saravanan, ready with his Indica in the parking lot. Boarding up the rear seat, I asked if he understood any Telugu or how good his English is. He said, he understood a little bit of English, but no Telugu. I had to manage in a mix of English and bits and pieces of Tamil that I managed to remember.
I explained to him in this mixed language, about the plan: first drop me at the consulate, my appointment time being 11:30 AM, I said I should be out by 12:30 or worst case by 01:00 PM. I suggested him to have lunch while I was in.
Saravanan then cruised the Indica across the parking lot, taking it out in the slow-moving traffic from the railway station and then along the main road. I realised they have blocked the space between the road dividers just opposite to the station, near the Medical College, and he hence he drove further East-ward and finally managed to take a U-turn. The familiar roads were nice to watch, as he crossed past the bridge opposite the Central, and there it was finally, the Thousand Lights. He said he would park the car in the lane adjacent to the Oxford Press and I went on to join the ever-long queue at the consulate building. I realized it was just about 10:40 AM when I enquired the time from a Wipro employee from Cochin here with a similar BEP file as mine. In the due course of time, finally it was the time to enter into the building.
Once inside the first building, had to wait for what seemed to be an hour to get my files and documents verified. The gentleman at the counter threw out all the degree certificates original petition papers and stapled the application forms and arranged them in the green file signalling that the other documents would not be needed. He took all my fingers' impressions on the electronic machine and suggested I proceed to the inner building for the interview. I moved straight to the inner chambers, as it was very familiar by now, this being my third trip into the consulate.
I was asked to go straight ahead and join a small queue where the interviews were being done. I was glad it was not at all like the last time, when there were a lot of people in the same area where now, almost only 10% of people stood. While standing in the queue, I looked at the TV screen which was showing the CNN-IBN channel. The breaking news, as the channel dubbed it, was "Satyam--India's Enron". Curious I followed to read the marquee in the news below and got the story. I thought this was worse than what anyone expected. I, for myself, thought earlier that the Satyam stuff would be over by the end of a couple of quarters. This was too early and too damned shocking in the way that it happened. Before I could totally digest it, it was my time for the interview. This time around it was a lady officer, who appeared very friendly and noble. First thing she asked me how things were at my company, I just said, things were great, and added a "so far" after a pause. Both of us smiled after a moment later to this response. She asked some very simple questions for the formal process' sake and said everything was set and I could proceed. Thanking her, I left the consulate in search of Saravanan.
Saravanan was asleep in the car when I found him about a couple of hundred metres walk from the main road into the lane. I gently woke him up and got to know that he did not go for lunch. I suggested he have it, since we were going to be pretty late when we end up the day's trip, with he finally dropping me at Chennai Central. He said he'll have it somewhere on the ECR. I excused myself for a moment and lit up one more cigarette and like earlier in the day did not feel like finishing it off. And I thought it was time to the trip I was looking forward to. I gave him instructions on the destination and he once again cruised the car into the traffic desert.
It was around 01:30 PM when we reached the Lord Jagannath Temple at Kannathur. To reach here, you need to take a left turn, almost immediately after crossing the ECR Toll Gate. It could be roughly around a half kilometre. The watchman, who also spoke only Tamil gladly welcomed and with a sorry note on his face, somehow communicated that the temple was closed and would open at 03:00 PM again. All the fervour with which I came all the way drained out. I thought I would wait till the temple opened in the afternoon and asked Saravanan to go ahead for his lunch. I was anyways fasting today.
I then washed my feet and strolled around the sanctum sanctorum, after seeking permission from the watchman. It was a very pleasant temple and everything looked excellent. After spending a few moments here, I asked the watchman the way to the beach. I was told that in this area, the Sea Water was sweet, just in the area that was close to this temple. I asked the watchman about this and he did not seem to acknowledge it. Anyways, I walked through the sand towards the beach and as I did, the sound of the ocean water hitting the sand, the hissing sound when the tide swept back, the melodies when tide upon tide rushed through the Bay into the land grew louder and louder.
I could see a lot of fishermen's boats, their motors dismantled from them and kept aside from a distance. As I came nearer, there was a flock of crows that were pecking a dead fish which probably landed on the shore, thrown by the water. I walked across the beach a little further and went into the water. The tides were mild and seemed to grow nastier as time went by. I thought it might not be a good idea to taste the water to check if it was sweet, as it looked mighty dirty. After a few moments of encounter with the great water body, I returned back to the sand and sat over a fisherman's boat. It was a very pleasant afternoon indeed, the sky overcast, the water with a lot of mystic sounds and the cool breezes swirling around. Seemed perfect. I was for a moment wondering if Vishnu could show up from the water in his earliest of the avatars as the Matsya and bless me on this auspicious day. However, in vain, I started back toward the temple. By the time I reached Saravanan was back. The watchman said the temple would not open till 04:00 PM. I then thought probably the Bhagawan did not want to see me, after all. May be He thought I was not deserving for His divine darshanam yet, and probably He is signaling that I am not yet prepared to seek what I always wanted from Him...liberation.
In utter disappointment, yet with a hope to come back some other time, I started back with Saravanan driving me back to the Central. It was around 4:00 PM when I was inside the station. After surveying here and there for a little bit, I came towards my favorite shop, the Ramakrishna Math store and bought the CD of Bhakta Ramadasu Keetanas sung by Dr. Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna and another CD of the original speeches of Swamy Vivekananda at the Chicago event in 1969. I then bought a couple of sweet boxes from Anand Bhavan store and again got immersed into the novel "Hotel". Soon it was time for the Charminar Express to start and there I was back on my seat, getting on the berth for an early sleep again.
Overall, despite the Visa thing, the trip left me disappointed, looking at how unfortunate I really am, unable to have the darshanam of Jagannatha and that too on the auspicious day of Vaikunta Ekadasi!! What a waste this life of mine is, in deed!!
Catching the Chennai Express on the 06th January, I was looking forward to a special sojourn in Chennai the next day, once I complete the formal interview at the US Consulate. Earlier in the day, I heard from a senior colleague about a Lord Jagannath temple in the outskirts of Chennai, which was a miniature model of the original temple in Orissa's Puri. I resolved that I will at any cost visit this shrine and since it was an auspicious day, the Vaikunta Ekadasi, a darshan of the Lord of the Universe would be an ideal way to spend my time in Chennai. Presently, on board the train, I gave a call to Madras Cabs to arrange for a personal cab on an hourly basis for me. It was set and done. I then immersed myself into the book "Hotel" by Arthur Hailey, which I have been reading for almost a fortnight now. Mine was a side-lower berth in the two-tier AC compartment. As time flew by, an elderly lady from the adjacent seat requested me if I could swap her Upper Berth with my lower berth. Owing to the fact that she could not climb up, I readily agreed to her request. Soon I set my stuff up on the berth and started for an early nap, as I was totally tired and my eyes were burning.
It was around 06:10 am when the train finally entered the platform 5 of the Chennai Central station. I was kind of glad to look at the familiar station after a pretty long time- almost 4 years now. I quickly rushed past the crowd and took a left turn and bought a cigarette at a road-side vendor and lit it. The sky was overcast with clouds and it seemed it would rain. I was not sure if it's going to be good or bad, if it rains, I mean. After a couple of puffs of the Goldflake Kings', I thought I could not use it anymore and then moved on walking towards North on the street in search of the hotel Bhima's Inn, suggested by my father. I found it on the right side of the street after passing a half-a-dozen blocks. The reception clerk suggested there was only AC rooms and charge was around 450 INR. I took the room and ordered a cup of tea.
By the time I completed my bathing, did my morning Sandhya Vandanam and was ready, it was around 8:00 AM. There was still time for the cab to come and pick me up. I cross-checked my Green BEP file and all the documents were in order. I tried to switch on the Television, but nothing was on the screen, except a blue background. I quit. Just went on thinking about the trip later this afternoon to Kannathur, on the East Coast Road. I prayed to Sri Vishnu, to see that things went in order so that I could make the trip possible. I received by SMS the cab number and the driver's name and phone number details from Madras Cabs at around 08:30 AM. I was thinking, if I should leave my bag in the hotel, come back after the interview and thence start to the temple or rather check-out and leave the bag with Saravanan- the driver, in the cab. By around 09:00 AM, I decided on the latter. I gave a call to Saravanan and informed him to pick me up at Bhima's Inn instead of the Chennai Central. He said he would reach here by 10:00 AM.
By 09:30 AM I packed up and checked-out of the hotel. I waited in the lobby till it was 10 o'clock and gave a call to Saravanan. He said he could not find the hotel. I suggested he wait in the Central parking lot and started walking briskly, fearing it would ruin my dress-up for the interview, if it rained. Luckily it didn't and I found Saravanan, ready with his Indica in the parking lot. Boarding up the rear seat, I asked if he understood any Telugu or how good his English is. He said, he understood a little bit of English, but no Telugu. I had to manage in a mix of English and bits and pieces of Tamil that I managed to remember.
I explained to him in this mixed language, about the plan: first drop me at the consulate, my appointment time being 11:30 AM, I said I should be out by 12:30 or worst case by 01:00 PM. I suggested him to have lunch while I was in.
Saravanan then cruised the Indica across the parking lot, taking it out in the slow-moving traffic from the railway station and then along the main road. I realised they have blocked the space between the road dividers just opposite to the station, near the Medical College, and he hence he drove further East-ward and finally managed to take a U-turn. The familiar roads were nice to watch, as he crossed past the bridge opposite the Central, and there it was finally, the Thousand Lights. He said he would park the car in the lane adjacent to the Oxford Press and I went on to join the ever-long queue at the consulate building. I realized it was just about 10:40 AM when I enquired the time from a Wipro employee from Cochin here with a similar BEP file as mine. In the due course of time, finally it was the time to enter into the building.
Once inside the first building, had to wait for what seemed to be an hour to get my files and documents verified. The gentleman at the counter threw out all the degree certificates original petition papers and stapled the application forms and arranged them in the green file signalling that the other documents would not be needed. He took all my fingers' impressions on the electronic machine and suggested I proceed to the inner building for the interview. I moved straight to the inner chambers, as it was very familiar by now, this being my third trip into the consulate.
I was asked to go straight ahead and join a small queue where the interviews were being done. I was glad it was not at all like the last time, when there were a lot of people in the same area where now, almost only 10% of people stood. While standing in the queue, I looked at the TV screen which was showing the CNN-IBN channel. The breaking news, as the channel dubbed it, was "Satyam--India's Enron". Curious I followed to read the marquee in the news below and got the story. I thought this was worse than what anyone expected. I, for myself, thought earlier that the Satyam stuff would be over by the end of a couple of quarters. This was too early and too damned shocking in the way that it happened. Before I could totally digest it, it was my time for the interview. This time around it was a lady officer, who appeared very friendly and noble. First thing she asked me how things were at my company, I just said, things were great, and added a "so far" after a pause. Both of us smiled after a moment later to this response. She asked some very simple questions for the formal process' sake and said everything was set and I could proceed. Thanking her, I left the consulate in search of Saravanan.
Saravanan was asleep in the car when I found him about a couple of hundred metres walk from the main road into the lane. I gently woke him up and got to know that he did not go for lunch. I suggested he have it, since we were going to be pretty late when we end up the day's trip, with he finally dropping me at Chennai Central. He said he'll have it somewhere on the ECR. I excused myself for a moment and lit up one more cigarette and like earlier in the day did not feel like finishing it off. And I thought it was time to the trip I was looking forward to. I gave him instructions on the destination and he once again cruised the car into the traffic desert.
It was around 01:30 PM when we reached the Lord Jagannath Temple at Kannathur. To reach here, you need to take a left turn, almost immediately after crossing the ECR Toll Gate. It could be roughly around a half kilometre. The watchman, who also spoke only Tamil gladly welcomed and with a sorry note on his face, somehow communicated that the temple was closed and would open at 03:00 PM again. All the fervour with which I came all the way drained out. I thought I would wait till the temple opened in the afternoon and asked Saravanan to go ahead for his lunch. I was anyways fasting today.
I then washed my feet and strolled around the sanctum sanctorum, after seeking permission from the watchman. It was a very pleasant temple and everything looked excellent. After spending a few moments here, I asked the watchman the way to the beach. I was told that in this area, the Sea Water was sweet, just in the area that was close to this temple. I asked the watchman about this and he did not seem to acknowledge it. Anyways, I walked through the sand towards the beach and as I did, the sound of the ocean water hitting the sand, the hissing sound when the tide swept back, the melodies when tide upon tide rushed through the Bay into the land grew louder and louder.
I could see a lot of fishermen's boats, their motors dismantled from them and kept aside from a distance. As I came nearer, there was a flock of crows that were pecking a dead fish which probably landed on the shore, thrown by the water. I walked across the beach a little further and went into the water. The tides were mild and seemed to grow nastier as time went by. I thought it might not be a good idea to taste the water to check if it was sweet, as it looked mighty dirty. After a few moments of encounter with the great water body, I returned back to the sand and sat over a fisherman's boat. It was a very pleasant afternoon indeed, the sky overcast, the water with a lot of mystic sounds and the cool breezes swirling around. Seemed perfect. I was for a moment wondering if Vishnu could show up from the water in his earliest of the avatars as the Matsya and bless me on this auspicious day. However, in vain, I started back toward the temple. By the time I reached Saravanan was back. The watchman said the temple would not open till 04:00 PM. I then thought probably the Bhagawan did not want to see me, after all. May be He thought I was not deserving for His divine darshanam yet, and probably He is signaling that I am not yet prepared to seek what I always wanted from Him...liberation.
In utter disappointment, yet with a hope to come back some other time, I started back with Saravanan driving me back to the Central. It was around 4:00 PM when I was inside the station. After surveying here and there for a little bit, I came towards my favorite shop, the Ramakrishna Math store and bought the CD of Bhakta Ramadasu Keetanas sung by Dr. Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna and another CD of the original speeches of Swamy Vivekananda at the Chicago event in 1969. I then bought a couple of sweet boxes from Anand Bhavan store and again got immersed into the novel "Hotel". Soon it was time for the Charminar Express to start and there I was back on my seat, getting on the berth for an early sleep again.
Overall, despite the Visa thing, the trip left me disappointed, looking at how unfortunate I really am, unable to have the darshanam of Jagannatha and that too on the auspicious day of Vaikunta Ekadasi!! What a waste this life of mine is, in deed!!
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