US Visit

It was an experience to have my valentine flying with me on February 14, 2004. She was going to Sweden, send by her company-Siemens. So we ended up in flying the same 9 hour Lufthansa flight till Frankfurt. I had to catch another flight to JFK-NYC and she to Goteburg. We landed in Germany at around 9:00 am. I'd stuffed myself till then and so I wanted to use the rest room. This is when I first realized the usage of toilette-tissue papers without water.

We kissed goodbye at the Frankfurt airport at around 9:30 am and we were on our way to our destinations. My next 7 hour flight to John F Kennedy air-port landed in NYC at about 1:00 PM local time. There wasn't any fuss in the airport customs and security check. Everything went on fine and the custom authority were more happier coz I was not carrying any spicy Indian food materials or germs. I was out of the airport in no time and headed straight for the taxi stand. I was met by an American who asked me as to where I wanted to go. I gave him my hotel address in Manhattan and he guided me to his car. On reaching the stand that I realized that he was not a cab driver, rather a Limo owner. So I ended up having a 95$ Limousine ride to my hotel.Weather was very cold. It use to touch -9 degree at night at this point of the year. We had some chilling heavy westerly winds blowing.

I checked into Savoy hotel. My next move was to get a warm shower. I took one and went out to buy a phone card and some thing to munch. The grocery store guy, who looked like an Indian was more than happy to give me an appropriate card. His store was stuffed with varieties of items... and that is when I noticed all those nude magazines on the stand. It had Play Boy, Penthouse, Maxima... and what not!

At evening, I called up my colleagues. They came over right away. We then went out to Roosevelt island to have some Afghani food. I boarded the NY Metro then for the first time. Per ride cost was 2$ and there was a Negro who asked me if I want to get inside with just 1$. My adrenalin rushed, and I bucked him with a dollar. He swiped the card and I was in. We did some grocery shopping from a Patels super market. The dinner was awesome and was back in hotel. I hade a 36 hour long valentines day and was dead tired, the Jet lag made me crash into bed.