Class wars

Living up to tradition, the night before leaving town was a non stop work-a-thon. The good thing is that I was able to (atlast) complete some book - keeping that has been pending since June !! The first journey of our tour began with an ominous sign - as we checked in our baggage and got our boarding passes at the MSP airport, we werent assigned seats for the Amsterdam to Mumbai flight - we would have to checkin (again) once we reached Schipol. As our flight approached Amsterdam, I realized that we would have just about an hour and a half in Schipol !! The ticket we originally bought for our international travel was for a Northwest Airlines flight from MSP to B'lore, via Amsterdam. NWA aborted its plans for starting flights in this segment and we were stuck at the raw end of the deal in early Nov. - either a full refund or fly in thru mumbai and out thru delhi. The decision was a no brainer, and ofcourse, this sets the context for our seatless check in. As we approached the transit desk in Schipol, the computer network went down. After a few minutes wait, we were asked to go directly to the gates and were told that the staff there should be able to assign seats as well.

One of the cool things I married into is access to the knowledge base of a seasoned traveller. In Schipol, on the level above the one in which the gates are (follow signs to Lounge 40 - 41 invitation only), there is a rest room which has a shower in it! Its just before the invitation only lounge, and yups it is free !! After a quick shower, we realized that we had less than 20 minutes left, and rushed to the gate. The chocolates I had promised my sister would have to wait for another time.

The network wasnt yet up and we were asked to wait till all the other passengers had boarded the flight. After holding off till 5 minutes after the scheduled departure time, the lady at the desk called us over and informed us that we were upgraded to First class and had seats 4J and 1 H !!! I think it was while we were checking in in MSP, in reply to Sudha's pondering on whether we would get a seat at all in the Amsterdam - Mumbai flight, I had reasoned that maybe we will be given an upgrade to first class. Well, for a change what I said had come true !

NWA cancelling flights to B'lore after we bought the tickets had brought my distaste for a floundering airline industry up close and personal. Now, stretching out on a first class seat, after a heavy meal, I am glad that the storm brewed the way it did ! We hadnt heeded to the advise of a more cautious travel agent, the Amsterdam - Bangalore flight had been cancelled just at the right time, we got our tickets for the Amsterdam Mumbai flight just at the nick of time, the network going down in Schipol, two vacant seats in the business class, quite a few factors that brought about the perfect storm ... Well, actually the other face of the storm will only be seen when my sister realizes that we did not get even a single bar of chocolate ! I hope the first class travel accessories can be the compromise goodies :-)

Even as we were settling in the lap of luxury, one thing kept striking me again and again, there's so much space here ! After a few moments of surprise at discovering the various luxuries of first class travel, invariably the contrast of the luxuries of the first class area with the cramped spaces in the economy class hit me. On our Mumbai to Bangalore flight, it was a pleasant confirmation to realize that I felt more at home in the economy class travel.

The last India trip?

Sudha and I are about to start on another trip to India. Given that we are planning to move back once I am done with my PhD, this might very well end up being our last India trip.

Its going to be a 5 week essay, with the longest stay being the week in Bangalore soon after we land on Nov 25th. As expected we are travelling on a packed itinerary. But thinking about all the places we wont be able to go and people we wont be able to meet makes me sad :( ... but then the fact that we wont be in my home town for more than 11 days aggregate also makes me sad. With all the folks we wish to meet up with in B'lore, I would be really glad if we can call on atleast the first circle of family and friends.

As I look forward to it, the highlight of the trip is going to be the 2005 AID India Conference in Delhi. Other than that we will be meeting with quite a few interesting groups and individuals, more about all that in future posts. Drop back over the next few weeks to see whats happening. :-)

The North serves South crew on CBS

Unfortunately, there is no video - we might have to pay for it if the reporter forgets to send the tape. But the text of the article (linked above) conveys the spirit, I think.

After the flood

Sunday, September 4th, 2005

Early Sunday morning, the team reached Mt. Vernon and picked up relief materials collected by Brenda. The only item left to complete their load was gasoline cans – and as they found out, they would have been better off buying them earlier. Stores had run out of 5 gallon and larger cans in Memphis and even further north in Arkansas. The southernmost point for getting any was Missouri. So they got off the main road and, with the help of some locals, found a Mom-and-Pop store with cans and barrels in stock. Further down the road, another hitch: they found out that the barrels were not certified to carry diesel! Dr. Stacey, who was in Jackson to escort them further south, agreed to arrange for diesel, so they loaded the cans with gasoline and headed on.

In Jackson, they met Dr. Stacey and Jeffrey Stolworth, a parish minister from Gulfport, MS. Though gas was being rationed in Jackson, they were able to fill up as an emergency vehicle through Jeffrey's intervention. They reached the Biloxi-Gulfport area late Sunday night. Nighttime curfew is being imposed all along this stretch, so they stayed indoors (and hopefully got some sleep).

By Monday morning, they unloaded half their supplies at the Main Street Missionary Baptist Church. This church was serving as a distribution point for the neighboring areas. Most houses in the Gulfport-Biloxi area have lost their roofs, though the structures are still standing. Tarps brought in are being used as makeshift roofs.

The church has asked our team to purchase nails and 2x4s etc. as well as washtubs and other vessels for use in their kitchen. It was decided to go to Jackson for that. In the meantime, Diana and I separately had been making enquiries about Camp Sister Spirit:
http://www.campsisterspirit.com/
and the condition of it and its members. Since it was more remote, it was highly likely that relief had not reached. From Pat in Georgia and James in California, I found out that the founders and members were OK, but thery had suffered water damage and almost 200 trees had been downed by the storm.

Though it was pretty late by the time the team finished their work in Biloxi, they decided to head to the Sister Spirit camp. Maybe because they were exhausted or because the directions were bad or since it was so late, they lost their way and decided to go to sleep in their trucks somewhere close to Hattiesburg.

Caravan down the Mississippi

Saturday, September 3rd, 2005

High on euphoria after Friday's successful material and monetary collection, Diana, Lynn, Aria and Dwiji set out on Saturday morning. The donated 24' truck was only about half filled and the Litahni and I, the support team back home, were to work on setting up collection points along the way in Madison, Bloomington IL and St. Louis.

The fertile belt of South-East Minnesota sparked the idea of approaching farms along the way for their excess produce – after all, this is the peak of the harvest season. Dwiji called me and I followed up with organic farms and farmers' markets in Southern Wisconsin. We hit pay dirt at Turkey Ridge Apple Orchard, about 30 miles Southeast of La Crosse, WI. The orchard had kept aside three bushels of apples (totalling 3000 lbs) with the idea of sending them to the hurricane-affected areas, but hadn't been able to arrange transportation. Our group was in the right place at the right time - whoopee! They found out the Turkey Ridge, in league with other farm groups in Wisconsin, was planning to set up a soup kitchen in Mississippi. Yet another grassroots effort we might be able to partner with...

Further east, I reached Heck's farm market and store outside Arena, WI. They offered corn and melons and got the truck close to its weight limit. Simultaneously, Litahni made contact with Brenda in Mt. Vernon IL (north of St. Louis) who offered to collect materials locally and bring them to a collection point near I-57.

In the meantime, Diana was in contact with a doctor from Southern Mississippi who was only too pleased to hear about the incoming produce. She offered to meet them in Jackson, MS and escort them to a community near Biloxi. When last I talked to them on Saturday, they sounded tired yet excited. They planned to meet Brenda at a Walmart in Mt. Vernon at 2 am and she offered to wait in her car till they got there - good for her!