Sorry.....It's not Canada!

I vividly remember that Friday. It was late evening, me at my thane flat, lazing up in larger than a room, but cozy couch. Yeah it’s my best corner of the house. I was still recovering from the umpteenth follow-up of my Canadian PR and the zilch movement on it. I had started moving the life-stage goal of work-earn-retire at Toronto, to burn-turn-learn here only at thane, and was finding solace by nit-picking on every silly thing, crib and make life miserable of the ever-so-happy guy, who shares the flat with me. Yeah, you can guess who it is. 

And lo behold! He comes in with a quirky smile on his face and tells me “Be ready to pack the bag.”

I couldn’t believe and I say, “Yayyy, Finally Canada, here I come.” And he says, “Sorry to disappoint,  it’s not Canada, but a city called Stavanger in Norway.”

And I go ballistic!

I was like, “Did you say Norway, and did you say Sorry…..my dear, all your sins since the marriage I forgive and I’m prepared to send a petition to my mil to forgive all your sins since you were born.”

Norrrrrwayyyyy........Unbelievable, yeah but true.

It was the most exciting one word that could move me so much, ever since I was born!.

Well, he gets a role in an Oil-field service company based out of there and we have to move in 2 months' time. Those 2 months....I decided to spend well but detailing of that, I keep it for another time.

So here I was, all set to move to a new country, a new city, after having lived in a hustling bustling Mumbai for 35 years! Now, To reach Stavanger-Norway, by far there is no direct flight. I was travelling from Mumbai-Dubai-Copenhagen-Stavanger. With the multiple stopovers, the connecting time for my last flight from Copenhagen to Stavanger was just 50 mins! In those 50 mins (hoping they delay none of the flights even by a minute), a passenger, that's me here has to off-board, clear immigration considering on that route, Copenhagen was the entry point to Scandinavia and make it to the gate for my flight to Stavanger and the gate here closes 30 mins before the departure time. So effectively I had only 20 mins to complete these activities to ensure I am en route Stavanger! For once, I felt like Shahrukh Khan in Chak de, woh 70 mins - If you know what I mean?, just that I had even lesser time than him :)

While I was anxious and worried, I kinda checked with the airline staff before my flight to Copenhagen, whether the flight was on time & if they expect it to land in time as well? considering I have a connecting flight in just 50 mins. He looked at me and said “Mam, you should never book tickets with such short transit time and the transit time should atleast be 1.5 to 2 hours,” the perplexed me shot back at him saying, “Well the system shouldn’t allow such bookings in that case!” However, I soon realised, the man at the counter could barely be of any help. 

I boarded the flight, hoping against hope! Yes, I made it in the nick of time and got into a smaller aircraft, with hardly any leg-space. But then, now who cares, matter of 70 minutes before the touch-down. As the pilot announced that we are about to land, I strained my neck to the window to take in the vistas of my new land, of new dreams and destiny.
I could see the vast ocean beneath and the view of few ships beneath looked like a speck on a huge blue canvas. For a moment it looked like they build the landing terminal on sea as the flight took a huge turn, shivered and shuddered hovering low atop the sea,  as it moved back for the touchdown.
And as the pilot announced the usual stats of the place,  I looked out and went into a thought trail on what all awaits me here, this lovely big-small city called Stavanger! :)
Well, my second white mocha is kinda tasting insipid now. So yeah, time to go.
But, with a promise, to be back soon, with more.
Hey, just wanted to share, will be meeting Khonia today in the noon sometime...yeah.
Interested, to know more, wait for the next... See ya!