I checked-in at the Montreal Airport at 5:45 am....it was incredible to see the lines of people even at that hour. Some were traveling and some others had just come to say Asta La Vista...The airport was a mixture of just waking up to the new day, yet there was some frenzy at the Mexicana Counter...with everyone wanting to just Check-in and Relax at the Boarding Gate. I was no different....wanted to just sit and close my eyes alone at the Boarding Gate...
Once I checked-in and went through the security, the whole airport seemed quite deserted...not too many flights. I thought to myself..."Ok time to catch up with sleep". So when I reached the Boarding Gate, I just sat there and closed my eyes.
I was startled by a very strong French voice announcing the Boarding time and I reluctantly, like a child going to school in the morning, dragged my Black Bag to the plane, found my seat and just sat and closed my eyes...The Journey was pretty smooth, other than the occasional shakes of the planes and the air hostess wanting to serve food or drinks En Espanol.
My flight till Mexico City was nice....but the whole idea of connecting to another flight with a 3 hour gap at the airport was not very pleasant. I was soooo hungry. Didn’t eat much in the flight and interestingly could find nothing at the airport to eat...Guess us vegetarians have to either include chicken as vegetable in our dictionary and diet or Lobby strongly for nice fresh Vegetable Sandwiches or Fries or just any and I repeat any vegetarian food to be made available at the airport for long haul passengers...
Anyway as GURUJI says "the only thing permanent on this universe is CHANGE", well it happened to me also. The time changed and moved and I found myself in the plane again for another 4 hrs of flying to Panama...One consolation was at least I would get a hot meal on arrival before going for the TTC in Panama (I hope I would be able to show my cheerfulness to my hosts and look dispassionate towards the nice warm food when I arrive).
As I came out of the Airport, I was greeted by Familiar faces of the Art of living teachers and devotees. It was nice to see the smiles of the people there (the warmth already greeted me in the garb of the weather. Very warm and humid. O Canada...where are you.... the land of Coolness)
And then it happened, the drama, which we (in Art of Living) are so used to. I have a name for it – Non-Stop Entertainment.
The Person, who had come to pick me up, could not open the door of the car. Somehow the keys would not work. The person checked and checked again...then went to the back of the car to read the number plates VOIALA, it is my car, not somebody else's. So why it’s not opening....kept trying every door...even the trunk and it would not open. And I am thinking woooooow....been flying since 5:30 am this morning ...and I am this close to the Warm Warm food....my mind says noooooooo....please GURUJI let this car door work... I want to shower, want to rest, want to eat and go see my Beautiful TTC participants...and VOIALA like magic the car opens (now don’t call me a blue star, at least not now. U will get plenty of opportunities later).
Thank god we reached the hotel. Took shower, ate a nice warm meal, wooooow....and as I started to go towards the elevator, I could already hear the sweet sound of the Satsang...
The Door opened and got in to the elevator and was so anxious to see the TTC group. Sometimes these elevators seem to take millenniums to move just a few floors. At last it reached and opened.
I was greeted with a deafening sound of Joy and Celebrations....
The rest next time.......
Asta La Vista
