One year in Australia

Wow! I’ve completed one year in Australia (Melbourne). I’m looking back the days when I was in Off-shore. Being a highly workaholic person, I was very eager to go for On-site. Yes, it’s my first foreign trip in my life. New place, new people, salary in $ and Kangaroos were various factors boozing my excitement.

I got an excellent exposure while working with business users. Kolkata and Melbourne are the most important places in my life that made lot of changes in my life. I learnt a lot through my experiences in these cities. I suggest everyone to move out of your native place to work especially in bachelor life.

Australia, world’s fifth largest country, is a very beautiful place to live for new visitors. You could find mixed culture environment. Being an Island and a part of Oceania, Australia strictly follows Law and Order and highly secured place. I’ve visited 4 states – Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales (Sydney) and Queensland (Gold Coast).

Since I’m staying at Melbourne, I knew Victoria better than any other states in Australia. Victoria – “the place to be” is very beautiful place, best known for VIC roads. Being a capital of Victoria, Melbourne is also serves as a capital of Australia for Sports and culture. Public transport is one of the merits for Melbourne. It’s connected by Busses, Trams and Trains. Gippsland, Geelong, Great Ocean Road, Ballarat, Mildura are various tourism places in Victoria.

Memorable events in my life are as follows:
a) My first foreign country
b) Salary in $
c) My Nikon P90
d) My First Business Suite
e) Parents were here with me for 3 months
f) Performed music with 3 Australians
g) Parties
h) AFL
i) Australia Open
j) MCG
k) Guitar
l) Hip-Hop

How can I skip “Attacks on Indians”? I never come across this. Moreover, Australians are very kind and friendly in nature. Indians may complain me about my support towards Australians. However, Australians are good. I love their culture, sports, humanity, etc,.

Do visit Australia once in your life time!!!!

Reached Melbourne

Hi guys, I’m back. You may think that am getting off for more than 1 month and then posting a blog with an excuse. Actually, now I’m in Australia. I have been deputed for my project work. Though my supervisors were talking about my travel for more than one month, I got my stamping on 13th August, 2009 only. I invited my parents to Kolkata for the whole week. And till 14th August noon, I didn’t know that I’ve to travel on 15th Night. And then, they said it was possible to travel next day and asked me to start the travel process ASAP. Then, We (I and 2 more project mates) were hurried to get the clearance from all the departments. It was 4:30, when we started processing. Only by 7:00, we got my tickets in hand.

My flight is in Thai Airways from Kolkata to Melbourne via Bangkok around 2 AM that Sunday. It was very hectic till Bangkok. Unclean toilet, very bad hospitality and poor seatings were made unhappy. I can add more on this heap. We changed our flight at Bangkok. Then it was a pleasant experience (but not more than Jet Airways). We saw people from different culture and nationality. I watched only couple of movies and slept for long time. They have provided meals and juices. Being vegetarian, I requested for special Indian veg meal, and they provided the same.

We reached Melbourne on Sunday night around 9.30 PM. Fabulous Melbourne, wonderful buildings, neat roads and cool weather were pleasant to our eyes while travelling in a cab. Indian Taxi driver helped us to find out the apartment (that we booked from Kolkata). Alas! We forgot our dinner. Took Maggie and prepared within 20 Minutes . I should not forget poree (sweet parched rice) made by mom’s hand. This was our dinner.

Boeing 737

I planned my vacation 7 weeks before, such that I would book my flight tickets in fewer amounts. I booked, 40 days prior to my departure, in Kingfisher Airlines (A320 Airbus) for Rs. 2,230/- to travel on 22nd June.

On 17th June, I had been informed that my flight has been cancelled. But being 5 star airlines, Kingfisher provided me an option to fly between Chennai and Kolkata at any date, any time and through any route in either Kingfisher or Jet Airways. Hats off to Kingfisher for their excellent customer service. I opted for Jet airways on the same day. The staffs helped me for the luggage clearance and to get boarding pass. Then, I waited for security check to my Boeing 737. While I was entering, it looked similar to Airbus from outside but highly elevated in its elegant look inside. I noticed reading lamp, spacious two-seater, while crossing Jet Airways – Premiere class.

Then I sat on 23 F with television in my front and watched flapped wings of Boeing through my window. To know more about Boeing 737, visit Wikipedia. I travelled in Boeing 737-800.

Did I catch the train?

12-June-2009

It was 2 PM, I was standing in the Howrah Station Platform No. 23 waiting for Coramandal Express. With scheduled departure at 2:40, the train arrived by 2:32. After a slight delay of 15 minutes, the entire station platform started moving. My coach is S1-70 near to the general compartment, which was flooded with several hundreds commuters. Hence, I find some of them started accommodating our compartments by taking our seats as well. I took Jeffrey Archers’ Prodigal Daughter in hand and moved up to berth and continued reading from the book mark.

Now, the clock strucked 7:30 PM and dinner had arrived to my berth. As similar to my every day lunch, it was having dal, rice and one subzi (Vegetable curry). I went to sleep after that de-li-ci-ous dinner. This became routine for the next 16 hours. The train reached Vijayawada around 4:15 PM next day running behind 4 hours delay.

I knew if it goes with the same speed, I can’t catch my Pandian Express, which would be leaving Chennai Egmore at 9:40 PM. But I felt the train speed touching 90-100 KMPH. I kept-in-contact with my friend named David Livingston, who invited to his house for refreshment. Then I need only to catch my next train nothing else. Then, it was 9:00 PM when my master mind chalked out a plan with out any pen and paper. My coach is S1, which is third from the last, and I planned to go to S12/ any AC coach which is near to Engine so that I could get down near to the entrance. But I succeeded till S11 only since workers are cleaning the Pantry Car. Thank God, it was not between S4 / S5. I checked my watch. It showed me 9:20 PM. I called up David and confirm with the platform.

Then, train entered to Chennai Central around 9:29 PM. David snatched the hand bag and ran towards the bike stand to take his 2 wheeler. We came out from Chennai Central and were moving very slowly with crowd. We watched Traffic Constables catching non-helmet wearers. Then, we got cleared with 2 green signals. When we reached the over-bridge, I saw my train standing the platform silently. “Thank God! Thank you very much”, I murmured. I got down from the bike and started running towards my coach. David was waiting in the queue to get his platform ticket. But, the engine started whistling and I stepped onto the train. I said “Good Bye” to David and started breathing.

I could remember “Jab We Met”.

Las Vegas

Las Vegas, one of the main cities, situated in Nevada. Are you looking for some article on Casinos or some television series? Ha ha ha… Las Vegas is name of the Saloon near our old house. I was planning to write about this for past 1 month but keep on forgetting. This is good one. With fully air conditioned environment, sterilized tools and clean towels, how much will cost for hair cut in your city? 100 bugs or more. Or at-least 50 bugs. But here it cost only 20 rupees. Now, we have shifted to PG near to our office and missing Las Vegas.