The unexpected turn of events:

In continuation of my previous blog on what I did there, I thought I’d also add something about few things that gave me a thrill.

That was my first trip abroad and more importantly, first trip without a chaperon of any age, gender, relation. The taste of freedom was very sweet. But it came along with a price tag- being responsible. Just after ten minutes after landing we were about to be deported. We were made to wait there in the immigrations office when they decided how to “deal with our case”. They were talking about contacting Indian embassy. I should say I was so excited about it. All images of my name appearing in the Indian newspapers flashed across my head.

I still don’t remember how long we waited to be picked up (or to be deported at least!) I hadn’t eaten for a long time. I always have a good appetite and I don’t remember any other time when I actually lost my appetite (even for chocolates). I was wondering how I would face my friends if were deported back to India in the next flight. And my friend next to me was talking something about God helping, I don’t remember what. I was too engaged in my own fantasies. My brain was too occupied in conjuring images after images, scenes after scenes that I forgot to even notice the time. I think we waited for a very long time because I filled up so many pages of my diary out of sheer boredom, anxiety, excitement (yeah I was in a foreign land so a bit of excitement was still left)

I kept looking at every person who crossed us hoping someone would come and say something. It was too frustrating to sit there without knowing what was about to happen. I was always a bit happy that I could speak fluent English and always said I will manage wherever I go. But that day it was of no use. I was surrounded by people who weren’t good at it. To my disappointment none of them understood what I spoke and they decided not to communicate anything to us!!! What a waste it was. I had to break the sentences into pieces and then destroy the grammar so that they’d be able to understand what I spoke but still I got no replies from the officials. I got a curt nod for all the efforts that I put in and they “gestured” us to sit down and wait (for what, they never disclosed).

Then after what seemed to be ages one of our co-ordinators came. He went inside and they spoke few technical stuff and the co-ordinator was probably so good at talking that the immigrations officer called us in (and even smiled) and “told us” he was leaving us under warning and thus we got our visa stamped for 30 days! The catch here is our stay there was scheduled for 34 days!!!

As if all these were not enough, we also had few surprises with our luggage. We didn’t get them. It was nowhere to be found in any of the rooms in the airport. (since we were held up with the immigrations we had to search for our luggage in the room where unclaimed luggage were kept). Our luggage was not there so we lodged a complaint with the air lines people and then left for the resort.

So after all these not too welcoming events I went to exchange my currency. I exchanged a 100$ bill for the Indonesian Rupiah (INR 1=200 IDR approx.) so for my 100$ I got around one million!!! After all those catastrophic events holding such huge amount of currency was a great treat. The millionaire me was then dropped in a warm, nice resort.

Then my first meal there was with few boys from Holland and Indonesia. Since I am a vegetarian I found it hard to order food, not to mention the menu was in Indonesian and I couldn’t understand a word. So we left it to the Indonesians’ choice. They ordered a dish, gadu gadu for me. Boiled rice with boiled vegetables without oil, butter, ghee or any of those fattening delicious items. It was healthy, sans enough salt and spice, some peanut butter in rice added to the flavour… and thus started my stay there for a month.