Back (to the real world)

I am back in Minneapolis. Nowhere close to being settled, still have to shift houses and giant mattress that is the stuff my nightmares are made of. But I am back. It was a long, arduous journey, with stopovers at Frankfurt (reasonable) and Newark (delayed by 2-3 hours in addition to the 3 hour wait time. I had no watch or access to time and couldn't really tell. Which I think was for the best). It was a miserable trip, full of being sick and itchy-twitchy, hacking my lungs out and sneezing, and hallucinating. But who wants to hear about that. Or the fact that I love the world a little less after being in transit for 40 hours. Let me tell you about some of the other fun highlights:

Scored lots of free Internet at the Delhi airport by using sibling and sibling's friends phone numbers. Feel little guilty about extra customer representative calls they will get but since I was checked-in 3 hours in advance, needed some entertainment.

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At Frankfurt, I arrived early enough for the boarding gate to not be allocated. I tried to wait in a strategic location, central for all possible gates, close to the display screen and with a seating space. The seating spaces included benches places side by side but not joined. At one point, while trying to take out cough lozenges to keep my lungs in place, I slipped in the little gap between the two benches and almost fell down. Very disheartened with humanity after realizing the women next to me were not amused by or sympathetic to my clumsiness but instead looking at me with mild horror. Hmph.

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Again at Frankfurt, a couple of young kids (say between 3-5 year old) telling each other: "Ask mom to make some Internet for the Ipad." Oh the responsibilities of being a parent.

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Unlike past years, they only broke the handle of my best and biggest suitcase (instead of ripping it open). This is why I try and not get emotionally attached to luggage. It has a short life.

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At one point, in the Newark-Minneapolis leg of the journey, I could see beautiful beaches in the distance. I saw cool blue water, golden colored sand, pink clouds and it was wonderful. I also figured it was time for my medicine then. It was good while it lasted though.

Here are some pictures:

At the Frankfurt airport

These looked inky-blue to me.
I don't think that was hallucinations as much as reflection.

Last views of Delhi