Back to courtyard by marriot

Last May, when I arrived Lexington, I was put up at Courtyard by Marriot where I stayed for a week and afterwards I shifted to Residence Inn by marriot. Both hotels (or motels??) are few yards apart. In Residen Inn you have a kitchen where you can cook your own food while in Courtyard there is no kitchen. Indians usually prefer Residence as we prefer to have 'home made' food. Anyway, all my reservations were done from my office...I just came and took the possesion of the suites. I did a mistake while entering Residence. They booked my room till 27th while, my stay here is till 2nd Aug. I did not validate the check out date and yesterday there was a big surprise when the Residence Inn manager informed me about my check out date. I requested her to book a room for me in either Residence or in Courtyard and luckily I got a room at Courtyard. Though 80% of my luggage are with a collegue, I have shifted to courtyard in evening after office.
Things are not that bad here....except that rooms are 100% smoke free ( I will quit smoking sometimes in future) and my room is at 3rd floor. Need to inform all relatives/friends about new phone number and suite number....going to do that.

Some experiment with camera

Bird's Eye view of Victoria

Olny srmat poelpe can raed tihs

The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?
:Yes
:So you are smart :)

My flight experiences

Next saturday, I have a flight scheduled at 1050 AM. I doing all packing from today itself.

My flight to Mumbai on 10th May, was scheduled at 3 and I reached airport @2.30. It was a bussiness trip and I can not think of missing this as I had a mid-night flight to NY on the same day.
In Calcutta airport, there was a long Q before the xray machine and luckily I managed to get it through quickly. It was few minutes left before they 'd close the check-in counter. I was feeling very nervous as I had missed flights on 5 occassions ( believe me, all was not my faults). When my turn came, I was told by the lady that this counter is not for economy class and alas, I was told to wait in that Q by one of their employees only. Anyway, when the lady saw that there was only 5/6 minutes left, she was kind enough to issue me a boarding pass. Reached Mumbail @5.30 and there was sufficient time before my next flight to NY. From now onwards, I'd make it a point that I'd reach Airport ( Rail/Bus station) atleast one hour earlier.
--> REACH AIRPORT ATLEAST 1 HOUR EARLIER ( for Domestic travels).

I have a notorious history of missing flights by all probable reasons. Last time ( few months back) I booked the ticket few days in advance. I saw the ticket dates etc and informed my sister back home to send the car to airport on such and such date. I did not bother to check the ticket twice ( Overconfidence !!). And guess what, I read arival time as the departure time. And realized it only after reaching airport. I booked the next days ticket and informed home that due to some urgency, I can not come that day!
--->NEXT TIME, I WILL X-CHECK TICKET FOR DATE, ARR/DEP TIMINGS etc.
--->WILL DO IT ATLEAST TWICE - ONCE AFTER PURCHASING TICKET, ONCE PREVIOUS DAY OF JOURNEY.

Reporting late is probably most common reason for missing flights. ( Well for politicians, it is a custom to report late and make the flight wait ). Around a year and half back, my flight back home was at 6 AM. I was having a nice adda that night and set alarm of my cell phone at 3.30 AM (Airport was 1 hour drive). When I went to bad, it was 12 midnight and just to reconfirm I set the alarm of my cell. Hicccccccccccccc...on my cell, setting alarm twice means - reseting to "no alarm mode"....I got up at 8.45 next morning!!! I slept again, as there was no point of going airport. Got up at 1030, went to airport city office. Luckily I got and 85% refund.
-->IF YOU HAVE AN EARLY MORNING FLIGHT, SLEEP EARLY PREVIOUS NIGHT.
-->SET THE ALARM ON YOUR CELL, PRIOR TO GOING TO BED. VERIFY TIME, "AM/PM" etc.
-->ASK SOME OF YOUR FRIENDS TO CALL YOU AT TIME WHEN YOU PLAN TO GET UP.

MP ki kom poriyache ? Short supply of MPs

With political uncertainity in Delhi, guess who is making most out of it. Some MPs, we never heard name or as a matter of fact who never raised their voice in parliament, have become real assets in the Delhi bazar. If what NDTV reported, is to be believed, rate of "free" MPs have suddenly shoot to an average 25 crore (Rs). From last few days, one question is peeping into my mind. Why MP buying/selling is called horse trading? Any one ?


NB:
In '93, congress govt was accused of buying 10 jarkhand MPs for an undisclosed sum. One of JMM leader Suraj Mandal said -
''We did not take money. We only took donation. Even those who are taking money today will take as donation for the party''.

Gadgets in our life

Though, I m not a gadget savvy kinda person, still I think, we can not really avoid some of them. e.g., I am on a visit to a foreign land and I have all my contacts in my mail application on the laptop. After reaching my new office, I informed my manager in India about my arrival over the phone but after returning from office, I was missing those post-office adda's, chatting over phones with friends. I felt like calling my friends, but ALAS..all contacts are in my mobile and it's bat is totally drained. Add to the ordeal, the indian power plug does not fit here so could not recharge the cell immediately. I had to email a friend to send me a spreadsheet with all contact numbers which he did immediately after 4/5 days:)
Todo when travelling :
-> Keep a printed copy of all contacts.
-> Keep on taking e-backups of cell numbers stored in your cell once in 3/4 months.
-> There is international power adaptors available ( 10-20$), so take them when you take a laptop, cell with you when travelling a foreign country.