from the commuter

The photos which I took myself are random images of commuting and life. Enjoy the ride!

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Amazing (South) India Part 1

I can't believe my luck when I was asked to go to India for my first ever official trip. The trip necessitated a blue passport or a diplomatic passport. I used to have a red passport , but I never got to use it. It was a thrill to be passing through the immigration carrying a diplo passport, without the hassle. It was a breeze! 

And since I was excited, I was early at the airport  (NAIA 1) and got to see much of it. I got to admire the ceiling, which is dated but still pretty, methinks. The blonde hair in the photo below is on a very-Filipina-looking woman.
 I was fascinated with the flight information board. I enjoyed listening to sound it made as it rapidly changed details. In the airport's heyday, it must have been state-of-the art.



 Since there was no direct flight to our destination in India, we passed through Singapore. The travelator made everything accessible.



I finally reached my destination in Cochin, India. I did not take photos at the airport. I did not want to look very excited, so I was composed, saying my thank you's politely, smiling nicely and nodding my head when necessary.
 We arrived at midnight, but the hotel room seemed to have removed all the weariness of the travel and the late night as I plunged onto the soft bed that was to provide me comfort for two more nights in the southern Indian city of Cochin.

When morning came, I almost forgot that I was there for an official work. I was welcomed by a drizzling morning, and to top that, I was given a corner room. I had little rest the night before, but I was not complaining. How could I when I was greeted by a magnificent view. 



 I walked outside the grounds of the hotel, Vivanta it was called, to notice the large number of crows. I got to see them up close and admire their black sheen that would instantly dispel my negative notions of crows.


 It was nearing nine o'clock in the morning, and I went back to the room. The sight I saw from my fifth floor suite was not to be missed. It was foretelling of a good day ahead.
 On board our bus to the meeting venue, I took the picture of people outside and told myself that I really was in India...

...to work. I was the assistant of the Philippine Eminent Person to the ASEAN-India Eminent Persons Group. Their objective was to come up with a report that will be submitted to the Leaders of ASEAN and India so the Leaders could move their relations forward. Yes, my work entails doing these kinds of things, and it has been nothing but exciting.



The ASEAN Way
 But other than the place I was in, what made this trip memorable for me was that I sat behind this woman whose brilliance, I know for sure, was admired by her colleagues. It made me proud as a Filipino because the person I was assisting showed what a first-class Filipino diplomat can do.

The small flag in front of her seemed so big all of sudden.

3 comments:

  1. nakakabitin naman.

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    Replies
    1. May part 2 pa... medyo busy lang...hehe.salamat!

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  2. Happy birthday! All your dreams are coming true. So happy for you. God bless and take care. Sabi nga ni B, "Ninong Waf?"

    ReplyDelete

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