My Trip to Toronto - 1

My first trip abroad has started. I travelled to Toronto for 3 weeks from where I am supposed to go to New Jersey for a week. And that is all about it. Today, I am trying to put down everything possible about my arrival to Toronto via London.

The cab to pick me up was supposed to come at 2:00 Am in the morning. As remains the case, they never turn up on time. After a customer care call and my efforts to guide the driver as to where my home was, I finally was downstairs watching him load my baggage into the cab. I bade goodbye to my roommate and in the chill, the journey begun. International section was new to me and as I was travelling for the first time, I really wasn’t aware of the process which lied ahead. I reached the airport a good 40 minutes ahead of time. After the wait, with red eyes and a light head I met the person over at the counter who checked my two luggages into the cargo and the handed over the boarding passes to me. Without any further delay, I headed for the security check and got seated in front of the gate 32 where my flight was supposed to arrive. It was British Airways and my first international flight. I plugged in the cell phone pods and tried being as much relaxed as possible. But, I failed. The tension and apprehension of what lied ahead hardly allowed me to relax which I guess was good as I didn’t fell asleep.
I had a connecting flight from London. There were many things ahead which I didn’t have the slightest idea about. Things like how much does it take to reach London, what it feels like to be seated for 8 plus hours on a Boeing and whether I would be fine having food during the flight considering that I was a nausea patient and …….well, the answer to everything is just to face it. I landed up besides a little boy and her mother. I ate all that was served. I tried sleeping as much as I could. London was waiting for me after flying for 8 hours.
Another wait started as I sat myself in the waiting arena. It was a 4 hour wait. But it was post the security check up. Compared to India, the security check up at London was pretty impressive. They didn’t take anything for granted except for my sports shoes which was no interest to them. My laptop, purse, belt, socks, bag…everything got scanned. I was carrying INR & CAD, so I tried keeping myself away from the shop nearby. Watching people usually is boring. But not when you are in a foreign land. 4 hours didn’t feel like being 4.
The flight for Canada had me sitting by the window, alone. I tried capturing as much London as I could. I can say that I loved it. The roads, the people, the climate, the surroundings, the view…they all looked great. This is what they say as being the largest city in the world. It kept me yearning for more which is a feeling I really like. These are the ones which makes you live life. Nez…my flight to Toronto was again all about dim lights, foods and occasional trysts with sleep. Another 7 hours and I saw snow for the first time. It was -18 degrees Centigrade outside. The airport too seemed to be lonely for 730 PM in the evening. The customs was a formality. I had confusions about private laptop declaration which the lady sitting at the counter helped me with. I came out, collected my baggage and called up Bloomingdale Limo service. They have a reputation of being reasonable and good. An Indian picked up, booked a cab and made me aware of the process. As I came out of gate no 29 to meet the person sitting at the prebooked counter, I tasted -18 for the first time in my life. It was cold, refreshing, clean and new. I breathed for a few minutes before I came inside and waited for my cab to arrive. Another Indian greeted me as he drove me towards my hotel. He came here 32 years back and has a child aged me and is now settled in Canada. He was all praise for the city. We shared a few words about India before he gave me his contact and waved off. The hotel, Marriott wasn’t bad either. Thankfully, my 220V adaptor worked out good for the 110 ones here. Connecting to the internet had wire and wireless as the options. My cup noodles gave me a good time during the dinner and there I was, sitting on the 17th floor watching a snow covered clean Toronto lying before me.

Its -25 today. I went out for 5 minutes and felt lucky to have come back to the hotel, alive. It was becoming difficult for me to breathe out there. I wonder as to how I am going to make it to the office tomorrow. That’s the next big thing ahead, tomorrow. Hope, things will work out for the good. Presently, it feels nice to be here. I don’t know how it would stay like that.