My Traveling Experience

Ashima Choudhary

105

07/06/07

Journal – 1

Topic: - My Traveling Experience

I would like to share my terrible experience of coming to Los Angeles. I had arrived in LAX three months ago, on 4^th March, 2007.

When I was departing from New Delhi Airport to Los Angeles, emotionally it was so hard for me to leaving my country, my parents, my brother and sister, my friends and my job and other valuable things that I possessed like my car, my room. However I was so happy also that very soon I was going to meet my husband. Already I had been waiting for that precious moment for about two years.

It was terrifying experience traveling alone. I was traveling Cathay Pacific Airline. The routing was New Delhi to Hong Kong to Los Angeles. I had missed my first connection in Hong Kong for Los Angeles and the second connection for Los Angeles was approximately 10 hours later.

I had a difficult period of time. I had bought a calling card to call my husband in USA and my parents in India to inform them that I was stuck in Hong Kong as I had missed my flight. First question that arose in my mind was - “How do I use this calling card?” This question arose because all instructions were written in Chinese in the calling card I felt so embarrassed and uncomfortable. “What do I do now” I felt so lonely in the strange place. Nobody is around here. Everyone seems to be in a hurry and no one has time for anyone else. I was staring at the calling card and thinking about my options.

I saw that a lady was coming in my direction. “Excuse me” I said. She didn’t reply to me. “Excuse me please” this time I asked louder. “Me” She asked gesturing towards herself. “Yes you, could you please help me. I am in trouble? I don’t understand this calling card’s instructions. Please tell me how I can use my calling card”. I said to her. She replied me something in Chinese “ussho koo oh na”. She looked at me blankly. I thought that she might not have understood anything I had asked her. “I am getting late” she said and left me with my problem.

Again I was alone and thinking about the solution. Finally I had concentrated my mind. I got an idea “can I send sms” my mind said. I had switched on my cell phone. I wrote a sms and tried to send it to my husband. It worked; I had got the call from my husband very quick. “Rishi can you send me a sms how I can use this calling card?” I said to him. “Okay” he said and my cell phone disconnected because I had no credit in my cell phone. I felt little relaxed now. He sent me all instructions in detail via sms. I followed by all instructions that my husband sent to me for using the calling card.

Now I succeeded in calling him. I felt so happy to hear his lovely voice. After talking to him I felt so relaxed and calm to wait for my flight. And I was lost in my thoughts about my husband and Los Angeles.

.