Romanian
Ma tot chinui de ceva vreme sa las putin distractia la o parte si sa mai scriu cate ceva despre locurile minunate in care am fost. Va spun sincer ca este foarte greu...atunci cand sunt in Dubai, mereu se gaseste cate cineva care sa iasa in vreun club sau sa pregateasca cina. Asa ca timpul pe care il petrec cu adevarat in apartamentul meu este insignifiant.
Parca am zis ceva in postul anterior despre zborurile de India...zboruri foarte speciale pentru noi toti cabin crew-ul...cum aude cineva de India, cum se prabusesc toate visurile, cade cerul in capul nostru la propriu...iar eu am avut deosebita placere sa "gust" putin mai mult din traditia hindu inca din prima luna de zbor, cand dragutii care fac rosterul, mi-au daruit 5 zboruri de India...toate turn-around ( adica te duci si te intorci ). Credeti-ma ca dupa primul meu zbor am vrut sa imi dau demisia.
Nici nu stiu cu ce sa incep mai intai...in primul rand..fiecare zbor de India este foarte lung ( cel putin 2 ore si ceva - si asta numai dus)..gandindu-ma retrospectiv cred ca cel mai mult am stat 10 ore inchisa in capsula printre 300 de indieni...teroare pura! Da, stiu...suna ca si cand as fi rasista si recunosc ca am inceput sa fiu de cand cu zborurile astea. Sunt prea multi, prea urat-mirositori si mult prea exigenti fara niciun motiv. Desi majoritatea nu stie sa scrie, nu exista zbor pe care sa nu faca o plangere pentru diverse motive - ca tacamurile sunt prea grele, ca nu le-a dat nimeni sa se hidrateze exact in secunda in care au cerut ( daca se putea cumva sa anticipam ca unul dintre cei 300 de indieni ar vrea sa bea apa, ar fi perfect..dar totusi nu chiar atat de perfect pentru ca sigur ar fi ceva care i-ar nemultumi...poate ca le-am fi adus apa prea repede?! )
Zau ca as putea scrie despre zborurile astea incontinuu fara sa ma repet deloc...sunt atatea lucruri de spus..ei bine, pentru ca m-am tot plans ca mi-au dat numai turn-around-uri, am avut placerea la sfarsitul lunii trecute sa ma pricopsesc cu un layover in Calcutta. Sincera sa fiu, am fost foarte entuziasmata de aceasta oprire pentru ca ma fascineaza totul legat de India ( da, recunosc ca m-am uitat la telenovela de pe Acasa Tv cu India ). Patru ore de zbor pana acolo, mi-am zis eu, nu pot fi asa de groaznice. Si de ce sa mint...nu au fost...numai ca am fost eu norocoasa care sa descopere urmatoarele lucruri: 1) o toaleta era efectiv inundata pe pipi..de unde am ajuns la concluzia ca multi dintre ei nu stiu ca trebuie sa urineze in gaura aia rotunda. Asa ca a trebuit sa declaram toaleta inoperativa. 2) intr-o o a doua toaleta pe care am avut privilegiul sa o descopar tot eu ( mereu am parte numai de experiente unice ) chiuveta era inundata cu vaporase de voma care pluteau si ele pe acolo, parca sa-mi faca mie in ciuda. Asadar, am inchis si cea de-a doua toaleta. Bineinteles, efectele s-au vaut ulterior - cozi ca la paine la celelalte 2 toalete ramase inca deschise.
Circula o vorba despre indieni care s-a adeverit intr-u totul - monkey see, monkey wants. Pe principiul asta functioneaza si ei....daca unul vrea sa bea o cola, tot randul vrea, ghiciti ce: o cola! Si bineinteles ca daca se termina cola din cartul de bauturi nu e bine...ca fac plangere. Si uite asa ne vezi pe noi toti zburand intre galley (bucataria noastra ) si cabina, pentru a indeplini si cele mai neasteptate dorinte ale clientilor nostri.
Trecem peste si ajungem in Calcutta. La aeroport ( care mai degraba arata ca un hangar ) multa birocratie - 50 de foi pe care sa le semnam, stampile peste stampile, etc. Ies din aeroport si ma izbeste realitatea despre India - femei batrane si uscate imbracate in sari care iti intind ceva ce se aseamana cu o palma de care sunt legate 5 bete vestejite.. cersesc. Zeci de copii imbracati care mai de care mai pompos si mai kitschos..isi asteapta multele rude plecate prin strainataturi. Multi indieni plecati dar si mai multi, poate chiar prea multi ramasi in India. Drumul de la hotel a fost o vizita prin muzeul mizeriei, saraciei, suprapopularii...o scurta priveliste a vietii pe care in jur de 1.2 bilioane de oameni o traiesc...
Ajung intr-un hotel ce seamana cu un palat Taj Bengal..contrastul este mult prea puternic. Saracia lucie de pe strazi si luxul care se gaseste in aceasta cladire este de nedescris in cuvinte. Totul este grandios, totul este la superlativ. Dupa un bufet cu de toate, plec cu 3 colegi sa exploram imprejurimile. Am avut noroc cu Purser-ul nostru ( Purser este seniorul nostru de pe avion ) care era indian si s-a putut intelege cu unul-cu altul. Asadar, ne-am urcat intr-un taxi si dusi am fost pe strazile Calcuttei. Am aflat ca orasul este supranumit "orasul bucuriei" in momentul in care am auzit muzica pe strazi.
Calatoria cu taxiul a fost o experienta unica - circulatia este exact ca in video-urile de pe youtube - nimeni nu respecta niciun semn de circiulatie, pietonii trec cu masinile odata, bicicletele merg pe mijlocul strazii, este un adevarat haos rutier. Claxoanele suna incontinuu fara oprire, degetul mare al soferilor este lipit de claxon si nu se misca de acolo pana masina nu se opreste de tot.
Prima oprire a fost intr-o piata ( un market traditional ). Mii de oameni se invarteau incolo si incoace, ca niste soareci prinsi in custi. O forfota si o mizerie cum nu am mai vazut. Eram atat de uimita de tot ce vedeam ca as fi putut sta acolo o zi intreaga numai ca sa observ lumea din jurul meu. Copii dezbracati care mancau de pe jos, barbati in picioarele goale care se spalau in mijlocul strazilor, femei imbracate in sari de toate culorile iesite la cumparaturi...ma uitam uimita la tot ce se petrecea, pentru ca pentru mine era ca un spectacol ieftin si dizgratios...si eram in acelasi timp fascinata de ce vedeam. Oamenii aceia isi duceau viata acolo, zi de zi in acea piata, in acea forfota de oameni saraci, in mizerie, praf si daramaturi.
Ne-am suit din nou in taxi si am pornit spre un pod renumit din oras. Un pod maricel, facut din fier dar nimic deosebit...totusi, pentru localnici era o mandrie. Ceea ce mi-a acaparat privirea nu a fost podul, ci ce era pe marginea apei. Desi purserul indian mi-a spus sa nu cobor pe marginea apei ca este un loc murdar si oribil, nu am putut sa rezist tentatiei si i-am rugat sa ma astepte cateva minute pana faceam niste poze sub acel pod. Intradevar...mizeria si putoarea era de nedescris.Am simtit ca ma aflu intr-un film de groaza- lesuri animalice pe marginea drumului, sobolani care misunau printre gunoaie, pasari care ciuguleau din caini morti....si printre toate acestea, mai erau cativa copii care isi traiau copilaria.
La rau erau sute de barbati care stateau ca la un teatru de vara...pe scari de ciment si se uitau cum alti zeci de barbati se imbaiau. Aparitia mea acolo a fost ceva special pentru ca toti se uitau la mine. O femeie a inceput sa tipe ca din gura de sarpe ...nu intelegeam ce zice. Am facut cateva poze si m-am intors la ceilalti.
Ma aflam din nou in spatioasa mea camera din hotel. Si pentru prima data am simtit cat de nedreapta este soarta cu unii..multi dintre acei copii pe care i-am vazut ingropati in gunoaie, vor ramane ingropati in gunoaie pana vor inchide ochii pentru totdeauna....si pe multi nu-i va plange nimeni....pentru ca pentru societate ei nu au existat niciodata.
Pentru a vedea poze, apasa aici.
English
I keep on struggling for a while to leave aside the parties and write a little about the wonderful places that I've been. I must tell you it is very hard ... when in Dubai, there is always someone that is having a great time in clubs or preparing dinner. So the time I get to spend in my apartment is really insignificant.
I remember I have said in the previous post something about India flights ... flights that are very special for us all cabin crew. When someone hears about India, all our dreams are falling apart, the sky falls on our head literally ... I had the pleasure to "taste" a little more of the Hindu tradition from the first month of flying, when some lovely people gave me five flights to India ... all turn-arounds ( you go and come back in the same day ). Believe me that after my first flight I wanted to quit.
Well, because I kept complaining about the fact that they gave me only turn-around's, I had the pleasure last month to get a layover in Calcutta. Frankly, I was very excited about it because everything about India fascinates me (yes, I admit that I watched the soap-opera on the Home TV about India). Four hours of flying 'till there, thought I m will not be so terrible. And why should I lie ... they weren't ...just that I was lucky to discover the following things: 1) a toilet was actually flooded with pee .. so I had to declare inoperative toilet. 2) a second bathroom that I was privileged to discover (I always have only unique experiences) was flooded with vomit.. So, I closed the second toilet also. Of course, the effects were later felt - bread queues at the other two open toilets.
Moving on, we get in Calcutta. At the airport (which looks rather like a hangar) bureaucracy all over - 50 papers to sign, stamp over stamps, etc.. Going out of the airport and the reality strikes me -old women with dry and thinny hands approach you and beg. Dozens of children dressed more than pompous and more kitsch await their relatives that now live abroad. Many Indians leave the country but many others, perhaps too many remained in India. The journey to the hotel was like a visit to the museum of misery, poverty, overpopulation ... a short perspective of the life that over 1.2 billion people live ...
We get to a hotel that looks like a palace .. Taj Bengal- the contrast is too strong. The abject poverty on the streets and the luxury found in this building is indescribable in words. All is grand, all is at its best. After a buffet with everything that you can imagine, I go with three colleagues to explore the surroundings. We were lucky with our Purser (Purser is our senior on the plane) which was Indian and could understand the language. So we jumped into a taxi and we were taken to the streets of Calcutta. I learned that the city's nickname is "city of joy" when I heard music in the streets.
The journey with the taxi was a unique experience - the traffic is just like the videos on YouTube - no one complies to any traffic signs, pedestrians pass along cars, bikes just go on the streets, is a real road chaos. Horns sounded continuously without stopping, the driver's thumb is stuck on the horn and won't move until the car stops completely.
First stop was a market (a traditional market). Thousands of people were milling to and from, like rats trapped in cages. A bustle and a mess I have never ever seen before. I was so amazed by everything I saw that I could sit there all day just to observe the world around me. Children who ate on the ground, naked, barefoot men who washed in the middle of streets, women dressed in all colors of sari went for shopping ... I looked amazed at everything that was happening there, because for me it was a cheap and disgraceful show ... but in the same time, I was fascinated by what I saw. Those people lived their life there, every day in that market, among poverty, dirt, dust and debris.
We got back in the cab and went to a famous bridge . A medium-sized bridge made of iron but nothing special ... however, was a pride for locals. What cought my eye was not the bridge, but what was beside the water. Although the Indian purser told me not to go down on the water because it is dirty and a horrible place, I could not resist the temptation and I asked them to wait a few minutes to take some pictures under that bridge. Indeed ... filth and stench was all around. I've felt that I'm in a horror movie, animal corpses on the roadside, rats swarming through the garbage, bird pecking among the dead dogs ....And among all these things there were some children who lived their childhood.
At the river were hundreds of men who stood on cement stairs, just as tourists stay for a show in a summer theater ... they all watched as dozens of other men bathe. My presence there was something new for everyone because they all looked at me. A woman began to scream with all her lungs ... I did not understand what she said. I took some photos and returned with the others.
I was back in my spacious room of the hotel. And for the first time I felt how unjust is the fate of some .. many of those kids that I saw buried in rubbish bins will remain buried until they close theirr eyes forever .... and for many nobody will cry .... because, for the society, they never existed.To see pictures, click here.
