Ok,
So, here was Mami boarding the Eurail from Geneva [Switzerland ] to Frankfurt [ Germany ]. Earlier
they had to break journey at Basel, go to a DB Counter [ Deutsche Bahn ] , buy a fresh ticket and board
another train to Frankfurt [Main]. The first time she traveled on the Eurail, was with Mama - as with so many
'first times' in her life - somehow, he [Mama] became partially deaf when he got the day's paper in his hands
and she described to him how she had traveled for the first time by any train, from Tiruvarur to Madras. She was
about 6 years old and part of a whole gang of relatives going to attend a wedding in Madras. It was all Metre Gauge
then, and there was a change of train and platforms in Mayavaram [ Mayiladuthurai ], in the middle of the night.
She had 'fought' bitter battles with her siblings and cousins for a 'window seat' - it was an overnight journey, yet
the 'window seat' was the most priced possession. She loved the sound of the moving train, occasional whistle
from the steam engine and the hawkers going " Idly-Vadai-Kaapi, Idli-Vadai-Kaapi, Idli-Vadai-Kaapi", and just as she
was enjoying the 'window seat', the train rolled into Egmore - elders cribbing about the train being late - it was only
6 am - how she'd wished that the train could've rolled on and on !
The very first time she traveled by Eurail, Mama just let her have the 'window seat' - what a gentleman!
She was thrilled to see the lush green European countryside fly past. Every time she traveled by Train,
whether in India or Europe, she had always 'enjoyed' .
Now, here she was in a 'window seat', traveling from Switzerland to Germany to meet and Australian woman
whom she didn't know, on behalf of a South African man [ and she didn't like Policemen, whether serving or retired ].
She recalled how when she asked Mama for the name of the river that they were crossing, the standard
reply was " Rhine ". She took it that he didn't know and was just saying something to answer her query. She had
silently vowed to cross-check, in private - to her utter amazement, Mama had actually not been bullshitting.
Rhine, did flow through Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France & Germany. Then there was an occasional variation
in his reply - "Danube", which too she she'd checked-out. She was convinced that Her Man was a genius.
****
Folks - where's every body gone - I called for HELP - looks like, I'll have to sound the DISTRESS SIGNAL, soon.
Yay Yem
So, here was Mami boarding the Eurail from Geneva [Switzerland ] to Frankfurt [ Germany ]. Earlier
they had to break journey at Basel, go to a DB Counter [ Deutsche Bahn ] , buy a fresh ticket and board
another train to Frankfurt [Main]. The first time she traveled on the Eurail, was with Mama - as with so many
'first times' in her life - somehow, he [Mama] became partially deaf when he got the day's paper in his hands
and she described to him how she had traveled for the first time by any train, from Tiruvarur to Madras. She was
about 6 years old and part of a whole gang of relatives going to attend a wedding in Madras. It was all Metre Gauge
then, and there was a change of train and platforms in Mayavaram [ Mayiladuthurai ], in the middle of the night.
She had 'fought' bitter battles with her siblings and cousins for a 'window seat' - it was an overnight journey, yet
the 'window seat' was the most priced possession. She loved the sound of the moving train, occasional whistle
from the steam engine and the hawkers going " Idly-Vadai-Kaapi, Idli-Vadai-Kaapi, Idli-Vadai-Kaapi", and just as she
was enjoying the 'window seat', the train rolled into Egmore - elders cribbing about the train being late - it was only
6 am - how she'd wished that the train could've rolled on and on !
The very first time she traveled by Eurail, Mama just let her have the 'window seat' - what a gentleman!
She was thrilled to see the lush green European countryside fly past. Every time she traveled by Train,
whether in India or Europe, she had always 'enjoyed' .
Now, here she was in a 'window seat', traveling from Switzerland to Germany to meet and Australian woman
whom she didn't know, on behalf of a South African man [ and she didn't like Policemen, whether serving or retired ].
She recalled how when she asked Mama for the name of the river that they were crossing, the standard
reply was " Rhine ". She took it that he didn't know and was just saying something to answer her query. She had
silently vowed to cross-check, in private - to her utter amazement, Mama had actually not been bullshitting.
Rhine, did flow through Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France & Germany. Then there was an occasional variation
in his reply - "Danube", which too she she'd checked-out. She was convinced that Her Man was a genius.
****
Folks - where's every body gone - I called for HELP - looks like, I'll have to sound the DISTRESS SIGNAL, soon.
Yay Yem
