I dragged myself into office on a Monday morning somnolent, overpowered by lassitude and a killer hangover. The nicotine and caffeine were not helping to kill the crapulence. A summon from the Delivery Head, fraught with urgency kills the ennui. Next moment I am standing in his room struggling to look a million bucks. The words “Tarun you are traveling to New York to visit Tradeware Global (aka TWG) for a short assignment of 18 days …………..” amused me. I was tumultuous and thought this is delusive; it’s still the blues playing galore. But the proposition was real and I reeled back into my normal suave self. I was traveling to New York on January 01, 2007 via Amsterdam, Detroit and returning back on January 18, 2007.
December 31, 2006: Yes I was feeling low, the world at large is solemnizing the New Year and I was in a cab in solitude braving my way to the airport in a dense fog. As luck would have it, my flight got cancelled and I returned back home and again on January 1, 2007 and yet again on January 2, 2007. I had you there didn’t I? Finally the flight did take off on January 2, 2007 and yes all my connecting flights were affected.
January 04, 2007: Spending a night at Schiphol Airport, traveling for 19 hours jam packed like a sardine, being at the airport for virtually 48 hours I was enervated and lugubrious when I got out of LeGardia airport at New York. It was 10:00 pm and gelid would be an understatement. An hour and a half later I was at my abode, the Holland Motor Lodge NJ snoozing over a generous king size bed.
January 05, 2005: Devouring a cup of fresh brewed coffee and large donuts ten hours later I was headed towards TWG’s office invigorated. Tradeware Global ensconces on Trump's 36th and 37th floor as boastly as the man Donald Trump himself.
“The Trump building alias The Crown Jewel of Wall Street dominates the lower Manhattan skyline with its ornate pyramidal crown and gothic spire.”
I would really contain myself not to talk about work I did at New York else it would be a mundane and prosaic exercise to kumtux it. Lunch happened at 12 noon and I was digging on a hot dog and sipping a Starbucks coffee. Five hours later I was headed back for my hotel. Back at my hotel, I was appeased drinking Je Mason and listening to the legends like Dire Straits, GNR, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin. The next day was a cognation of the previous.
Weekend happened and I was procrastinating touring New York to next week. I spent most of my time sleeping, lazing, boozing and catching up with old friends pursuing their masters there.
Next week was a Xerox copy of the previous; Hotel, Office, Hotel.
The weekend was pretty eventful and amazing. Painted the town red, took the Staten Island Ferry, saw the Bull, Statue of Liberty, Manhattan sky line, NYL, and NYSE and visited the Times Square and Madison Square Garden, just to name a few.
Time does fly and I was headed back home. The next I knew I was standing at the New Delhi airport along with other people in an altercation with the airlines staff as our luggage was not boarded at the Schiphol airport.
Overall the trip was enriched with a plethora of experiences, fun moments and nostalgic ones too.
