Another Journey

This journey doesn’t start with suddenly as this was a well planned one. Booked a bus ticket to go home well ahead. The Telengana issue started and they stopped the buses. So booked a train ticket as a backup which was on waiting list 93.

On 23rd after PC gave a different version of the statement on Andhra things became better and busses were released. As per 23rd status buses were going and there was no problem. I called up the reservation counter again on 24th to confirm if buses were going and then tried to cancel the train ticket. It didn’t work for several times, so tried it one last time and switched of the PC with out seeing the status.

On the way to bus depot I was thinking how good it was to have a backup ticket, even if the refund may not happen, the peace it gave was worth. Waited at the pickup point for more than an hour and then called up to the reservation counter to find that the bus has been cancelled. The refund of the ticket can only happen if I give them my ticket that day. Hmmmm now the other option left is the train. I don’t even have the ticket printed. And only 30 mins left in which I have to now print the ticket and reach station. I tried taking my chance at train at the loss of bus ticket now.

Asked my cousin who is travelling by the same train and had already reached station to print my ticket. Out of the blue got a call from my colleague Shamil, asking me to join for lunch. While speaking to him I realised that I have a printed ticket at my office desk which I did on the day I booked the ticket. I requested him if he can drop me the ticket in time. He started immediately with the ticket. Mean while the net connection was slow where my cousin was trying to print and I asked him to check the PNR and…… the ticket status is cancelled :D.

Now my friend is still on the way getting the ticket. I have decided that any cost I am going to go by this train as the buses are not guaranteed and not sure if I will get a ticket for night. Went and bought a general ticket. Shamil came, and I was feeling bad that I have to make him come for a ticket that is of no use. One more idea stuck and asked him to cancel my bus ticket and felt happy that his efforts didn’t go waste as it still helped me.

Met my cousin who have a confirmed ticket on the platform and made up my mind to get reservation even if he charges me high once I get into the train. Got into the train and into my cousin’s reserved compartment it is worse than a general compartment. No place even to stand. Went in search of the TTE to get a reserved seat but it didn’t help, met 3 of them but all of them no vacancy. But he allowed me to stay in the compartment and all other unreserved he asked to get out.

The TTEs changed at Tirupati but they too didn’t ask any thing. So after a long wait I got down at Nellore. Then took a bus home and reached by 12 am.

This is the cheapest journey home I ever did 101 + 27

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Hallelujah Christmas Cruise

It is so often we miss to notice how things happen beyond what we can imagine or think of. Ever wondered how they do happen and who makes it happen? We do feel happy of the good that happens, enjoy it but most of the times fail to identify who made it happen. I sometimes try to look into it. Hallelujah Christmas Cruise play at KMC last Sunday is one of it.

I was part of the sound team for the play. The hired microphones were supposed to come at 11:30 am, so after morning service I took a break went out and came back but no trace of microphones and the wait went on. 3:30 pm the kids have started the final rehearsal still no trace. Usually we make the final rehearsal with sound so that we can tune the system and with kids it always difficult and now don’t even have that opportunity to do. There were instances where even after the trial, things went bad. Around 4:45 pm the hired ones came but with out cables and batteries. This made my worries and irritations rise which started due to the delay and no responses from the concerned people for hiring.

Though things I have to work with are now there, I was not really sure how I am going to make that to work with only those. Just sat down there not knowing what to do, the kids doing the rehearsal on one side and everyone waiting for the sound to come and me not having a clue how to make it work. And no time to get any things that is required. The vendors stopped picking up calls. We had been through this many times and we know how miraculously God worked, but this time it seemed hopeless. Sitting there I just asked one question “God! Are you going to make this happen?” “I am going to try my best, rest is Yours” This was my final say and started to put things together.

Added to this the other team mates who were supposed to come after lunch turned up late and there it went ….. Lost my cool and shouted at them. It was 5:20 pm when we started working with no sound and I know nothing other than a miracle can run the show with sound. And tough job connecting, setting it up, and coordinating with people for the small things required and the loose contacts making things worse in between. Things started falling in place, great ideas from the team and it’s just running around noting on the mind other than to make things work. Don’t remember how many times we sent people out to buy stuff that we need. And its 6:00pm YES! we can hear sound :). I just couldn’t believe myself that we did it in such short time and things started falling in place. I can’t believe it even now that we did it.  Just paused to recollect how things were half an hour back and I realized that we have the same assurance to remind Who is in control. Now I know Who worked for it and Who is working with us all the time.

Though we can hear the sound, it was pretty bad and people already started complaining. I just assured them that it will be better when it starts just cause of the miracle that had happened and knowing how things progressed I can say that :) . I left before it started, with the peace that “He brought it till here and the rest He will take care and it is going to happen”.

Thanks for the sound team and the team work that made this happen.

Came to know later that it was much better than the time I left.

Thank you LORD for being so faithful.

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Updates

It’s been long that I have written a blog entry. After all the work and other things don’t find time these days and I totally forgot until some reminded it. Life has become too busy and that too in December have too many things to do and every weekend already jam packed. But as usual plan to write the year ending notes by the end of year. Planning a vacation to go home and spend some time before the year ends.

Not sure if I get proper transport because of the Telengana issue and the whole lot of bandhs happening. Booked a train ticket too as backup. Need to see on which ticket I will travel.

Went to carols and enjoyed it, Attended a protest for Samakya Andhra supported,  Organised a volunteer camp from iKnight, …I think that’s all in the recent past.

One more week to go home and after that one more week for the year to end. Few things left to be completed before that. Hope I will find some time.

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