Beginning of A New Dawn

January 10th, 2014

• When Police Is More Concerned About Security Than A Lonely Girl Traveling Abroad For The First Time

I was in the car; many things were jammed in my head. First flight; first ever visit to abroad, without parents, without any friend or relative, leaving everything behind. I was scared, excited, nervous, happy and sad and these multi-complex emotions made me feel almost dizzy. Yes, I was going to Sri Lanka, for almost 10 days, for my ISV that stands for International Study Visit, arranged by British Council and my mother organization, Centre for Communication Development(CCD), Bangladesh.

I could not get engrossed in thinking much because suddenly the car was stopped by some random police officer at the entrance of the airport and he clearly stated that only the passenger of the flight is allowed to go in, no one else. I could see still a minute long way from the airport. My brother tried to explain that he was here to see off his sister; at least they should allow my poor old father to come with me. Well, that was of no use. We were having a hard time going on in Bangladesh. Security was more important than to leave a young girl alone in the airport who was traveling for the 1^st time and almost knew nothing!!

Hajrat Shahjalal International Airtport, Bangladesh 

More nervously I got freezed on my seat and after taking the last glimpse of my sight, my father and brother got out of the car helplessly. I called my co-partner Sazzat Hossain who was from Shaatkhira,Khulna and made it confirm that he had reached the airport already. Well, yes, I found him safe and sound waiting for me with a double sized luggage. My bags and luggage were so heavy that I was passing a hard time carrying those. Though Sazzat saved me from that trouble! God bless him!! We had to go through all those procedures, security checking, getting boarding pass, Immigration and others and I was absolutely new, in each and every moment I wondered "what next!". As a result we had to walk a lot and had to ask a lot of people for clear information, but that was okay, it was the 1^st time and that is how we learn.  

• Almost Lost My Boarding Pass

In departure lounge, I saw my flight for the first time, Mihin Lanka, MJ 502. It was comparatively smaller than the others. When I was standing in a queue for the boarding pass, a random guy who was going to the Maldives and had a transit in Sri Lanka was telling that,

Watching the flights!

“Mihin Lanka!!  You should not expect much from it!” 

But I was sure, this was my first flight ever and I knew that somehow, it was going to be very special for me and it didn't turn out wrong. 

And finally, it was announced to get on board. Standing in the line, I put my hand in my bag to get my boarding pass, and guess what, it was not there. I missed a heart-beat. Sazzat got paranoid. I am usually a hyper type of girl, and when I get hyper nothing goes in the right direction. For a good reason, I know this piece of information (though it doesn’t help me every time!!). So, I calmed myself down and very slowly began to search again. It turned out that for extra security concern I put it in the passport! 

When we got in!

• How I Managed To Get The Wing Seat ;)

We were in the economy class that contained three seats in every row; wing, middle and the seat beside aisle. I don’t remember clearly who but someone told me before leaving that if I didn’t get a wing seat then I really would regret. Finding our seats, we also found out that wing seat was already booked by someone else. So there left only two, the middle and the aisle and for a very logical reason I chose the aisle seat. Sitting quietly and trying to read the very ‘Mihin Lanka’ magazine, Sazzat suddenly asked me, 

“Hey, what is your seat number? Isn’t it 12A?”

I answered, “Yes”

He pointed on the seat numbers that was put serially according to the number and clearly 12A was the wing seat; turned out it was MINE!! Within a second I got all my energy back which was wasted back there on the airport during those long procedures. I politely asked the man sitting right beside the wing, “Excuse me, I fear that you are sitting on my seat. May I know your seat number?” He answered grumpily, “12C”. Undoubtedly 12C was the aisle seat. Now I didn’t care for much courtesy, I said straight “Would you mind if I get into my seat?”. Apparently that man was not very happy due to this sudden discovery, still he tried to negotiate “But there should not be any problem if I sit here, isn’t it?” Who cares for any problem at all! I got the wing seat and I want to sit on my seat! The man would have argued hard if I were not a girl, I bet.  And by using the privilege of being a girl, I got my wing seat, which actually belonged to me! :P

Waiting at the Airport!

• The First Take Off!

12 pm in the afternoon, that was the departure time of my flight. It took a long time to start, the plane; but when the engine started, and it was running in full speed just before taking off, I got a feeling in my stomach, like thousands of butterflies were playing! A mixed feeling of excitement and nervousness! Like I was about to get the taste of a new adventure!! People who do not have the experience of riding on a plane, I’m assuring you all, if you want to get the feeling of a “take off”, get a ride on roller coaster. It’s quite the same ;) At least I felt the same. 

I did not know what was coming for me in the next, but it was definitely a beginning of a new dawn for me with a bucket full of new experiences!


(to be continued)