Aerial shots

 I took a few photographs from a plane recently that were unique for the views. Some in Belgaum, and some in Mumbai. These are the shots. They can turn out well, or not. I think these did. They were from a small plane, an Embraer jet in the first pic.

Take off, at Mumbai

Landing, at Belgaum

Fogged Out

Thus speaks the wiki on Fog-

Fog is a collection of liquid water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated locally (such as from a nearby body of water, like a lake or the ocean, or from nearby moist ground or marshes). Fog is distinguished from mist only by its density, as expressed in the resulting decrease in visibility: Fog reduces visibility to less than 1 km (5/8 statute mile), whereas mist reduces visibility to no less than 1 km . For aviation purposes in the UK, a visibility of less than 5 km but greater than 999 m is considered to be mist if the relative humidity is 70% or greater.

The fictional character in Jules Vernes' book 'Around the World in Eighty Days' was called Phileas Fogg, I don't have the foggiest idea of why anyone would want to have a name like Fogg, but then, I have encountered  (sur) names like Cabinetmaker in my life too. 

Anyway, the point of this post is to mention that I had a fog delay- not, as is the fashion, in the air, or on the airport, but just driving to work-on the road. That I am fogged out as a result goes without saying. But what is life without a bit of fog-or other kinds of excitement? 

National Characteristics-India

This is a new theory of the world. To be debated, before accepting it or rejecting it. The theory is that each nation has some unique characteristics. You could call them core competences, if you wish. These a nation is naturally good at. Other things, it struggles with.

On to the first case study, one we know best. India. We are good at things that do not need us to work with our hands. But we are good at things that move through the air. Like talk. Notice how we can solve every problem (our own and that of the world) through talking about it. Yak, yak, yak. We are damn good at it (The Bongs have raised it to a fine art, but the rest of us are not too far behind). But if it needs work- read plumbing, carpentry, road building- we are downcast, and would rather avoid it. Or do it half-heartedly. Not for us the hard work involved in laying roads, maintaining them etc. etc..

But get into the air, and we are a different country. Look at telecom. While it was wired, with BSNL, and all the digging of roads to lay cables, we were terrible. But the moment we went wireless, telecom boomed, and aided by our propensity to talk, we are one of the largest occupiers of airwaves in the world. Our national song should be 'Hawa mein udta jaaye', or maybe 'Hawa Hawaai...'.

Fantasy- A Plane Journey

The check-in is smooth, and I get a seat of my choice. There are no oversized guys leaning into me front, back and sideways, no wailing children, the pushback on my seat works, and I can use the toilet whenever I wish to, without the infernal trolleys blocking the passage.

The food is free, it's good and I am asked for my preference and get it. I get tea if I feel like having some. It tastes like tea. The food tastes like food (as in the old days 'when men used to be men').

The flight arrives when it should, without vague announcements like "delays in arrival and therefore delay beyond our control" and hamein khed hai. People (co-passengers do not behave like they are getting out of a jail while getting on and getting off the plane. They don't jostle to put heavy bags into the overhead luggage compartment and then jostle to take it off. They generally behave courteously. They don't use mobile phones after being old to stop using them. The stewardess smiles rather than scowls/puts on a fake expression like a debuting film actress while getting you a bottle of water or something equally ordinary.

Yana Gupta smiles at me. I return her smile...but hey, I woke up before I could get any further...