The Team Leader

The official planning for the South-East Asia tour started months ago. Dad and I had the paperwork ready as early as October so that I could apply for the visas from the capital itself. My sweat was confined to the visa formalities like applying and collection of passports. The real work was undertaken by my father who is known for being meticulous for detail. Before I immersed myself in the tour planning, he had gone through every single detail which was available on the internet. He knew the train timings, bus schedules, passport photo requirements etc. He really does his homework before beginning anything. It reminded me of this hilarious incident in Bangkok two Decembers ago.

Dad had already taken down the details of what markets and malls to visit and how to go there -- whether it be by sky train, cab or tuk tuk. As a result, we were always in the right place in the right mode and in the right time. On our last day, I rather confidently volunteered to take my brother around just because I said (and seriously thought) I was familiar with the city, having been in Thailand on an earlier occassion. We did some really quick shopping in the usual haunts like MBK, Pratunam, Central world. I don't clearly remember where exactly this incident took place but we got out of a mall and I told my brother we would now be proceeding towards another venue some kilometres away. The tuk tuk driver was charging around 80 baht so I did what I do best i.e. I haggled. Meanwhile, my brother stood next to me, all quiet, making me do the talking because obviously I knew best. When we finally struck a 40 baht deal, we sat in the tuk tuk. I had this haughty grin on my face. I had succeeded! Include Thai autowalas in the same bracket as the Delhi gang please, I thought. In the next five minutes, I was brought back to reality. The driver merely took a u-turn from under the flyover and had us get down at our destination. It took all of five minutes! Suddenly, the tables had turned and it was Parker's moment now. He had the biggest smirk on his face the entire time we shopped. I begged him to keep this between the two of us. He has indeed kept his promise till date, or maybe even forgotten about it. Stripped of the confidence that only seasoned travellers possess, I was reminded why Dad stuck to getting the details right. Now that I am a PhD student and research is what I do best, I better not live such incidents again.

Yesterday my cousin called me up with a gleeful tone in her voice. Apparently, Dad was working on the tour plan again. After the harrowing experience with Air India last night, he had to update his itinerary. Instead of writing the details of the same, have a read of the email he sent us in his own words:

"Dear all, I am sending the latest updated tour itinerary. The problem we faced was with Air India flight which was scheduled to fly to Mumbai at 7.30 pm on 14.01.13. The flight was changed suddenly to go via Bangalore to Mumbai without informing the passengers. Angry passengers refused to board that flight and this went on well past 11.30 pm compelling the management to lay on a special flight to Mumbai which left around midnight. We arrived in Mumbai at around 4 am. That is Air India, thanks. No more Air India."

Attached alongwith this mail was an updated tour itinerary which was signed off under:

KNB, 

Team leader, 

Updated on 15th January 2013.

I cannot help but smile and beam with pride at the same time. He sure is a team leader in the true sense of the word, unlike an overconfident Sikkimese girl back in 2010.