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Saving faith by David Baldacci

Book review

Fiction thriller genre

Rating 4/5 for the Intense introduction and the nail biting climax which of course is not how the real world works of course!

No major spoilers

David Baldacci uses FBI and CIA in his storylines so much that I feel he has some inside information!

A one word summary of the book would be that it emphasizes the rivalry between the two premier investigation agencies of US; namely the FBI and CIA. Though the anti Hero was from the CIA in this case, it could have been anyone of those who put patriotism in front and give their own definitions to it!
Any act done with that thought process is deemed right in the mind however evil or cruel it may seem!

You kill people and even FBI agents as if you are swatting a fly! Money moves around like a ball while playing passing the parcel!

Where ever you are though, it is understood that there will be people of honour and there will be people who are corrupt. Then again financial crunch can make anyone sell his or her soul! Especially if you are in CIA or FBI, it is imperative that you don’t trust anyone! In fact one of the mole or leak was so unexpected! Kudos to David for that! Never doubted that guy to be the mole!

You meet you above average PI Lee who on a routine surveillance saves a girl called Faith who is under FBI costudy on a case against another guy Buchanan who is getting blackmailed by our anti Hero who is the chief of CIA! Talk about twists and this is a roller coaster ride!

Lee saves the girl and runs only to get caught between a cross fire between the agencies with no one to trust!

The novel also points out how most agents start decent but the lure of money or financial problems or lack of apppreciation can turn anyone!

The language is simple and straightforward and there is no beating round the bush!

Though the Robin Hood has now gone international! The two people who were lobbying with parliamentarians were doing it to send more foreign aid! The ethics of how they do it and why they must be so rich is debatable!
In the end of it all, you always have the prince Saving the damsel princess in distress! Just change the location but the storyline remains the same!

Of course it is always wonderful to see the proverbial bad guy fall but like I mentioned before, it happens only in movies and books! Real life is only a matter of keeping faith or holding on to it! Saving faith is a dream (not the book but the metaphor! The book is however a one time read!)

Saving faith by David Baldacci

Book review

Fiction thriller genre

Rating 4/5 for the Intense introduction and the nail biting climax which of course is not how the real world works of course!

No major spoilers

David Baldacci uses FBI and CIA in his storylines so much that I feel he has some inside information!

A one word summary of the book would be that it emphasizes the rivalry between the two premier investigation agencies of US; namely the FBI and CIA. Though the anti Hero was from the CIA in this case, it could have been anyone of those who put patriotism in front and give their own definitions to it!
Any act done with that thought process is deemed right in the mind however evil or cruel it may seem!

You kill people and even FBI agents as if you are swatting a fly! Money moves around like a ball while playing passing the parcel!

Where ever you are though, it is understood that there will be people of honour and there will be people who are corrupt. Then again financial crunch can make anyone sell his or her soul! Especially if you are in CIA or FBI, it is imperative that you don’t trust anyone! In fact one of the mole or leak was so unexpected! Kudos to David for that! Never doubted that guy to be the mole!

You meet you above average PI Lee who on a routine surveillance saves a girl called Faith who is under FBI costudy on a case against another guy Buchanan who is getting blackmailed by our anti Hero who is the chief of CIA! Talk about twists and this is a roller coaster ride!

Lee saves the girl and runs only to get caught between a cross fire between the agencies with no one to trust!

The novel also points out how most agents start decent but the lure of money or financial problems or lack of apppreciation can turn anyone!

The language is simple and straightforward and there is no beating round the bush!

Though the Robin Hood has now gone international! The two people who were lobbying with parliamentarians were doing it to send more foreign aid! The ethics of how they do it and why they must be so rich is debatable!
In the end of it all, you always have the prince Saving the damsel princess in distress! Just change the location but the storyline remains the same!

Of course it is always wonderful to see the proverbial bad guy fall but like I mentioned before, it happens only in movies and books! Real life is only a matter of keeping faith or holding on to it! Saving faith is a dream (not the book but the metaphor! The book is however a one time read!)

I

t all started when we were planning something big within our budget to make our tenth anniversary grand!

Places like Thailand or Dubai were tossed around but with kids we would always prefer a place with beach!

Then the Corona virus scare started and Thailand was no longer the top contender!
Plus the fact that Maldives is just less than two hours from India and there is an amazing air India flight well within our budget was the clincher!

The flight leaves around 2 PM India time and reaches Maldives at around 4
Since it’s Air India, food will be served and the leg room is really good!
Plus you get to see Air hostess in Saree! (Don’t bank on this though since the cabin crew may be a guy!)

Another great thing about Maldives is that all you need is a proper Passport and your Visa is done on arrival! Of course because of the Corona virus scare you need to fill health declaration and report if you have any infection like symptoms.
That done, the Visa and entry is fairly smooth!

Then the first thing you do is get out of the airport and take a right and grab your local SIM! The 30 dollar option gives you around 27gb data and calls! The speed is really good near the resort and consistent around 3G-4G levels.

You can then see your counter according to the resort and they will guide you to the speedboat area which is one of the two ways to get to the resort! The other one is of course more costly, namely the sea plane!

Remember that you need to pay a charge of around 100 dollars per person (110 to be exact) for the speedboat and 6 dollars per person per day green tax!
Four a family of four staying for three nights that comes to around 400 USD!

If your package includes them, it’s a good bargain! But this is a routine fair which cannot be negotiated so there will be not much difference between the packages in dividing the expense as this is a fixed one.

The experience of traveling in the speed boat with the luggage and full speed is quite good though! Of course after a while you may get bored of the deep blue ocean!

We had booked Paradise resorts which is one of the favourite ones especially for Indians though we saw lots of foreigners also! Every Island in Maldives may have one or two resort and that’s where you can plan to go since hopping from one Island or one resort to another may not be financially a good decision.

Another mistake we made was that since we got a great bargain on the room price, we did not realise that it was only for the room and meals had to be purchased separately!
In Maldives everything is in dollars and that really makes the price high!
That’s not only our opinion but also others who were staying at the resort!
A meal for an adult on an average would be 40-50 dollars! Now imagine that for a family of four three times a day!
Vegetarian options are also available but generally limited and expensive!
You do have special sea food buffet and sea food festivals if you have money and taste for that!

We also liked the Italian restaurant at the entrance of the resort with amazing freshly baked Pizza!
Room service and the coffee shops are open 24/7!

The resort itself is beautiful and well maintained! The staff is very friendly and so humble! Everyone is so hard working and they do the job with a smile! Since it was a big resort moving around is hard but they help you with their battery powered vehicles any time of the day!
First day was spent in settling in the rooms which were very clean and well maintained! Here also you have options to upgrade to a better water villa or suite with their own view of the sea and private pool! Of course they cost more so try to squeeze them in your package but frankly if you want to enjoy the beach then you need the rooms only for coming Back to sleep!

The beach! One of the cleanest beach with white sands and so clean that you can see fishes floating around! We also saw sharks and sting ray who were fed by the locals!
You can spend days on the beach or the clean well maintained pool or rent a cycle or play in the play area or enjoy the water activities!

The activities are endless ranging from boating to para sailing to Mini submarine cruise to snorkeling to skuba diving!
Most of them are cool if they come with the package since otherwise they in the range of 50-500 dollars depending on the activity!

Wifi and phone connectivity is good so you don’t have to worry about data problems!

Take lots of snaps and believe me you will remember them for a lifetime!

Some points to note

• All prices mentioned in the book or in the shops are not inclusive of tax which is 10 percent and another 12-18 percent GST! So be prepared for that!
• It is always better to pay and settle the food amount then and there since the added price will again have tax!
• Regular shower areas are spread out throughout the beach area so that you can clean yourself
• Every room is provided with an umbrella and cushions for beach! Use them wisely but carefully since if you lose them you pay a bomb!
• Your room key is very precious since lost key sends you back by 50 dollars!
• Settling with cash is the best way especially at the hotel
• Flight from Bangalore is around 15-20k per person return
• Room costs are average around 20-25k per day depending on the type of room and the meals provided.
• Everyday there will be a special program (more on weekends!) In the bar area and you must check them out! We saw crab race!

Of course because of the Corona virus scare, there may be some problems which you may or may not foresee!

All in all its a good experience which can be easy on your purse if you plan and spend wisely.

The simple truth by David Baldacci

Book review

Fiction

Rating-4/5 for beginning and the end and 4.5/5 for the middle!

Genre Thriller

The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth! These are the words most often heard in the court before the lies, deception and the charades pour in!

The whole system of justice is so complicated or skewed that it is an ardous task indeed if your case ever gets to court in any country! Having experienced exasperation as an expert witness in a local court, I personally wish that not even your worst enemy must go to court! Forget about trying to prove what is the truth (if there is such a thing for court without evidence!)

Having said that there have been instances when court has the last word and you thank your stars that we have court!

Coming to Army which is an institution on its own and normally excempt from Civilian interference! This of course can lead to human rights issues and many other incidents which may not be digestible in a civil society! Movies like A Few Good Men and The General’s Daughter have exemplified this very well! There of course you have big Generals with big ego who scream at you telling that, YOU CANT HANDLE THE TRUTH!

With that back ground let’s come to the story!
Starts with an amazing description of military prison and a convict who is a Black Hulk with dyslexia serving time for past 25 years when a letter from the army changes everything and reignites the cold embers of his long lost memory!
This starts a chain of events which can end up only in a big bang!

The people who commanded the convict years back are now respectable people of power who will do anything to keep their position and nest!

The description of jail and court system is like a page from John Grishams book and is very commendable!

Finally enter the Protagonist, a confused Liar (I mean Lawyer!) Who is investigating his brother’s murder and stumbled upon a constroversy which had the capacity to rock both the army and the judiciary!

Ably assisted by a court clerk who since it’s a David Baldacci novel must be pretty and single! But the fact that female characters get meaty roles in his novels till now is an appreciation worthy act!

As more and more bodies pile up, you have a daring escape and more bodies till you feel everyone is a suspect! In a departure from his routine, David has a surprise twist with a whodunnit character in the end which was thrilling to say the least!

All in all a good package where you can see the growth of the author as the series progresses!

Of course in real life the ending as described may not happen since rarely the guilty get punishment while many innocent do languish in old jail cells abandoned and left to rot!

If only the whole justice system was a matter of finding THE SIMPLE TRUTH!

David Baldacci the Winner

Book review

Fiction thriller genre

Rating 4/5 for the beginning 4.5/5 for the middle and 3.5/5 for the ending!
Typical Baldacci who starts so well but somehow little let down in the ending!
Mild spoilers but nothing to give away the story! Since this is not a whodunnit it really does not matter!

The premise is a young beautiful but poor gal with a young kid and an alcoholic partner living in an old trailor just trying to make ends meet by working as a waitress!

Then she gets involved with a man called Jackson who gives her the chance of a lifetime! She initially says no but then when her life gets drug partner level screwed then she takes the offer!

She wins the lottery! Literally! How she wins and how she keeps the money and how Jackson tackles everything that comes in his way is the story!

The lottery scam reminds me of an episode in Monk and that also did not end well!

Jackson is like the super villian, the escape artist, the master of disguise, intelligent, crooked and very very clever! You better watch out! At least that’s the impression till of course he meets our protagonist!

Throw in an inactive FBI AGENT who is undercover, a very curious cat (remember what happened to the cat!) journalist and an old fatherly friend and you have a mixture of Baldacci proportions!!

The language is straightforward and the narration is linear. With not too many characters that you get confused and not too less than it seems boring!

Baldacci has managed to keep me hooked for now and this novel may not be top notch but it is readable to say the least!

The chase, the money and the corruption! Add some crazy escapes, innovative kills and unbelievable disguises and entertainment is guaranteed!

Regular Baldacci readers would have read this long back! The new ones do not start with this! The chronology is Absolute Power, Total Control and this!

The next one will read and reviewed soon!

Until then try your luck in the lottery!

The vault of Vishnu by Ashwin Sanghi

Book review

Fiction

Rating 5/5 for the research 4.5/5 for the incorporation into modern times 3/5 for the flow which could have been more fluid 4/5 for the thrill and spoilers!

Spoilers- None in the review but there are a few surprises and twists in the book which though are true Ashwin Style are completely unexpected!

Ashwin of the Rozabel line is back and how! Though overall his keepers of Kalchakra was a good read, it was losing its identity to being a fiction to fantasy Fiction!

With a surname like that, it was natural for Ashwin to have changed his name for Rozabel line (Shawn Haigins!). Many Indians would not like to be caught with Indian author’s book! Glad that times are changing!

In typical Ashwin Style, here also you also have multiple narratives of the old and the new and multiple parallel narratives within them! At the offset the relationship here is of India and China and in the current scenario in the novel could not have come in a better time!

It starts with a small Indo China battle and investigation into the battle by Pam! Heartening to see a chief lady protagonist and only in India or a novel based on Hindu belief you can get away with that!

The central plotline is the travels and adventures of the famed traveller Xuanzang. In popular lore we know him as Hiuen Tsang and there is a popular ACK book on him which you can read for reference! But Ashwin just like his Chanakya Chant goes into the details and the attention to details is just amazing!

Sad that when Dan Brown’s novel is released once in a while with some research we all go weak in our knees while the same done by an Indian author and we ask, “Ashwin, who!?”.

The language and grammar is fairly simple and straightforward and does not beat around the bush! So don’t expect a deeper meaning in any line though when you need to think and expect a deeper meaning, the line is kept separate or highlited!

From searching the elixir of immortality to the herbs of recovery, you have the age old adventure of finding the cure for death! Or superhuman strength or vitality!

While the old and new places have been described so well, the narrative does make you dwelve on the history and age old practices…
While Keepers of Kalchakra like his other novels also gave lots of information and trivia, here that is given without much aplomb.

Without ruffling too many feathers Ashwin treads lightly on Chinese belief system and Indo China relationship!
After covering most of North India in his other books, he gets south to Kanchipuram and how!

Add in your regular dose of mad kills, gore, spies galore, crosses and double crosses and surveillance; and you have a typical thriller!

For a fan of such genre like me, this is unputdownable!

The chief story about Hiuen Tsang is how a Monk travelled so many thousand miles to find out treasures in India while we who live here are oblivious to the same makes me both happy and sad!

But for people who salivate only on the Dan Brown type of books, you can try this one for a change!
Regular Ashwin readers will like it anyway…

Total control by David Baldacci

Book review

Fiction thriller genre

Rating 4.5/5 for the first half and start 3/5 for the middle and 2/5 for the end and climax!

No major spoilers!

I have decided to give David a chance after Absolute power which was a page turner with a sloppy ending!

Total control also heads that way according to me! The beginning was an edge of the seat thriller with one twist to another! Then the deaths followed like the first few minutes of Saving Private Ryan!

Then you have the supposed lead escaping his fate ( not a spoiler!); And finally you have a flight full of passengers with bad luck!

Then you have a lawyer who has a small kid and family in the middle of a tornado of events beyond her control and understanding!
But it is surreal how she transforms from a suspecting insecure housewife to a gun trottling fugitive on the run!

Then you have over 100 pages of stretching a rubber band of a story to its very irritating climax! Literally much ado about nothing!

You have a very dedicated FBI agent who takes his emotions very seriously! The whole premise of this agent, just like the story starts very well but falters towards the end!
His deduction skills are amazing but they fail when it’s necessary! Dude, dance with the chance or that ship will sail!

Then you have a ruthless killer and an equally ruthless employer of the killer! And an even more ruthless ending! Letting you know anything more is spoiler!

Then you have some information on how federal reserve system works and how it affects the economy of US and World!

If you do not have tech then you do not have a novel for the next gen! So the premise is an upcoming tech company with a huge potential is up for grabs and two big companies are bidding for it! Then skeletons come tumbling out of everyone’s closets and the race begins to get that elusive disc with an even more elusive password!

So many pieces of puzzles finally join together for a single picture in the end is both remarkable and unreal! Take your pick!

Seems interesting but like I mentioned before, starts with a bang and ends in a whimper! Dude! If I want a dose of real real reality in the climax why would I read fiction!?

Definitely not total control but read it for the thrill but just lower your expectations!

What I do not understand is the rush to go inside the plane!
Folks, your seat is booked! You don’t have to rush to get them like a passenger train!
And if you are in the Aisle seat then it is better to go late or else you will be doing sit ups at least two times!

Later on though I understood why the hurry to go inside especially if you have lots of cabin bags since the over head cabin bays are limited and that’s where you need to reserve your place so to speak!

I have understood that if you want to take cabin baggage then make sure it is small enough to be placed below the seat in front! And it has compartments for easy access! It makes sense to place them down since they are accessible and you don’t have to fight for the space and when the flight stops you can just grab your bag and go!

Finally when you arrive at the seat you may see some old bloke sitting royally in your window seat and he or she may ask if you mind! If I am alone then I really don’t care but with kids I select the seat for a reason and if you are so particular about a certain seat then book them yourself in advance! Most seats especially the window seats are paid now and that’s not something you would want to let go!

In any case if you are old then Aisle seats are the best for you so that you do not have to squeeze in! You may have to get up occasionally to give way but that’s good for the feet and leg circulation!

After the Wrestling match of luggage bin and seat we try to settle in when suddenly everyone realises that their phones are going to be switched off! It’s as if their heart beat is going to stop! You then have a frantic attempt by everyone to call or use their phones just to say good bye more to the phone than to the person at the other end!

All the announcement of phones to be switched off is ignored and many would not even bother to straighten the seats and tray tables! The poor airhostess or cabin crew would try to be calm and smiling internally cursing the passengers for being such nuisance! It is this acting which can make many join the film world and do wonders!

Suddenly one guy will ask for a glass of water or a blanket and it will be followed by a stampede of requests for the same! Even if you have a bottle full of water in your bag! Or even if you are feeling hot! If it’s free then we will ask that’s the motto!

After all this the poor Air hostess or the cabin crew will go on to important announcement!
Only two kinds of people will listen to them with rapt attention! One group are the first timers or first time flyers! or you like to stare at them and make them as uncomfortable as possible! Many may check out how they look and what make up or accesories they are wearing without any concern of the words coming out of their mouth!

Many airlines have done away with humans and have video screen announcement for this which is much better!

The era of free food is over so if you want to eat then you need to pay! In most cases it’s better to pre book which saves money and you will be treated well! If you take tea bags with you then you can ask just for hot water and you make your own tea! Of course most dishes are instant made and may not taste that great! Unless of course you are in an international flight but then that’s the blog for another day!

Best things to order are the hot beverages or the dry fruits since those are good and price worthy!

Then comes the seat sharing! If you are with your family then there is usually no problem provided you have selected the seats before! Otherwise decide on the half! Either the first half of the arm rest or the second! Unless of course you get the business class and get ample arm space!

Then again if you are traveling business class then from waiting in the lounge to priority boarding to priority seating, I guess you are reading the wrong blog!

When we travel as a family then also we get calls from the airline about the upgrades offer! But then when it has to be multiplied by four or six then it’s not worth it!

Some will still go on calling the pretty airhostess or the smart cabin crew guy with silly requests or questions and those hapless folks just have to bear it as a part of their job!

Finally the captain will announce that they will land soon and wish everyone! While we will be thinking, all that is fine! Just land the plane properly! We will know when we land!

The whole scene of taking off is repeated and the poor Air hostess go for inspection to see if the trays are closed and seat is straight!
All when they had just collected the garage with an almost sincere smile!

Most of the times everyone become very serious when there is turbulence or while landing! That’s when you can feel the silence!

But once the flight is landed, it’s like someone placed a goal! The whole fight erupts with the starting of the phone in spite of the repeated announcement to keep seat belts on and remay seated!
There is an apparent first prize if you alight from the fight first! At least that’s how people behave! It later becomes a free for all as everyone rushes to the door as if the flight is going to crash after landing!

If you are lucky then you get an aerobridge but if you are not then the whole getting on the bus is repeated! This time though people prefer to stand since there are in a rush to get out!

In all the confusion you may not remember the conveyer belt number! But then if you follow the crowd or see the board you will mostly get it!
Unless of course like most people you need to use the rest room and you can be sure that it will be more crowded than the fruit market on a Sunday! The trick is to either use the rest room further away and not the one close to the gate or use it after you get your luggage from the belt!

Luggage itself is a big exercise though! Getting a trolley with good wheels and brake and getting space to lift your luggage! Here it helps if your luggage stands out because of its colour, make or markings!

Finally you take the prohibitively expensive taxi to your destination or come out and take the much better and cheaper local taxi!

Finding your taxi or your driver is another adventure though!
At long last when you safely are in your taxi you reminisce about your flight!
You reach home and crash on the bed
and decide that, for all the flight and comfort, there is actually no better place than home!

That feeling stays till your next domestic flight of course! Then the nightmare begins again!

Absolute power

Book review

Fiction thriler genre

Spoilers- none since everyone knows the killer in the first chapter! The book is about the chase rather than the big reveal!

Rating 5/5 for the beginning and the first half and 3/5 for the second half

This was David Baldacci’s first major novel and also made into a movie starring Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman so you can imagine how it would have been!

It starts very well; you have a thief who carefully plans and enters into a high tech house of a billionaire to enter a secret safe which is a one way mirror with a view to the bed room!

Then the billionaire’s wife comes with her lover who is the most powerful man in the US! Things don’t go down so well in the affair so to speak and the wife is killed!

The whole scene is witnessed by the robber from the safe!

Now who would believe a two timing thief! Then it becomes a cat and mouse game between the most powerful man in the US vs first the thief then the thief’s lawyer!

After many many dead bodies and clean ups the rare but honest and relentless cop finally gets the point!

Throw in some bad and cruel secret service agents and an ambitious security chief and a very rich friend and you got an engaging first half!

Finally throw in a good and Moral lawyer (if there is such a thing!), who had everything going right for him but he was not happy! That’s when you realise that it’s fiction!
Even the ending is too movie like in my opinion!

All in all a good read and hopefully a series for me to continue!

If only the second half was as engaging! Read it to know what happens!

When I started writing this, it was to be a small paragraph but it turned out to be a big one and now I have decided to split it!It all starts when you have a big family with kids who cannot be managed for more than 4-5 hours and the only way is to reach your destination as soon as possible is to take the flight!Remember that if you need to go somewhere and the driving time is less than 6 hours then it is better to drive rather than take the flight since effectively the time will be the same!How you may ask? Well, you need to start for the airport three hours early so that you reach two hours before departure time (Even departure time is misleading since you must always see and follow the time of boarding!). Then you need to wait for the security and waste time in the boarding gate and again flight time which may not be more but then since almost all the airports are far away from city you can add the travel time in the high priced cab! So if you add all of these then the time may even be more!Of course if you want to go to a far away place then flight is the best option and since the tickets are fairly priced, it is also very cost effective! Now do not get me wrong! Flight travel has many advantages of which the time to reach destination is the chief one but then it also has its own share of problems!So we get up very early for a morning flight and if you are an OWL like me then in all likelihood I would have not slept at all! Then you have the cab which after many mishaps we have decided to not book through the app which may be cheap but very unpredictable! We instead always go for the car rental service to be on the safer side, it may be costly but they do not cancel and there is no surge pricing!Now Weekend Vs Weekdays travel! If you travel in the Weekend then the city traffic will be high but in all probability the airport will be crowded while in weekdays the city traffic will be choked and airport is usually not crowded! Then again there are exceptions when you get crowd everywhere! Of course you have got the jackpot if you do not get any crowd anywhere! (Do not get happy just yet! It may be that you are in Kerala and there is a strike and flood and your flight is cancelled!).Finally you pile up your luggage and arrive at the airport when after getting all your bags in one trolley (Including the kid bags which they had promised to take care themselves but then if they are sleeping because of a early flight then you have no choice!). This is when there is a clamour to get the Identity cards of everyone and if you are showing the passport then the security guy will tell you to open the photo page of everyone! Your spouse is holding one sleeping kid while you are holding the trolley which suddenly has a mind of its own! When you had started, it moved with so much effort and now suddenly it has a motorised wheel! The security personnel has seen this so much than he does not have the time or the patience or the necessity to offer you any assistance!Somehow you produce the correct page when he will ask you to place them in the order of names in the ticket! When you were clever before and placed them in that order, he will then tell you to place them in the order of the person entering!Then you stuff everything in your already full pockets (got kids so it is already stuffed with tissues, Vicks and maybe a cough syrup!) and enter the ocean that is the airport with no one telling you anything! So you need to print out your boarding pass (yeah I can do web check in but there is some problem in the details so I have been instructed by the very friendly computer to go to the counter!).In the counter again the Identity cards are given and luggage placed and I am given a look since I did not do web check in! I explain to her that I did the check in and selected the seats also but through the third party app and it did not get registered!Then she will tell you about the extra leg room seats which I would politely decline since I will have to buy four of them!Then after collecting the boarding pass which is now just a piece of paper and not the stiff card which we used to get before we proceed to the most frightening and messy part of the trip; the security check up!Here the family splits and we join the biggest line ever! This is when airport looks like the bus station and we wait for our turn! Many tensed passengers will then ask to come in the front since their flight departure is nearing! We would mostly oblige but the security person does not have to! He will take his own sweet time and the hapless passenger has no choice but to wait and grab the luggage and run!After so many experience, I have learnt to remove shoes, belts and even my steel ornaments so that I will not be told to go back! Then we need to wrestle the tray to keep the electronic items and remove the mobile and tablets out of the bag! It is a marvel that we remember that electronics are allowed in carry on and not check in baggage while food stuffs and gels and other stuffs like cutlery or knife in the check in bags! We must also keep the mobiles in the bag and not through the gate! Many will at this time put even the boarding pass in the bag and clamour for that!Even my 5 year old son is not spared and he is told to stretch his arm and stand straight! He would mechanically do that in half sleep! The things we do just because some nut decided to smuggle or get a bomb inside the flight! But then we bear it since security is important!Then we rush to get the trays back fervently hoping that it did not go into the inspection lane! Of course lady luck also sleeps this early in the morning! The security guy has found my son’s toy gun and he will not allow that inside! He gives me the option of going back and placing it in the checked in baggage and I just tell him to keep it and give it to his own kid whilst consoling my crying son at the same time!After getting dressed again and hoping that we have got everything we normally get some time to kill which is actually the code for money kill! The tasty idli which we get outside for ten bucks sell here for hundreds and you have to stand in another queue for that!Then the kids will eat your head for some prohibitively expensive gift or chocolate!After all that you rush to the toilet and boarding gate again hoping that they will not change in the last moment! Since Bangalore is a silent airport, you will only get a message so you glue in to the notice board like checking your name after the entrance examination!After the gate change you find that the boarding has already started! The polite lady is telling only the first rows to stand in the line but then we love queuing up always! And that too not in a straight line! Then again the identity cards and boarding pass are mined from the Bermuda triangle which is my pocket!Only to see my wife who had taken our daughter to the restroom is nowhere to be seen! She came at the last moment exclaiming much to my chagrin about the crowd in the loo! I also had the same experience! Somehow everyone wants to visit the airport toilet as if it is a tourist spot! Of course it is much better to use the toilet in the ground rather than the cramped hole which is the plane toilet!Finally we get into the bus to get into the airbus! (That was too hard to resist!) thinking our travel is almost done! But of course this is only the interval! There is a lot of movie left!Why the Rambo like image you ask!?
Well domestic traveling with kids is no less than going on a war!!