American Airlines Strikes Again!!

I don’t know how they do it, but American Airlines manages to get worse and worse. If my flight isn’t cancelled, my luggage is lost. If my luggage isn’t lost, my flight is delayed and I’m stuck in the terminal. If I’m not stuck in the terminal, I’m stuck in the plane. That’s where I am now. Thanks, Dad. Thanks a lot. Apparently the weather is bad in Chicago, which is where my flight to San Jose connects. Apparently… My flight was delayed by about one hour for no reason, and after we boarded, they told us it would be another 2 hours. Just classic. So now I'm sitting in the plane waiting for them to say that we can take off... Call me a priss, or a brat, or a princess (preferably), but I’m totally throwing a hissy fit next time Dad tries to save money on my fare. Direct flights only. If it’s too much money, either a) shoulda planned better or b) dammit, I’m worth it.

My entire voyage lasted 14 hours. I spent three hours at the airport in Toronto, from arrival to boarding, three and a half hours on the plane from Toronto to Chicago (it's a one hour flight), three hours at the Chicago airport, four hours on the plane to San Jose, and about half an hour waiting for my suitcase to come out of baggage claim. To think, if I had a direct flight, it could've been a 7 hour process... I am so going shopping with the money saved, I deserve it!

Kiss My Ass, American Airlines

I really hate this airline. And I’m no fan of Dad’s for making me fly on it this evening. Between flights delayed by no less than two hours, lost luggage, miserable food available for purchase, and the painful Jewel music playing in the terminal, American Airlines leaves much to be desired. I haven’t flown this airline for more than a year now, and I regret that I am on it once again. I mean really… 240 cities, 40 different countries, one airline, and one poor standard of service. If JetBlue can afford to be amazing, I don’t see why American can’t. I got here a little before 6 to catch a flight to Toronto scheduled at 8 PM. Then I found out my flight is delayed until 10 PM. The only thing that I am enjoying is this rocking chair situated facing the windows so I can see planes taking off. And these were no gift of American Airlines, they are courtesy of MassPort. (_|_) That’s for you, AA. Whenever you’re ready, the country’s been waiting.

So my flight didn't board until 10:30, and then we sat in the plane for another half hour. AND I got no water!!! American Airlines consistently keeps me at the airport longer than the airplane, regardless of the length of my flight. Fabulous. Just fabulous.

Blindness

I'm going to preface this post with a disclaimer: I'm on Sudafed and Nyquil and it's a little late...

I'm starting to realize how blind my culture is. I'm referring to Punjabi, or even generally Indian culture. Sure, these are huge generalizations, but for the most part I think they hold true.

We believe blindly. So many of us claim a religion without knowing much about it. I know so many Sikhs who appreciate the peace of mind that comes with listening to kirtan and Gurbani without knowing what it means, and who don't care to know what it means. So many people who have faith that some higher power will take care of them, regardless of the circumstances, who practice various rituals believing that the simple acts will yield some sort of benefit. I guess to an extent every faith must be blind, but I feel like Sikhs, as seekers of truth, would strengthen their faith in the discovery of that truth and meaning that we hold so dear. But many don't.

We listen blindly. Just look at all of the Indians in medical school. I am positive that a huge number of those are responding to parental pressure. Sure, there are some (like myself, tee hee) who genuinely want to be doctors... but let's face it, of you Indians reading, how many of you didn't have parents who said, "Beta, think about medical school. I think it's a good idea." And then think about how many Indian med students you know...

We hate blindly. Our people are great at hating by association, holding grudges for things in the past... I mean, I know people who still don't like Muslims because of what happened during the Mughal rule in India. Or other people who don't like Hindus because of 1984. It's ridiculous, I know, but it's quite prevalent. And of course there's the sister of that girl who dogged the cousin of a close friend of mine, so of course I don't like her (what??).

We love blindly. Maybe this is very bollywood of me, but I feel like Indians, when they are ready to love, are able to look past everything negative in the object of their affection. This is something I see particularly in Indian women: the extent to which mothers baby their children (well into adulthood), girlfriends smother their boyfriends, and what not. They're bred to nurture. The concept of arranged marriages also falls into this one. Two people meet a couple of times, decide they like each other enough and tie the knot. It just seems insane; all they know is that there's some attraction there, and both of them want to get married at some point in the near future... and that's all they need. Having grown up in America during this time, that concept is extremely foreign, but I have to admit that there's a certain beauty in its simplicity.

Our people, generally, are good at ignoring the voice of reason. In my case, that voice isn't completely silenced, but I definitely pretend I don't hear it now and then. Like now, for example, I have loads of work to do on my thesis and I'm wasting my time rambling on this post.

I think it's very interesting how cultures can be so very different, and still work. American culture, on the other hand, emphasizes knowing the whole truth before you make a commitment. You read the fine print before you sign, you drive the car before you buy it, you take up internships and talk to counselors before you decide on a career, you date and get involved in a relationship before you marry; commitment is the last thing to happen. And I think it's even more interesting to see how kids in my generation who live in both cultures reconcile the differences. I think I'm still trying to figure out my balance between the two... for the most part, I like to think that I lean towards American thinking and want to know exactly what's going on before I'm in too deep. But other times, there's an excitement in taking a leap of faith and just hoping things will work out. That seldom happens, and usually I fall flat on my face. But each time I don't get back up without picking something up while I'm down. And that makes it okay. I think it's okay to be blind as long as you see more clearly when you open your eyes.