Lost in Chicago

I was informed [from company] to carry $50.00 to $100.00 equivalent in cash & exchange it at Chicago airport. For no reason, I didn’t change Indian rupees to US Dollars at Cochin. I thought like changing it at Chicago. I saw they are open 24x7 at Cochin and thought I can exchange at Chicago. But, my flight was delayed at Frankfurt by 2 hours; some delay in landing at Chicago and other delays due to customs & security checks altogether delayed me by 3 hours or so. It was about 7:30 or 8:00 in the evening. But foreign exchange was closed after office hours.

Yes I was in Chicago airport, without any US dollars in my hand. My next flight was at 6:30 am next day. I had to wait for 9 to 10 hours there. Sounds Ok? Absolutely Ok, if my plan was something else. But I had to inform my parents that I reached US, I got entry permit, and I am safe. I had to inform my company that I got entry permit and I may reach Nashville, next day around 9:00 am. They never know that if I got entry permit or not. Also I was informed not to take any mobile phones and can have a phone connection here. So I was lost without a single dollar at Chicago airport.

At Frankfurt I saw some coin-box kind of phones that accept credit cards. I tried with almost 10+ such phones & none of them worked because I was new to such phones. Again I had no coins. So I shuttled between terminals to find such a phone from which I can call my company. I know if I inform my company, they can call my home and let them know my status.

At last, I found a guy (an Afro-American). I think he was among the security guards. He offered his mobile phone to make calls to my company. I informed them my status and informed them to call my home. So I was relaxed.

Oh, now I am hungry. Again I started shuttling between terminals in search of restaurants. I can’t go out of the airport without a single dollar with me. In one terminal I found a restaurant, from which I could get a sandwich & a Pepsi. But after food I felt like calling home. So I was in search of money. Then I saw a white man and a lady buying sandwiches from another restaurant. I approached them and asked; if I can pay from my credit card and let them pay me cash. Yes it worked. They owed the cashier $ 11.16 and I paid it from credit card and they gave me $ 11.25. Neither of us had change to make it $ 11.16. Now I have cash. I approached cashier & she gave me quarter coins (25 cents coins) for $2.00. Oh now I can make calls.

Sorry, to call India, charge is some $ 1.5 per minute. I.e. I need some 6 coins to talk for 1 minute. I was again in search of more coins. I approached another shop for coin. When I was talking with cashier, a lady aged 40 - 45 came and told me, better buy a calling card. She helped me in buying $20.00 calling card. I called home and my company already informed them my status.

So, it was already some 10 pm, but I had to wait till 6:00 am next day. Where to sit-down and take rest? I decided not to sleep. I thought like finding place where I need to check-in next day. I found that location and got information like; I can check through terminal 1 though it’s written as terminal 2 on my ticket. So I went to terminal 2 and 1 to figure out what to do with check-in, when can I check-in, flight schedule etc. So I spend few hours in terminal 3, then in terminal 2 and then in terminal 1.

At terminal 2, when I was sitting down (on floor as there where only few chairs, already occupied. I saw many people sit down on floor and I found a pillar to lean on ), a guy, may be aged 30 to 35, white, approached me. He had a story, how his car was stolen. He came there to send his friends off to some other city (I don’t remember). When he got back, he found his car stolen. So he asked me if I could give him $10. Oh!. Isn’t it a trick to get money? I am not sure. I had no money too. I asked him, did he inform security in parking place. He said No. Did he inform police? answer was no. I felt it’s a fraud. I don’t know, but from experience with customs/immigration and another two officers I met there, I know if he tells his story to police, they will help him. I told him, "See, I don’t have money with me. But I know some policemen in this terminal. If you want real help in reaching home, I can help you meeting them." He said "Oh no, I will manage myself. Thank you". Is it a fraud? Is this, the way begging works in USA? Yes, later my friends told, it is the oldest method of fraud & they wonder if that guy approached me with this old trick.

Another thing, I got pick-pocketed at Chicago airport, lost my pen, few pieces of blank paper I had. I have a habit of keeping a pen & few pieces of blank paper in my pocket when I am on a long journey, to take notes/phone numbers, in case.

I have few contacts in Chicago, my cousin, friends, neighbors etc. But I chose to be alone and experience it. So I have a story to tell you.

THANKS TO ALL UNKNOWN PEOPLE WHO HELPED ME AT CHICAGO AIRPORT.

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spelling & grammar

At Chicago airport, we were directed to emigration & customs area. There was a big queue & it was interesting to see how all people moved in a queue. Me to was in a queue, to the rear end of it. All of a sudden a security officer asked us make a new queue in front of another set of counters. So I became 4th or 5th in the queue.

For those who are not aware of some immigration rules: I visited US with a B1 visa. It’s the visit visa. If you visit for company purpose on B1, you need to show an invitation letter from the company indicating the purpose of visit.

I handed over my passport (with visa stamped in it), invitation letter and other required documents. The officer greeted me, checked all documents and took my fingerprints (they do it for all immigration processes). All of a sudden the officer looked confused. Looked at me, looked in the passport for my photo, then again to visa. Anything wrong? Oh, its like my hands are wet & he might have had some problem in taking my fingerprints.

He called another officer & sent me to a room, where more officers were working with computers. He handed over my passport and other documents to another officer there. The new officer told me to be seated. I was wondering what was wrong. I noticed few rooms with "Interview Room" written on door? Oh God, are they going to interview me again? I was totally confused. They brought in more people to that room.

After about ten minutes, another man came in (looked like an Indian) but didn’t talk a word to me. I knew he was watching me. My confusion turned into curiosity. Again another officer came in and asked me to get my luggage. In the luggage area, I met the people from same flight. Some few people I met on board, talked to me regarding the delay in luggage.

I returned to the officer’s room & I knew they were watching me when I went to get by bag. Then all of a sudden the officer (I think the chief of officers in that room) came to me and said, "Oh man, I am surprised to know you are a bonafide visitor to the United States". What? I was more confused. He said, "You are admitted!"

He handed over my invitation letter with few words circled and one sentence underlined. He asked me "See the spelling mistakes & grammar mistakes! Do the guy who wrote this letter makes mistakes?" I said "occasionally". What happened is, the guy who wrote the letter did his schooling in Europe, knows Greek & German very well & now in United States. So when he had some words with British English/German spelling & letter basically in US English. The officers called that guy to make sure that it’s a genuine letter.

So you decide, Do spelling & grammar are important in US English?


Note: For this letter, some spell checkers say the spelling of "Bonafide" is wrong. But Google says its correct. Any case I am using it.

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First Impression

First impression is the best impression. My itinerary was Cochin (Kochi) -> Mumbai -> Chicago -> Nashville. I entered United States of America through Chicago. In the Chicago airport itself I got the answer to question many of us have. How a country with just 250 years of tradition is a super power?

Check with England/Great Britain. They invaded India around 1600 AD. They invaded India even before the nation America was founded. Check with other European/Asian countries like France, Italy, China, and Russia. Still America is on top. why? All super brains move to America. Why?

One thing I noticed just before putting my first step on American soil is what all we know – the hygienic environment. All was clean. Nobody throws anything on roads, pathways. No bad smell. All are smiling and polite. Wow I was impressed…

But still the answer I am convinced with is little different. I saw it all over in the airport. Wherever any government agency has an office [inside airport], I saw the label. When I went into customs and emigration, it was written there too. I was surprised, why they write it there. Then I got my first dollar bill (I can tell you a story of my first dollar bill). It was there on that dollar bill too. I was wondering why they wrote it.

Oh . . . it was their national motto “In God We Trust”. As a believer in God (regardless of the religion) entire nation say, “We trust in God”. Isn’t it wonderful? In my opinion I think that inspiration and trust in God makes them the super power regardless of whatever evil they do.

So I am Impressed with them, The United States of America.

For those who wish to see a dollar bill with “In God We Trust” Click here.

Fore more information about “In God We Trust” Click here.

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