Cochin to Dubai.
My first flight
Things were getting pretty bad for me in my home town. Business was getting slow and competition was getting fierce . My small one man operation of a computer sales and service business was suffering badly even in such a small town in India .
It was time to change and move on .but where and how ? That question stumped me . I was slowly going into debt and I couldn't invest in a new business .money was not a problem now but I knew it would be soon, as my revenues dwindled and I did not have any other source of income to fall back on and neither did I have any savings .
I had taken a home loan from the town cooperative bank and I had a car loan, both of which ate into my earnings and savings, though I never regretted buying both.
So there I was in a dire situation with a wonderful wife and two wonder full kids and I did not want to put them into trouble . That's when I received a call from Dubai .
It was on old friend and partner who had left me and my business because he had lots of issues at home. It had been 2 years since he had gone to dubai and was calling me for the first time !
Lots of sorries and apologies later he said he was coming home on leave . I got excited a bit. Maybe he could help me !
He came a few days later and we talked quite a bit about his job and his struggle to get a job in dubai . Then he asked me about my business and I was so eager to tell him all my problems. The words flowed from me . I did not ask him or seek any help but yes that intention I had in mind when explaining to him about my predicament .
He thought for some time and said "why don't you come to dubai "
My Mind was in turmoil
Yes !! I said without even Thinking , " I would love to come there , But what can i do there ?"
he said that I could get a job or start my own business
" Dubai has huge Business potentials for big and small Businessmen
I am working in a big company and the company has many small contractors and suppliers. i can manage to get you into one of them. You can supply computers and such materials without big investments. I can arrange all that " he said
Thats great ! I was too excited.
but I dont even have a passport !
Then the first Thing in order was to get a passport. My friend guided me to a travel agency and we learnt few things , but they were charging a lot so he said, forget those agencies, we can do it ourselves
we applied online and got an appointment
Days later we started out to cochin some 75 km away from my home to the passport office. we reached there by office time and I was appalled to see a Queue that stretched from the passport office to the roads
"dont worry. this is always the situation here" my friend said. "because we are early we can get it done today"
Then a long wait and finally I submitted my application before noon. camera flashed. Seals were stamped. Money was paid. eeverything was all fuzzy and fast as I was like in a daze !
We were so hungry when it was over and first thing was to eat. Then we started back and reached home before evening. i did not mention the whole thing to my wife as I knew she would make a furore and would never allow me to go abroad. I wanted things to get ready and then i would tell her
My Passport arrived in my ancestral home as that was my address on my certificates and soon there was police verification and all was clear. I finally was a passport holder
My friend had returned back to Dubai and was calling me every day
he said he would have a visit visa arranged and then i could come to dubai
Money was an issue. The visa and flight tickets cost some money.
With a heavy heart I sold my office and all the things in it to raise money for my flight to Dubai
then I told my wife
we had a hell of a fight for some days !!
She said she wouldnt allow me to leave her and the kids along
days of cajoling and consoling and persuading and she finally conceded though not fully willing but as she began to realise the tricky financial situation we were in
I then paid the Money for visa and the tickets and in a few days I got a mail, there it was my First Dubai visit visa and My first flight tickets
I was elated and overjoyed
It was my first time abroad and I had heard so much about dubai.
I live in kerala and you know there are Millions of Indians in United arab Emirates and Dubai
Most prominent among them are Malayalees of keralites , the southern state of India
I know many relatives who have been in UAE for 20-25 years
back then they used to go by boats !!
So it was a sort of excitement for me to recieve the visa and flight tickets
My friend also had arrived back from dubai again and he said we would travel together\
The next few days was sorrowfull. My wife and kids were devastated that iw as going to leave them
So many years together and I have never left them for anyplace so far
They were in tears as the day drew nearer. It dampened all my excitement and I too began to feel the heavyness of thinking that i am going to be away from my wife and kids for a long time and thousands of miles away in another world
We stayed together the last day and the packing and all that was done in sadness
I tried to cheer them up saying I would come back soon as this is a visit visa and I have to arrange all my new business and come back to get a normal visa
Early Morning next day, I left in a taxi to cochin International airport. I picked my friend on the way and we reached Nedumbassery ( cial)
I was in awe seeing all the people with Huge bags and luggages ( I had a very small bag with me ) and all the lights and shining floors and steel and glass dazzled me
i stood with my Friend in Queue which said "JET AIRWAYS "
My first flight
Things were getting pretty bad for me in my home town. Business was getting slow and competition was getting fierce . My small one man operation of a computer sales and service business was suffering badly even in such a small town in India .
It was time to change and move on .but where and how ? That question stumped me . I was slowly going into debt and I couldn't invest in a new business .money was not a problem now but I knew it would be soon, as my revenues dwindled and I did not have any other source of income to fall back on and neither did I have any savings .
I had taken a home loan from the town cooperative bank and I had a car loan, both of which ate into my earnings and savings, though I never regretted buying both.
So there I was in a dire situation with a wonderful wife and two wonder full kids and I did not want to put them into trouble . That's when I received a call from Dubai .
It was on old friend and partner who had left me and my business because he had lots of issues at home. It had been 2 years since he had gone to dubai and was calling me for the first time !
Lots of sorries and apologies later he said he was coming home on leave . I got excited a bit. Maybe he could help me !
He came a few days later and we talked quite a bit about his job and his struggle to get a job in dubai . Then he asked me about my business and I was so eager to tell him all my problems. The words flowed from me . I did not ask him or seek any help but yes that intention I had in mind when explaining to him about my predicament .
He thought for some time and said "why don't you come to dubai "
My Mind was in turmoil
Yes !! I said without even Thinking , " I would love to come there , But what can i do there ?"
he said that I could get a job or start my own business
" Dubai has huge Business potentials for big and small Businessmen
I am working in a big company and the company has many small contractors and suppliers. i can manage to get you into one of them. You can supply computers and such materials without big investments. I can arrange all that " he said
Thats great ! I was too excited.
but I dont even have a passport !
Then the first Thing in order was to get a passport. My friend guided me to a travel agency and we learnt few things , but they were charging a lot so he said, forget those agencies, we can do it ourselves
we applied online and got an appointment
Days later we started out to cochin some 75 km away from my home to the passport office. we reached there by office time and I was appalled to see a Queue that stretched from the passport office to the roads
"dont worry. this is always the situation here" my friend said. "because we are early we can get it done today"
Then a long wait and finally I submitted my application before noon. camera flashed. Seals were stamped. Money was paid. eeverything was all fuzzy and fast as I was like in a daze !
We were so hungry when it was over and first thing was to eat. Then we started back and reached home before evening. i did not mention the whole thing to my wife as I knew she would make a furore and would never allow me to go abroad. I wanted things to get ready and then i would tell her
My Passport arrived in my ancestral home as that was my address on my certificates and soon there was police verification and all was clear. I finally was a passport holder
My friend had returned back to Dubai and was calling me every day
he said he would have a visit visa arranged and then i could come to dubai
Money was an issue. The visa and flight tickets cost some money.
With a heavy heart I sold my office and all the things in it to raise money for my flight to Dubai
then I told my wife
we had a hell of a fight for some days !!
She said she wouldnt allow me to leave her and the kids along
days of cajoling and consoling and persuading and she finally conceded though not fully willing but as she began to realise the tricky financial situation we were in
I then paid the Money for visa and the tickets and in a few days I got a mail, there it was my First Dubai visit visa and My first flight tickets
I was elated and overjoyed
It was my first time abroad and I had heard so much about dubai.
I live in kerala and you know there are Millions of Indians in United arab Emirates and Dubai
Most prominent among them are Malayalees of keralites , the southern state of India
I know many relatives who have been in UAE for 20-25 years
back then they used to go by boats !!
So it was a sort of excitement for me to recieve the visa and flight tickets
My friend also had arrived back from dubai again and he said we would travel together\
The next few days was sorrowfull. My wife and kids were devastated that iw as going to leave them
So many years together and I have never left them for anyplace so far
They were in tears as the day drew nearer. It dampened all my excitement and I too began to feel the heavyness of thinking that i am going to be away from my wife and kids for a long time and thousands of miles away in another world
We stayed together the last day and the packing and all that was done in sadness
I tried to cheer them up saying I would come back soon as this is a visit visa and I have to arrange all my new business and come back to get a normal visa
Early Morning next day, I left in a taxi to cochin International airport. I picked my friend on the way and we reached Nedumbassery ( cial)
I was in awe seeing all the people with Huge bags and luggages ( I had a very small bag with me ) and all the lights and shining floors and steel and glass dazzled me
i stood with my Friend in Queue which said "JET AIRWAYS "
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