It was 2007 July ,one of the hottest periods in the Gulf and I had the first taste of summer in Al Ain then
I reached U.A.E precisely on july 12th and landed in Abu Dhabi Airport .
Tawam Hospital recieved thier staff on the first vist with a friendly chaperone and a chauffuer driven vehicle .
Smiling Sidhu was my first glimpse of my Hospital hospitality and he made a reasonably good impression .
As we sped through the smooth neat wide highway to Al Ain I was intrigued by the signs that came before me .
once in a while the board Abudhabi came on my right side ! This was surprising for someone fresh from India as we expect it to be the opposite side of my travel as I was moving away from it later Sidhu filled me that this was the way one returned back by an underpass ,no u turns or junctions in highways ,it was one smooth ride of 140Km in an hour and a half .
we passed the huge horse roundabout as we approached AlAin city and I looked at Tawam Hospital ,it was huge and sprawling with the Faculty of Medicine near by ,we sped swiftly into the flower bedecked roundabouts and the neatly pavemented city of Al Ain went through the busy areas and reached the other side of the city and went into the Hilton my home for more than a month from then .
I was promptly deposited in my fifth floor room with a nice little balcony facing the main road and the speeding cars ,of course at that time of the year one wouldnt venture into open balconies for the sun would fry one till it was late in the evening .
Slowly I learned to live in a hotel commuting to the hospital in the official car and coming back in the evenings ,the long weekends of friday and saturday stretched in front on me with nothing much to do but gaze into the TV and think of home food ,it would be november by the time AlAin climate changed from torrid to warm to cold and nice in december jan and february .
One weekend afternoon after a long nap I slided the glass door of my room moving aside the curtains and stepped into the verandah ,half sleepy
I wanted to take a breath of fresh air and I then did something which I regretted immediately .
I slided the door back and it promptly got locked into place from inside .
not a pleasant proprosition to get caught in a blazing verandah under a fuming sun in a gulf summer and to add to my discomfiture I was ill dressed in a lungi without even a shirt to cover my chest and a growing paunch !
within minutes I was in sympathy with all the eggs I fried in my life as I went through similar experiences
The sun was just shining away in all its glory and wickedly smiling at my agony ,I could see my mobile lying on the bed far away behind the impentrable glass door and my voice sounded feeble and hoarse as I tried to beckon a taxidriver 5 stories below in front of the lobby ,he didnt even glance up why should he ? even no birds were in the sky !
my foot bare and burning made me do some kuchipidi steps as I attempted to withdraw into small patch of shade .
I had to look out for someone too to call in distress if I dindt want to die of sunstroke and be packed home in a steelbox
finally I found my saviour,a posh Arab who got out from his BMW and gazed up .
He should have got a shock to see a half naked fakir gesticulating like a wild monkey on the fifth floor balcony making strange sounds .
He Hey whats up ?
Me Everything I mean me stuck here door locked by itself u know save me tell lobby pleeese
He : why the hell did you do that locked yourself out
ME dont know sure will tell you once I get the answer !
this made him chuckle
HE Ha Ha you look burnt ha ha
ME I feel burnt too
HE Shall I get a fireengine for a rescue what
ME easier way is to tell the manager please
HE ha OK well should have had my camera missed it
ME Ya what a photo op ? like a kingfisher model
I reached U.A.E precisely on july 12th and landed in Abu Dhabi Airport .
Tawam Hospital recieved thier staff on the first vist with a friendly chaperone and a chauffuer driven vehicle .
Smiling Sidhu was my first glimpse of my Hospital hospitality and he made a reasonably good impression .
As we sped through the smooth neat wide highway to Al Ain I was intrigued by the signs that came before me .
once in a while the board Abudhabi came on my right side ! This was surprising for someone fresh from India as we expect it to be the opposite side of my travel as I was moving away from it later Sidhu filled me that this was the way one returned back by an underpass ,no u turns or junctions in highways ,it was one smooth ride of 140Km in an hour and a half .
we passed the huge horse roundabout as we approached AlAin city and I looked at Tawam Hospital ,it was huge and sprawling with the Faculty of Medicine near by ,we sped swiftly into the flower bedecked roundabouts and the neatly pavemented city of Al Ain went through the busy areas and reached the other side of the city and went into the Hilton my home for more than a month from then .
I was promptly deposited in my fifth floor room with a nice little balcony facing the main road and the speeding cars ,of course at that time of the year one wouldnt venture into open balconies for the sun would fry one till it was late in the evening .
Slowly I learned to live in a hotel commuting to the hospital in the official car and coming back in the evenings ,the long weekends of friday and saturday stretched in front on me with nothing much to do but gaze into the TV and think of home food ,it would be november by the time AlAin climate changed from torrid to warm to cold and nice in december jan and february .
One weekend afternoon after a long nap I slided the glass door of my room moving aside the curtains and stepped into the verandah ,half sleepy
I wanted to take a breath of fresh air and I then did something which I regretted immediately .
I slided the door back and it promptly got locked into place from inside .
not a pleasant proprosition to get caught in a blazing verandah under a fuming sun in a gulf summer and to add to my discomfiture I was ill dressed in a lungi without even a shirt to cover my chest and a growing paunch !
within minutes I was in sympathy with all the eggs I fried in my life as I went through similar experiences
The sun was just shining away in all its glory and wickedly smiling at my agony ,I could see my mobile lying on the bed far away behind the impentrable glass door and my voice sounded feeble and hoarse as I tried to beckon a taxidriver 5 stories below in front of the lobby ,he didnt even glance up why should he ? even no birds were in the sky !
my foot bare and burning made me do some kuchipidi steps as I attempted to withdraw into small patch of shade .
I had to look out for someone too to call in distress if I dindt want to die of sunstroke and be packed home in a steelbox
finally I found my saviour,a posh Arab who got out from his BMW and gazed up .
He should have got a shock to see a half naked fakir gesticulating like a wild monkey on the fifth floor balcony making strange sounds .
He Hey whats up ?
Me Everything I mean me stuck here door locked by itself u know save me tell lobby pleeese
He : why the hell did you do that locked yourself out
ME dont know sure will tell you once I get the answer !
this made him chuckle
HE Ha Ha you look burnt ha ha
ME I feel burnt too
HE Shall I get a fireengine for a rescue what
ME easier way is to tell the manager please
HE ha OK well should have had my camera missed it
ME Ya what a photo op ? like a kingfisher model
Well the angel of an Arab did the right thing after giving me a smile ,he went straight in and out came the manager and his gang
Manager and co doctor it is you ha ha What made you something like that
I was sure producing all the humour Al Ain could get that summer and I felt i would become a national celebrity by the evening
within minutes there a lot of banging and tapping in front of my room door double locked by the safe me before going for sleep
somehow they opened it and then opened my sliding door and I stepped into the bliss of AC I collapsed into the sofa grinning with embarasmewnt at the amused waiters and manager one of them even bringing a thoughtful cool drink with him to dool my embers
The manager gave me a tut tut why in heavens did you do that my dear Doktor just imagine if no one had seen you what you would have done
slowly after lot of laughs and giggles they left me alone
I collapsed into the bed thanking my stars that I was dressed not just in my lungi alone or else a lot of me would have fried that day !
5 comments:
Dakitare, pani pattichu. Dear HARYMOH (LOL) yours is one among such hilarious stories of 'Mallus'. Eventhough sympathetic, I laugh (secretly) while reading this.
Beautiful Hari,
> Is the Posh Arab still sane??? Guess he must have watched the 11 wonder of the world......
> Sat
kashtamayipoyi - harifry - poricha hari...would have been al ain special dish that day..
jokes apart, i can imagine the extreme discomfort..did u get sunburn?
Excellent narration of the story I heard from you. Reading it is putting a new dimension to the whole episode. I am sure there are more events like this that you haven't yet written about.. hint hint!!:) I sincerely sympathize with your "lungi-clad clambake" situation :)Glad the Posh Arab came to your rescue!
Bala
Hi Hari etta,
How r u. Was wondering what made u remember the fri(ed)day, but
it was a humorous one, ofcourse only to read. How r Premi & children.
Our regards to all. Bye.
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