Great Disappointments

When you live in United States, you may see a lot of actions about India in Facebook, Twitter and other social media. You may have sensed as if India has been undergoing radical transformation. You start building up expectations. Those slowly grow into Great Expectations.

With all those Great Expectations, I visited India during Christmas holidays. I boarded the plane in San Francisco airport. In San Francisco airport, the Wi-Fi works good. Bathrooms are neat and clean. No complaints.

I did enjoy flying in Emirates. After 15 hours travel, we reached Dubai. Dubai airport is the best. Right now, there are some expansion activities have been going on. Even then, they manage the airport operations very well.

I could see, the native Emirates citizens could do a self check-out to get out of the airport. The Wi-Fi in Dubai airport works excellant. You could do a Skype and take your family around the shopping mall in the airport.

Your Great Expectations  grew into Greater Expectations. You may start imagining about India better than San Francisco and Dubai.

Just landed in airport in India. Absolutely no manual or automatic medical check-up for incoming passengers.  Surprising.

One good thing about no medical check-up is, you don't need to spend much time in the airport. But, still, you need to spend a minimum of 2 to 3 hours in the airport. It is very irritating, after a long flight journey of more than 20 hours.

All those e-passport and e-visa - practically, a long way to go.

As I had to spend sometime in the airport, I was trying with my phone to connect with the Wi-Fi.

Hell with Tata Docomo. It was so frustrating. It showed up as if there is a strong Wi-Fi signal available. Then, when you try to connect it, it just keep failing. The airport Wi-Fi is a total failure.

On my arrival, I did try it for an hour. Also, on my departure also, I did try it out. The Wi-Fi is just like BJP. All promises are just empty; no action at all.

Then, in Chennai, lot of development activities going on. That credit goes to Pannerselvam government.

For central government, it is all about airport and railways.

I took suburban trains in Chennai. It is very cheap; just Rs 5. But, trains and stations are dirty. No Good.

It's time to shutdown the Mambalam railway station. It is so crowded right from early morning till late night. There is no need for trains to stop at Mambalam. Shutdown the Mambalam station; and modernize the adjacent stations, Kodambakkam and Saidapet.

I travel by public transportation by state buses. Buses are operating very effectively; reasonable fares; well connected. But most of the bus stations do not have proper toilet facilities. I travel three states by bus; Tamilnadu, Kerala and Karnataka. All bus stations; lot of people are coming in; but no good facilites.

Over all, India is still Manmohan Singh's India. Chennai suburban train stations are like in the ages of Indira Gandhi or Morarji Desai.

What you see in Facebook and Twitter is not what you get on the field.

At least, fix the Wi-Fi issue at the airports. Get rid of Tata Docomo.

Great Expectations landed on Great Disappointments.