It all started when Pranam just pinged over sametime (IBM's Internal Messenger) with a single statement which didn't look like an invitation rather looked like an information. The message read, 'Majesh and I are planning to go to DC tomorrow, are u interested'. Actually it seems he had sent a mail to our UVCE group asking for a get together of all folks in and around NY. I am really not sure how I didn't receive it. UVCE yahoogroup, being so silent and not much excitement happening there now a days.. and so I might have deleted that :) . So Pranam might have thought that I was not interested in getting together. I was actually very much excited to meet and have a a great time with my classmates. So I told 'cool man... I would make it' . Seeing this even he was excited . Majesh had come to his aunt's place from Cali last monday to trip around NY.
Initially Pranam insisted me to rent a car from Endicott and drive to his place in Ossining. Being good driver in India, it tempted me a lot to do so, but I had not driven even once in US and that too about 190 Miles..
driving alone.. for the first time on freeways.. It was little scary. I also called my Rental car service and enquired about rates etc.. but at back of my mind I was never ready to do so. Then at last decided to give that crazy idea. Left office at around 3:30 PM and rushed to room. Grabbed some clothes, and other necessities, camera etc.
I had a shortline bus at 6:10PM. I had to catch local bus at 5:00 PM to reach Shortline bus station.
It's really great... we had tripped to Niagara 2 weeks back, which involved planning about a week and now I had started to DC which is almost 2.5 times distant compared to Niagara, with hardly any planning. But more excitement was that I would be meeting some of my classmates. Reached bus station, and bought a ticket to NYC. Plan was to take MTA train from NYC to Ossining. Everything went as planned till I reached NYC. It was pre-communicated that I would give a call to Pranam once I reach Grand Central (NYC's Biggest Train station). But when I reached Grand CentralI had hardly 10 min to get on to Ossining train at 10:20 PM.
As it is named, Grand central is really Literally Grand.. huge station and my attention was to get the ticket to Ossining and reach respective platform. I ran to central information desk to know the platform no. He told 39.. I just heard it and didn't have time to confirm it and my eyes were looking for some arrows to reach it. Saw a direction board displaying 'To 30 - 40 platform' Just ran there..
My train was actually waiting for me.. Now my eyes got time to look at the watch and brain started working and reminded me that I should have called Pranam. Watch showed 10:15. So I stopped and ran back to reach a telephone. At last found one. Dialed Pranam's number.. got a message asking for 1$.. I had a 1$ coin and not quarters.. which it didn't accept. so ditched calling him and ran back to train and got a seat.. All parts of my body and brain got some time to breath now.
Reached Ossining station at around 11:20PM. I called Pranam from there. Its around 5 min drive from his place. Pranam had anticipated all these tensions, hurry-burry and he had packed some dinner for me. I actuall was starving. I felt so thankful to him at that moment. We had chat for sometime, met his friend Alfred and also learnt that he would be joining us to DC, the next day. Shivu had called at around 12 midnight and confirmed that he would make it the next day. It was so great. He lives near White Planes about 1.5 Hr drive from Ossining.
All were set had a nice and peaceful sleep .
It all started when Pranam just pinged over sametime (IBM's Internal Messenger) with a single statement which
didn't look like an invitation rather looked like an information. The message read, 'Majesh and I are planning to
go to DC tomorrow, are u interested'. Actually it seems he had sent a mail to our UVCE group asking for a get together
of all folks in and around NY. I am really not sure how I didn't receive it. UVCE yahoogroup, being so silent
and not much excitement happening there now a days.. and so I might have deleted that :) . So Pranam might
have thought that I was not interested in getting together. I was actually very much excited to meet and have a
a great time with my classmates. So I told 'cool man... I would make it' . Seeing this even he was excited .
Majesh had come to his aunt's place from Cali last monday to trip around NY.
Initially Pranam insisted me to rent a car from Endicott and drive to his place in Ossining. Being good driver in
India, it tempted me a lot to do so, but I had not driven even once in US and that too about 190 Miles..
driving alone.. for the first time on freeways.. It was little scary. I also called my Rental car service and enquired
about rates etc.. but at back of my mind I was never ready to do so. Then at last decided to give that crazy idea.
Left office at around 3:30 PM and rushed to room. Grabbed some clothes, and other necessities, camera etc.
I had a shortline bus at 6:10PM. I had to catch local bus at 5:00 PM to reach Shortline bus station.
It's really great... we had tripped to Niagara 2 weeks back, which involved planning about a week and now I had started to DC
which is almost 2.5 times distant compared to Niagara, with hardly any planning. But more excitement was that I would be
meeting some of my classmates. Reached bus station, and bought a ticket to NYC. Plan was to take MTA train from NYC
to Ossining. Everything went as planned till I reached NYC. It was pre-communicated that I would give a call to Pranam once
I reach Grand Central (NYC's Biggest Train station). But when I reached Grand CentralI had hardly 10 min to get on to Ossining train at 10:20 PM.
As it is named, Grand central is really Literally Grand.. huge station and my attention was to get the ticket to Ossining
and reach respective platform. I ran to central information desk to know the platform no. He told 39.. I just heard it and didn't have time to
confirm it and my eyes were looking for some arrows to reach it. Saw a direction board displaying 'To 30 - 40 platform' Just ran there..
My train was actually waiting for me.. Now my eyes got time to look at the watch and brain started working and reminded me that
I should have called Pranam. Watch showed 10:15. So I stopped and ran back to reach a telephone. At last found one.
Dialed Pranam's number.. got a message asking for 1$.. I had a 1$ coin and not quarters.. which it didn't accept.
so ditched calling him and ran back to train and got a seat.. All parts of my body and brain got some time to breath now.
Reached Ossining station at around 11:20PM. I called Pranam from there. Its around 5 min drive from his place.
Pranam had anticipated all these tensions, hurry-burry and he had packed some dinner for me. I actually was
starving. I felt so thankful to him at that moment. We had chat for sometime, met his friend Alfred and also
learnt that he would be joining us to DC, the next day. Shivu had called at around 12 midnight and confirmed
that he would make it the next day. It was so great. He lives near White Planes about 1.5 Hr drive from Ossining.
All were set had a nice and peaceful sleep .
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