The Frankfurt Transit Lounge

I reached the US via Frankfurt. We had to sit in the Frankfurt airport transit lounge for about an hour. It was boring. I had nothing better to do. So I wrote this about the transit lounge.

The Frankfurt Airport Transit Lounge
It’s a wedge-shaped hall with a clock hanging from the centre of the ceiling. The clock is disproportionately small compared to the hall dimensions. It has a meshed metal ceiling interspersed with futuristic looking metal circles with holes (air vents?). The seats are wide but unpretentious; comfortable but not luxurious. Large glass panes run throughout the length of one side of the hall. It affords a view of the tarmac, of the aircrafts taxiing in, flying out, landing. The maximum rush is at the toilets, on the side directly opposite the glass-paned one. 8 hours of sitting in a flight from Mumbai to Frankfurt does that. The time available at the transit lounge is awkward. Its about an hour which is too short for planning a siesta and too long to have to sit and fidget.

A newly wed couple fights, a fight which has crossed continents in 8 hours. The wife is unhappy with her mother-in-law. The husband defends vigorously. The wife quietens down; waiting for a gap, the next opportunity to strike.

A child of 2 or 3 wears a large cap over his head. His eyes are widely spaced, his head is abnormally large. Thankfully, he walks around, points to his mother where he wants to be taken, listens to what she says and calls her 'mama'. Another woman walks past. She smiles contentedly, smugly. She has a child sleeping on her shoulder. He is healthy.


The noise level in the hall is less when compared to the number of people packed in. The awkwardness of the time available prevents conversations from taking off. Small children exploring a new space contribute most to the noise.
Announcements over the PA system are made both in English and German. The English spoken by the ground staff has a quaint, lilting German accent. The German spoken is unintelligible but pleasing to the ear. The people in the hall look uncertain, suspicious.

In the USA

Weather's good this time....Its supposed to be spring but the chill is still in the air. Not too chilly. Just right. Met everyone in the relationship today. Felt good. Still to get my PC and stuff. So nothing much to do at the moment. Checked out a few hotels for the honeymoon. Have asked my better half to choose from one of them and to book it.

Its nice in a way to come back to the place you have been before. Its like coming back to friends. Air India was as usual. The food was pretty decent. The personal inflight video was not working. I am thankful. I was spared Malaamal Weekly and another movie starring Shahid Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt where Shahid dies and Sanjay Dutt is 'Yamraaj'. There should be a limit to corniness. But just try telling that to Mahesh Manjrekar (And to think that this is the same guy who made Vasstav). Spent my time on the flight reading 'Two Lives' by Vikram Seth. Its a biography about his uncle and aunt. After reading it, tried to think really hard whether I liked it or not. Couldnt come to a conclusion. The only conclusion is that he is versatile. 'From Heaven Lake' (A travelogue), The Golden Gate (A novel in poetry), Beastly tales from here and there (Poetry for children), A suitable boy (One of the longest novels in English) and now 'Two Lives' (A biography)....its difficult to be more versatile.

Read Cricinfo and India has won..again. Wonder where the Indian team is heading.