Dulles International Airport

Today is the day - my trip begins. I am at a ‘Potbelly’ Sandwich shop in the B terminal at Dulles International. I still have about an hour and a half before the flight boards. I’ve checked out the internet access – it is surprisingly cheap, only $6.95 for the day. If I remember correctly it was $25.00 per day at Hartsfield International in Atlanta.

I ended up taking two check-in bags, a day pack and my computer bag. Between getting all the junk together, and making sure that that each bag was less than 50 lbs the morning was shot.
After I finished packing Marilyn took me to work – she went off for coffee and the paper. Not much was happening at work, I finished off a chore or two, copied addresses and phone numbers. I called Pooja in New York and asked her to call Joshi and have him get me a Hotel in Delhi. I will check with her or Joshi in Paris.

I will spend a day or two in Delhi and then go to Jodhpur to meet with Joshi of Bilink Industries and see the factory. About three day there and then off to Hyderabad and the All India Ophthalmology Meeting.

I guess I am getting a bit anxious, mostly about the arrangements. I don’t know if they are made or not, Joshi was supposed to make them, but I haven’t heard from him. I’m a great believer in everything working out. It will not be a problem.

I wish I had more time to read about India and Pakistan before this trip. I’ll work on it on the plane, along with everything else I plan on accomplishing on the flight. I have a 4 hour layover at Charles de Gaulle. I will get internet access there to send email and check on things at work. If I am lucky I will have enough room to use the computer in my seat. That is almost certain not to happen – the seats are always cramped in coach.

I moved to the Gate – B41, I am on an Air France flight, under Delta. I wanted to get to the gate early so that I could find an electrical outlet close to a seat so that I could feed my various electronic devices, I found a plug but it was across the aisle from the seat so I would surely have tripped someone. It is not big deal, I will not be able to use the computer on board and all my other devices are fully charged.

The flight is 3,845 miles; Paris is 6 hour ahead of Washington DC. I arrive at 6:20 am Paris time – is that called Central European time? I’ll have to look that up. I wish I could spent some time in Paris; I spent an evening there on my way to Madrid, and a few days there on my way back from Madrid.

I just noticed I will be in the air during Bush’s State of the Union Address, on a French plane no less. The French annoy me, and I think they are politically very similar to Bush, but they did have him right. I was in agreement from the beginning but it is galling to have them shove Bush’s idiocies down our throat.

The Rosetta Stone language learning CD courses seem to be popping up everywhere. I just pasted a Rosetta stone kiosk a few minutes ago. The other day I saw one in Montgomery Mall. They have all kinds of languages not just the standard European fare; they have Arabic, Farsi, Pastum, in addition to Spanish, French and German. The courses are expensive, the first level is $199.00.

I wonder if you are able to take photographs in the terminal. I haven’t seen any signs prohibiting photography. I think it was forbidden immediately have 911, but they must have relaxed the rules. On the other hand, I don’t see anyone taking photographs. I guess I’ll just have to give it a try. I particularly want to get a photograph of the Rosetta Stone kiosk.
I think I will end for the moment, get set up to do some recording. Check out the situation with photography.