No! the topic is not a typo for “Lost in the beauty of Melbourne”.
What a surprise! I am one among the team of three to fly to Melbourne to participate in a workshop for a period of 5 days (Yes just 5 days - monday to Friday). The other two members being my project lead and program manager,I took no time to make sure that I called my friend in Melbourne and requested him to find an accomodation for me @ his place for a week. To my surprise he readily agreed. I remember the numerous quarrels I had picked up with this friend when we worked together in the earlier project. A kind hearted person he must be to say “Yes” to the request.
The day arrived and my friend promptly picked me from the airport and drove all the way to his place, while the other two took the other means of transport. We departed agreeing to meet the next day morning, at the Glass house conference room in the office. He introduced me to the other inmates of his big apartment. They were quite excited to welcome me. I had also performed the role of the courier person for them. 70% of my luggage was filled with gifts, clothes, snacks and sweets for the inmates from their families in Chennai.
I never knew that this small gesture would go a long way(Not just this, but in general, they were quite friendly by nature and thats what we call luck). I had a royal dinner at their place. I realised that they have done a lot of homework to make my stay comfortable, which included - cleaning up one of their rooms in the apartment so that I can readily occupy, booking a weekly pass for my travel, getting the details on train and tram routes to my office etc. I didnt realise that I had to leave the house at 6.30 to reach my office at 8!. An alarm was already set to wake me up. A refreshing cup of Coffee and hot breakfast was already on the dining hall - waiting for me. I ate in a hurry and slipped the lunch my friend had packed into my back pack, grabbed his Sony digicam and was struggling with my shoes.. My actions only invited a stare from my friend, who was already at the door ! He promised to accompany me to my office the first day - though our offices were located in opposite directions, miles apart and there he is while Iam still getting ready!.
We walked for a couple of minutes, took a tram and then a train. I carried a small notepad and a pen with me. People who looked us would have wondered if he were my boss and me a steno. I followed him like a little puppy, noted the junctions where I should alight and where I should change platforms. All the way, I was writing, writing and writing - my notes included landmarks that I can identify, timings between stations etc… He bought me a rail route pocket reference timetable, explained me the zones, the button systems that aid in crossing the roads and what not!.
My first day at the office was quite interesting. My manager and TL were present well before the workshop began. They were surprised to know that I had to take a tram and then a train to reach the place. They wondered why I preferred to stay so far, when both of them were staying in a nearby hotel, at a walkable distance. I chuckled and gave a broad smile(You know why).
Back at home, royal dinner again and some sight seeing in the evening followed by a visit to the nearby beach, in fact by the time we returned it was mignight. I slept like a log.
The next day, I knew I had to travel alone to my work place. I promply took my notepad and pen, started following the directions. I patted myself after I got into the correct tram, waited for the tall beautiful blue building with KFC billboard at the top (land mark!) and alighted at the railway station. I scanned the Train Arrival timings at the digital display and noticed that the train to my work place would arrive at platform 5 in the next 2 minutes. I rushed to platform 5 and there was a train already waiting. I entered it and relaxed on a seat next to the window. I told myself “Good dear, you were on time, otherwise you would have missed this train”. On the same day, my session was planned for two hours in the later half of the day at the workshop. As I was confident that it would take solid 30 minutes to reach my destination, I started to think over the anticipated queries from the audience, as the train slowly entered the next station.
25 minutes passed, the flash board inside the train read in red - “The next station is..(Some station name, I haven’t heard of it and alas! its not in my notepad too!)”. I opened the rail route pocket reference timetable and tried to locate where I was. I could not believe that inspite of all my notes, I travelled in a different train and was totally out of route! I closed my documents and prepared for alighting at the next nearest station. I cursed myself. I have taken the wrong train! How could that be? I checked the train timings board twice and it pointed for sure to Platform number 5. But now its not the time to do an R&D. (I realised later that my train was supposed to arrive in the next 2 minutes and I boarded the previous train that was already on the same platform). Immediately my friend’s words came to my mind “Hey always keep your weekly pass with you. Ticketless travelling will invite a huge fine here.” I could feel butterfiles in my stomach. The zone concepts came to my mind. I was not sure if my ticket is valid in this train or not! No souls in the compartment, I alighted at the next station.
The most deserted station I have ever seen! Not a human being around. A Ticket vending machine and a telephone booth are the only things and … a few benches. It looked like a village, greenery around, not a single building or road in sight. I sat on the bench. Im already late to the office! my bosses would be searching for me by this time. Oh God! They dont have a mobile (Who would take a mobile number for just 5 days stay?) and I dont remember even the extension of my conference room. I cursed myself again for my carelessness. Luckily I have noted down my friends number in my little notepad. I gathered some coins from my bag and tried the number at the telephone booth. “Hey what ya? Hows ur day?”. “Not so good. I dont know where I stand now, I am lost!”. “What ? (Laughs!) Joke of the year”. “Im REALLY lost. I took a different train. Now I dont have coins to explain you the details. Try to pass this msg to my bosses that I will be late. Ransack the emails I have sent you earlier, they will contain the office number. Thanks.”
I carefully explored the map and identified my route back to a junction and then to the office. A girl in her twenties entered the station and sat next to me. I inquired her about the validity of my ticket. She confirmed that my ticket is perfectly valid for this zone. I took the next train that entered the platform. I was more meticulous now. I kept my ears open for every little word uttered by the announcement device. I would have landed in another blunder if I had not done this - “This train is re-routed. Passengers are requested to alight at the next junction”. I got down at the next junction and started exploring the route from there.
I laughed at myself when I reached office in time (atleast for my session).
p.s. This was in 2004
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