Journey back from Canada...

Before I came back to the UK, I was fortunate enough to attend Bhai Prebhdev Singh and Bhenji Gurjeet Kaur's wedding which took place on Saturday. The wedding was really nice. Everyone commented how the wedding was simple and enjoyable. Unfortunately I don't have any pictrues or videos to share of the wedding.

On Sunday it was my flight back home. I had bought loads Sarbloh (iron) baatte, trays and a karaahee (wok) from Khalsa School. As you can imagine the weight was really heavy and I usually over pack when going somewhere so I didn't have much weight allowance. I put all the Sarbloh baatte in my hand luggage. After checking through and getting my ticket, I went to the security check point. I put my small suitcase on the security belt - when I lifted it I realised just how heavy it was! Waheguru.

Once I got through security checking, I had to wait for my small suitcase (hand luggage) to go through the scanning machine. I stood next to lady on the computer. She kept looking at the scan of my suitcase and asked her colleague to come. I pointed at the different things and explained, "I have iron dishes in there. That's a spoon, that's a tray, that's a bowl, that's a glass..." They seemed confused when they saw I had so many spoons. I suppose normally people don't have 10 or so spoons in their hand luggage. After looking at the scan for a minute or so, the security man said in a Mexican accent, "You know - this must weigh about 60 kilos!" I thought, "Waheguru, Waheguru.." I just smiled and said, "It's okay. It's gone through." He then smiled and said, "Please enjoy cooking and eating out of your iron dishes." Sat Naam, Waheguru.

I then got to the gate where the flight was leaving. I stood in the line to show my passport and ticket before going on the bridge to go on the aeroplane. The line I was standing in seemed to have a lady of a senior position. The other staff were wearing uniform but this lady was wearing casual clothes but showing a name badge. The man in front of me was asked by the lady, "Lift your bag. Your bag looks too heavy. It is over 5 kilos. Did you not read your ticket?..." I just heard that and thought, "O dear! If this lady tries and picks up my suitcase she will get a shock." I left the queue and walked to another queue where the lady just smiled and let me on. When I got on the flight, it was so awkward to lift my suitcase and put it in the cabin space. It felt like lifting weights.

My seat was next to a Panjabi aunty. When the food was served, I told Aunty jee that I am not eating anything because I am not wearing my Kirpaan and that instead she can have my food. I asked the air hostess for the vegetarian option. She said first said, "You are not put down as a vegetarian." Waheguru. Imagine if was someone who was going to eat on the flight, and they don't have any vegetarian meals. The lady came back and said "Here you go - a vegetarian meal." I read the ingredients and it said it contains eggs. I gave back the meal to the lady and said, "I don't eat eggs. This contains eggs." She said, "Why don't you try the Chicken option then. Try some." I thought "Hai Rabbaa! I just said I am vegetarian, why on earth would I want to try the chicken option." Despite repeating that Aunty jee and I were vegetarians, she politely with a smile on her face said, "Are you sure you don't want to try the chicken - it's really tasty." It felt like being in a comedy video! Poor Aunty jee didn't have a hot meal and instead ate the cheese and crackers that I was given.

I thought I would close my eyes and get some sleep. My seat was an isle seat. Every time someone would go past their elbow would go in to me. Then when someone holding a young child would walk past, the child's feet would go in to me. As you can imagine I didn't get any sleep because I kept getting poked and prodded by every person going past. I suppose I got the charan-dhoor of children's feet on me. Waheguru. Then things got worse! The rear end toilets stopped working, so there were huge queues for going to the front end toilets. As my seat was near the front end toilets, I constantly had people rubbing past me and knocking their elbow in to me (obviously by accident). I couldn't believe how tight the isle way was and how little room there was. Every time I tried to push me feet forward, the guy in front of me would push he seat backward.

Eventually got home. It was an enjoyable with Guru jee's kirpaa. May Guru Sahib keep all the Canadian Sangat in Chardi Kalaa and bless them with Gursikhi Jeevan and seva of the Panth.