I should be so lucky

As I said in my last post, I went to Hyderabad, India last Sunday to attend the 4th Asia-Pacific Conference on Reproductive & Sexual Health and Rights (APCRSH). This is my fourth trip to India, and my first to Hyderabad so I was excited. I flew to Kuala Lumpur at around 11AM and reached KL at a little past 2PM. There was a small group of Cambodians traveling with me, on the way to the same conference. Since there was an 8-hour lay-over, I decided to go explore the other building of the airport, where there are more duty-free shops. The Cambodians decided on a city tour of KL.

I browsed at the bookstore, thumbing through the latest book of Jaime Oliver. Cleverly written and designed, I wanted to buy the book right away but I found the RM150.00 price tag too steep for me. I needed to at least wait until the conference is over because I had a mission: I was supposed to buy Plavix, the medicine my grandfather is taking. Said medicine is very expensive in Manila but was apparently dirt-cheap in India. So I ended up buying this thick interior design magazine that cost around USD3.50. I went next to the Body Shop to see the products I’d been missing since moving to Cambodia. I planned to purchase some products on my way back to Phnom Penh. I stopped at Starbucks for a heavy dose of their hot chocolate and a blueberry muffin. After a while I checked my emails at one of the free internet terminals. 

For dinner I went to Burger King and ate a fish sandwich, chicken fingers, onion rings, and orange soda–without ice. I was still nursing a cold; in fact I was feverish the whole afternoon. After eating I went to the toilets and refreshed myself (go number two, brushed my teeth, and washed my face). To my dismay, I learned at around 8.30PM that the 10.30PM flight to Hyderabad was not only delayed by almost two hours, the boarding gate was also changed; it was now on the main building of KLIA. So I took the shuttle and went back to the main building. True enough, I saw the group of Cambodians waiting on the benches. I sat with them and we talked until we boarded the plane at around 12 midnight. I vaguely wondered at the scarcity of Filipinos on the flight. I found it strange because I knew that this was their connecting flight too. I sat with an Indonesian man who turned out to be another participant to the conference. We didn’t talk much, though.

The plane landed in Hyderabad at around 1.30AM, Monday. For about twenty minutes we stood in front of the conveyor belts, waiting for our luggages. For another twenty minutes nothing but baby strollers appeared on the conveyor belts. When I finally got to the exit, where we were met by the organizers and assigned cars going to our hotels, a long queue of well-wishers and taxi drivers had formed, blocking the exit. The crowd was nothing like the crowd in Delhi but at past 2AM, it was disconcerting nonetheless.

The taxi brought me and Kalyan, a Cambodian lady, to the Green Park Hotel but I was irked when we were told that our rooms were not ready. That they were taking us to another hotel so we can rest. That they would pick us up at 6AM, when our rooms are already ready. It was already 3.30PM; and I asked them if they were aware that the conference was starting in a few hours. I didn’t want to go through the inconvenience of checking in then out of a hotel in the space of about 5 hours. But the Hotel staff just looked at me as if I spoke in an alien language. So were driven to Kristiya Hotel, about 20 minutes from Green Park. The room was nice; I wished they would let us stay but I knew those bureaucratic bastards would not allow it. So I opened my luggage and picked out fresh clothes and took a long hot shower. I was a bit relieved by the shower. I took my medicines and laid on the bed, aware that I wouldn’t be able to sleep.

I did manage to nap for at least 30 minutes. At 5 minutes before 6AM I was already in the lobby, waiting for the ride back to Green Park. The car, however, did not arrive until 7PM, adding to my irritation. When we got back to Green Park, we were told to have breakfast first before catching the shuttle that will take us to the conference venue. Kalyan and I took probably the quickest breakfast in our lives. At the reception, we were told that our rooms will be ready at 9AM, or by the time we arrive from the conference. I was too tired to argue, I knew my eyes were bloodshot like I was on drugs, so I just carried my heavy backpack (which I had planned to stow in my room) and walked to the shuttle grimly. I met Katia, an Australian researcher who is doing her PhD thesis in Cambodia. When she learned of my email address, she realized that she had been trying to contact me for months now. I recalled an email from Tony (of UNAIDS Cambodia) mentioning a researcher who needed some documents. The world has gotten smaller for me again.

The conference venue was about 30minutes away from our hotel. When I went to register there were long lines. Fortunately I remembered my ID number so I knew where to queue and I got my conference kit in no time at all. I saw Joyce in the plenary hall but wasn’t able to join her because we were with our own groups. After the plenary session, we met and decided to stick together. She introduced me to her new colleague Ricky, who is as fey as Philip–our other friend and colleague, but taller and ‘prettier’. I told them of the horror I experienced on the trip and they informed me that a groups of Filipinos got stranded also because their Manila to KL flight got delayed for almost 5 hours. They were not expected to arrive in Hyderabad until the next day. That explained the scarcity of Filipinos on our flight the previous night. 

During the poster exhibition Joyce and I visited Ricky’s poster. In the same exhibition hall I also saw my friends Cristita (from the Philippines) Arpita (from India) and Dede (from Indonesia). In between, Joyce and I sat through sessions and tried to catch up with each other’s lives. In the evening we attended the conference reception where we ate our fill of bite-sized chicken and vegetable tikka and drank the free-flowing wine. Ricky got mellow from 3 glasses of white wine which he gulped like it was iced tea. We flirted: Ricky with a guy from Bhutan who was wearing his national costume and I with Rahul, a young Indian doctor from Delhi. When I finally saw my hotel room, I was a tad disappointed because my temporary hotel room at Kristiya was newer and prettier. Nevertheless I was determined not to be further let down by the mishaps that has happened so far. After a quick unpacking I soaked in a warm bath until I was wrinkly like a raisin and went to bed for a much-needed sleep. The room was, fortunately, comfortable enough.

Rahul’s poster was presented on the second day of the conference so Joyce, Ricky and I met him at the exhibition hall. We saw Mr. Bhutan walking around, wearing the same costume. In the exhibit hall we saw Anjali (from India), Maria and Jonah (from Sweden), Erick, Chi, Paolo, and Mz Eden (from the Philippines). Fellow blogger and former TLF colleague Glenn arrived on the second day. He was apparently one of the Filipinos who got stranded in the airport. We missed watching his session but he joined us during TARSHI’s satellite session in the afternoon. In the evening, Joyce and Ricky went to dinner with their colleagues while Glenn and I sat through the launch of RH-relevant music videos of two (popular) Indian singers. I liked the guy. Rabbi Sheergil didn’t sing in English, but the melody of his songs and the quality of his voice was haunting and evocative. I wanted to buy his CD.

My oral presentation was on the third (last) day of the conference. That morning Joyce and Ricky reported how boring their night had been. Glenn and I were happy to say that we had a surprisingly good time listening to the singers. During plenary it was evident that there were many absent people. Probably shopping and gallivanting already. How predictable. During my session there were only about 30 people in the audience, including Joyce and Glenn. My presentation went uneventfully. A guy from Viet Nam had an excellent question for me (which I answered well–I hope) while an Australian lady, who was a fellow speaker, asked for my card so we can exchange information. We then went to the last parallel session of the conference, which proved to be the most interesting. It was about words on sexuality. Mike Tan (Philippines) gave a rousing presentation, as always.

Before the closing ceremony, I said good-bye to Radhika, Arpita, and Sushma (from TARSHI) because they were heading to Delhi on the evening flight. Francis (from India), whom I first met in 2004, promised to take Joyce and me around Hyderabad on Friday. When the conference finally wrapped up, not with a bang but with a whimper, Ricky wanted to do some shopping before dinner. He was to go to Delhi the next day because he wanted to see the Taj Mahal. Glenn declined to join us. So Joyce and I went to Ricky’s shuttle. However, the wait, the traffic and the rain blew away the chance to shop. We ended up having dinner at a restaurant close to Ricky’s hotel. The food was great and the price cheap. At least it was a nice dinner. Joyce and I went back to our respective hotels in different motorized rickshaws. At the hotel, I started packing my things because Joyce was moving in the next day until we leave India.

I woke up at 7.30 the next morning, ate breakfast and lazily sat reading the newspaper until Joyce called me from the lobby at around 9AM. Our plan was to go to Fabindia–a shop that sells high quality Indian clothes and household linens–in the morning then to Charminar (Hyderabad’s most famous landmark) in the afternoon. This plan was almost thwarted when we learned there was a transport strike in the city. So we booked a hotel taxi and went to Fabindia. We found it after some difficulty. I bought 5 kurtas (3 for me and 2 for Kimrun), 3 dupatta (gifts for my fellowgays in Cambodia), and 3 bedcovers (for my home). On the way to the cashier I discovered very colorful dish towels that cost less than a dollar each so I got 6 pieces. Joyce bought a couple of dresses, I think. For lunch we went back to the hotel and tried the lunch buffet, which was excellent. In the afternoon we went to Charminar as planned.

Charminar isn’t as impressive as the Taj Mahal, but it has its own beauty–one that shines amid the squalor of the urban landscape that has sprung around it. Joyce and I roamed the streets surrounding Charminar, looking for things that will catch our eyes. The whole place reminded me of pre-LRT Baclaran. I was on the look-out for those wooden incense box-holders similar to the one I got during my first trip to India (2003). Hav asked me to buy it for him. Didn’t find it, though. I did manage to buy 5 sets of bed linens that I intended to sell in Cambodia. These were comparably cheaper than the ones I got from Fabindia. I also got Mz Joy’s henna and small marble replicas of Charminar and Taj Mahal. Before settling in for the night we went to Soma, another shop that sold exquisite handmade block-printed home linens. I bought a beautiful tablecloth and 2 sets of bed linens for selling in Cambodia. On the way home we stopped at Chemist’s shops (what we call pharmacies) to purchase the medicines but did not find it.

The next morning I called Francis’ mobile phone as we agreed on Wednesday. There was no answer. Dismayed, Joyce and I started formulating a Plan B, consulting the city guides that we had. In the Philippines the phrase na-indian meant to be stood up. So we still found ourselves smiling even if we got stood up because we were na-indian by a real Indian person. After breakfast I checked out and was pleasantly surprised to learn that the hotel didn’t charge me for the extra day I spent in the hotel. That saved me around USD140.00. Yey! Next we spoke to Shiva–the concierge– and he recommended that we go to Shilparamam (an arts & craft shopping complex/amusement park and Golconda Fort. Before leaving, Joyce and I shopped for pearls and other knick-knacks at the hotel shops. I sent some pearl jewelry to my mother through Joyce. Shilparamam reminded me of Nayong Pilipino or one of those Christmas Bazaars in Manila. Joyce and I bought scarves, traditional paintings, bamboo tops and key rings, and wooden elephant figurines. Still no wooden incense box-holders, though.

Meanwhile, Golconda Fort made me think of Fort Santiago, but constructed on a grander scale. Joyce and I managed to ignore the slew of hawkers that swarmed around us the moment we stepped in the fort. A sign of veteran travelers to India? We hope so. We took a lot of photos on this site, even if we didn’t explore each nook and cranny of this colossal place. For lunch Joyce indulged my desire to eat at a fast food of my choice (KFC, Pizza Hut, or McDonald’s) because of the lack of these in Cambodia. I chose McDonald’s. This was India, however, so no beef. I ate the Indian version of the Big Mac, the Chicken Maharaja Mac (check the photo below). I wanted to look for the medicines again but we already ran out of Indian Rupees and we couldn’t find a money changer also. So we went back to the hotel at 5PM, changed some dollars to Rupees and decided to leave the hotel earlier to find the medicines before heading to the airport.

After dinner, we left the hotel at around 7.30PM. I remained unsuccessful in finding the medicine I wanted to buy, though. The first shop we went to sold it for an exorbitant price. I told the driver to look for another shop but he took us straight to the airport instead. Joyce decided to get off while we drove back to the city. Joyce’s flight was 11.30PM while mine was at 1.20AM so I had time. We went to 5 shops but did not find it. I didn’t dare venture back into the city for fear that I wouldn’t make my flight. The guard at the passenger’s entrance stopped me from entering because he said I was too early. He wanted me to come back 3 hours before my flight. That meant waiting for an hour or so in the dingy and noisy exterior of the airport. I wanted to throw this bureaucratic, power-tripping idiot over the bridge but I restrained myself. Indian jails must be terrible places. 30 minutes later I saw him going to the toilet. I sneaked past the replacement guard with no trouble.

Inside the airport I saw my Cambodian group and we checked in as a group, which was fortunate for me as my luggage weighed about 30 kilos. I caught up with Joyce again at the boarding gates and we talked until it was time for her to go. Fortunately our flight to KL was not delayed and it went by uneventfully. We arrived in KL at 8AM, Saturday, November 3. I made quick trips to the duty-free shops, buying stuff from Body Shop and some chocolates. I got a free table-clock because my chocolate purchase exceeded RM100.00. The flight to Phnom Penh also went uneventfully. That is, until it was time to retrieve our luggages.We learned that our group’s luggages were left behind in KL and they were going to send it on the next flight. We were advised to get it at 2PM. One of the Cambodians uttered “Incredible India!”, in a tone that the spin doctors who came up with it never imagined they would hear.

So after encountering a lot of mishaps before, during, and after the conference, how would I rate the experience? The organizers and the secretariat were imperfect–at times helpless and rude. The conference wasn’t as ground-breaking as I hoped, but relevant nonetheless. I am thankful for the full scholarship they awarded to me. The best part for me, however, was being able to see old friends and colleagues, many of whom I hadn’t seen in years. I feel bad I wasn’t able to purchase the medicines, but I did my best, under the circumstances. Hope I won’t get in too much trouble with my mother. Hope my luck holds.