My Next Escapade

Next week i will be on the go again, but this time it is official. I will be attending the Society for Technology Management (STEM) Intellectual Property Management and Technology Transfer Graduate course in Ooty, India. It is actually scheduled 13-16 April 2008 in Hotel Sullivan Court in Ooty. The first time i heard of the place it feels so far, maybe because i've never heard it. In fact i was not eager to go and let the time pass until deadline before i applied. The travel agent earlier on gave me an itinerary which will pass by Singapore-New Delhi-Chennai-Coimbatore and then finally bus to Ooty. That was one way so you can visualize my endless transfers and waits at different airports, double it and i will be home, hopefully still intact. I was really disappointed and afraid because friends told me that Indian planes often get late. I personally know also that my Indian friends are not very conscious of time, so i am really afraid i might miss my next flights. I hope the data and the fear are only imagined, and wish what happened to my friends will not happen to me.

Fortunately, a slight change in my itinerary arrived via Kuala Lumpur-Chennai-Coimbatore. I will be waiting from 8pm on the 11 April in KL before boarding at 8am the next day. I can handle that better than having another airline to another airport. My friend Edson (Brazil) and Marison gave me some advice in visiting India. Hence, i will be bringing towels, 'malong', some biscuits and maybe noodles and heater.

On the more positive side, the organizers were very generous in providing information. They also booked me in a budget hotel (?) in Coimbatore on the 12th and 16th April, because only the 13 - 15 April are included in our registration fees. I also learned that Ooty is +2,000m asl and is considered one of the most beautiful sites in India. Temperature is relatively cool and nature vistas are great. There is a botanical garden, a lake, wildlife park, etc. This thoughts allay my apprehensions. I might possibly be acquainted also with their butterflies. Now, i am a bit excited. I hope i can provide you some nice photos and memories when i get back.