Aisle Be Damned and the Art of Air Travelling

What have I noticed in all my not that frequent and extravagant but still give-or-take average air travelling hours?

Definitely, I have learnt a lot through frisking, re-frisking, picking up thrice in a single day for (again) frisking, left and stamped bag tags, check-in queues, aisle, window and security door seats, hot and cold meals, coffee and a glass of water calls and what not. Then came to my delight this book “Aisle Be Damned” and I realized there’s still so much to learn about the Art of Air Travelling!

Aisle Be Damned!

Written by an over worked and over traveled Corporate Executive Rishi Piparaiya that too while waiting to catch the flights, clicking the tiny keys on his BlackBerry, the book talks about the nontraditional anecdotes to fly safely, arguably intelligently and luxuriously. Though, I haven’t tried any of it, and too shy to apply, some cheat-codes are reasonably tempting to be learnt and applied while choosing the right queue with right move to win a last minute Business class seat free on one’s economy fare ticket.

Trivia
Book's Title: Aisle Be Damned
Author: Rishi Piapraiya
Page Count: 214
Price: Rs 250 (Rs 188 at Infibeam)
ISBN: 8184954654

Ideas like carrying a machine oil, spare wheel, jack and jumper cables will for sure ridicule you a bit; but as you go through the text you will be highly convinced to pack all these for all your next air journeys. Methods to win a Business seat are no doubt one of the USPs of the book. Rishi takes the reader on a real flight with talk that starts from standing at check-in queues, frisking, boarding, deciding on window or aisle (by the way, I am an All time Window guy), explaining routine flight safety jargon, in-flight booze and food, striking conversations, idea of being picked up at airport and finally putting a long list of references and acknowledgment (that itself was an interesting read).

This is certainly a light conversational book, for everyone to read, irrespective of whether they travel or not. In fact, it gives an amiably pleasurable viewpoint to the things we do notice but fail to acknowledge. I really loved the non-complex flow of language and the fun of reading the text was certainly multiplied with the apt images. It’s a must read at an airport lounge, and for those who are planning to read it in their couch at home – mind it, you won’t regret it, the book is in itself a complete journey.

(My sincere thanks to Sudarshan and Anjali from Rishi's team to offer me this wonderful Book to read and review. I regret not to able to attend the Launch Party, but that's another story.)

P.S.: Would like to add at least Three advices to the fellow air travellers. First, if you are an Indian – do carry Tabasco sauce, it’s a divine remedy to tasteless continental. Second, dear Vegetarians, on an abroad trip (esp South East Asia) – do pack dozens of Maggi 2 Minutes, it’s better to have something than nothing. Third, always be an hour before the boarding time; not like me who reached the Launch party of Aisle Be Damned, just 24hours late, yupp just 24hrs!

Banned Indian Books

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high; Where knowledge is free; Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls; Where words come out from the depth of truth... Few days back when I came to know about a book on an Indian Business Barron on the Banned Indian Books’ List, the first thing that came in my mind were the lines from Tagore . What an irony, we live in a country, whose forefathers have dreamt about a nation without fear, about a nation with right to speech, right to knowledge; and where the Government enjoys the “privilege” to “freely” ban the books, censor what it feels offensive! Wikipedia describes Banned books as the books whose free access is not permitted. Further it says that the practice of banning books is just another form of censorship, and often has political, religious or moral motivations. In our country, banning books have got its history since the British rule days. In fact, few of the Books

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Riders of the Nation of a Billion - Dimensions and Horizons

Incidentally I wrote a post of my tranformation from just around the corner corporate junkie into a Rider (for sure, still gradually) few days ago. Now, here are the Indibloggers with a Contest for the Bikers of the Nation with Castrol guys . Evolving Biker Code of the Nation When you look at the scenario of Biking in a general sense, you would be attracted by the road-rowdies and rookies who ride to spread nuisance and are mostly acknowledged for their deeds by the newspaper. Hooligans may be the right word. But, once you get involved with the passion, you would be able to see how the passion of Biking, or rather Riding, is evolving in the country where 2-wheelers over-power 4-wheelers by scores of galactic height, but have never earned respect on highways just coz they are the smallest-speeding machine there! I would try to let you through the Indian Riders tale, so that you be able to appreciate how the riders of the Country are working, though in a segregative way

Prasad Np aka desi Traveler10 December 2013 at 12:16
Looks like an interesting read...
Punit Dubey17 December 2013 at 01:26
Yupp @Prasad Np aka desi Traveler it's certainly a nice little read...a 2hrs air journey would be sufficient :)

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