It is now only one more day before mom and dad depart back to Delhi. The month since they arrived has gone so quickly. It has been a wonderful stay and it has done a world of good for me. Mom has been feeling the blues for some time now and I really hope that this will make her feel better. It worked out so well that they were able to come here with me. I had almost given up hope of ever having them here but I was delighted when they proposed that they would like to come to Norway. I had planned a short trip to India after my trip to Qatar and when I was doing that, I did not have any clue that this would happen. I was certainly excited but also a bit sceptical but all my fears have thankfully been proven wrong.
The arrangements were pretty smooth and although it took a bit longer than expected with the visa arrangements, everything fell into place in the end and we were able to book them on the same flight as me. We all took KLM early on 15th June after my 3 days frentic trip in Delhi where I managed to squeeze in a lot. I saw Prachi's parents, Mehra/PJ with family, Jetly/Vohra with family and also managed to do a reasonable amount of shopping. The packing needed to be done of course. We reached the airport around 10:30 PM and were able to check in quickly, and sit in the lounge courtesy Hemant. The flight to Bergen was pretty uneventful. However, on arriving at the airport in Bergen, we were in for somewhat of a surprise since the baggage took extra long time to come. Finally there was an announcement for my name and it turned out that something had leaked in my suitcase that had also "affected" some of the other bags. In the end the baggage came out and the delay was due to the fact that KLM expected that lots of people will make damage claims that turned out to be not the case at all. Finally we were on our way and got home. The Khus Sharbat bottle had broken since I had not packed it properly because I really did not have much to pack it in....
The time here really has flown. Mom and dad have spent a lot of time with the kids and they have generally enjoyed with them, especially Prarthna. She is sure to miss them for a while, and so will I. Mom has been a great help at home and dad has generally been a pleasure to be with. We have played quite a bit of cards, watched some movies, and generally chatted together about various things. We have planned for Bhuvan's wedding (which we did by the way also in Delhi by booking a place for the reception).
We have also managed to take them places. We have been in some places around Bergen including Fløyen, Ulriken, a bit in the centre, and I have also shown them the Stave Church. I have also taken Dad to my office. Then we have taken a 2 day trip to Stavanger that was wonderful. We have also taken a day trip to Hardanger.
All in all, the trip has been a success. Of course there have been some down times, but I am very glad to hear that Mom's attitude has certainly changed. She now seems excited about travelling and may actually come back. She has also told Bhuvan that she would like to visit USA and he should not move back before she has done so.
I am really happy to have had this chance and for me, this has made my relationship with them so much better. It had gone a bit downhill over the years due to various things, one of them being the distance. But I am really happy about 2009 where I am able to spend the beginning, the middle and the end of the year with them (due to the planned trip for Bhuvan's wedding). I really hope that we can spend more time together in the future and things generally stay positive. I thank God for this!
I also wish them a quick and easy readjustment back to Delhi and hope that all goes well with dad's new job!
