A couple of months back, I traveled to India on Gulf Air. I was quite worried about the airlines, their service and everything as I had not heard a whole lot of good things about them. But quite to my surprise my journey was pleasant and hassle-free. Considering the price we paid for the tickets, I think the service was not bad at all. I realized that it is not a bad option in case one needs budget tickets. I flew from Dallas to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Bahrain, and Bahrain to Bangalore. My flight from Bahrain to Bangalore was particularly memorable, not because of the flight or the service, but because of my co-passengers. Usually I sleep on flights or watch movies, but on this one I started talking to the ladies sitting next to me and time just flew by. We spoke non-stop for 4 full hours. I got to know about them and their lives and was really touched.
The first one M was working as a maid at a Sheikh's house in Kuwait. She worked there for three full years and was going back home for the first time in three years. Her job was to cook and she saved all the money that she earned and sent it back to her family in India which comprised of her husband, 2 daughters (4 year old and 8 year old), and her mother-in-law. Most of her living expenses were taken care of by her employer. But she was never allowed to go out anywhere as it was not safe for women to go out by themselves. It was amazing to hear her story as she was staying away from her family, all by herself, in a place which is not safe for women, just to earn some extra money that she can send back home. It was very impressive to see how much she was doing to take care of her family.
The other lady B was a nurse at a hospital in Saudi. She had been working there since 2 years and was going back home for the first time too. She stayed away from her family which included her husband and 5 year old daughter, again just to make that extra money for her family. She said that Saudi was even tighter about security. She stayed in a hostel where all other nurses stayed and they were not allowed to go out anywhere. Anytime they needed to go shopping, a hospital vehicle with security would take them. They would have to cover themselves from top to bottom completely in black. The only part of body that could be visible are the eyes.
What kind of a life they had for those 2-3 years? Living all alone in a new place with so many restrictions and safety issues needs lot of courage. They were doing it to earn money for their families. Hats off to their courage and dedication that made them go through such a difficult life. It was amazing to hear their stories and know that these women took situation into their hands and went about finding a solution rather than just and waiting for things to get better. Of course one can argue that they could have done better by staying in India with their family and looking for some job there. I am not arguing that. The time spent with them on the flight is memorable for me. I was touched and listening to their struggles in life gave me a new sense of appreciation for my life. I was revived with energy and enthusiasm to live life to the fullest.
The first one M was working as a maid at a Sheikh's house in Kuwait. She worked there for three full years and was going back home for the first time in three years. Her job was to cook and she saved all the money that she earned and sent it back to her family in India which comprised of her husband, 2 daughters (4 year old and 8 year old), and her mother-in-law. Most of her living expenses were taken care of by her employer. But she was never allowed to go out anywhere as it was not safe for women to go out by themselves. It was amazing to hear her story as she was staying away from her family, all by herself, in a place which is not safe for women, just to earn some extra money that she can send back home. It was very impressive to see how much she was doing to take care of her family.
The other lady B was a nurse at a hospital in Saudi. She had been working there since 2 years and was going back home for the first time too. She stayed away from her family which included her husband and 5 year old daughter, again just to make that extra money for her family. She said that Saudi was even tighter about security. She stayed in a hostel where all other nurses stayed and they were not allowed to go out anywhere. Anytime they needed to go shopping, a hospital vehicle with security would take them. They would have to cover themselves from top to bottom completely in black. The only part of body that could be visible are the eyes.
What kind of a life they had for those 2-3 years? Living all alone in a new place with so many restrictions and safety issues needs lot of courage. They were doing it to earn money for their families. Hats off to their courage and dedication that made them go through such a difficult life. It was amazing to hear their stories and know that these women took situation into their hands and went about finding a solution rather than just and waiting for things to get better. Of course one can argue that they could have done better by staying in India with their family and looking for some job there. I am not arguing that. The time spent with them on the flight is memorable for me. I was touched and listening to their struggles in life gave me a new sense of appreciation for my life. I was revived with energy and enthusiasm to live life to the fullest.
