Everyone has a reason to pray

1  "Who's in the car?"

          My flight was at 1 pm, and I left for the airport at 10 am.

       Along the way, heavily armed soldiers lined the streets as if to welcome us.

        From time to time, the driver slowed down, obediently following instructions to continue or stop.

        The soldiers asked a simple question: "Who's in the car?"

        "Tourists," I said, waving my passport.

        Then, we were allowed to pass.

       After a few days, I was actually used to it. These soldiers seemed friendly enough. Sometimes they even agreed to pose for photos.

       Being allowed to pass was, of course, the best. But if not, there was no need to worry. The next question was likely to be: "Do you smoke?"

       Of course, the soldiers weren't concerned about my health. 

       Frankly, they wanted a cigarette to relieve their boredom.

       One kilometre from the airport, we had to get out of the car with our luggage and go through a security check. Then, we could proceed.

With a soldier every five steps and a sentry post every ten, the defence was tight. The army's presence really felt like a state of war.

        An advertising billboard read: "The army's presence - for you!"

        When did the Indian army begin its presence?

      Since the British colonial government withdrew in 1947, Pakistan and India fought over the land of Kashmir, and since then, the Indian army has been stationed there. It's been half a century, but Kashmir has still not been "assimilated" by India.

        Whether they make sarcastic remarks behind the backs of Indian soldiers or not, Kashmiris' attitude towards Indians is always cold. The most polite thing they say is: "They don't understand what I'm saying." The cynical ones say: "This is Indian-style democracy." The harsh ones say: "They're all dogs!"

        This shows that the army's presence cannot change the people's hearts.

2  "Everyone has a reason to pray."

        After a lot of hassle, I finally arrived at the airport building.

     At 10 a.m. sharp, I completed the procedures and entered the waiting room. Then, another wait. Waiting in Kashmir can be unforgettable and eye-opening.

        An administrator informed us that the plane would be delayed by 45 minutes. That would be 2 pm, I guessed. But the plane we were supposed to take didn't arrive at the airport until 3 pm. Everyone applauded warmly when the plane arrived.

        After landing, no passengers disembarked. Instead, a large group of people gathered around the plane to watch the excitement.

       Looking through the window from afar, I saw the plane open its windows, and three graceful flight attendants leisurely used the wing as a runway, posing for photos or were they filming a movie?

        Then, it was the male flight attendants' turn, three of them as well. This time, I saw clearly that the male flight attendants could even lean their bodies against the nose of another plane to pose. It turned out that when parking, they were too close to the adjacent plane. It seemed that the two planes had collided.

         At 4 pm, the passengers on the plane finally disembarked.

        At 5 pm, trucks slowly transported luggage to the departure hall.     My God! I then realized that the passengers who had just disembarked had been waiting in the waiting room for their luggage, unable to go home.

        People were more concerned about the baseball game than the plane delay.

        The waiting room's TV screen was showing a baseball game, and the teams playing were India and Pakistan. It had been playing continuously since I entered the waiting room.

        Indians and Kashmiris were very interested in the game. The guards and cabin crew members all came over to take a look before doing their jobs. The live broadcast was very professional, analyzing the players' batting stances, ball speed, and trajectory, and they even invited senior reporters from both sides to provide live commentary.

Ironically, the airport broadcast made no mention of the plane accident that had occurred several hours earlier. Looking out the window was like watching a silent movie. Everyone was just guessing about the "plot" development.

        Bored, I started watching baseball. I also watched the advertisements. Indian advertising production is of a high standard, cleverly inserting Indian song and dance performances, with a good grasp of rhythm. The comedians' performances were also better than Liang Zhiqiang (梁志强)'s "Comedy Show."

        The slogan of the baseball sponsor's advertisement was: "Everyone has a reason to pray." 

       "Everyone has a reason to pray," it was broad in scope and struck a chord!

3  "The child hasn't eaten anything for six hours."

        At 5:45 pm, there was a commotion. It turned out that passengers on our flight could receive a pack of biscuits and a drink by presenting their boarding passes. However, they had to queue up to get the drink first, and then queue up again to get the snack.

        What kind of system? What kind of thinking? Why not simplify the process and handle it all at once? I couldn't react for a moment.

        I hadn't had a chance to eat since breakfast. No matter how rough the biscuits were, I had to fill my stomach. But man proposes, God disposes. When it was my turn, the staff politely told me: "They're all gone. Come back in 10 minutes!"

        At 6 p.m., the broadcast announced the cancellation of the flight. This triggered an even greater emotional reaction.

        The French cursed. The Italians loudly questioned: "Does it take so long to decide to cancel a flight?" On the other hand, the Hong Kong tour guide was more civilized and insightful. She immediately picked up the microphone and urged everyone not to panic, explaining the next steps to her group members.

        I went to the departure hall and lined up behind the pilot to complete the procedures.

        The boarding pass had to be exchanged for the original ticket, and hotel and taxi vouchers had to be collected. I just didn't understand why the procedures couldn't be simplified, allowing the boarding pass to be used again the next day, since we were all passengers on the same flight and had to come back again tomorrow. Or, just let everyone get a new card as proof. Wouldn't the process be simplified?

        Finding the ticket took time, issuing the hotel vouchers took time, and since everyone didn't have the habit of queuing, they pushed and shoved. Whoever shouted the loudest was served first. The whole process lacked any system or prior preparation. As a result, a child cried, and the mother hysterically shouted: "Have pity on my child, he hasn't eaten anything for six hours." The scene was chaotic ......

4  Two Posts

        At 7 pm, Mr. Guru appeared in the departure hall like an angel. He was our local contact for this Kashmir trip. After learning about the situation, he rushed over to help with the procedures.

       Normally, outsiders are not allowed to enter the airport's important areas. Sending off guests only goes as far as the airport entrance. Now, outsiders had broken into the airport's inner hall. He was truly resourceful!

        At 7:30 pm, Mr Guru's faint flashlight guided us through the dark corridor to the pitch-black parking lot.

        On the road, we were still greeted by soldiers on duty.

        Along the way, the questions were still simple: "Who's in the car?"

        "Tourists," I said, waving my passport.

        Then, we were allowed to pass.

        If such investment could be used for more constructive personnel management, if the investment could truly allow everyone, especially the Kashmiris, to see the progress of the region, if the investment could mobilize the Kashmiris' enthusiasm and cohesion...... then, would the soldiers still need to stand guard?

5  Waiting for Takeoff

        The next day, at the airport, Mr. Guru shook hands with me again to say goodbye. He said: "Come back and visit again in the summer."

       "11:30 am, we're the first flight?" I pointed to the notice on the board, confirming with Mr. Guru.

        "This is Kashmir, things are uncertain. But I will pray to God that everything goes smoothly."

        Putting customers first, thinking from the customers' perspective, and being anxious about what customers are anxious about, the efficiency and service quality of private travel agencies have already taken off. But why is the government administrative agency lagging so far behind?

        Looking at Mr. Guru's capable, calm, yet somewhat bewildered and helpless eyes, I remembered the baseball sponsor's advertisement from yesterday: "Everyone has a reason to pray."