A trip to America - vis a vis wildlife talks
- Part 1 -

Usham Somarendro Singh *

I haven't thought much about writing a newspaper article relating to wildlife conservation until very recently; I however, had earlier contributed a couple of articles in Sangai Express, one of which is titled 'Manipur's diverse challenges' under the author name U. S. Angomcha. I had worked in my capacity as Research Co-ordinator in Wildlife SOS, a delhi based NGO, an organization dedicated towards wildlife conservation. My visit to America during 2008 was a significant one because it was my first presentation and I had earlier not spoken in any conference even at national level.

So, my first speech was in the United States. My boss, Mr. Kartick Satyanarayan asked me 'Have you ever been to abroad'? 'No' I replied. Will you be able to do it?' 'Yes' I said. So, I will be speaking the paper titled 'Conservation and Science: Human-leopard conflict study in Jammu and Kashmir, India, to bridge the gap between community and wildlife' and my co-authors were, Rohit Singh, scientist WSOS, Kartick Satyanarayan and Geeta Seshamani, both co-founder of the WSOS.

Back when I was enrolled in Department of Wildlife Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, my paper on leopards got selected for Students conference at Cambridge University, but could not attend it. But then passport was another matter of concern. Probably during 2007, I requested my father Mr. Usham Ibocha to help me out in getting passport. Procuring passport sounds pretty simple, but in reality it was a complex process. Now, I had the passport and my organization was supporting my travel expenses and for all the reasons my speech in United States had been more meaningful.

When I narrated my travel programme to my mom, Mrs Usham Leibaklotpi, she was first reluctant as any typical mother would do. 'It is so far', she said, yet she was so happy hearing the news. I had applied for visa in US embassy in New Delhi and they called me for an interview. There were so many people in line and I joined them.

I was asked when the conference was and I replied 13th to 17th July 2008. They gave me visa for 10 years upto 2018. 'Wow'. On the day of my departure, the air hostess and staff asked me if I carry along any medication. Few paracetamol tablets were shown, they okayed it and then I boarded the American Airlines.

It was 17 hours long continuous journey. Earlier when I boarded flight from Imphal to New Delhi, or New Delhi to Kashmir, when plane struck the clouds and then shook, it was pretty scary. But then 17 hours long flight with announcement in between of bad weather and all, my fear was certainly reduced. I landed at Chicago and had to board a connecting flight to Tennessee. But I couldn't find the gate for my next flight.

What I could see was the airport exit but no gate. When you are abroad and alone, never hesitate to enquire. I asked a white staff but his reply was not so encouraging, then I asked a black staff, he was very cooperative. He told me 'Sir, go upstairs and catch the train that would carry you to the domestic airport'. I thought 'woh! Train inside the airport.'

I went up and boarded the train. The domestic airport was so busy and crowded and also, you have to take off your shoes during security check in. Then I boarded American Eagles, a domestic aircraft. It was pretty small, much smaller than Indian domestic aircrafts, with a few passengers and only one air hostess serving. When the plane made a turn, it felt as if my whole body was turning, being a tiny plane.

But then one thing is you could see America's landscape and one amazing thing was the whole city's landscape which looked so uniform and systematic. Roads, buildings, houses, everything were so well planned and so uniformly placed.

When I reached airport at Tennessee, I boarded a cab to my hotel 'La Quinta Inn'. Back when I was in New Delhi, I had booked a room with the help of Dr. Ravi Chellam, one of the great scientist and pioneer in wildlife conservation, whom I get to know when I was working on leopards in Gir National Park, at that time he was having a project on Asiatic Lion.

He was chairing in the one of the session of the Conference and was also putting up in the same hotel. When I reached there, it was pretty tiring after such a long journey, so, I slept for a while and then went out to get some food. But then unlike India, you have to follow traffic norms the moment you step out of the hotel. Every road is motorable and every vehicle is speeding.

Then I reached a food store and I could see every stuff inside being a glass house. But then who are in line, only cars but no human on foot. I saw no one walking up and getting food. There was a long line of cars in queue waiting for their turn. I just couldn't think of a way to be in line among cars so, I turned back.

But then there is always an easy way, I asked the hotel staff, took the delivery number and ordered for Pizza. It cost something around 12 dollars and perhaps he took 2 dollar as delivery charge. The next morning they said breakfast timing ended at 8. One great thing about that America visit is the breakfast.

Well, I was not used to having such a heavy breakfast, I used to have few rotis or paratha in Delhi, so, it's a complete difference that they had so much stuff to offer during breakfast. It was so enormous and perhaps you get everything in breakfast; burger, bread, corn flake, milk, coffee, juice, apple, banana, roasted or fresh stuff; you name it.

Then I boarded a cab to Chattanooga Convention Centre, the venue for 22nd Annual meeting for 'Society for Conservation Biology' also called SCB.

To be continued ...