Some Travel (and allied misc.) Myths busted

So, my first day at Columbus, OHIO just got over and here's a couple of things that happened and which lead to this post.

1. Non-stop/direct flights are more psychologically overwhelming than in reality - they don't feel any more/less than say the typical eight-hour stretch (the ones with stopovers in Europe). I flew by Continental and I LOVED the airlines services per se. (Of course, after the nightmare of the Lufthansa experience, ANY airline would do better!)
2. You do actually save good time on these flights - I left at a very-decent-for-an-international-flight 10:45 pm and landed in Newark Airport at 4:10 am. Hell, even US Customs hadn't opened shop then! What could better that! (Of course, I was HELL lucky to have scraped the new terrorist threat by minutes and so, didn't have to bear with extra-suspicious looks for being brown skinned.)
3. IGI Airport has spruced up security since the Mumbai blasts - It took me precisely an hour and a half just to get to the wait-to-board stage and even while I was boarding, they stopped to question me and check my hand baggage again! At any rate, I was altogether too enthusiastic about any checks which could be construed as super suspicious. (Of course, my uber terrorist looks could have something to do with that...)
4. It is always good to double check with Americans about the simplest/most seemingly obvious of matters - I had specifically booked a smoking room in my hotel and after they hand me the keys, I just thought I would check and hey! it was a non-smoking room (and of course, as any smoker who has not smoked in the last 18 hours would tell you, the blasphemy of this beats any terrorist threat any day!)
5. Never wear fawn colored trousers and eat a huge tuna melt sandwich and be greedy about nicotine at the same time - the results are three huge splotches of tomato juice mixed with mayo and half a workday with tsk! tsk! looks...in any country really! (Of course, you could just pretend to be from Pakistan at this point)
6. If anyone tells you "you speak very good English (for an Indian)" - just smile smugly and do not offer any explanations about the general standard of the language being infinitely better than these insular people would like to believe...especially if you are about to be introduced to some Indian techies in the same office soon after. (Of course, this is the perfect opportunity to lend credibility to the 'I-am-from-Pakistan' story.)
7. Columbus is oh-kayy - I am guessing the New England area spoiled me and so the Midwest looks like bleak farmland in comparison. Though, I have to admit, things are MUCH cheaper here than over there. (Of course, the view from my window is anything BUT farmland...every great store you could think of is all within arm's distance. Now, if only I had the money...)

...and now for day 2...

(PS: I have a feeling my blog is going to disappear of many a country's blogosphere at this rate...ah well)