thirtytwo

Warning Rant Ahead!! You may skip this blog entry!

My MNL-DXB flight is the most stressful flight of my entire traveling history…it started with the long snakelike line at the airport check in counter. It took me more than an hour maybe even two just to reach the counter.

They weighed my check in baggage and …ooops it overweight… I told the ground steward…

”its fine, ill just pay for it”

“Mam, its more than 100 dollars” (with the look that says…its expensive ..im not sure if you can pay for it)

i told him “yeah its fine, ill pay for it” .... then they weighed my check in bag….

”mam its also over weight! What’s in it?”

My eyebrows are starting to raise by 3mm (in my head : what do you care?) ”books?? can I just pay for it?”

”mam if you’re carrying a laptop we may allow it, but since you’re not we cant”. (imh : where was that written???)

“im a licensed diver, can you allow me a few additional lbs?”

“does your luggage contain diving equipments”

“no”

“then we cant, if you can fit it in your check in baggage you can pay for it, otherwise you have to remove the stuff to lessen the weight” (imh : f.u.!!!)

So I pulled all my bags in the corner and rearranged some stuff. I transferred some on my check in luggage then the rest I placed in a separate hand bag (thank God I brought a spare) and hid it in the trolley under my jacket. Phewww!! I was perspiring like crazy opening luggage, squeezing them shut…transferring stuff here and there….So now I ended up carrying two hand bags and a mini trolley hand cary bag and one big luggage for check-in.

They weighed it again…”mam you have to pay 121$”

“No problem, ill pay for it”

Then they weighed the small trolley bag and said “ok, mam”…then he tagged the bags and said “ you can pay on the counter at the end.”

“cant I pay here”

“no mam” (imh: f… 2x)

I moved to the next counter…theres a guy paying before me…and they were having some problems…blah blah blah…I was looking at my watch and thingking “geez one more hour before my flight…and I haven’t been to immigration yet im so f**k”

Finally its my turn…”im here to pay for my excess baggage”
“mam, that would be 121$”

“ok heres 200$”

“mam don’t you have an exact change, because we don’t have loose coins”

(imh: halleur its not like I keep all $ denominations in my bag…) “sorry I don’t have a smaller bill”

“mam can we just give your change later before you board the plane”

“ok, how will you do that?”

“we’ll page you”

“ok , that’s fine then”

Finally im done with the check in, I moved to airport tax…yehey special lines for OFW….finally I can use that line…ive always wondered what that line is for ….yehey FREE!! I saved 750 pesos today!!

Next : immigration…another long line…

I passed through in a breeze…I was just stressed because of the bags…I have to lift it to the scanner….then they have to scan it and open it and so on.

I thought finally I can be at peace…I just need to go to the gate and board the plane….

I spoke too soon…

I carried my bags on the heavy escalator …that’s when I saw it….i have a tear on my shoe….Oh no…this shoes are new…not even a week old…how can it have a tear??? I want to cry…because I don’t have a spare shoe in any of the 3 bags im carrying. Thank God I can still walk…although slower than norm….”Leah don’t panic, maybe this will hold until I reach dubai”..fingers crossed.

When I reached the boarding gate….”what the f_**!! Another security check????” ive been throught many airports, but the phils is the most OA when it comes to security check. 3 checks before boarding???

I bravely walked over and when I lifted all my bags for inspection, the guard said “mam you have 3 bags”. (imh : I know I can count…)

But instead, I said In my most pitiful, smiling, cute face I can come up with… “manong im so sorry, but these are the stuff that I really need to bring with me, ive already paid 121$ in excess baggage but these are the stuff that wont fit on my check in luggage. In fact here is my receipt and im waiting for them to give me the change because they don’t have loose $$”

“ahh…is that so?”

“yes po”

“whats in the bag?” (imh : why do you f* care??? Its not a deadly weapon”)

Continuing to be cute…while my heart was pounding like crazy..i said…“my Korean grammar and language books, I know for sure that I cant buy it in dubai. They don’t have it in the Philippines either. I bought them in Korea, here manong look o…….”

they looked at each other and said “ok mam I will let you pass because youre nice! Normally we only allow one hand carry, occasionally 2 is ok….but 3 is just too much. but we will make you an exception. Mam, do follow up your change….sometimes they forget. Btw how much is your change?”

(imh: thank God! Wow this manong is nice… ) “ Manong thank you po! its 79$, ill check it with them later”

“no mam check it at the counter now, I will go with you”

(imh: wait a minute this sounds fishy…why is he overly concerned….i think he wants me to give him some $$ from my change....what a scumbag…@$%@#$^%$^.)

So we went at the boarding gate counter and asked for my change.

“sorry mam they haven’t forwarded anything yet, let me go check. ” The stewardess called somebody…blah blah blah…then she said “sorry mam nothing yet”

So I turned to the guard and said “ manong, im sorry but they don’t have it ready yet”

“ok just stand in the corner and hide your other bag, someone else might see you and our supervisor might ask how you were able to get in’

(imh: you corrupt security guard..hmfft ) “ok po thank you”

So I stood there …looking scared as hell thinking…”Lord help me get through this….i promise next time I will travel light”

After 5 minutes, the same guard came back “mam check the counter again if they have your change”

“manong its only been five minutes, ill check it later”

“no mam its better that you do it now” he said a little forceful than norm.

(imh: yaah!!!…youre just scared you wont get $$ from me….you a.h.! ) “ok po”

So I went to the counter, but still nothing. i told manong guard …so he have no choice but to leave

Finally its time to board. When its my seats #s turn to board.. I walked slowly towards the tube with my heart pounding, trying to hide my other bag …(imh : please please let me pass…) ….. still being careful with my shoe…one step at the time….phew..finally im inside the plane…what a relief!

I walked inside the plane, found my seat and then I looked up….how am I supposed to lift my bag up there? Luckily a stewardess was walking by so I asked her to help me. She’s more than happy to do it. Afterwards I asked her for my change. She called somebody and after a few minutes shes back with my change. Wow good work ms. Stewardess!

I sat down feeling smug, because i don’t have to give $$ to the manong guards…belat…:P

I relaxed for awhile, waiting for the take off announcement. Then an announcement came…”goodevening…thank you…blah blah blah….the flight is going to be delayed because …t some suspicious person trying to board the plane …..we have to take their luggage out …from the compartment …..” what?? Delayed….aish! It took them 2 hours to do what theyre supposed to do ….then its time for the plane to finally take off.

The flight was smooth…but I couldn’t sleep…it must be because of my bad experience at the airport…compounded with the fact that I have my monthly period…plus im excited…and scared…and all those things. I was wide awake for more than 9 hours…just watching movies…while I worry about the guy from the hotel who’s supposed to pick me up from the airport?? He wont be stupid enough to leave me…right? He would check if my flight was delayed…right???? But what if he does…what then???

A little over midnight dubai time, our plane landed flawlessly in the middle of the runway….yes “middle”…apparently the airport is under construction ..(like the rest of the entire city..as I found out later on) So we have to take the airport bus from the runway to the airport building.

Bringing my luggage down from the overhead cabin, hauling my 3 bags along the narrow isle of the plane …then down the stairs of the airplane (we’re in the middle of the f____ runway remember…so no tube!! )…and then up on bus …was extremely exhausting, not to mention the fact that I have the tear on my shoe which will give out any moment.

In the midst of all that stress…I did feel a little excitement, because finally…Im stepping on Dubai soil !!! (well its technically concrete coz were in the runway)

Wow so this is dubai!!! Brrrrrr its cold! Niceeee!

I got off the bus and entered the airport building …. a conversation on my head is happening at this point …

”Whats that?”
“Whats what?”
“That?”
“That what?”
…… “That smell…its weird”
….”ahhhh … that’s the distinct smell of dubai”
Without sleep …exhausted and stressed … how should I say it….it made me feel as if Im going to pass out any minute..

Continuation of my conversations with myself…
“where is my giga no pain…headache balm”
“its in the luggage..checked in....its jelly like you ..know”
“fine ill just breathe less”

So I walked inside the airport....exchanged some $$ to dirhams…. then walked toward immigration to fall in line….” Wait, why do I get the feeling as if im missing something ” i remember I made some notes on my cellphone about the step by step procedure at the airport from my PDOS seminar…...it says there….”original visa…and eye scan”….”ohh shoot where do I get that?”

So I left the line and took the escalator down to the visa counter after asking 5 people for direction. Yehey I got my entry visa…its so so…so…PINK!! Then I walked over to the eye scan booth which is just next to it.

The technician was amicable at least….hey its 4 am in the morning my time and I haven’t slept a wink….and he said “please open your eyes”. I did…
” Ms please open your eyes”….i did again…
then again he said “open your eyes wide”

“its open and its open wide. if you noticed my eyes are naturally small..im chinita….”

We tried a few more times and finally they did it. Phew!

I walked back to immigration. All lines were long. Wow… im seing real life Arabic men and women…with authentic dress and stuff….Cool!

The line was really long so it took me an hour and a few minutes to get through.
Next luggage….umm…”where are the luggage converyors?…oh there it is…! But where are the luggage from my flight…?? Nowhere?? ” I walked back a few belts and then back again a few more times just to be sure but I coudnt find it anywhere. Finally I saw a mountain of luggage at the back…not on the conveyor.. then I saw my luggage with my cute teddy bear dangling from the handle..…yehey!

I slowly walked out of the airport…. “Wheres the guy who’s supposed to pick me up…how come, I dont see my name in any of the cards….hu hu hu..i want to cry!!!”

A guy walked up to me “kabayan, may problema ba” (is there a problem?)

(imh: he speaks Filipino) “kuya dapat susunduin ako kaso di ko makita” (somebody is supposed to pick me up, but I cant find him)

“ sino ba susundo sa yo, may cell number ka ba” (who is he? Do you have his phone number?)

“it’s the hotel driver and this is the number”

“ok lets call him….blah blah blah blah …(&*(#&$(#^%*(*&“

“nako umalis na daw kasi di ka daw makita…inaway ko nga e kasi di man lang chinek kung delayed ang flight” (im sorry but the guy said he left early coz he didn’t see you…I even quarreled with him for not checking about your flight before leaving”

My tears are about to fall off…”pano na yan kuya” (so what shall I do?)

“its ok you can take the taxi just tell them your hotel and they’ll take you there….thats the line o”

“kuya thank you po”

So I walked over to the taxi stand…guess what??? Another long queue…so it took me another hour…

Ive reached the hotel way past 3am…I set my luggage down…unpacked a few clothes for the next day (technically next few hours)…which is my first working day in Dubai….the company is sending somebody to pick me up at 8am…so I only have a couple of hours left to take a nap…ive better make the most of it…bzzzzz

That day was 193 days ago…..but the first time I set foot in Dubai will always be memorable....

Half a year went by so fast and believe it or not...everyday im growing to love Dubai more and more…