Tuesday, 20 November was a pretty quiet day I packed early in the day and went through a very frustrating conversation with my credit card company to get my credit card and cash situation in order. We then took my (still!) ginormous backpack to the station so it could be checked in and sent straight through to the airport only to discover they don’t do it for Air Asia. Damn cheap airlines.
What to do? So we put it in a locker at the station and went to eat at Velina’s favourite Japanese restaurant where we ordered the tempura dish with miso soup and oodles of shaved cabbage. We then wandered around a bit, both of us getting more and more tired until I decided I may as well go to the airport Velina came down with me, and waited the whole time until the train left.
Back again in the familiar surrounds of an airport. Before I go on though, I’ve gotta say one thing. You do come across some jerks in life, but it’s so funny how one kind act at a particular point in time can have such an impact on you.
I had put my backpack on the rack on the train, and when we got to the airport, I was waiting for the guy in front of me to collect his bag, which he did and gave it to his girlfriend, and then he picked up my bag, and I was about to tell him that it was my bag when he turned and handed it to me!
I dunno why that tiny, simple gesture touched me so much in that moment. Almost brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it.
Anyways, at the airport and the guy at the check in tells me that the flight it expected to take off 10 minutes early. Amazing! Okay, I head to the departure gate, prop my legs on the seat and wait. I’m reading a book and not really paying much attention when there’s an announcement and everyone around me gets up in a mass panic and starts stampeding back down the hallway. What the? Doh, I’d missed the English version. I checked with a group still left at our gate & they confirmed that yes, our gate had changed.
Great. I wander down, and see a big line outside. I look at the time and it’s almost 8.30pm. The monitor still said the flight will leave at 8.40pm. Hmm...not likely! I texted Adrian, my friend in Bangkok, my next stop, who was supposed to meet me at the airport and warned him to check the time of arrival before he left for the airport. I also let him know I would text again once the plane was ready to take off. The stewardess starts checking our boarding passes as we stand in line and finally we start boarding.
As I’m walking down the ramp to the plane I realise I only have wifi in the airport and not out here too late, I try and send Adrian a message but I’m well and truly out of the zone. Damn dependence on technology! What happened to the days when people could make plans beforehand including contingencies? I hoped Adrian would remember to check before he came.
After everyone was on and the plane finally took off, I looked at my watch. It was 9.30pm. The flight was uneventful - I read, filled out the immigration card and watched the girl next to me make notes on what looked like a uni marketing assignment.
I’d bought some chocolate Godiva pearls and still had cashews from that ill fated ferry ride for a salt fix, but felt like I should really eat something. The guy in front of me had ordered noodles, and now I was hung up on the idea I debated with myself - to buy or not to buy? Finally hunger won out. There were no more Tom Yum noodles, so I got vegetarian The stewardess came back with what seemed like the biggest bucket of instant noodles I had ever seen. Was this for one?? I took it from her in embarrassment hoping the girl sitting next to me was oblivious to this crate being passed over her head. It didn’t taste too bad and surprisingly I finished all the noodles, mushrooms & even these beany things in it.
When we landed in Bangkok, I swear the stewardess announced it was fifty minutes past eleven. Really? I thought. Almost midnight? Doh! I felt terrible that Adrian was out waiting for me at this crazy hour especially on a working night. Once I entered the airport, I got even more confused as the clocks said 11.05pm. Gah! So what time WAS it?
Immigration wasn’t too painful, I was out pretty quick. One odd thing about their card was they ask you to specify your yearly income. In dollars. What currency of dollars? Before tax or after tax? I so didn’t want to put this down, as goodness only knows what they use it for so I left it blank. The lady at the counter didn’t seem to notice of if she did, she didn’t say anything. I collected my bag, which came quick enough and as I put both my bags on the trolley and was walking out, I made the unfortunate mistake of meeting the eyes of the security guy who then pointed to me and indicated I had to go back and put my bags through the screening check.
Doh! Just what I needed! Thankfully, as I was turning around, there became somewhat of a traffic jam and people started complaining loudly. Anothersecurity guard then tapped me on the shoulder and indicated I should just go through. Phew! As I exited it seemed like the airport was pretty deserted, so I should be able to spot Adrian pretty easily.
Alas no. The only caucasian I glimpsed had glasses on, and I didn’t recollect him ever wearing them. I wandered over to the other exit and definitely no Adrian. At least I spied an ATM and withdrew some cash. It said it was going to charge me 150 bhat for the transaction. Oh, that’s not too bad - only A$1.50 Or A$3 at the most right? Okay mental arithmetic is clearly not my forte when I’ve just been on a long flight and it’s the middle of the night!
Still no Adrian though, so now what? I wandered back to the other exit, looking for anyone who looked like the distressed, water bottle sucking picture on my facebook. There was only one white guy, and after a few seconds, there was a moment of recognition! Yay! He said he thought I was taller, and I thought he was skinnier.
Okay we’ve only seen each other a grand total of three times in real life! Why did he think I was taller? This question plagued me as we made our way outside, expecting there to be no crowds or traffic.
Ha! As we exited, there was what seemed a chaotic football crowd on the pavement and some version of Donkey Kong with all the taxis on the road. Double doh! Who knew when we would get a taxi, let alone get home!
I apologised again, but Adrian seemed totally unperturbed. While asking about him and the taxis and crowds, etc. it suddenly hit me - I’d only ever seen him in our apartment when he was sitting down and I was standing up, or we’d both been sitting down. That’s probaby why he thought I was taller. Better than thinking I ws some half merged creature with Beth as had been his first guess.
We finally got into a taxi. I heard Adrian speak Thai for the first time! It sounded both hilarious and terribly impressive and reminded me of something. You know what it sounds like when you speak Thai, I asked, like a language from Star Wars! Should I call you Ja Ja from now on?
Absolutely not, he declared. We chatted as I tried not to pay attention to how fast & maniacally the taxi driver was driving.
Adrian was a wonderful first introduction to Bangkok as he told me about the local prostitution economy and how it worked, not failing to point out every brothel we passed. It was as if he had some kind of brothel radar. Although none of his information was through first hand experience he assured me.
We finally arrived at his place which was most surprising because it looked like a hotel. He said it used to be but now was residential. I think I was too wired to sleep & needed to pack for the flight out the next day anyway. Poor Adrian stayed up until I was done, even though I said he should go to sleep.
Finally, after about an hour of packing, chatting, and another half an hour of arguing about the A/C (Me: aren't you cold? Him: aren't you hot?) we finally went to sleep.
