The horrors of flight.

My mother called in today and said my brother finally managed to get in his flight. So Ill be picking him up tomorrow at DCA.

Yesterday while at Eda's we talked abit about my problems with flights.

There is always some issue with me and flights, be it being late, have the flights cancelled, miss the flight altogether, airport security issues, or weird connecting flights.

Like last time I when I went to Mongolia to visit my friend Sodo, I missed the flight because I came to the airport 30 minutes before departure, and of course, I was still in line for ticketing, when my flight took off. So I had to bullshit that hurricane Isabel cancelled my flight to my friend Sodo. But wait, it gets better. The flight was supposed to make a quick stop in Korea before heading to the final destination, Beijing. We did the quick stop in Seoul, and took off to head to Beijing. At Beijing airspace then plane could not land due to weather. Sigh, went hours and hours hovering Beijing's International Airport. After 4 hours, the captain announces that we are going to fly to Shanghai to land. That was a big problem for me. I have a driver waiting for me in Beijing and I had no means of communication with them. Plus if I land in Shanghai what the hell am I going to do? I don't speak any Chinese. Crap. The driver must have been pissed that I didn't get there on the right date because I missed my original flight, but thank god Sodo called them to tell about my mishap. We get to Shanghai airspace, and the weather there is bad too. After hovering for 2 hours, and low on fuel, the captain announces that we are going to fly back to Seoul. I'm going insane being confined for so long at plane. My nicotine craving had started while still on the Pacific, so by now I was about to murder people with a severe beating with a dildo on the plane. I was even thinking on smoking at the restrooms. At one point I was, "Well you know, the fine is not that bad, I can definitely pay the fine. It might be worth it." That's how desperate I was. When get to Seoul, and the airport is closed. What? How on earth is the airport closed? I never heard of such thing before. The captain announced that we could only get fuel from the airport, and no one would be allowed to go outside. Crap. Look, we have been in the plane for many hours, the air in the plane felt really heavy and dirty, the restrooms was nasty. And we were out of food. Flight attendants made a futile attemp to cheer the passangers by giving free alcoholic beverages. We wait and wait, still no sign of better weather in Beijing. Captain announces that we will fly back to Beijing and hoepfully the weather might clear by then. So we fly to Beijing, and of course the weather didn't clear, and we divert to Shanghai, and of course, the weather didn't clear there as well. Captain announces we are flying to Tokyo where everyone would spend a day. So we are flying towards Tokyo, mid way, supposedly the weather opened up in Beijing, so we head back to Beijing. I have to admit that this was my crappiest flight ever. I have been to many 24 hours flights before, but I always knew that after 24 hours I would be set free. I felt really sorry for the drivers, as they were patiently waiting for me at the terminal. I guess they were able to get the "drama" through the information desk.

After spending a couple of days, my flight from Beijing to Ulan Batur was without complications.

Once going to Vail from DCA, I woke up past my flight time. My brother drove me to DCA, and I was hoping that the flight just might have delayed and I would be able to still get it. Yes of course the flight left already. Though the nice lady at the ticketing counter said, that there was another flight going to Chicago O'Hare in a couple of minutes, so I could still try to catch my connecting flight from Chicago to Vail. She said it would be extremely close since I would only have a 15 minutes to run from one gate to another. The flight didn't delay I was able to to land on time and run to the other gate. Got into my flight to Vail and met up with Zeca at the airport.

Couple of years ago, I got in 30 minutes before my flight to Rio. And surely I missed my flight. I started to bitch why they wouldn't let me into INTERNATIONAL flight 30 minute before departure. HAHAH. I started to tell them how they are screwing up for me because I was to watch the World Cup match next day with my friends, specially when Brazil was playing. I guess they were sympathetict to my cause and upgraded my flight to first class next day. See it was a Brazilian airlines so, you can see why. Also back then it was the very only airline that still allowed smoking.

I'm not gonna mention about all my flights to see Dana in some very remote places she tends to live. Every single of them had issues. The problem arises because they make connecting flights in Chicago O'Hare, which is a hellhole where flights are delayed or cancelled. In addition to that, the final destination is always a municipal type airport. Once I was staying with her for the weekend in Iowa City, so its only really one full day. Ah and yes, my flight gets cancelled in Chicago and I have to spend my money staying at a hotel there, and miss one full day with her.

Airport harassment. Not once was I able to pass a "random" screening. I get screened every single time. I know Misha has issues too, because he looks like a terrorist :P but even so, he doesn't get screened every single time. Which reminds me of a trip to NYC where Dana, and Misha didn't get screened but I got, not once, but trice!

They always have issues with my digital camera. They always ask what it is. And I always tell them it's a freaking laser beam, no really, but it's retarded. These days, I always remove my belts, my shoes, and pull out the camera, because I know I'm going to get screened. At least this way, the screening goes faster.

One thing, though, which I thought was hilarious, was when flying to St. Louis to visit Steve. I had a bottle of water in my backpack and while getting screened, the lady asked what it was??? I told her it was nitroglycerine, to handle with care. No I told her it was water, but I guess she wouldn't believe, so she told me to drink it.

I'm sure something will happen on my upcoming flight to Rio, I'm sure of it, it always do.

Well, need to hit the gym. Behave kids.
PS:I'm known for having my name called on the airport PA system; " Mr. Park this is your last call for boarding!", and you seem sprinting across the airport...