Realistically idealistic daydreamer, seasoned procrastinator, atheist and monarchist with a secret agenda and a slight inclination towards voodoo practices.
My parents finally left on Thursday. It sounds normally, really: "they left". I wish it were as easy as it sounds!
It all started early morning, really, before we woke up. At 3.40am my mobile received a message from the airline: Please be advised that the flight so and so is delayed for 2 hours.
When I woke up and saw the message I could only think of one thing - they are losing their connection flight, and their visa expires today! What do we do??
The obvious thing to do was to call the airline and try and figure out the course of actions. As both flights are operated by Gulf Air, I thought there shouldn't be a problem. So I got the tickets from mom, noted the flight numbers, and dialled Gulf Air. However, it appreared that Gulf Air only opens for business at 8am. Original departure time of my parents' flight was 9.40am. We couldn't think of anything better to do than going to the airport and trying to sort things out from there. If the flight was delayed for 2 hours, that meant that their connecting flight would be taking off as they are landing. Not good.
It takes about 35 minutes (in decent traffic) to reach the airport from our house. The traffic wasn't particularly murderous at 7am, but it was picking up. We reached the airport in good time and started looking for someone to ask about the flight. As soon as we found that someone, my parents dropped the bomb: "Umm, sweetheart, it looks like we left the tickets at home, by the phone".
NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
One thing is losing the flight because it's delayed, in which case it's the airline's responsibility to arrange for another flight/connection, but leaving tickets at home hardly qualifies for such actions on behalf of the airline. So while my parents stayed behind in the airport drinking coffee, we made a mad dash back home. I have to admit, at one point I got a little nervous, especially when I saw the bumper to bumper traffic on the way out of the airport. Thanks goodness my husband was calm and it must have rubbed off on me. It was fun listening to him talk to his boss: hey boss, I told you I'll be a lil' late as I have to take QC's parents to the airport. Well, it'll take some more time... they left their tickets at home... blah blah... Yeah I guess they don't really want to leave...
LOL
It took us about an hour to return with the tickets to the airport. My parents were only too lucky that their flight was delayed for 2 hours, otherwise there could have been trouble. It appeared that there were other people with the same connection, and the airline had made special arrangements for them. Their connecting flight would wait for them to land and board. Phew.
I waved them goodbye and went to work. I was an hour late. That, of course, didn't stop me from leaving half an hour earlier, hehe. I was finally free! I loved having my parents here for a month, but by that Thursday I was completely knackered. I needed rest, and rest is what I got over the weekend.
Actually, I was going to blog about Pacific Life Open. Yup, tennis again, lol. Instead, just a short update: It's Shara in the finals! Yay! Playing against Dementieva, another Russian girl I like, but I am still rooting for the fierce Maria. She just got the vibe. And in ATP side - well, it's only Nadal now. My other favourites Baghdatis and Nieminen both fell in hard fights in the quarters. At least Baghdatis lost to Nadal, which was to be expected. But Nieminen was beaten by Thai hero Srichapan, and that was tough to swallow. Better luck next time, Jarkko!
It's Saturday evening now, and a first working day of the week tomorrow, complete with a 5pm trip to the dentist. I will try to write more soon. Stay tuned.
LOL, I was sooo confused about that last sentence. My internal dialogue: "Saturday as the end of the weekend, that makes no sense.... isn't Monday the first day of work, therefore Sunday is the last day of weekend ? Maybe she made a spelling mistake because.... OOOOOh.. riiight."
How quickly one forgets little things like how the weekends are Fri, Sat there, not like the normal Sat, Sun. I wonder why, in all the years I lived in Dubai, I never knew why the weekends were such an odd schedule.
I still have another day of my weekend before the return to lectures and midterms. :P haha !
Mattie, Ella - I don't know what you guys are talking about. GF does suck! Well maybe their first class doesn't, but then I rarely fly first class anyways and therefore I do not give a rat's ass as to how nice their first class is. Their flights are always delayed for the dumbest of reasons (last time it was because there was no space available in the airport), and the food.. ahh lets not go there :p
Hussa Thanks, so sweet of you :^) As soon as I know when - you'll know, too!
I don't travel first class so i don't get the benefits. No on board nannies for me, in fact I have to deal with everyones attitudes about my kids. I generally find that GF sucks big time. They suck for customer service, their foods stinks, their kids meals suck, they are unorganized and are always delayed.
It does kinda suck, Ella. They arrived safely enough, thanks girl! :^)