Thursday, September 16, 2010

Shanghai Bunkered

The boarding pass had my family name right but the rest of the name sounded very China.  One of the given name sounded like a trunkated sylable of Pudong.  Maybe they did not allign the printing properly. Since this is a flight I am taking and for security reasons, I thought it would be better to verify with the counter staff. 

I waited for them to sort my name out which took quite a while.  Since I could do nothing, I took out my iPhone and wrote on my wall "At the airport...."  Just before I could continue any further, the service counter stafff then told me, Sir, your flight is tonight. No actually this morning. You missed your flight"

I was really taken aback.  How could I read the time wrong?  The printed time on the e-ticket was 01:40.  I thought it was 1.40pm.  Normally it would be 0140 hours without the colon.  But in the airline industry, this is the format used.  All the while I had the impression that I shall arrive in the evening in time for my friend to greet me at the airport.

I went to the ticketing counter.  I was trying my luck to see what they would charge for a ticket tomorrow early morning.  The price...a little over the return ticket I had purchased.    For that one way ticket price I could go anytime.  Since it was a leisure trip, I decided to cut my loss.

I have been a bit apprehensive of this trip.  I have free accomodation but my friend is only free during weekends.  So I am pretty much on my own.  My first worry is the language. I do not really speak the language.  A splatter here and there would give me a away and I am sure I would be fleeced.  Secondly I always think that this place is polluted, dirty and the people are not so friendly.  Then the toilets are dirty.  Something I have a problem with. I was anxious and a bit stressed when this day came.

A friend who normally would not ask so much about myself had been asking a few times when and what time I was departing.  Last night he asked again what time was my flight.  Out of curiosity I asked why he was asking.  He said, "nothing la..just asking".  So I told him I woud text him before I board.   Little did I know that I was suppose to fly off two hours later last night.

Surprisingly I did not feel any loss. I felt relieved.   Maybe my heart and mind was at home. 

ps.  Thanks to Leggy for his many rides to and fro KLIA. 

3 comments:

savante said...

OMG Shanghai isn't that bad! It's easy enough to get around even without speaking the language!

Legolas said...

Well, thanks for the dinner!

Skyhawk said...

You may have the wrong impression of Shanghai, it may be polluted but people there may not be as rude as u mentioned...and some of them speak English as it's a metropolitan.

loan