A Very Long Flight

Zombified. Sleepy but Can't Sleep. Alive but Not Feeling.

I arrive at the airport a little past 4am. That's a little late for a 650am flight at NAIA due to so many security checkpoints but then again, it's no too late to make it to my flight.

Angel arrived a little earlier but the line was just toooooooooooooo long! Apparently the flight had about 500 people booked for that morning. The line also included people from another big flight.

It was harassing enough to line up for check in with a huge heavy luggage containing 'HALF' pairs of shoes! Thanks for pinoy practices they didn't weigh it or I would have been charged some overweight fee.

It took me about an hour to check in. When I got into the airport, I had to go thru 2 more security checkpoints. The last one involving security rummaging thru my carry-on and my hand bag and having me turn on every single electrical gadget I had. I wonder what that would have done. Trigger an explosive maybe? Lousy!

The flight was delayed too because they were waiting for volunteers who have flexible schedules and are willing to text the next available fight, which will obviously be next week since all flight are booked... I don't understand why they overbook weekend flights. That is so not a good practice since there are rarely no shows on weekend flights. Everybody would want to take advantage of the weekend to travel! Aaargh!

We boarded the plane finally. We weren't THAT late but we ended up sitting in the very last row of the plane. ROW 65! Imagine how many people are on board that plane! I was so excited to sleep so I dozed off even before the plane took off.

When we got to Nagoya, we were seated closer in front. Row 25. I was seated between a nice lady from Saipan and a Matt Damon looking guy from Detroit but was in Nagoya for work. The lady was very friendly, she'd tell me about Saipan and Guam and how they have excellent weather between 80's and 90's the whole year round and that the islands are surrounded by White Sand. Mr. Matt Damon look alike was friendly too. He was nice enough to give me his pillow because he brought his own. He showed interest too to me and Ms. Saipan by asking us where our islands are on the map. I think that was nice of him to try to make conversation... but I was just toooooooooooooooooo sleepy. I just wanted to sleep!!!

Mr. Matt Damon look alike tried to be Mr. Nice Guy and said that it's ok if I lean to his side because I looked really tired and that I seem to need more space. I'm just too lazy to socialize to I covered my head with the blanket and closed my eyes and tried to sleep. I just said thanks but i'm ok and just didn't mind him!

I woke up a few minutes after we took off because a little girl started to cry. She was practically screaming off the top of her voice. I took the blanket off my head and OH MY GROSSNESS! Mr Matt-Damon-look-alike turned Mr. Nice Guy tuned Mr. Pervert. His hands were inside his pants! PANTS! Ms Saipan didn't care, she had her head covered with the blanket as well. I didn't know what to do but I didn't want to make a scene out of it. This time, it seems that my seat wasn't so safe. The guy scared me but I didn't show it to him... When he asked why I'm not asleep though I seem sleepy, I just said this seems to be a very long flight... with such an unpleasant scene beside me and a baby crying from Nagoya to Detroit!... oh and guess what, when I said this seems to be a very long flight, he asked me, why? "How long is the flight from Manila to Nagoya?"

Like DUH???

From then on, I just couldn't sleep. Like the little baby who kept crying, i just wanted to scream. But unlike her, I have no excuse to keep the entire flight awake. I put on my ear phones and watched everything that they showed. I can't remember Movie1 because I just pretended to be watching but I wasn't because I was trying to be on guard from the guy beside me, Movie2 was Shall We Dance. After the movies, I read the magazines including first aid and evacuation instructions in case of emergency. I got a drink from every attendent who would offer coffee, water or tea from time to time. I opened the window and tried to watch the horizon appear, turn blue, turn orange and blue, turn orange and finally turn white.

Thank God we're almost at Detroit. Breakfast was served. I had soba noodles. NW food sucks! We landed and I rushed out of the plane. I didn't even get to say bye to nice Ms. Saipan.

The lines to immigration was really looooooooooooooooong. And so was the line for customs. Thank God we didn't get into extra trouble for bringing so many shoes. We were cleared without getting our bags into the Xray. Thank God for Angel too. She's such a great companion :) She too didn't get to sleep because of the screaming baby.

After we went past Immigration, Security and Customs, we were so famished we stopped by for a big bite at Mc Donalds! We both had Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Large Fries and a Large Diet Coke! HEAVEN.

We took the express tram to gate A8, 30 gates away from where Mc Donalds was because we wanted to catch our flight. When we got there, the flight was DELAYED! Goodness! It was overbooked so they had to look for a couple of volunteers again to give up their seats. An hour after, we finally boarded. I was just too tired I fell asleep. I woke up 2 hours after and guess what? WE WERE STILL IN DETRIOIT - 2 FRIGGIN HOURS AFTER!!! They said there are some mechanical problems on the plane! Oh my!

Finally we took off and arrived at Logan Ariport in Boston. 3 NW flights were delayed. i.e. our luggages all came out of a tinny tiny carousel. It took about an hour to get our bags. It costs 3 bucks to use a cart. And guess what now, the dispenser was busted so we just had to drag our heavy bags to the waiting area.

That was quite a flight!!! Right now, I can't wait to log on and file a complain! It was quite a "LONG" flight!

Angel's friend Ricky picked us up fromt he Airport. Thanks to him we didn't have to pay a 30 dollar cab to James's house. We met up with James and their other Phil-Boston Friends at Victoria where we had the best Salted Spicey Squid and Salted Fish Fried Rice at their favorite Chinese joint called Victoria on Common Wealth street.

Salt was good. Victoria saved the day.