Egypt (5) Istanbul: Hello Turkey!

Egypt (1) The Idea to go

Egypt (2) Incheon Airport

Egypt (3) Turkish Airlines

Egypt (4) Breakfast is served and it's raining

Saturday, January 25 2010

I need to get a transit visa. It's $15(US), but the man doesn't have change for my $100 note. He keeps shrugging his shoulders. I plead with him and give him puppy eyes. This is one of the benefits of traveling alone. People are more likely to  carry out favours for single female passengers. Trust me on this one!

After going through immigration, I need to find the hotel desk. Because my transit time in Istanbul is for the entire day, I'm entitled to a free city tour. They tell me to come back at 08:30 - in 3 hours. I need to kill time.

I want to kick myself because my MP3 player battery has died. A man (who looks like security) approaches me asking if he can help and takes me to another hotel desk. They are very willing to stick my USB MP3 in their computer to charge.

I'm happy to see a Starbucks. There are a few people working on their notebooks so I figure there must be wi-fi. No - I have to pay to use it. After ordering my regular, Cafe Mocha (with no cream) I sit down and start my new book. There are a few Koreans around me and I feel a bit comfortable hearing a familiar language spoken around me.

After about an hour, I go to collect my MP3 player. The man behind the desk says he has no idea what I'm talking about. He asks if I'm sure that it was him who helped me. He breaks into a grin and then I know he's kidding.

"I remember your face," I tell him.
"It's because I'm handsome, right?" he asks.
Of course I said, "Of course!"


I still have time to kill so I go to Gloria Jean's. I'm going to be on a Cafe Mocha high for the day, that's for sure. After an hour, it's time to go back to the hotel desk. The city tour is about to start.

Egypt (6) Istanbul: City Tour begins

Egypt (4) Breakfast is served and it's raining

Egypt (1) The Idea to go

Egypt (2) Incheon Airport

Egypt (3) Turkish Airlines

Saturday, January 23 2010

Breakfast is served. I'm sitting on the aisle and I notice that the flight attendants are pretty rough with serving food. I keep trying to dodge the corner of juice bottles or elbows in my eye.

The cute flight attendant puts down a tray for me, but then remembered that I have a special meal request, so he takes it away. When the new tray arrives, I wish I had the original. It's a chicken breast - for breakfast. I don't eat chicken so I'm left with the hard rock roll again. I give up. I'm not that hungry anyway.

I can't decide what to watch. Surely a 3 hour Bollywood movie would pass the time, but I'm not in the mood for the other one they have on.

When we land, the windows are wet. No! It' can't be raining...I have to do the city tour, and I specifically ordered clear blue skies for my photographs.

Egypt (5) Hello Istanbul, Turkey!

Egypt (3) Turkish Airlines

Egypt (1) The Idea to go

Egypt (2) Incheon Airport

Friday, January 22 2010

As I board the aircraft, I wonder if all male flight attendants are cute, or am I just lucky to get them on my flights? It's my first time flying Turkish Airlines and the interior of the aircraft is bright turquoise. Even the blanket and slippers are the same colour.

I was early to check in, so I'm lucky to get the seat I requested. I'm sitting in an aisle seat near the front. It's quite spacious and comfortable. I don't settle in just yet in case someone is sitting next to me. When she arrives, she seems clumsy with her big bag, newspapers, books and jacket. I offer to stand up so she can take her seat, but she prefers to fumble over me instead.

A girl comes from behind me to talk to the girl sitting next to me. I've been through this before and I already start preparing myself for what's to happen next.

"Excuse me, can you please change seats with me?" This has happened a few times when I travel alone. My gripe is, if friends want to sit together, why can't they check in together?

At first I hesitate and am on the verge of being irritated. I could be her in the future - how would I feel if someone acted like a bitch and wouldn't let me sit next to my friend?

"It's aisle seat," she says as I gather my bag and follow her to the back of the aircraft. Way back. It even feels more cramped there. I find myself in the middle of a Korean tour group who are very excited and fidgety. I sit next to (what I assume) is a mother with two teenage daughters. They aren't very friendly.

I've pre-booked a special meal option. As a flight attendant passes me, I try to get her attention to tell her that I've changed seats. She disregards me. I think she'll come back to me, but she doesn't.

As we take off, my eyes are heavy and sleepy. Lovely! I'm soon interrupted when dinner is served. It's sweet and sour fish. I don't like anything sweet and sour....and definitely not at 00:30.

The bread roll is rock hard and I'm left with what looks like saw dust after trying to cut it.

I fall asleep and wake up to watch a Bollywood movie, Rab Ne Bana De Jodi. I fall in love with Shah Rukh Khan's character. Have you seen the film? He is adorable! I fall asleep during the first quarter and have to start over and fast forward to the scene I remembered watching last.

I drift in and out of sleep. I hope when I wake up again, the captain will be saying we're about to land....

Egypt (4) Breakfast is served and it's raining
 

Egypt (2) Incheon Airport

Egypt (1) The Idea to go

Friday night, January 22 2010. I leave my apartment at 7:45pm. My building manager helps me get a cab. I wait for the airport bus for about 20 minutes. It's actually a bit chilly, and I wonder if I should have worn something warmer, but I hate having to carry coats, gloves and scarves. After all, I'm going to a warmer climate. I'm sitting at the front of the bus and the driver starts talking about the World Cup in South Africa.

After an hour, we arrive at Incheon International. Check in is quick and easy and after sorting out my forex, my friend Hye-jin calls wishing me a good trip.

I have a 12 hour flight to Istanbul. I arrive at 05:00 the next morning and will only depart for Cairo at 23:40. Because of this long transit, I qualify for a free day tour around the city. I'm looking forward to that!

Incheon Airport is surprisingly quiet and I'm suddenly aware of the handsome men around me, especially those checking in at the Turkish Airlines desk. Tall, dark hair, sharp features. I think I'm going to like Turkey ;-)

On my way to my boarding gate, I pass a book cafe. There are 3 available computers, but I guess I have to buy something to use it? No - the guy tells me it's free! One of the reasons I love Korea. I catch up with some friends online and after an hour, I make a few calls before boarding.


Incheon Airport has got to be one of the best airports in the world. It's so easy to navigate, clean, staff are friendly and helpful and there are plenty of things to see and do while waiting for a flight.

Egypt (3) Turkish Airlines

Egypt (1) The idea to go

My mum called me one afternoon in December. I would be leaving for Thailand in a few days. After my trip, I'd have to teach an English Camp for 3 weeks. Then, I had another week vacation. I was trying to decide where to go to during the time off. If you know me, I can't let any free time go to waste. I still attribute this to my friend Brian who told me that "You can always make money again, but you can't get time back." He's inspired me to travel and because I've adopted this attitude, I've seen and done quite a bit during the time I've been here in Korea - many of which, I've done alone.

Jokingly, my mum says, "So where are we meeting?".  In February 2008, during the same time period, we met in London for a week. Last year I met my aunt in the Philippines. I suggested my mum come over to Asia, but it's a bit far for her to travel for only a few days.

Europe? Time period would be too short.  What would be the center meeting point for us?

Without thinking, I just said, "Egypt".

In two days, I already had information on obtaining a visa and had quotes on airfares.

Getting an Egyptian visa was easy and everything was a done deal within 2 hours. I love it when things go smoothly!

With my mum in South Africa, we planned our trip. We'd meet in Cairo and tour for a week. Dates were set, tickets were booked and we were ready to go.

Click here to read Egypt (2) Incheon Airport

    

Vatican says ’Avatar’ is no masterpiece

This piece ran on the Daily Dispatch site in January 2010

“Avatar” is wooing audiences worldwide with visually dazzling landscapes and nature-loving blue creatures. But the Vatican is no easy crowd to please.

The Vatican newspaper and radio station are criticizing James Cameron’s 3-D blockbuster for flirting with the idea that worship of nature can replace religion — a notion the pope has warned against. They call the movie a simplistic and sappy tale, despite its awe-inspiring special effects.

“Not much behind the images” was how the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, summed it up in a headline.

The cat's out the bag!

A few weeks ago, my friend Hye-jin and I met for dinner. It was the first time we were meeting since I got back from Thailand. She was having a few problems and needed to talk. To change the topic, she asked how Lee was doing these days. Remember Lee?

HJ - How's Lee these days?
Me - Fine. I think.
HJ - You don't see him around at school these days?
Me - Not really.

Then she pauses and says, "Can I tell you a secret?"

Let me take a moment here to say that the next time someone asks me this question, "Can I tell you a secret?" I'm actually just going to say no.

HJ - Lee had a girlfriend. At your school.

He had a WHAT now? I'm shocked.

Hye-jin went on to say that they actually wanted to get married, but her parents refused because she's much younger than him. Apparently this put him into a mini depression - again, because he was rejected. Again.

My mind was racing who the girl could be. When it hit me, it was SO obvious. She's a 6th grade teacher (younger than me) who I've been convinced has beef with me, but I don't know why. I've noticed that she never greets me and completely ignores me when we're in the same company. Also, I've seen her and Lee leave school together a couple of times, but I never made anything out of it because he usually gives rides to people after work.

Some teachers at school know that Lee and I are good friends. Not many know that we used to hang out and that I know his other friends. But now if my speculations are right and that is the teacher he's dating, it's clearer to me why she doesn't like me. It's obvious that she doesn't.

I don't care that Lee didn't tell me he has / had a girlfriend, even though he's repeatedly told me that we're friends. I'm just irritated that I let him have his way with his mood swings and I always feel sorry for him.

Hye-jin went on and admitted that she's not very fond of his ways, saying that he brings everyone's moods down when he's the only one sulking. That's exactly how I felt.

Anyways, I'm just going to let him carry on with his moods and get on with 2010. I can't be worrying about him all the time.

...just my thoughts!