Sunday, September 16, 2007

Home Sweet Home...

Oh yeah, I thought I better write about my journey back too, since it was so memorable for me. hehe.

We had to wake up at 6am on the day that I was to depart for home. Dear jw had to drive again for over 3 hours to get us to Denmark, and we were gg to the Spore Consulate there so that he could get his replacement passport done. Wooo, good opportunity for me to see Denmark too! Even if it meant we could only drive around hurriedly, but well, better than nothing. =) He also brought me to Morrum on the way, where we could see and hear the magnifent waterfall. =)

Soon, we had to finally say Byebye at Denmark airport. It wasn't a tearful separation, because I guess we are both strong pple. Wahaha. (errrmmm, now, who was the couple who was hugging and crying in bed the previous nite... the gal who bawled like a 5-year old kid and the guy who seldom but did drop a few tears of sorrow...) Hmmm. Back to the airport, it was 8 Aug that day and I was looking forward to catching the live telecast of NDP the next day when i reached home. But well, ren suan bu ru tian suan (aka you never know what heaven has in store for you, and life is really so unpredictable at times).

It was a smooth check in for me at Denmark, again without my passport. It felt weird to be flying alone now, but well, I knew I had to survive. Soon, the budget airplane took me safely to Amsterdam Schipol Airport, back to where I started. =) Counting the time, I figured out I had to wander for 4-5 hours before I could board my KLM flight back to S'pore.

But, GUESS WHAT? I saw that there was the word 'Flight Delayed' when I went to check the timings on the screen, and much as I hope it wasn't so unlucky that that was my flight, it so happened that it was. Out of all the flights that night, only one was delayed. From 9.30pm to midnite 12.30am. Wow. 3 more hours of loitering in Amsterdam, without my phone and not much $$, I thought well, why not, I could window shop around and re-read my Da Vinci Code which I bought from The Louvre.

So i settled down for lunch and bought myself a huge plate of spagetti along with huge meatballs. Keke. & I started reading my book. Then I walked around the shops, bought some chocos for my colleagues, got my tax refund for the camera (yippie! 40 more euros for me) and bought a camera pouch, hp pouch and a jewellery set for mummy. That's it. Declared almost 'bankrupt' along with some coins and maybe a 5euro notes in my wallet. Woohoo.

Saw that there was a casino in this airport. & much as I was tempted to check it out, I didn't. Hehe. Found a comfortable sofa seat for me to rest and spend the next few hours. The next moment I went to check the timings, it was nearing 8pm at nite. & wow. I had a shock of my life when i saw the flight departure time was changed to the next day. WHAT??? I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. Neh, this can't be true right? Why would anything so unlucky happen to me, AGAIN?? but well, it did. My flight was cancelled. For whatever reason that was left unexplained.

I didn't know what to feel when they told me I had to go look for the hotel desk which will help me settle my accommodation for tonight. For the 2nd time, I got the compensatory KLM phone card that provided a 5min call to anywhere in the world (the first was given to me for the flight delay). Well, when I called jw, I felt like a helpless gal. I think I spent about half of the time crying into the phone. So many things flew across my mind, and the first thing was that I couldn't return to office back on time on friday. Haha. & I had no phone and no contact number to tell anyone.

After much hassle and a myriad of directions from the airport staff, I finally found the KLM desk (not the hotel desk lor) which I had to queue for half an hour before I spoke to anyone. & they told me to go board the bus which will take me to Hotel Ibis, where I could bunk in the for nite. I guess I really looked very worried and sad, and even the gal told me dun worry too much, it wasn't not hard to find the bus-stop, and that I was thinking too much. haha. Well, I guess she wouldn't say that if she knew wad I had gone through during this trip, and how lost I felt without all my valuables, and worse, without jw. & now she was telling me the airport will retain all my luggage and I had nothing and no change of clothes to bring to the hotel. Wow. Thanks. Haha. I asked her if there was anything she could provide, she then took out a care kit for me. Which was quite fascinating (well, i never saw one before) and contained a XXXL T-shirt, washing liquid, toothbrush/toothpaste (what i needed most), make up remover, mositurizer etc. Goodie. at least I can brush my teeth.

So, I guess it didn't take me long to accept the fact that I was going to stay a nite alone in Amsterdam, and i decided to make the most of it and take more pics! Wahaha. &, try best to relax and enjoy myself. Had another hurdle to cross because the immigration officer said they might not allow me to get out of the airport since my emergency DOI (document of identity) didn't state Amsterdam as one of the travelling countries (yar, it was supposed to be a 'transit' for me so jw didn't mention when reporting to the embassy). Well well, how would it be like if they really forbidded me to go out and i had to camp overnight in the airport?? Hmm. I dunnoe. Bo bianz lor. But luckily, they let me proceed to the hotel after much discussion. *phew*

Managed to check into my room and check out the restaurant, the hotel surroundings, and forked out my last fortune to use the computer so that I could email to my bosses that my flight was cancelled. Also gave jw a call to reassure him that I was fine and I will survive well. He said I was a strong gal. =) I wanted to be one, to let him know that I can survive well in times of trouble and that he didn't have to worry bout me. & he said he'll always be with me, even if physically we ain't side by side. Yup. I knew that I'll never be alone. Never. So well, i took a good long hot water bath that nite. My next problem came when my menses arrived that nite. Of all timing, it had to come there and then. Urggghhh. No change of clothes. But very luckily had a pad wif me and I knew I just have to thong. Hope the cramps won't be severe. It wasn't easy getting to sleep dat nite. I tried at 12am and at 4am I was still wide awake. Haha. & well, my wake up call was at 6am. (i had no phone, so requested for wake up call because i will kill myself if I missed the bus back to the airport!)

Well, I was glad to leave the hotel the next morning. =) & knowing that I had survived well. Rewarded myself with McDonald's breakfast using the compensatory 10euro voucher KLM gave me. Yay. Finally, I guessed I WAS GOING HOME. =p

Just when you think things won't go wrong anymore, they always do. I fully understand the meaning of this from my trip. Haha. When checking in, the immigration officer refused to take into account the fact that I ALREADY checked in successfully the previous day, and I was taken to some 'interrogation' room where they asked me alot of questions about my lost passport. & stuff like why I was travelling alone, where I came from, and why the DOI didn't state Amsterdam. Yawnz, i wished I had a tape recorder so that I could replay it everytime so that I didn't have to keep repeating.

Finally finally, after 2 more hours, I boarded the plane back to Singapore. When the air stewardess asked me if I was willing to change my seat with this guy so that he could sit with his parents, I thought sure, why not. Let them be together. =) So, when i was settling down in my 2nd seat, they started serving the usual nuts and hankys. & well, after fidgeting with my TV screen for 15min, which was staring blankly at me, I had to ask the air stewardess for help. Her first reaction was telling me that i need to plug the headset wire in. I politely told her I did that. & then she tried to figure out what was the prob, before telling me that the TV was spoilt. Cool. 13 hours of flight ahead, & I didn't tink I could survive without a TV. So she helped me to shift to a seat which was right in front of the toilet. But oh well, that made it easier for me to use the WC, rite? Haha. Positive positive positive. I can't let anymore negativity get into me.

So, finally I settled down into my 3rd seat, only to realise that the seat was spoilt and it couldn't be pushed back, but I was too lazy and tired and contented enough to not want a 4th seat on the same plane. So well, that was how I survived the whole flight. & again, I couldn't sleep much and watched 3 movies. Keke. =) I was just praying to myself that the plane will land safely and no more hiccups will occur.

Yip. Finally. I reached Singapore. You have no idea how I felt at the point in time. Tremendous, enormous, huge relief. yeah yeah. That's my mini 'adventure' back home. & yesh I missed the NDP parade, but well, it still felt simply great to be home. What an amazing trip i had wif jw. Keke. Happie Belated Birthday, Singapore. =)