3rd August 2004
(Note: We are informed on the 2nd Aug 1630 HRS GMT +0800 that UA882 will not fly, due to technical difficulty. Thus, we are asked to approach the UA counter at 3rd Aug 0420 HRS GMT +0800 for flight transfer. Our flight on UA882 was initially scheduled to take off at 3rd Aug 0720 HRS GMT +0800)
0245 HRS GMT +0800 (Singapore Time) - Wake up
0250 - Wash up
0310 - To horror, we realize lift is out of power. I climb down 11 storeys to get help of the security guards
0315 - Security guards operate the lift using fireman's access
0320 - Taxi arrives
0325 - Departure from Tulip Gardens
0350 - Reach Changi International Airport Terminal 1 (Travel time: 25 mins, amount paid: SG$40)
0400 - United Airlines counter is not open (Counter 1)
0420 - United Airlines counter opens
0425 - Told UA882 passengers will be transferred to JL712 due to technical difficulties with the arriving plane. Told to approach JAL counter (Counter 11) at 0530
0440 - Early breakfast at Caffe Ritazza
0450 - Consumes Chicken Pesto with spinach and warm milk
0520 - JAL Counter opens
0530 - Told without endorsement from UA, we cannot get on JL712. Talk with UA personnel.
0540 - Check in
0600 - After much deliberation between JAL and UA, we are cleared
0650 - Immigration cleared
0700 - At WH Smith, purchased 'The Da Vinci Code' by Dan Brown for SG$17
0710 - Enter Gate C1
0750 - Board JL712 Seat 62G
0825 - Take off from Changi International Airport
0850 - Starts readings 'The Da Vinci Code' (effectively loses track of lunch or dinner time since I am engrossed in reading the book)
1610 HRS GMT +0900 (Tokyo Time) - Touch Down at Narita International Terminal 2 (Travel time: 6 hours 20 minutes)
1630 - Told to get in line for transfer shuttle to Terminal 1
1655 - Shuttle leaves for T1
1705 - Arrives at T1, connecting flight passengers rush to Gate 31, as flight is on hold to accomodate what could be about 40 of us from JL712
1710 - Told to wait at Gate 31 as tickets are being issued.
1720 - Overhears a news that there's only 15 more seats for about the rest of us which was around 20. We're next in line to be served. Later, we are told we might not get seats. Encouraged to travel to San Francisco instead. I start convincing them in Japanese that we need to get on this flight. (I realize how rusty my Japanese has become, but it caught their attention and helped anyway)
1730 - Tickets are issued after a frantic 10 minutes. The seats are separate for the 3 of us, but we get 2 Business Class and 1 Economy Class seats. I think its only deserved fpr us after UA screws up from the beginning. We almost didn't fly on this when we were told that our seats on this flight was confirmed, all the way from Singapore
1735 - Board UA882 Seat 24B
1825 - Take Off from Narita International, after a delay of 2 hours from the initial take off time
1845 - Resumes reading 'The Da Vinci Code'
4th August 2004
0130 HRS GMT +0900 (Tokyo Time) - Finishes reaching 'The Da Vinci Code' I've never read a book so fast before. Roughly around 590 pages of it in about 13 hours
0140 - Falls asleep
0330 - Wakes up
3rd Aug 2004 (In the U.S.)
1520 HRS GMT -0600 (Central Time) - Touch Down at O'Hare International Airport Terminal 5 (Travel time: 11 hours 5 minutes)
1545 - Immigration Check
1550 - Taken to another section for questioning (I realize, as a 20 year old muslim holding a Bangladeshi passport, its not surprising)
1600 - Asked couple of questions from the officer in charge; what's my name is, how old I am, where was I born, why I was in Singapore, whether I have any military experience, whether I fired a weapon before, whether I was in any hate society, how I came to hold a Permanent Resident Card, etc)
1620 - Told to claim my luggage for content check (I find out my suitcase is wrecked, handle was broken, wheels were distorted, extendable handle might come off on next travel)
1645 - Cleared from Immigration, told I can go to Baggage Claim
1650 - All baggeges claimed
1705 - Request for a bigger taxi at the taxi stand
1720 - Departure from O'Hare International Airport
1800 - Arrival at Naperville, but unsure of the area, calls my uncle for directions
1825 - Arrival at Tamahawk Lane (Travel time: 1 hour 5 minutes, amount paid: US$100)
1900 - Dinner (Uncle got pizza for us)
2000 - Shower
2100 - Falls asleep
4th August 2004 (In the U.S.)
0930 HRS GMT -0600 (Central Time) - Wakes up
0940 - Wash up
1000 - Checks couple of information on the net, chat with couple of friends for a while
1120 - Breakfast
1345 - Starts Blogging
1435 - Ends Blogging
No comments:
Post a Comment