[to Pittsburgh] Things Go Wrong just to Go ……?

I know that every time I make a trip some of you, the blog readers, expect to hear some typical travel stories of Lady Dayeuh. Believe it or not, because you expect unusual (or usual in my case) trip stories, I have been trying harder to be more prepared, so in the end you’ll get no crazy stories anymore! Pingin bilang rasain luu….

But weird, the more I try the harder it gets!
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[Phoenix to Seattle] (another) Airport thriller…. (part 3)

Continued from part 1 and part 2

Honestly, after seeing that line on the screen, I almost gave up. I said to myself, “This time it got me! I cannot be lucky all the time, can I?” But before I started thinking too much, I heard my name was mentioned on the microphone. I looked at the source, it was the airline desk next to me and I saw Kenny was there and I heard him saying, “Ms. Lim is here.
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[Phoenix to Seattle] (another) Airport thriller…. (part 2)

Indonesian version, click here. 

continued from part 1

As promised, the driver got me at the US Airways door before 10 am. I quickly walked to the elevator-on-to-all-gates. I was contemplating about asking for an assistance. I felt that I didn’t really need a wheelchair. It’s still a bit painful to walk but I could walk fast with a cane. Also, getting an assistance could take a lot of time. At least 10 minutes to register and wait for a wheelchair. So I decided to just go by myself. Yet, I knew so well that if the queue were long, then wheelchair-journey would have saved a lot of time. I had less than 20 minutes before the gate closed! The gate would be closed by 10:08.
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[Phoenix to Seattle] (another) Airport thriller…. (part 1)

Indonesian version, click here

7:30 am, the alarm rang. I woke up and glanced to it.

Arrrgh, what it is all about? Too early to wake up! I need more sleep!

I came back to sleep and more than an hour later the story of my day began…..

It’s 8:40 in the morning!!!! And where am I? Still in bed. What day is today? Tuesday! Oh, my flight is taking off at 10:23 am and is scheduled to board by 9:53 am. Should I just forget this trip? Perhaps so. Oh, perhaps not.

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[from London to Phoenix] Luggage, Glasses, and the Gate part 3

continued from Part 1 and Part 2……

After putting my brain on a 30-seconds work, I decided to find what the faith of my glasses was. This decision emerged especially because I felt that I had a chance to fight for the glasses’ faith after losing about 16 pairs of glasses all over the world! Who knows, this time I had a chance?

I ran to the Gate 19 and quickly found the KLM desk, which unfortunately, was attended by a very nice English lady. (more…)

[from London to Phoenix] Luggage, Glasses, and the Gate part 2

continued from here…..

I quickly got out of the alley but I hadn’t decided what I’d do. I then caught a glimmer of a bunch of people sitting down at the waiting room. I was still ignorance on what they were waiting for. Then I saw two male, teenagers, walked close to the closed gate. One of them said, “Do you think we should get in?” “No, we’re not allowed,” the other replied. The the first teenager said, “But she got in.”

I suddenly realized that they were talking about me! She was me! And quickly I also realized that these people were waiting for my flight. I then saw a big clock hung not far from where I stood. 8:01 am! (more…)

[from London to Phoenix] Luggage, Glasses, and the Gate part 1

My flights from Phoenix to Minneapolis to London were smooth. This fact made me believe that my way back to Phoenix would face no problem as well.

So, this morning I left my friend’s house in Langley-Slough, at suburban London, for a London Heathrow airport. Yes, today I am going home. Tempe, here I am coming!

We, me and my friend, left at around 7 am for the flight to Amsterdam scheduled for 8:10 boarding (take off at 8:40 am). I didn’t have any check-in luggage, and I had checked in from home. I thus assumed everything would be so smooth. What I needed to do just walking down the gate. (more…)

[to Cambridge]: Sandals, Shoes and Spelling

It’s time to travel again. My flight from Phoenix to London (via Minneapolis) for a conference in Cambridge was scheduled 2:54 pm. I had a meeting at 9 am this morning and at 10 am I had a meeting of home inspection, so I thought I’d just go to the airport directly from the last place.

The home inspection went much longer than I thought. The termite inspector only finished by 12:30 pm. I wasn’t so nervous, though, thinking that I’d just go directly to the airport which was only 10-15 minutes away, since I had only carry-on luggage and was all eady for the trip.

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Tempe: Asynchronized mode

Today I went to campus for a 10 am faculty meeting and after that I was driving here and there. No bike ride because it was kind of cold. Brrrrr…

Around 1 pm, while driving I felt very hungry and sleepy. I felt like I had not had food nor coffee all day. I protested myself, “This is not right, why am I hungry? I ate a bowl of noodle this morning.” My desire to drink coffee was skyrocketed, but I held myself from buying one. I remembered making coffee this morning, one gigantic mug of coffee. (more…)

Tempe: Lost in Graduation

Today, Desember 13th 2007, my university, ASU (Arizona State University) held its fall university commencement. I had to attend the ceremony to represent the most junior professors in my School. I had no problem nor hesitation to be there. I thought it would be fun. When I did my undergrad in Bandung Indonesia, at the Institute of Technology Bandung (ITB), I always enjoyed seeing the professors wearing funny robes and caps doing the ritual. It was like a dream that now I would do the same thing completed with wearing that weird wizard costume!

I was convinced that there’d be traffic jam and parking would be extremely difficult. So I decided to cycle my bike to the Wells Fargo Arena, the place where the ceremony was held. I didn’t wear my robe. Not because I was embarrassed to wear it. Mostly because I didn’t want my robe got tangled in the tire. Believe me or not, an accident like that happened to me before! So I brought the robe in a big Safeway plastic bag! (more…)