Francesca in France

Manila Airport, 9:26 pm, November 23,2008.
I passed the scanning of luggages.Then proceed to Emirates booth. There were 400 passengers waiting to checked in.
I went direct to the Online Checkin counter.
The personnel of Emirates asked me if I am a Skywards Gold Member.
- Im a Skyward Member, but not in Gold.
He seems annoyed of my answer, he told me to go to the looong queue of economy class passengers.
I asked him if the counter I fall in line with is for online check in.
The man asked:Why, do you have an online check in papers ?
I showed it to him. He left.
Annoyed.
Its nice to have a little priviledge,hehe.

Gold skyward/Business Class counter was free, the girl called me.I handed her my papers.

-To where is your destination, Madame?
-Nice France.
-Where is your resident card of France?
-Inside my passport.
-Ah, here, sorry, its in French, I cant read it.And where is your travel tax check?
-Attached to the papers.
-Okey, sorry, Im clumsy. Your luggages,do you want it all checked in?
-Yes, if I can.Includes my cabin bag please.
-Yes, Ma'm. You will pick up your luggages in Nice Airport, here is your boarding pass Manila to Dubai, and here is for Dubai to Nice.Have a nice trip with Emirates.

I passed by the 400 passengers in line. Didnt they know the online check in of Emirates? They could have avoid the hassles of loong queue...
Surely they do not...

I paid the 750 pesos airport tax.

Then at the immigration booth I gave my new passport proudly.Sir, biometric passport na po yan, brown, newly issued...Printed just today, hehe
I didnt tell him that...

-You are going where?
-Nice France, Sir.
-French wife?(While he flipped my old and new passport)
-Yes Sir.
-Where is your departure card?
-I dont have it. Where do I get it?
-At Airline counter, but you can take one in the red table there.
I went and filled it up...
In a hurry, I dropped things
Damn.
A foreigner helped me. His wife was looking looking....
Inday, mas maganda ka kesa akin, dont worry...

First stamp on my new Passport: Manila Airport departure Nov 23.
Papalaminate ko to, for posterity...

Then another scanning. The attendant said: "Women should be in this line..." I dont get it, why they seperate women from men. Yun pala,the one for men will be frisked by a male attendant...
Sus.Pano kaya kung bading...

A baby held by a father cried her hearts out...I commented to a flipina next to me:
-Hope I dont sit next to that baby inside the plane.
After the scanning, the one I told about the baby crying , approached the baby. Ngek, she's the mother!!!
Waaaaahhh!
Why cant I shut up?????!!!!

At waiting lounge, I was reading the newspapers. I heard some pasengers telephoning:
Ma, im here now at the lounge, I pass the airline counter, etc etc paid the 750 pesos etc etc , and then pass the immigration etc etc, no trouble, they ask only my destination...I would be fine in Doha, dont worry, i will write soon, please take care of your self...I will write as soon as I can...
I wanted to shed a tear while listening....
Kadrama naman...

After reading entirely two local newspapers, we were called in to board.Its 11:30 pm.

The flight was smooth, the food was okey, I ordered a bottle of red wine to keep me asleep. Im sitting with a German national whom he happily told me, he just got married to a filipina. I told him Im married to a frenchman too. He looked to my fingers, no wedding ring...
Damn, I forgot to wear my wed ring, since I was in the hospital two weeks ago.
Never mind...

Arriving Dubai, we were like chickens going out of the barn.Some were looking around, some were stopping for window shop. Dubai has now a third airport. Loong walk before I found Gate 228. I sat next to a lady wearing a fur coat. In Dubai!!!!!???? Its 29° heat outside...
I open my laptop and Yahoo chat with Michel.
Got two hours before boarding.

One hour later, the attendant called all passengers. She is a stiff neck asiatic looking lady and scrutinized all passports with her magnifying glass.My turn came.

-Sojourno?(italian resident card)
-Carte de sejour.
She flipped my 2 passports, read all entries, old visas, entry stamps, then look again to the photos, to the photo of my carte resident, and look at me. I smiled, and she let me in.
Ahhh, its nice to be trusted in...
Again.
By the way,she spotted one filipina with a sojourno, and she glass magnified the paper very loooong...
Mama mia. Why to filipinos?
Asar naman...

Inside the plane, a baby cried again,shrilling, tear our eardrums , and I saw the mother tried to calm her baby, while the french woman sitting next to them was rolling her eyes....
The joys of having babies on board.

I searched my seat. 21K. Window seat. Ah oui ha, thats why, online check in na ako 24 hours before my flight, para nasa window seat, and take note,no one sits behind me, I can lie down my seat when I want all the time.Dalawa pa Unan ko.

I was sitting next to a Japanese young couple and the whole 8 hours trip, they always nod at me,and it was contagious, I end up bowing to them all the time and even say "Hai" to the stewardess looking after us.
Ha ha ha ha ha!!!!

Toilet time. I saw one with the "vacant" sign at the door.I open it, the filipina inside screamed. I told her, sorry, but you should lock it. I saw her sitting in the throne, mama mia. She didnt answer. She looked like an "Inday".Then she left, and I said, thanks. I entered the toilet, it stinks! She didnt flush the toilet!!!!
I went out and called her back. I was annoyed and expressed my feelings saying:

-You know, I will not clean the toilet for you. You must flush it after use.
-Oh, I dont know where is the flush, sorry.
I showed her the flush sign. She did it twice and went out.
I told her to wash her hands. She didnt want to.
The passengers in queue rolled their eyes.
Some were shaking their heads.
My personal opinion, if I saw someone from the toilet and do not wash hands after their business, its awful.
I wish not to have a handshake with any one of them,yaiks.

Arriving in Nice, Im following the lady wearing the fur coat . Im jealous now, because she's right after all of bringing one. The weather is 9°!!!!!Chilling cold!!!
Smoke coming out of my nose and mouth!
And I was wearing a linen pantalon and a sleeveless blouse.
Grrrrr....
And Brrrrr...

Despite the chilling cold, its nice to be back home...

PS:
Another Kikay experience brought to you by Francesca.
Hope you enjoy reading it.