Friday 4 January 2013

Egypt: flying to the sun, part 2.


I’m always excited when we fly. Not good-excited. Scared-excited.
This Christmasbreak we went to Egypt.
Want to read part one first? Click here.

So, we’re in the plane. People behind me push while I can’t move forward, because of the people who are standing in the aisle to put their bags away. And they are taking their time. Like, really. First their own bag. Then the bag of the partner. Then 3 minibags from three minipeople. Then the coats. Then one mini person forgot something in his minibag. No, not thàt bag, mum.
Finally we reach our seats. I saw it immediately, these are small seats. I have to push my handbag through the hole between my chair and the chair in front of it. The same hole where my legs will go in a minute. For 5 hours. Oh gosh.

After putting our coats above our heads, we try to sit. My knees are kissing the front seat. I’m not big, so these seats are really small…
But hey, I’m going to sunny Egypt!
I prep myself by putting in the earplugs, putting gum in my mouth and getting a book out of my bag. I have to bend in a very awkward position to get something out of my bag. But I’m going to Egypt.

The purser is telling something we can’t understand and I feel the plane taxiing. I watch the safety instructions.
And we take off.
Not sitting comfortable, not seeing ground under us, feeling like we’re going to fall. I feel nervous and scared combined with the joy of finally flying to the sun. Just relax.

I’m wondering what movie they will play today. There are nice big screens hanging in the aisle.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the tv doesn’t work in this plane, but you can hire an Ipad for 5 euro’s. You can play a couple of games and you can watch Mr. Bean.” Really? Mr. Bean??
Thank goodness my hubs brought his Ipad with movies and I was so clever to put a few episodes of Private Practice on my laptop.
Wait a minute. Why isn’t it playing? Oh no! It’s not working. And the dvdbox is in my suitcase…

Ouch!!!! The man in front of me puts his chair down roughly. In a reflex I move my legs a bit to the side and he puts it down even more. The top of the chair is now four inches away from my face. Are you kidding me?!
I’d never tell him not to put his chair down, but you can at least warn me that you’re going to put the chair in my face and hit my legs with it, right?

Thank goodness for snacks and drinks. I brought snacks from home and bought drinks in the airport. A small can is € 2,50 euro’s in the plane and I got two cans for € 3,00 euro. Still overpriced, but hey, I’m going to sunny Egypt.

Trying Private Practice again. Still nothing.

The man in front of me is quite a dancer. He keeps moving, so I get hit by the chair all - the - time. My hubs is smarter. When the 8-year-old of moving man tries to put his chair down, my hubs doesn’t move an inch. “Sorry man. I can’t move anymore, I’m stuck”.

Let’s try sleeping.
I know it won’t work, ‘cause I never sleep on flights. But since I’m here, I’ve gotta try. I close my eyes.
Minutes fly by. Two minutes, to be exact. Ok, tried it. Not working.

Starting my laptop again. I’m sorting out some pics. Listening to music.
But the chair in front of me is now hitting mr. Apple instead of me, and that makes me even more annoyed!
Sunny Egypt, sunny Egypt, sunny Egypt…

Three hours later.

I’m so pissed!
No tv, no Private Practice, out of snacks, a chair in my face, moving man in it, can’t sleep, it’s a freaking two hours left flying and I can’t move an inch!

Keep. Breathing.
Just relax.

My hubs hugs me and turns on Annie for me on the Ipad. I love Annie. I used to watch it every week when I was little. “The sun’ll come out, tomorrow…”, she sings.
She’s right. The sun will be coming out tomorrow!
I will be in sunny Egypt!
I’m already feeling better.

The view from my sunbed. It's a hard knock life.




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