7,002 km for a blind date? Hell yes…

[N_Architect]

It has been quite some time indeed. I know.

But how long can one abstain when he likes writing and misses this community as well? Not much.

So let’s get going. I hope you enjoy reading this. Hopefully I'll start and complete it promptly (do not forget I owe you one incomplete TR...)



Note: Please do not expect many pictures. I took my G10 with me on this trip but ended up using mobile phone(s), mostly for convenience and/or Instagram updates. Next trip should be different, though. So much nice gear laying around here, would be a pity not to start using it more…

[N_Architect]

Late February 2013. Been 14 months now in South Korea. My second ‘term’, if you like. Had a break for 2 years and 3 months but I guess I missed Asia and the Far East so much that I had to come back.

After a year with a change of job and no official vacation, I decide to take a break. Been to Europe three times in 2012 but that was for business. Managed to see the family back home of course during those visits but now the time called for at least a short break, couple of weeks or so.

On the other hand, there was something else on the table. ‘Her’. She does have a name of course, but for the purposes of this trip report we shall just assume that this name is “Mee” (actually and to my knowledge this name means “beauty” in Korean).

A very close friend’s wife here in Busan had been trying to fix me up since last year. First attempt, with her cousin, failed instantly. But it seems she’s determined to succeed for my account. Well, I’m generally open on anything, so why not. You never know in this life.

Mee got my phone number late December. Next day, message in my KakaoTalk. So we start to chat, her KakaoTalk profile picture, my (non-existant) picture, pretty serious girl, very good looking and sharp in attitude. Good start, but that’s just the first couple of lines of the introductory page in a 400-page book. So we naturally have a long way to go, if we ever get further of course.

Not an easy year for me - 2012. Major job change, big upgrade, new company, new work environment and urgent need to establish myself there. Has been anything but easy, I can tell you. Nevertheless, the struggle goes on. A break is now deemed necessary. Briefly brought it up with Mee sometime during January, that at some stage we could meet. She does go back home for holiday from time to time, and I am also crazy enough to fly to DXB to see her. So we could meet in either place. The intention to meet was therefore there, although I believe that neither of us realistically thought it would happen so soon.

I get clearance from the line end February. Problem with such type of position is that you cannot leave or take a holiday as soon as you’d like. Nothing is like before. All fourty of them looking up at you, Regional office same, “Head Office” likewise. The six ‘expat’ weeks of annual vacation is just theory. No issue, but when I need to go, I really need to go. Asia is so dynamic, therefore a prolonged stay here with no “Europe” or other break is a risk - you get easily tired here. The ideal for me is a week or so away every three to four months. One day I may also achieve this, perhaps…

Mee was positive. It all happened so soon. She was quite busy as well. I check the dates with her and all of a sudden a three-day gap appears out of nowhere. The gap is prior to my arrival in ATH for a ten-day break. Would ideally want to go see her after I take a good rest back home, a good acupuncture dose, a good jetlag recovery – but nothing in this life comes as we would always prefer. Regardless, these are all unimportant issues. The juice is that we both want to meet, and that now we have a real chance of doing so.

I try to book my flight. I’m QR Silver now, been flying with them exclusively ever since I stopped flying SQ. I do miss SQ of course, but with our new corporate travel policy and the elimination of ATH from the SQ direct destinations list, it’s a tough call. Been very happy with QR, for the price. Convenient schedules, planes are ok, service likewise and the price fits the bill. What else would I need?

But now it’s DXB. Mee works and lives there. I never thought I would ever change to EK. Really. Tried a number of combinations but it just wouldn’t make sense. Why would I want to connect through DOH? Price was the same. Only for the miles would I ever do QR this time. Tried the Etihad dummy booking option but come on, departure at 6 am ex-ATH on the way back to ICN? No way. This time I said “let’s try and be sensible, minimize the connections, no need – and fxxk the mileage; give ‘em a chance.”

So I book EK. Then I book a hotel as well. I ask Keith for that, but he’s not that familiar with DXB. Now that I think about it, I could have asked a number of others here, our Captain, Miss L&B (whom I regrettably did not contact when she paid us a visit here in Busan a while ago – was really busy that period though), or MANf. Anyway, I am quite tired and have no time to spare in selecting a hotel. TA comes back with three suggestions: “avoid Deira district”, “Taj” and “Melia”.

I did not need to impress Mee but on the other hand I did not want to end up somewhere where it could be smelly or dirty, and the TA advised me of such cases being real. So I decide to play safe. Deira district property is out for now (but not forever), Melia is out as well (stayed at their Genova property three months ago and this intense Tuscany leather scent in all common hotel areas still hangs over my head). So I choose Taj Palace Dubai.

Flight booked, hotel booked. Domestic flight PUS-GMP booked. A day before I depart, I happen to check Taj Palace in TripAdvisor: “…hotel for old people…”; “…old property, needs renovation…” some of the comments. Oh my God. But who cares? I’m off on a 7,000 km trip for a blind date, will I care about the hotel? Hell no.


Jeju Airport, South Korea. Couple of days before I depart for DXB.


Lotte Hotel, Jeju. Thinking how will it feel when I meet her, few days from now.


Choco tart and cappuccino at Lotte Hotel, Jeju. Few days before I depart for the Middle East.

Next: On EK’s WhaleJet to DXB…

[N_Architect]

The day comes. It’s kind of hard to believe, but I’ll have a chance to meet her. It’s strange. I’ve done blind dates before, but never flown 7,000km to see someone I practically do not really know. The trip back home was a good chance, and DXB is along the way, so a three-day stopover was piece of cake. Mee is silent during the last week before I arrive in DXB. She’s busy of course, I don’t know, Australia, Italy, whatever. She flies quite a bit.

My check-in bag is full of “Hello Kitty” items. The niece back home will be happy. Been so tired in the last couple of months, especially. I could not care less about small details. The Duty Free addiction remains though. What an illusion. Just an escape. Finally I start to see light at the end of the tunnel, just before I meet Mee. This needs to stop. One Daytona two-tone, one Da Vinci LE, one Grand Seiko and now a Calibre de Cartier – all in the last 12 months (and that excludes the Swatches and Casios). It’s unbelievable. A complete waste. They’re all nice, but certainly not necessary. And then there is Patek, the final peak to be conquered (for the still addicted, of course).

I get on my Infinity and drive to Gimhae. Traffic is ok. Busan is a nice city. Few years in the South Korean countryside make you appreciate the beat of a larger city. Usual drop at the parking in Gimhae Airport, then off with their van to the ‘Domestic’ terminal. Flight leaves at 18:30, it’s KE in Y to GMP.


PUS Domestic terminal, Gate 11.

My EK flight departs at 23:55. Can’t wait and tim flies. My first on any WhaleJet. Last time I flew EK was summer of 2007, ICN-ATH on Y and the return in J (that’s when another addiction started). In PUS they do not check iPads, pretty relaxed security compared to other airports – that’s until you take out a camera and start shooting pictures in the departures area. Airport location is civil and military flying zone, so any photography is prohibited (for those who are blindly obedient, of course).

“Are you coming back to South Korea?” asks the ICN immigration officer. Of course. My one-year visa expires mid-March. No intention to leave. Life is good here. Occasionally lonely perhaps but that's on me to change and generally quite good – no complaints. Off to the Tax Free collection desk, for the three Hermes scarves (you’re not addicted until you’ve started collecting these as well, let me tell you…)

I want to get her a gift. Mee goes through airports relatively often, so all this here is familiar to her. But I just don’t want to go empty-handed. She seems to be a very nice person and I do really want to offer her a little present when we meet. Trying to break bad habits, the gift needs to be small and appropriate for the occasion. If the opportunity or right time comes later on for something more special, that’s easy to do. Nothing more straightforward for me, plenty of choices if you know what you’re looking for provided you do understand a girl’s preferences.

I choose a small key-ring holder made by Coach. Later on she would ask me “What made you choose this?” Time I had in my hands was limited, shops close at 21:30 at ICN, always try to look for something special for special people, not sure I got the best for her… Off to the ICN concourse area for the Lotte Duty Free pick-up desk. Following that I visit the KE lounge for some unpacking and carry-on baggage re-arrangement. Fancy interior layout this lounge has. Choice of snacks kind of limited, same style as per Asiana Airlines’ business class lounge next door.


KE lounge at ICN



The A380-800 is waiting for us at the gate. Lots of people. Big bird. For me it does not make a difference any more, to be honest. The seat pitch is what I look for. The food is not what you pay for, in my humble opinion. Flying business class buys you convenience. These carriers are pretty good, and if the route is one of the shortest ones then this is all you need. There are small differences between different products (we’ll talk about that later on) but in general as long as you fly the good Asian or M. East carriers you’re in for a good treat.



We board the big bird. Business class cabin occupies major part of the upper deck, behind First. The cabin is almost full. I have checked-in online but still get one of the very last seats available. It’s the aisle seat next to the forward bulkead, port side (6D) – not good. Very cramped actually. However, the bulkhead window seat on my left is free, and shortly after the aircraft doors close I decide to move over.

Overhead baggage compartments are full. Big contrast with QR. How can you fly business class and have such limited overhead storage space when plane is full? People of course put their carry-on pieces carelessly, so a small re-arrangement in the overhead compartment helps. But I do miss the half-full cabin and endless storage space in QR’s B777.

Staff is multi-cultural, multi-lingual. Every time an EK bird departs, the in-fight announcement for the languages spoken by the cabin crew is quite impressive. What is not impressive is the lack of attention by the cabin crew for my jacket. A usual treat with SQ and QR, missed on this one (ICN-DXB) but also on all my subsequent flights with EK (DXB-ATH, ATH-DXB and DXB-ICN). Disappointing. You may think it is a detail, a minor detail, and I would not disagree. But should one want to be thorough and examine carefully all points, when comparing few carriers (in my case EK, QR and SQ along the same routes) we need to look at details.

I can see other people having had their jackets picked up by the cabin crew. I say nothing, fold my suede leather jacket and put it in the overhead compartment. Not so nice but we have this segment to DXB and then another three more segments till we return to ICN, so let’s take it easy and give them a chance.


EK’s A380-800 business class cabin, upper deck.

[N_Architect]

Photo taken during the return segment with EK on the A380-800.

The EK business class product on the Airbus A380-800 is quite new to me. The seat/cubicle feels different as compared to the 2-2-2 standard seat configuration of QR’s B777s I have been flying so far. The first point one would notice is the narrow aisles, and the fairly cramped seat/cubicle space. To offset that of course one could talk about privacy, especially if you have a window seat. You are quite alone, isolated. Large screen, which is good for many (nothing special for me as I do not usually watch movies), separate remote control with colour screen, nice and full of choices in-flight entertainment system (personally did not impress, I still miss the “New Age” audio channel of SQ…) and a small range of still water, orange juice, coke and sparkling water next to you (nothing significant, you can always politely ask for soft drinks and water).

When you try to get up and while the seat is at the flat bed position, the space to turn around (standing) is very narrow and limited. But I guess this comes with the package. On the side, there are two large windows and a spectacular view of the huge wing and engines of the WhaleJet. The upper deck is quite above ground level, and the windows have a lot of curvature in them. Two large vertical storage spaces at the lower end of the window, push-on lock, normally EK stores the “mattress” there. Yes, they do give you a mattress for sleeping, but no pajamas. That is a another point to note. QR does give pajamas and it is highly practical, makes a big difference during the flight. Changing to pajamas on such a flight (10 hrs plus) adds to one’s relaxation and many passengers omit that. Of course anyone can bring some soft cotton trousers and a loose long-sleeved shirt with them, but if the pajamas are provided it adds a nice touch.

The amenity kit is the classic EK-style with canned shaving foam, disposable razor and roll-on deodorant. It is made by Bulgari and feels quite nice, colour of the soft case is brown. Comes in a cotton carry-on protective pouch. The WhaleJet feels little bit more quiet than the triple sevens, but not “very quiet” as I had heard and was expecting. I choose not to take dinner or breakfast. Quite tired and full, need some acupuncture sessions with my doctor back home for the bowel to cool down a bit.

On the aft side of the upper deck there is the bar area. People like this a lot, reportedly. I slept a bit and upon waking up went back to use the lavatory. That was when I noticed the ‘bar’ area, and stayed there for a while. Chief purser was around, so we started chatting, which ended up occupying most part of the remaining journey, believe it or not. The polite Romanian stewardess at the bar was constantly offering me to try some nuts, drinks, etc. No thanks, but can do with some of these nice Godiva chocolates which are handed out at the end of the meal service.

Which brings us to the second ‘observation’ of today’s flight. I skipped both meals but none of the cabin crew left any Godivas in my seat. When flying QR, regardless of whether I take the meal or not, they always bring some Godivas. Yes, it is a detail and certainly not compulsory, but had they done that it would be a really nice touch. No jacket pick-up, no Godivas left in my seat. The lack of offering the little chocolates following me skipping the meals happened again in nearly all my subsequent flight segments with EK. Means they do not pay strict attention to such things. I know that four flight segments may be small sample to judge from but still, to me it’s another small difference with QR and SQ on the cabin service level.

Mind you that I don’t compare directly with SQ, as their service is clearly above anything else (at least to my experience so far, although I stand to be corrected and will reserve any further opinions till I fly more with EK). The flight on the A380-800 is pretty uneventful and we arrive in DXB on time. It’s almost 05:00 local time upon arrival, and nice to be feeling the 21 deg. Celsius ambient temperature after the short South Korean winter.

Immigration through Fast Track, still had to wait a bit, then off to check-in baggage pick-up at conveyor belt no. 12. Watch and its box on me, don’t know the DXB customs habits but decide to take the risk. Last year with my two-tone Daytona I threw the box away (left it in TK’s B777, left it empty in the unoccupied seat next to me and when I went to change clothes one of the cabin crew passed by, picked the box up and also forgot a half-used coffee cup in my seat - and then you talk about service…)

However this time and as I am about to leave the country in three days I decide to keep. Pick up my bag, and off through customs. The duty officer scans me up and down as I approach, but I look straight, don't reduce speed and pretend to be quite tired. He decides to pass on me, and I exit the customs zone relieved. One more “never declare” mission passed successfully. The red Cartier watch box will soon be mailed to one of my home addresses and I will land home three days with just the watch on my wrist; perfect.

I take the black cab, it’s a Lexus-something model, 60 Dirhams cost to the hotel. Fine, let’s play. Few minutes ago I take cash from the airport’s ATM, all well. We’re set for a nice three days here, despite the tiredness from work and the bowel condition. Can’t wait to meet with Mee, really. She sends me a KakaoTalk or SMS message, can’t remember now, saying that I should sleep and relax and then she’ll be ready to meet for lunch. Nothing better.

Next: Three unexpectedly unforgettable days with a lovely person in Dubai – Blind Date time.

[N_Architect]

I arrive at the Taj. Try to take a nap but it’s not easy. The jetlag suffering starts, and mind you, it gets even worse when I fly back (eastwards) each time. I decide to get up from bed at 10am and take a shower. The room at the Taj is kind of executive style, 60sq ft or so. Quite nice, large double bed, classic style deco, balcony with two chairs and a table, this property in general feels not that old. Light smell of tobacco, but nothing obnoxious. Smokers’ room, I guess. Fruit platter came right after I checked in, courtesy of the hotel’s management.



We text each other and arrange to meet at 1:30pm, if I remember correctly. Mee arrives sharply dressed, sweating a bit and quite anxious about perhaps being 'late'. She’s very pretty and sexy, may I say. We go for lunch. It’s Lebanese this time. Discussion starts, too many things to talk about. We end up staying together all day long. Lunch, coffee at another place, then out for drinks during the evening.



Burj Khalifa, The Fountain, Dubai Mall. She takes us there for a walk, but discovers the fountain show cannot attract my attention for more than 10-15 consecutive seconds. Gives me the signal we better go for a beer in a very nice place next door. I am quite tired and totally jet-lagged, but it’s one of the things I cannot easily explain to her simply because I am also having difficulty due to the tiredness.

We order a few drinks, I decide to abstain from drinking too much. Got to be very careful with my diet, the irregular meals of the last few days trip to Jeju Island but also to DXB combined with my tired body and sensitive bowel are a thing I need to pay attention to. Mee loves the company when both are enjoying some alcohol but I now feel I appeared quite rigid in the sense “I don’t like to drink”, etc. Well, I can drink, I can do anything, and I do not mind doing so – but not now. Right now I just cannot. My diet needs a change, and the fact that I am in such a state is simply the result of not looking properly after myself for the last two months or so.



I feel slightly uncomfortable talking about this during our first day, and do not want to spoil the evening, so I mention to her briefly that my digestive system is kind of sensitive and we move on. She will know everything soon, there will come a time I will explain her a number of things. We talk about other things, all very interesting. We are quite open with each other, and I feel really good but also hope she feels the same.

She accepts I take her home on a taxi, before I return to the hotel. Important for me, and actually something I think she really appreciated. It’s something really simple for me, though. Elementary. Very happy to have met such a nice person. Open, pretty, straightforward and courteous, Mee made a strong and lasting first impression on me. Looking forward to seeing her again the next day. We are both tired but to me at least it was very much worth it for a first day out.

Next: Two more full days in DXB with her; too tired but happy enough.

[N_Architect]

Next day comes. I have not slept very well. Now the tiredness and the jetlag both take their toll on me. As I have not had a meal the previous evening, I decide to take breakfast at the hotel. It’s the mistake I am not supposed to make. Breakfast falls too heavy on me, the sensitive bowel gets irritated and this more or less spoils my day. It’s hard to understand when you have not felt the sudden but constant thereafter fatigue an easily irritable bowel can give you.

We go late for lunch, and I begin to feel more and more tired. It’s not an easy day for me. Not something I can explain easily to Mee, and at the same time I feel silently guilty for ruining our day. We take a walk along the Marina, talk a lot. She’s persistent, she’s there, stays open, stands by me even though at times she may find my mood boring or not easy to understand. How can she, really. I need a month’s diet detox plus 6 km of walking/running per day to get straight with my body, but right now, right here with her I just do not have that time.









Day ends with both of us quite tired, it’s a crash-course blind date this intense thing we’re doing, but surprisingly enough we’re still there. There’s much more to explore about each other, to say the least. We try to go for a drink but she feels my lack of ability to follow, and gets demotivated. Pity my present state of physique lets me down once again. Nothing that cannot be 100% corrected, but the blind date is not next month – it’s now.

Next: Final day in DXB, getting to know each other more, sharing things.

[SQGamespeed]

Nice to have another TR from you. Nice one so far, keep it coming!

[N_Architect]

Saturday evening at the Souk next to the Burj Al Arab.



We meet again on Sunday. Today I join her in one of her hobbies. Very nice, a first timer for me doing this sport. The day ends with Arabic dinner and few non-alcoholic drinks at the Belgian Bar (Crown Plaza, I believe). Mee opens up even more and talks to me, just before the night ends. I’m quite impressed. She’s off abroad again early next morning, and I am off to ATH. It’s not easy to keep this up, two people five thousand miles apart – we both know it. We also both understand we are quite different in some areas, but that we also share passionately same ideas and principles in other areas.

I have high respect for her. It was an intense three-day meeting with someone new. Mee spent all her free time with me, was dedicated and treated me with respect and courtesy. I could not have asked for anything more. At the end, she told me a few important things about myself, and I appreciated this very much even more after I left her.


Chocolates she offered me on the first day.

Her car had been back from the service center earlier the same day. At around 10pm I propose that I take a taxi to my hotel and do not take Mee out of her route back home. It is a bit complicated for her to drive back to her apartment after she drops me at the Taj, even though the two properties are not that far apart. All of a sudden she says “…You’re not taking me back home tonight?” I’m surprised. Did not think about it, to be honest. Would love to, really. But this means I’d have to get a cab from her place afterwards. I tell her just that, and she replies “…yes, we drive together in my car to my place and then you can take a cab from there, it’s easy…” Nothing better than something both of us like so much to share - off we go then!

We arrive at her place. She parks the car in the parking lot. We walk towards her apartment block. It’s a slightly melancholic departure, and gets more melancholic as minutes go by. She’s been a terrific escort, a new close friend, a potential ‘one and only’. Similar lives, thousand miles apart, similar mentalities, different energies, ideal age difference, nearly identical principles and values. An open invitation is already on the table for her – to visit Busan anytime soon. She accepts. We’ll see. Would really love to welcome her here. Told I’ll surprise her, and plan to do so. Least I can do is to pay back the warm hospitality and ample courtesy but also time she devoted to me while in DXB.



We stand in the pavement, at the corner of her apartment block, waiting for a taxi. When you just don’t want them, taxis come too fast as if they appear from nowhere. These last few minutes go like split seconds. You realize this as soon you board the taxi to the Taj, but also the same night, the next morning. We don’t kiss goodbye but we hug each other warmly. I still miss her, but understand chances are pretty slim for something to happen unless Mee moves here or I move to DXB – all this provided we have more time first to get to know each other more, do things together, and share more, much more before anything else.

I don’t know how she feels. I guess Mee may be slightly reluctant to show, perhaps out of shyness or simply because she does not want to reveal any vulnerability. It’s either that or the fact that she is much more decided on which way this may go. Women know, we all know that now. A woman knows as soon as she meets you, this is what they say. The first few minutes are enough. Let so be it. Mee was open with me, she was clear, and I’ll never forget that. Others have played with my feelings, she did not – this by itself is very important for me. Regarding the rest, time will only tell.



I remember hugging her. She’s tall and impressive, gorgeous woman. Taxi is waiting, door is open. Have to go, no choice. It’s over. At least for now. I wave her goodbye, she does the same. I board the taxi, and close the door. “Taj Palace, please.” Wave goodbye again, as we drive off. She does the same. Good night and thank you for everything. I may have not been a perfect ‘visitor’ (due to a number of issues relating to poor physique or tiredness) but there is nothing that cannot be corrected. In Busan it’ll be different – if we get another chance to meet. I think she’ll do it, but give her every right to be on the fence about it, if she feels like so. It’s perfectly understandable, actually. Same applies for me of course. Time apart can make a huge difference. We have a proverb in Greece: “Eyes that do not see each other often, quickly can forget each other.” True, and there’s nobody to blame. I’m here waiting for her, but still, time will only tell.


Statue at a Dubai fitness club lounge.

I go to bed as soon as I arrive back at the Taj. We should both be knackered by now, but at least we gave it a chance to get to know each other as much as possible. Early wake up call to get ready for going to the airport. I wake up at 06:00, only to pick up the BlackBerry and start texting her. Spend the next 50 minutes writing and editing a long “thank you, will miss you” note. When I finally get to press the ‘send’ button, message does not go through. Arghhhh! Four minutes later, text message from her: “Good morning, did you sleep well? I guess you will be in the airport by now…” Not really! This is not what I thought it would be. It’s when you realize she has won you over much more that you had originally thought.

Off to a quick shower.

Check out some thirty minutes later or so. Manage to arrange with the Concierge to send my empty new Cartier watch box to one of my home addresses. The 100 Dirhams that bought you one more convenience. Who cares, really. Addiction is the path of destruction. Or ‘was’, should I say. Thank you but I choose to desire no more of that.

I take a cab from the Taj to the Airport. The terminal is confusing for me. Takes me few minutes to locate the business class check-in area. As time goes by, the only thing which I am thinking is her and the time we spent here. Boarding pass issued, I should get going to the security and immigration area but actually do not really want to. Damn, this got me much more that I had originally anticipated. I become quite emotional every fifteen or so minutes, don’t know why. Guess the way she spoke to me the previous night shook me up sharply. Women are highly intuitional, especially if they are attracted to you – this is what I was told by my doctor few days later. All right then.

Next: Off to ATH, on EK (A330-200).

[N_Architect]

And the day comes when I have to go back to the Far East…

Another EK bird waiting patiently at Athens’ El. Venizelos International Airport in order to take us to DXB:













Pretty soon we have take off:







Dusk finds us somewhere over south-east Turkey, two and half hours short from DXB:

[N_Architect]

Arrival in DXB – the new EK business class lounge:







And off to ICN 7 hours later on the A380-800 (5 hours layover plus 2 hours delay due to technical issues):



Somewhere over Mongolia:





ICN approach:





As the EK flight is delayed, I miss my KE domestic flight to PUS. So it’s KTX time, and the airport express train connects to Seoul Station (where KTX departs):



Well, that was it more or less. A two-week rapid trip with lots of happenings in it.

She said on the first day “…You’re brave to come here…”

Well, all I can say is that you were equally brave, 'Mee'.

Time can only tell - right?

[SQflyergirl]

All the best with this!

[CarbonMan]

Ahhh ... so romantic.

[N_Architect]

Note: My bad, after post #8 and before post #9, there should be the below. Mods, if you can, pls insert accordingly. Otherwise, post #9 should follow after the below... Thanks!





Some quick shopping for myself and the family in the Duty Free area and off to the gate for my flight to ATH. EK operate an A330-200 along this route now. Business class cabin of this bird is pretty spacious, I am impressed. Seats are recliners of course but with much recline of the back, considerably more that that of QR’s A321’s operated along the same route. Mind you it’s a 4-5 hour flight.





The space in the overhead lockers is plenty. Cabin not full. No amenity kits handed out, whereas QR along the same route does hand out their standard Ferragamo pouch. Again, no offer from the cabin crew to take my jacket. I skip the meal service (there’s home made spinach pie waiting for me back home) but still no Godivas left at the seat. Cabin crew looking pretty relaxed and talk casually and relatively loudly in the area between business and first class. This does not give a good impression, but anyway, it may again be myself who is the weirdo here.

The EK cabin crews seem much more comfortable with the job and the task in hand as compared to their QR colleagues, but at times too comfortable, which gets to be a minus at the end. When you ask for something, it is delivered, but at most what you asked, never more. They do not seem to go beyond for any reason or purpose. Couple of hours into the flight, I ask for a cappuccino. “Would you like biscuits with it?” I am asked. “Would appreciate if I could have some of those Godivas, as I skipped the meal service and did not get any…” I reply. Few minutes later, the coffee comes with the Godiva little box. No biscuits, of course. Sorry to say, but with QR or SQ I would have most likely got the biscuits as well. They just didn’t go beyond anything, or at least in my case. If you are Skywards gold, platinum, zirconium, or whatever else they may just do. Come on guys…

I retract back to my thoughts. Which are ‘her’ and nothing else. Still thinking about these three days. But it’s so fresh, hence all such emotions are to be expected. I have an urgent need to start writing to her. It’s always like that. For how long can you sustain that, though? One week? Two? Not sure if she’ll do the same, probably not I guess. Doesn’t mean she has to, of course. Everyone reacts in a different way, and let’s not forget she’s a woman. They do know well what’s next, and what they want in such cases. At least with her I have greater peace of mind she’ll be frank, open and honest when she really feels the next step forward (no matter what that will be, that’s not the point).






ATH approach.

The days in ATH go by fast. Friends, family, acupuncture, clients, the lots.




Home made cheese-pasty


Home made bread

[N_Architect]

Many thanks to all for your kind words and wishes...

[stargold]

Your TRs always have something more than just airports, planes and hotels - a sense of mystery and personal feelings which most are not interested in sharing / willing to share. Gives a nice further dimension to the usual. Thanks for the effort you put into it and all the best with Mee!

PS. A recent new-building case has familiarised me quite well with your role!