| Flight to the USA |
[Jul. 10th, 2003|11:36 am]
Chief Petty Oficer Klerk
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Well lets start this again.
I met thalass in Sydney airport after getting off my flight from Brisbane. He looked different to what I thought he would (not that he was hard to spot. Quantas worker in a Virgin Blue termanal) After I had meet with thalass I had headed off to the international termanal and found out that they where not gonna reissue my tickets as they said they would on the fone (thanks to Australia post for loosing my tickets.). After calling head office and kicking major arse I had finally got my tickets. As I was going thru customs I saw something weird. They had detained 3 people. What was weird was they where leaving the country not entering it. Anyw after that I raced for the plane. I must say I prefer the Airbus 350 over the Boeing 747-400. The 350 has builting tv's and video games in eache seatback. After boarding is when the fun began...the captian spoke very little english and so did the cabin crew...that was fun trying to understand and be understood. After I arrived at Taipai airport (Taiwan) I was supprised that it still looked like it was in the 1960's and not 2003! After getting my boarding pass for my flight (which they almost kept my return ticket! (Cause the sucker is a hand written one)) I stoped in at the international shop that was open. This is where the fun starts. I don't speek a work of chinese. After 3 sales assistants gave me dumb looks and spoke to me in chinese, the manager finally came out and in broken english helped me. After I had bought a keyring for my sister (which she asked for) I headed for the boarding gate. I found a phone there, and of course it is written in chinese only as well...after figuring it out I made a quick call to home in Oz. After that I sat in a chair that looked like it belonged in the 1960's for 1 1/2 hours. I finally boarded the plane and got an isle seat (for which when I booked the ticket I had asked for a window seat. I told the assistant that (which again she spoke broken english) after finally getting this sorted out the next bit of fun begain. customs cards...they had never heard of the Visa Wavier Program. They gave me the card that the Chinese use (which is different to what Australians use under the VWP.) They kept asking me where my visa was for entry to the USA. They didn't understand what the VWP was. I finally gave up and just took the form they gave me and filled it out. Now lets fast forward to the landing. I have been in some rough landings before today, but this was the worst I had ever experianced. It felt like the landing gear was gonna break! I am suprised that the plane had lasted so long! I am now at customs. I get to customs and the officer tells me I had filled out the wrong form (no dur!) and gives me the right one to fill out (which I do and hand it back to him). I clear customs without a problem. Once that is done I head to collect my baggage and declare the tim tams to the other officers who suprisingly let me go on my way without inspecting them at all. (and here I thought they where gonna conficate then off me!) So I head out and into the pick up area to meet C. He was nowhere to be seen. so I head off and make a call to Australia again. I then go and break a 5 note to call his roomie and find out that he has left already. I then walk up and down a few times and find a internet booth (see earlier post). After that I finally find C. I make another call to Oz. Once that is done we head off and catch the BART and the normal train to his flat from which I am now posting this from.
That is my flight from Australia to the USA. see you guys online or in person at BC.
Signed
Gregory AKA CPOK |
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