The longest day

My Thursday was super long. I left Chiang Mai on Thailand's Wednesday night, which was very sad. I hate that part of traveling. The sadness made me extremely grumpy, so I was not really happy when they gave me a hard time at check it. Apparently since I came in through Immigration in Bangkok, I couldn't go out of the international side of Chiang Mai's airport. Which meant I had to recheck in at the Bangkok airport. Fortunately they let me check my bags all the way through, but that was about the only bright spot. When I reached Bangkok, the check in counter wasn't open. I got there about 10 pm and the counter remained stubbornly closed until 2 am, which meant I had to sit there and wait. It was very boring.

Then I had to go through at least three checkpoints (including one right at the gate where they opened up all our carry ons and when through them by hand. What could i have possibly acquired in the duty free shops that would necessitate that?) so when I got to my seat I was less than my normal angelic self. And I found myself sitting behind the most obnoxious man ever. He was trying to be jovial, I think, and friendly, and I REALLY hope he was not trying to be as creepy as he came across. He tried to impress the young Thai lady sitting next to him with his Thai language skillz. He SAID he was trying to ask her how old she was (she said fifteen) but it sounded, to me, like he was asking her how much she cost. His accent was atrocious. He then proceeded to tell her about how he'd been in Isaan for the past year and started lecturing her on how awful the Thai school system was. "Education is very important to Americans," he said, "not to Thais." I seriously considered rising up and beating him over the head. However, he was a pretty big dude and I thought that might be a bad idea. (Later I heard him telling someone else that he used to work for Blackwater, so it probably is a good thing that I didn't hit him.) I couldn't imagine he would take kindly to sitting next to a foreigner who spoke less than perfect English lecturing HIM on the American education system after spending a year in a remote part of the country. Also, this dude snored extremely loudly. Which isn't his fault, but it didn't make me feel any more kindly towards him.

I didn't sleep very well, due to the snoring ugly American and a screaming baby, and I was further appalled to discover that due to flight changes and a delay in setting out from Bangkok, I had a 10 minute window to make my connecting flight in Tokyo. I BOOKED it through Narita, y'all. There was yet another security checkpoint (seriously, these checkpoints are too numerous) and i wish many blessings on the flight attendant who let me cut her in the interest of making it to my gate. I made it as they were doing the final call. I was SO relieved. I didn't even care if my bags didn't make the connection, I just knew I wasn't going to kick my heels in Tokyo if I could possibly help it!

When I got to New York I was very impressed to see that both my bags had made it! I'm a little upset because I know one of them at least was opened and someone went through it. There wasn't a note saying security had done it, though, so I just hope that nothing was taken. (This is why I don't pack anything of value in my checked baggage.) I haven't had a chance to check to make sure everything is intact. I'm sure it happened in Bangkok. There simply wasn't time anywhere else!

So now I have to stay awake! And move apartments! It's great! I'm glad to be back in PA. I miss my Thailand home though. Very much.