Infantifadah....

One good turn deserves a shower.....

On my six week winter vacation I flew through Dubai. As I got off the plane for my 6 hour stopover, I noticed a woman fumbling with her multiple carry-ons. I offered to help her and immediately the regrets began. She had four bags (funny, they allowed me only one). She gave two of them and along with my own it was quite a heavy load. She was a small, stocky, lady around 40, and quite the pocket battleship. As soon as we started walking she started talking away and wouldn't stop. She told me how she was a fashion designer in Pakistan and just coming back from a show in NewYork and how she had another show in Dubai in January. And that her flight was in the next 30 minutes and she needed to get to her gate right away. The first time I had major regrets was two minutes later when she got into a fight with some people in line who were trying to get through security. She wanted to cut in line cuz her flight was soon and she got into it with a few people. The second fight was at security where she proceeded to give them a hollering(kinda justified) about why they have a whole another security level when all we were doing were transferring flights. By this time I was trying to distance myself as much as possible from here but still carrying her 3 ton bags. All this time she kept complaining to me and everyone else who would listen about how she had no time to catch her flight. So the next thing that happened completely blew my mind. We finally got through security and started rushing towards her gates when she was like " I want to get something from DUTY FREE ".

After my initial shock, and another pang of regret in getting stuck helping her , I told her she didnt have time and she would miss the flight. She proceeded to say " No, I'll make it to the flight ....just help me..." Reluctantly I lugged all her stuff back on the detour towards duty free cursing my luck and the stupid samaritan above my right shoulder. So she went duty free shopping and proceeded to dump all the stuff she brought into the bags I was carrying instead of hers. Then came the straw that broke the camel's back. She got into her third fight with the clerk of the duty free over 1 $. We probably spent 10 minutes there as she argued over and over with the guy about exchange rates and how he was cheating her out of her money. The guy kept looking at me for help and I just shrugged my shoulders showing I was as helpless as he was. At that point I had come to the end of my line. I seriously considered abandoning her by making up some excuse like I was getting late for my flight. Then somethign stopped me and I thought that I wasn't really doing this for her but for a higher cause. So I kept my mouth shut. We then went and ran to the gate, where I helped her get all her stuff together. As I wished her a good trip, and was looking to make a quick exit, she called me back. She said ' thank you for helping' and handed me an Emirates First Class Lounge voucher saying "enjoy ...I didnt get a chance to use it".

So during my 6 hr break on my 24 hr trip home...I hung out at the First Class Lounge ...had three full course meals... used the internet...made some phone calls....took a little nap....and then for the best part took a shower in my own private bathroom.

Meet the Fakhr

I used an agent to get my UK visa for me, as apparently they have the inside track and don't have to wait for an appointment. When I first called him he gave me his address and when I asked him his name he said "Fakhr"...I was like "excuse me?"..he said his name was Fakhr. I giggled like a little girl for the next two days. The next time I called, his secretary said Mr Fakhr is not in...More uncontrollable giggling for one full day...and the last time I called I asked for him by his full name Mr Fakhruddin and he said "Yes, this is Fakhr."

Anyway he got me my visa (as well as this splitting ache in my side from giggling..)... and Ill be glad to refer to anyone..."I know this Fakhr"

Claire Voyante?

Last night I had a dream which I remember distinctly. I was on a ferry at night and there was a huge celebration and show going on. In fact in classic dream fashion I couldnt find a way to get off the revolving stage. Finally just as I was about to jump into the water by desperation, I saw a another huge boat come barrelling towards us and collide. Our ferry sank in seconds and I was the first one into the water as I watched the ferry sink below me. I looked and looked for other survivors but none came and then a few minutes later people started swimming up to the surface. I helped a man with a broken arm as the few survivors started coming up and hanging to a big plastic railing that was there for some reason. The dream ended there.

I woke up this morning and turned my pc on with the memories of the dream still in my head. This was in the headlines:


http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/02/03/egypt.ship/index.html