yoodi's posts with tag: airport
The speakers not far above me was announcing the flight to Greece. I sat still on my bench and deeply inhaled the smoke from my Marlboro in the small aquarium - like smoking cubicle.
I looked at my watch and took a mental note of the time and calculating the time I have left before I required to hand in my boarding pass to that petite but full - bodied and sensual looking ground crew attendant with the high splitting body hugging qi pao dress. I decided that there is still enough time to look for a nice cozy corner table and order a cup of espresso.
I stood up from my bench and carrying my only hand carry luggage which is my backpack laptop case I walked toward the nearest pub and started to search for an empty corner table. I could immediately see all corner tables were empty as if they were waiting for me and watching me smoking myself to death in that see through glass cubicle. I chose the corner table located nearest to the gate and next to the Deli Shop. After ordering my single espresso I again heard the announcement for the flight to Greece.
My mind then formed a picture of one of the Greek island, Santorini and the blinding all white cubism buildings stacked on a towering cliff facing the sea. Opened window to a white cemented balcony with colorful flowers growing from a clay pot. The sound of seagulls was heard together with the sea breeze bringing the smell of the ocean onto the balcony and into the bedroom with oversize bed that has a slept - in look from the rumpled white sheets. The morning sun is accompanying a small breakfast table with white tablecloth and two cups of coffee and plates of toasted bread. I could see the image of butter and a stack of pancakes with maple syrup at one side of the table eagerly awaiting for whoever made it moments ago to taste the rich mix of flour and milk together with sweet honey.
My espresso came and momentarily disturb me from that nice imagery of morning breakfast at that terrace by the sea. I took small sip of my espresso and start looking around my corner table. I stop at the direction of the Deli Shop next to my table and could sniff the smell of the typical delicatessen products being display at the rack closest to me. My eyes then caught the sight of the name plate of the shop, PJ Deli.
I looked closer at the racks and could see a line of small bottled jams that were lining up on the top shelf of the rack. Looking very closely now at the line up bottles I could see a yellow color bottle of marmalade jam. As if knowing I was looking at it the marmalade bottle seemed to willingly opened its close cap and offered the sweet scent of fresh orange skin toward my direction. This flow of smell formed an intimate union of scents with my espresso which made my blood rush and almost unconsciously I started to deeply sniff my espresso as if I worship that small cup of coffee.
I knew now what to add to the white clothed breakfast table in the balcony facing the sea, a bottle of marmalade jam. That fresh marmalade scent will flow inside to the white sheet oversize bed and formed a perfect union with the left over intimate smell from the night before.
As I took my last sip I heard my flight was being announced. I stood up and walked toward that ground crew attendant who was busy checking the boarding pass of the passengers getting into the jetbrige. As the distance to where she stood became nearer, I wondered what she would looked like lying in that oversize bed. Her skin half covered with white sheet in an all white cubism style house by the sea, mixed with the scents of marmalade skin from the breakfast table in a white balcony blew in by the morning sea breeze.
Image Source: http://www.ikies.com/studios/studios1.jpg
 “Hi” …
“Allo” she said, with a French accent.
“Mind if I sit here?”
“No, go ahead” she said blowing her smoke.
We were both in a smoking section of an airport waiting for our flights. I noticed her shoes, nice Adidas. A pair of simple black shoes with three white stripes which she worn over ankle socks.
“Where are you flying to?” I tried to make small conversation as I lighted my cigarette.
“Back home to France” she said. “And you?” “Kuala Lumpur” I said. “Ah, we should be on the same flight, my flight stop over in Kuala Lumpur” she continued.
“Nice shoes, where did you get it?”
“In France” she replied shortly.
“Cool shoes, what series is that?” I continued asking her about the shoes.
“I really don’t know” she replied kind of apologetically.
“They look really nice, I like them” I said.
“Merci” she said with a smile.
It’s a simple conversation taken place while sharing a smoke on a bench waiting for a late night international flight. Neither one of us is likely to feel any kind of intimacy from that kind of an experience. It was an exchange between a genuine interest over a pair of sporty Adidas and a return of information which was not really helpful but at least was honest answers.
But what if the swing of event were different? What if faith has it that I was also flying to France instead of just getting off in Kuala Lumpur? The sharing of a bench could extend into a sharing of a long flight.
“So, what will you be doing in France?” she asked.
“Working, I come to see some shots of food ingredients for a TV commercial” said I.
“Hmm, that sounds like an interesting commercial. You work in advertising? She asked again.
“You look good in those shoes” I complemented her as I nodded my head to answer her last question. “Me too, I work in a marketing field also, but mostly digital. I design web….. you really like these shoes?” she said as she lifted both her legs a little. I nodded my head again. She smiled and said "yes, they are actually my fave shoes too"
“Yes, its so you. So? I mean you work in digital marketing? I used to be involved in that too” I told her. “What’s so me… my work?” she asked. “No, the shoes” I said. She laughed and said ”and just how would you know that, Mr. Ad Man?”.
I laughed too and shrugged my shoulders. “I have no idea why I said that. Just a silly hunch, I get them sometimes”. I said as I rose from the bench. “We still have a long wait for our flight” I looked at my watch. “Yes, it will still be for awhile, are you going in?” she asked me. “No, I want to get some coffee, you want one?” I said.
“I would love some” she said.
“Black?” I asked again. “That’s another good hunch, yes. Thank you” she said.
“Be right back, then”. I walked towards a standing bar that still open along side a row of closed Duty Free Shops.
The cigarette has long gone but the conversation lingers on. This could be just another simple conversation over a mutual admiration over a pair of shoes between two people who happens to be involved in similar works. That and the coffee that would follow could create an innocent intimacy or at least comfort over the dreading wait for the two late night travelers.
“Here’s your coffee” I handed her a closely lid cup of coffee.
“and by the way, I’m Shai…Shai Bastara” I introduce myself.
“Merci, I’m Patna Jane” she said as she took the coffee and shakes my hand.
“Cool initial…PJ. Can I call you PJ?” I said grinning.
“PJ it is…and you’re Shai, right?” she grins back at me.
“Sometimes in some situation but right now I’m not shy with you” I winked as I sip my coffee. She laughed at the slipped of the tongue to my name.
“your coffee okay PJ?”
“you know what Shai, these shoes would look nice on you too….yes the coffee is fine. But I am thinking a cold beer would be nice now”
“I think they come in men’s sizes too, don’t they? cold beer definitely is another good idea”
“maybe we’ll have one on board later?” she said.
“where are you sitting PJ?”
“should be around the second or third row…..I always like to seat as close to the front as I can” she explained.
“I’m around there too I think”. I remembered I asked for a front seat too when checking in tonight. I started to look at my boarding pass and the little sticker that says 7 C. An aisle seat.
“I think I’m going to get one too” I said as I showed her my boarding pass.
“what Shai? the beer?” she looks at my boarding pass and waves hers that has 6 D on it.
“ no PJ, the shoes…I have this funny feeling that I’m going to get one too”.
“yes get one, that way we’ll then have something in common” she said.
“that would be nice, wouldn’t it? I mumbled to myself not really knowing what I’m saying.
The boarding announcement came over the speakers. “That’s us Shai…let’s go”. We walked towards the gate with me helping her carry one of her bags. We stand on line with the other passengers entering the cabin. Our seat turns out to be one row apart on opposite side of the plane. It wasn’t a very full plane as we both have no one sitting next to us.
“hey you ” I came over to her seat after the seatbelt sign is off.
“hey you too” she look up from her seat.
“can I sit here with you?”
“yes I would love the company” she said.” it’s going to be a long journey, isn’t it?” she said again as I sit next to her.
“Pfffff, very long PJ….maybe it would feel shorter if we both share some cold beers”
“yes let’s ask for some, Shai”
The pretty dyed blonde stewardess with dark sharp eyes typical of women from the Arabic Peninsula brought us two cold Heinekens.
“here’s to PJ and her nice Adidas” I toast to her.
“here’s to sharing our long journey together, Shai. And a safe flight”
”yes a safe flight PJ”
“nothing can be predictable but yes Shai, a safe flight where everyone including you will arrive safely at your destination “
“you have a good heart PJ” "Cheers" We both said it at the same time.
We talked about work and discussed some of the movies featured during the flight. Dinner was served and we had some more Heinekens afterwards. The cabin light is turned low and most of the passengers are asleep. I am reading my book while PJ is busy doing some sketches for a web layout.
“you want a blanket PJ?”
“yes, it’s getting a bit chilly”
“Yes I know. Here’s your blanket”
“I’m going to get some sleep Shai. You?”
“Maybe read a few more pages. Go ahead, I catch up later”
“Okay, be here when I wake up?” she grinned at me
“Yup, with another cold beer for you” I grinned back at her.
“ mmm….you have a good heart, Shai. See you later”
The plane is high above the Atlantic flying through dark night. It is a long journey to Paris with a stop over in Kuala Lumpur and Dubai. Sharing a journey could add more burdens with the excess luggage of your companion or for having to attend some silly needs for blanket or additional cold beers. Probably even an unintentionally slip of tongue on some wrong hunches which might cause minor irritation.
But the comfort of it all and the sharing of common interest between traveling partner beat the hell out of all that burdens. Especially if we are taking a long journey of life with its unknown destination. All we have is the sharing of something in common and faith in our traveling partner. An open heart is a good heart…….it dances and travels
.
The noise of busy airport terminal always sounds soothing to me. That female voice announcing flights flying off to cosmopolitan cities like Frankfurt and Prague or exotic destinations like Morocco and Bali is like an open invitation to escape the current dreading reality of my life. The transit terminal that morning smells of freshly brewed coffee from the coffee shops that just opened their doors to the global commuters from all around the world. By now I have a little less than an hour before its time to board the plane again continuing the flight to my final destination. I sit there in my usual corner table in one of the coffee shop with a cup of hot coffee in front of me. No, I never set foot in this place before but there was once upon a time that I declared every corner table all over the world to be mine. As expected this corner table in this busy transit terminal has my name on it.
I watched people come and go around me. The rush of business travelers hurried to meet their plane as if missing the next board meeting in some cities will proof to be deadly to their corporate careers. In deep contrast to the business travelers earlier I saw a couple of backpackers with their laid back attitude with all the time in the world on their side. My eyes caught the site of several stewardesses in different color uniforms with their compact hand carrier walked by in fast paced ignoring all the signage around them as if their beautiful long legs know exactly where to go. There is something comforting and intimate about stewardesses in the way they speak to you in a friendly and polite tone attending to your every need. I wonder how these women can manage to look so smart and attractive this early in the morning. Well, maybe Im just crazy about women in uniform.
I stared at a piece of white form in front of me wondering if I should fill it out now or later on board. I looked at my watch and saw that I still have enough time to leisurely finish my coffee and fill out the form if I wanted to. Secretly I have this longing desire to hear them announce that my flight would be delay therefore prolonging the time I can sit at my corner table. This could well be the reflection of my life at this moment which could use some transit time of its own from its everyday routines. Suddenly, I can just see my life sit at my corner table drinking my coffee in a busy international terminal without a care in the world while deciding which flight it choose to take to be the next destination, may that be an exotic or cosmopolitan ones.
I looked again at the white disembarkation form distributed on board earlier by a sweet looking oriental stewardess in a high split Chinese dress. I decided to just go ahead filling out the form. I filled out all the required information like name, passport number and flight number. After filling out the spaces stating my boring destination I see the boxes to check for Male or Female. This part always amuses me and I wonder why they use Sex as a heading instead of Gender. I felt like adding additional two boxes to choose for, Occasionally and Self Inflicting Pleasure.
Shattering my wish for the delay, I heard the announcement of my next flight. Grabbing my stuffs I start heading towards my gate. Choosing to walk instead of taking the automatic walkway I passed by the immigration counters with several line of people queuing. I noticed separate counters for Foreigners and Resident Passport Holders. They should have made one counter for me that marked Alien as I just didnt feel like belonging to this universe right now.
Thinking along that line as I entered and smells that familiar scent of an airline cabin staring at the sweet smiles and greetings of the stewardess I wondered maybe I shouldve chose Female in that form before and that might turn my life around a little bit. Emerging in my next boring destination re-born as a new person could be well what I needed now.
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