The trip

Written on September 6, 2004 @ 13:28

“So, I’m on an airplane heading to Switzerland. That’s normal right?” Sure I was excited, but just to be on an airplane, not necessarily because I was heading toward my dream come true. I am one of those weird people who like airplane rides. Everything about them is great. Even the food.
So I’m kinda squished in the window seat, but at least I get a good view. I wanted to remember as much as I could about the whole trip (well, I guess I could say the same for everything in life that I do, however this just seemed especially important to remember). I remember not being able to hear the P.A. talk about safety and intro to the trip because my aisle companions where chatting up a storm in a language I couldn’t understand. I remember feeling bad for asking my neighbour to move her arm from the armrest because I wanted to get hooked up to the sound system to be ready for the movies (personal screens!). I remember waiting a long time on the taxi-ing runway before we started our acceleration for take off. We were actually third in line, and while we were going out for takeoff, I saw two planes that were wait their turn to take off. Watched the obligatory safety movie (wondered if I would actually know what to do if an emergency happened and found it funny that the flight attendants now don’t need to demonstrate how to use equipment, but are only there to point out emergency exits).
The flight was extremely smooth. Listening to the flight attendants and their British accents were fun too. Before any of the movies started (there were 12 options of TV channels/movies to choose from) there were previews for each. I decided to start with “13 going on 30”. I found out that they don’t call “pop” pop, but by their specific name. No peanuts for snacks of course (we are in the era of allergy alerts) but little pretzel bits. Dinner actually came very soon afterwards. There was a choice of some chicken thing and fish with pasta. I got the fish. It was quite tasty. It was a dish of fish, pasta (cream sauce) and some steamed veggies. There was the usual of a bun (and butter) of course. The “appetizer” part was a tomato and cheese plate (pretty swanky!). Dessert was an apple crumble type of thing. I remember my aisle companions giving me their leftovers. They were so sweet to do so, but I was actually full, so didn’t want it. As my companions were settling down to their naps, I was still watching the movie. I didn’t feel too tired or anything, and it was still pretty light outside. By the time the movie was over, it was dark outside, the cabin lights went out and with the pause in between movies, I was trying to decide what to watch next or if I should indeed try to take a nap in hopes to trick my brain that I was on a 13 hour flight (we were flying east, so weird stuff was happening with time zones, and it wouldn’t be dark outside for very long). I really tried to stay awake so that I could watch my second movie selection (“Shrek 2”), however, I seemed to have dozed off for an hour or so. For the entire movie. Darn it. And there wasn’t enough time for a third showing of any of the movies (I think I was going to watch “Cat in the Hat” next and possible “Beauty and the Beast”). I did watch some TV shows though. “Everybody Loves Raymond”, “My Wife and Kids” and some others that I don’t know what they were. I find it more comfortable sleeping curled up, and I was just the right size to curl my legs up so that my knees were on the back of the seat in front of me (which was reclined – so was I). Sometimes I shifted so that I was a little on my side and my knees were against the window. Most of the time airplanes seem cold, but this time wasn’t so bad. I wanted to take off my contacts and switch to glasses so that my contacts wouldn’t get too dry, however I didn’t remember to pack a contact case in my carry on with me (although I did have my glasses). In the morning, we got a mini breakfast. A lemon muffin, yogourt, something else that I forget and of course some sort of drink. Yet again, my companions offered me their yogourt, but I declined (secretly I wanted the muffin, but they put them in their bag). On the descent, I remember listening to the comedy radio channel (because the TV channels weren’t showing anything anymore) and hearing Bill Cosby do a clip. I also remember seeing that we did a circle in the air before landing at the airport (why?) I remember seeing Big Ben, that big ferris wheel thing, the river…that made me excited (I’m sure I’ll be going there sometime this school year). The landing was extremely smooth. No bumps or anything. A smattering of applause (doesn’t seem to happen as much as it used to). I also returned my headphones that I was initially planning on smuggling (I did get a little travel packet including socks, toothpaste, toothbrush and eyeshades – which are coming in handy right now). All in all, good flight, and Heathrow Airport, here I am!I say goodbye to my companions, (they stayed on the airplane as I got off because they’ve got wheelchairs waiting for them – they could walk though. They moved in and out for me and walked to the washroom) and headed out. Made a pit stop at the loo passed through the bag check area and was free to wander for about half and hour until I needed to by at my next gate. Unsure of how far away my next gate was, I headed towards to the gate. Along the way, I was sidetracked. I kept my eyes and ears open (I had that wonderful, “I’m so alive” feeling) and gulped in the sights and sounds. Pharmacy store “Boots” that I remember having in Canada when I was younger (actually still have a tube of pink hair gel that I used for ballet recitals and exams from there), Harrod’s (I have to buy something there where I go to London), HMV (had no idea how much their currency was worth, so that sucked), the Nike store, some electronic store and happily, Burberry! I noticed kiosks that let you go on the internet (for a cost) and a cool mailbox. In front of some store that was giving out samples, I had a piece of “Toffiee” candy (spelling wrong – it’s the same stuff they have in Canada, comes in a box, round, flattish pieces, caramel coloured on the outside, chocolate coloured on the inside, chewy and good).
At the gate, I notice that I’m really underdressed. On the flight from Toronto, I’m fine. There are some people wearing nicer things, but others wearing casual wear (I’m wearing a t-shirt, sweats and my Shox sneakers). Here however, I see many business suits. On both men and women. My favorite is the guy with the suit and a pink tie with the huge Louis Vuitton monogram duffle. There was a family though, that was speaking English to each other and carrying Mountain Equipment Co-op backpacks. Nice. In the little tunnel to the plane grab some free British papers (“The Daily Telegraph” and “The Times”) and get on the super small plane that’s half empty (the first flight was full). In the row behind me is a screaming child. Fun. This plane is a 3+3 seater (the first was a 3+4+3 seater). The flight was only 45 minutes long so we didn’t get any movies (no private screens anyway). I did notice the first class people get warm towels served to them (we were only separated by a curtain – funny, the LV monogram guy wasn’t in first/business class). We got a little breakfasty type of thing. I don’t really remember what it was, but I know it had fruit salad, a piece of Lindt milk (red wrapper) chocolate and orange juice. Now I’m not sure if the lemon muffin earlier mentioned was on that flight or this one and we got something else on the first one. I’m telling you, although I really try to remember every single detail, my brain just doesn’t let me. Sad. The ride was not so smooth. The descent was pretty freaky, and I was surprised that the captain didn’t come on the P.A. and say something about turbulence (unless it wasn’t and he was just having a hard time that day). There was definitely a moment where the plane dropped and that roller coaster tummy still up in the air after your body started falling down feeling hit. So much so that I grabbed the arms of my seat out of reflex and someone else in the cabin let out a yelp. Great. It was fine, though. I had an aisle seat this time, so I didn’t really get a chance to see much of what was going on around and down below. The guy across the aisle from me was reading a journal article about some math thing that I couldn’t quite make out. All I know if that I saw some integral symbols amongst other things.
So we’re at Geneva Airport. Everyone hurries off the plane. I’m here. No turning back now, and yet I still don’t feel anything extremely special. I just know that I need to catch a train to Neuchâtel that’s going to leave pretty soon (or else I have to wait two hours for the next one).
Go up an escalator, go down an escalator, go across a bunch of move-ators (while hearing Jewel’s “White _____” in the background – I do remember some trivial things I guess – I think I remember this specific thing because it reminded me of my brother who likes Jewel) through customs (where I need to speak French for the first time – this sort of shocked me into the fact that it’s all happening) and then to the carousels to pick up my luggage. A quick trip to the toilet before the luggage arrives in a bathroom where the stalls are big wooden doors that actual close like you’re in a little room and then wait with the rest of the group for our luggage (I think most of the people on the flight didn’t have luggage because they were just heading into town for the day – or a couple days – for business). I grab my luggage (which I’d forgotten was sort of heavy – I wonder if I looked weird having so much luggage for just one person) including the cardboard box (which luckily I didn’t have to go to a different place to pick up – the Toronto people thought I might have to) and I’m off to find the train station. I walk through the airport alone (the feeling of “I’m so alive” isn’t there anymore, it’s more like a “I’m by myself when everyone else is being met by friends or family”) toward to train station. Get my ticket for the train (that leaves in 20 minutes) again using my French skills (a little bit of a shock again because sure I’ve heard French since I was in Switzerland last, but not so fast, not so with a Swiss accent, not so…I don’t know – it was just weird – a great weird) head into an eerie elevator with my cart piled full with luggage and go down to the train platform with is in a subway station looking type of place (also a little eerie). I’m reminded that I’m in Europe because there’s a person beside me smoking (I’m sure this will take a little getting used to because you can hardly smoke anywhere in Toronto and Kingston now). I take a couple pictures, get some weird looks from people and the bus comes. I remember that I’m not first class and get into the second class part thankful that the train will be in the station for a long enough time for me to drag my luggage on the train one piece at a time. Scared that the train will leave without me, I don’t get off the train after my last piece of luggage has been yanked aboard to put away my cart. I’m hoping the Swiss won’t hate me for it. I settle myself on board and instant have a 1997 Leysin moment, remembering sitting on one of these trains having a life changing experience. I keep my eyes open to see if I recognize any of the scenery going by and I think I see something past Geneva that look familiar, but I could be mistaken. My eyes get so incredibly tired, and I doze off in between each stop. I see the word Neuchâtel appear out the window and scramble to gather myself at the door. I’m a little disorganized as the train stops and I pull some stuff off as people waiting to get on stare. My contacts are so incredibly dry from napping that I can’t blink and when I do, my right contact shifts. I can’t see, and I’m not sure if someone’s on the platform waiting for me and I’ve got all of my belongings awkwardly strewn about. I take quite some time to organize myself so that I can see again and that I can carry all of my stuff (backpack and purse on shoulders, cardboard box under arm and small roll-y clipped to big roll-y – which took quite a bit of effort in itself) and since I don’t see anyone on the platform that I recognize which is pretty empty by now since the train has long gone I head toward to exit. Roll town the ramp and see the principal of the school (whom I met in May in Toronto) at the bottom running in. Shake hands, some small talk about the trip and then head toward to exit to his car. I notice a grocery store type of thing and Mc Donalds. Head outside and of course have no idea where I am and what direction I’m facing (which I really like to know). Get into a navy blue Jetta type of Volkswagon with the backseat filled with kiddie stuff (I know he has young children) and drive two minutes to the school which is basically across the street.
I guess everything’s about to begin…