![\"\"](\"http:\/\/s.tabulas.com\/ik\/smilies\/yellow\/smile.gif\")
\u00a0Well, it\u2019s Andrew\u2019s luggage, and i promised him to take good care of his luggage.<\/p>\nThis story is dedicated for my\u00a0friend\u00a0Herry Limantoro.<\/p>\n
The story began on Tue nite when i slept for abt 1 \u2013 2 hours. And 4 hours sleep on Wednesday. Andrew woke up up by 6.30am on Thurs morning. Took taxi to Airport and just reached there by 7.30am the latest time\u00a0for check-in luggage. The beginning sort of telling what kind of trip is going to be.<\/p>\n
4 hours flight to Taipei, and 5 hours of transit there, roaming around the airport and trying out my new camera. Followed by 13 hours flight to LA. Not much difficulties from the officer this time, gave me good impression of US. They just took my fingerprints and photo which i gladly give. And Herry fetched me there in Airport\u2026what a very nice starting for my US trip. Together we took the subway train, a long way to Hollywood and then Universal Studio. A nice journey there, seeing for first time US. I like it. I like the culture\u2026so diverse and alive, the arts\u2026so unique and bold, the architecture and arrangement\u2026so dynamic and again uniquely different one from the others.<\/p>\n
First incident came when incidentally the lock number was changed. Hahahaha\u2026.quite panicked by then\u2026and Herry suggested the old method; brute force. So i scroll the numbers and he clicked the lock, till finally it opened\u00a0\u00a0Well, it\u2019s Andrew\u2019s luggage, and i promised him to take good care of his luggage.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s it, a very long day\u2026reached home abt 11-12 midnite. Planned for my flight tomorrow at 6.55 am, 2 hours travel means to leave the house by 4 am.<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t really remember what time we\u2019re leaving the house. About 4.30 am i think. But it\u2019s a very tight timing (abt 20 minutes to check in and board) with no room for mistake as the trains will always come on the scheduled time.<\/p>\n
We\u00a0caught the first train by seconds (after much running in dark and cold morning of LA). Sit there and rested for some times in train\u2026caught up our breath\u2026and took snapshot of Herry\u2026hehehe. And then the 2nd train didn\u2019t want to go. What\u2019s this? By the time it stopped, the 3rd train already went off..and so that\u2019s it\u2026everything else will be late. And probably won\u2019t be able to catch my flight.<\/p>\n
While we\u2019re in 3rd train, Herry called taxi (sounds like we\u2019re in Amazing Race), but was told that it would be the same time needed to reach the Airport. With no other choice and can\u2019t do anything, just pray and wait till the train brought us to the Airport\u2026.Huhuhu\u2026then after the fourth train, the shuttle bus was late as well\u2026.and then i realised that i can\u2019t directly board unless i\u2019ve only 1 hand carry. So in the shuttle bus to the airport, i squezzed my backpack into my luggage\u2026.still can\u2019t close bcs it became so bulky. Hehehe\u2026.dragging a half-open luggage like crazy ppl in LA airport early morning. And we came at wrong floor\u2026by the time we are at right place we saw a super long queue\u2026.What\u2019s this i thought\u2026the flight is delayed? Or something has happened? Or\u2026to my horror\u2026it\u2019s domestic flight, and there\u2019re many flights going to different places of US at different times\u2026And definitely my flight is just one of those many flights during the day. Oh no!!<\/p>\n
So, we know what to do\u2026can\u2019t join this queue for sure. Directly we go to the entrance for boarding (another long queue) and time is abt 10 minutes left before closing of gate. There i was stopped and asked to go to the checkin by 1st officer. \u201cIt\u2019s too big, u need to check-in\u201d, she said. It\u2019s true though, this size is supposed for check in, but i know i can\u2019t check-in, it\u2019ll be late by than. Maybe 1 hour to complete the check-in process, and here i\u2019ve only 10 minutes.<\/p>\n
Haha\u2026don\u2019t give up (by Prazt story)\u2026so make one big round to the end of this queue\u2026find big ppl with big luggage (Americans are big and they\u2019re travelling as families). Hope the officer wont\u2019 see me this time. Herry wait on the rear\u2026.hahahaha\u2026u should see his face that so worried (i\u2019m more worried actually). And i passed through the same officer again\u2026praying hard she forgot my face after talking hardly with her\u2026or somewhat she won\u2019t see my luggage.<\/p>\n
Pass!! And by now abt 5 minutes left, and still a long queue inside. I told Herry to stand by\u2026and pls pray for me as well to be able to make it. What a nightmare when the 2nd officer inside stopped me. It\u2019s even worse dispute with her (fighting to go in)\u2026and at the end she asked me to put my luggage at measurement box\u2026.(praying hard somehow it would fit)\u2026and yes\u2026it stuck there\u2026not bcs my contents\u2026but the luggage size was bigger than the container measurement. When the luggage stuck there, my heart sunk\u2026that\u2019s it\u2026and i\u2019ve to go back to the check-in with its super long queue? For sure i miss this flight.<\/p>\n
Somehow i forgot how it started (perhaps remembering Pastor Chris sermon) to persist as one is missing a flight\u2026so i appeal that it\u2019s my first time in US and early flight in morning, my plane is taking off\u2026and other ppl also carry big luggages\u2026It\u2019s just big size, but my luggage isn\u2019t that heavy, and i\u2019m not carrying harmful stuff. Somehow she allowed me to go in. Can\u2019t really describe it..pass 2 officers\u2026.<\/p>\n
And to my surprise, there\u2019s another procedure\u2026.the scanning area. Another queue\u2026by this time i left with 0 minutes. But i\u2019ve already half-way\u2026may as well just try to enter. So this time with many ppl were staring at my big luggage\u2026i just ignore them and thanking God when passed through the scanning.<\/p>\n
Running frantically to all directions to find my boarding gate. At finally found out it\u2019s at the last and corner door, and it\u2019s already empty and closed. That\u2019s it\u2026.no words could describe that moment when i saw that i\u2019s late and the door is closed. I\u2019d missed the flight.<\/p>\n
Looking around for help, and found this counter with 2 ladies\u2026i approached the Asian lady that look motherly and kind..reported to her my case (like a boy lost from his parents)\u2026and she asked her friend to gave me 1st priority\u2026but she told me to come back again at 940 am to confirm\u2026the flight will be 1127. So i\u2019ve 2 hours plus roaming around airport\u2026called Herry to tell my sis\u2026and told him i missed the flight (he has expected that i suspect).<\/p>\n
Early morning at LA airport, felt hungry and exhausted\u2026sleepy but can\u2019t sleep lest i miss another chance\u2026.so ate one burger and read my Bible. Thank God for the passage of Lamentation\u2026hehehe\u2026i was lamenting\u2026my first trip to US and i missed flight.<\/p>\n
Thank God for providence, like ATM machine i can withdraw US dollar, and water fountain so i can drink water. And suddenly abt 9.30 i heard my name was called. What a morning i said, never in my life my name is called throughout an airport\u2026with thousands ppl hearing Indonesian name\u2026whuallo\u2026<\/p>\n
I went to the counter\u2026and there\u2019s some ppl queuing\u2026so i do polite\u2026queue behind the ppl. And the Asian lady called my name again\u2026by this time i waved my hand to the air\u2026\u201dHere am i\u201d\u2026she quickly turned to me and handed me a boarding pass and said \u201cHurry up\u2026ur flight is here\u201d WHAAAATT??<\/p>\n
She just pointed to a gate and told me just go there bcs the plane is taking off\u2026.thanked her\u2026(she told me to run) and i run there where no one else left (everyone has entered the plane).<\/p>\n
And just on my way to the aircraft\u2026a man told me that my luggage can\u2019t go to the plane bcs it\u2019s too big. WHAAATT?? So how?<\/p>\n
He gave me piece of paper (baggage claim number) and asked me to put my luggage there\u2026wah\u2026that\u2019s it i think\u2026then met a lady\u2026told her my concern\u2026and she told me if i packaged my children inside my luggage\u2026(what a joke)\u2026And she asked me to take out my water bottle. And i took my Bible as well coz i think if i\u2019ve to survive, better to survive with a Bible. So there i\u2019m almost crying\u2026sit at the back and holding only my water bottle, my Bible, and Rudy\u2019s video camera\u2026not knowing what will happen with my luggage (maybe they\u2019re dumped it somewhere, or check in and lost somewhere).<\/p>\n
The flight stopped for 30-45 minutes at Houston\u2026and there they unload the luggages and loaded new luggages\u2026and i happened to see the process. Looking intensely through my window\u2026and can\u2019t find my luggage anywhere\u2026that\u2019s it i think. God has brought me as far as here on my way to Orlando\u2026surviving so many things, and in fact i\u2019ts lunch time and they only served me peanuts and drink\u2026i had only one little burger in morning.<\/p>\n
So arrived in Orlando finally (less excited than LA)\u2026.and made my way to the baggage claim (very long way)\u2026.and first thing i saw at the belt was\u2026The LUGGAGE. Hahahaha\u2026.i run and hug this luggage. And thank God for journey mercy for both me and the luggage.<\/p>\n
It may sound crazy (i know), but i think you will do the same\u2026\u00a0Maybe u\u2019ll kiss the luggage\u00a0![\"\"](\"http:\/\/s.tabulas.com\/ik\/smilies\/yellow\/rasp.gif\")
<\/p>\n
Well\u2026that\u2019s the most thrilling and happening throughout my UCANTA trip (US, Canada, Taiwan)\u2026.and it\u2019s the beginning of Story of A Luggage. The others are less intense\u2026but\u00a0they\u2019re unique and \u2026 i\u2019m a clay not for nothing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This story is dedicated for my\u00a0friend\u00a0Herry Limantoro. The story began on Tue nite when i slept for abt 1 \u2013 2 hours. And 4 hours sleep on Wednesday. Andrew woke up up by 6.30am on Thurs morning. Took taxi to … Continue reading