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| Fiji from up above |
May 9th we were all packed and ready
to go to the town where I’d be working, Labasa. The taxi driver got to the
resort 1 ½ hr before our flight and we’re freaking out because the airport is
an hour away; he was totally relaxed and was like what are you worried about,…
you’re in Fiji,… FIJI time!!! (haha kinda sounds like IST [Indian Standard
Timing], but it’s a bit worse)
So we get to the airport 30 minutes prior to
departure, still freaking out. As we’re going through security, I take my shoes
off and put them in the bin and the worker flips out and yells, “madam you must
put your shoes back on, you cannot come in the airport without shoes!” (TSA… take notes please). Then, as my mom is
walking through the security sensor, she just stops and puts her hands up in
the air and waits (as we often have to in the US). Everyone got silent and
stared at us wondering what she was doing just standing there with her arms up
in the air?!?! Call us crazy,… but apparently airport security isn’t as
rigorous here as it is in the US.
So my mom made some friends while we were
waiting at the airport. In the midst of chatting away with my mom, one of the
ladies comes up to me and kisses my hand and gave me a hug because she found
out I was going to be a physician in the hospital in Labasa. They later wanted
to take pictures with me. How fun, it’s like I’m a celebrity here! =)
We finally arrive in Labasa, I was amazed. The
airport was smaller than the local grocery store… and baggage claim comes to you!
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| Labasa Airport |
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| Baggage claim has arrived |
Fast forwarding to May 14, the day mom leaves =(
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| One last pic at home |
We make our way to check in my mom’s
baggage; small rolling suitcase, large
rolling suitcase, purse, carryon hand bag, and shopping bag… 15 kg limit… “ ma’am,
you are 23 Kg over, that will be…” (
them thinking for a second,… hmmm she’s an American) “ that will be $ 4,692” …
my Fijian/Indian neighbor steps in and says something that I definitely did not
understand. The worker looks up, smiles, and says ok, thank you, you’re all set… can I learn that language!
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| With our neighbors Ravneel and Vinod |
So we make our way to THE “gate”, which is across the room from check-in, right beside arrival, and next to baggage claim. My mom makes her way to the plane and away she goes. I have never stood so closed to a runway, I’m pretty sure if I somehow made it this close to the runway at OHare, I would have gotten arrested!
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| THE Departure |
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| Bye Bye momsy! |
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| Saying by from just beside the runway |
" Now you can't even carry a nail clipper on a plane. Are they afraid you're going to go ... " All right! Give me the plane or the b*tch loses her cuticle?" ~ Robin Williams
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