YMCA of Hong Kong Hotel
Thursday 2/13/14
I've landed in Hong Kong safe and sound. Dr. Tam, past president of the International Lions, sent a driver and one of his staff to meet me and bring me to the YMCA of Hong Kong Hotel -- a very nice hotel, too -- and gave me a few hours to rest before dinner. That shower and little nap sure felt wonderful.
It was a long 14 hours of traveling from the time I left Mathru to the time I arrived here at the hotel, and except for the horrible excess baggage fee incident, it was a smooth trip.
I did have a moment of panic in Singapore when I was changing planes and waiting at the gate counter for the agent to check me in. All of a sudden someone was shouting, "Boarding pass! BOARDING PASS!!"
"Wait, excuse me, here it is," I said, flustered and holding my passport and boarding pass out. "I'm sorry, I don't understand what's going on," I turned to the airline staff who was helping me, and she wasn't there. I couldn't find my carryon shoulder bag, either. And the guys was still yelling, 'BOARDING PASS! BOARDING PASS!!"
Being yelled at in a strange place with no one helping you and not being able to find your bag, let alone your way to the nearest door, is not a set of circumstances that promotes peace of mind. I lost all peace and presence of mind and yelled, "HEY!!! I DON'T NEED TO BE YELLED AT AND WHERE IS MY BAG????" The airline staff person touched my arm (she was just behind me) and handed me my bag.
"So sorry ma'am, here I am, here is your bag."
The agent behind the counter leaned toward me so I could see him and said, not unkindly, "Relax ma'am, everything okay for you. No worry you."
It turned out that another passenger had lost his boarding pass and was having his own panic moment at the top of his lungs right next to me.
I don't know if he ever got his boarding pass but I sure was glad to get on the plane and on to Hong Kong. It was not a pleasant panic moment -- they never are fun -- but it was nowhere near as bad as the excess baggage fee incident.
I was braced for stress in Hong Kong -- Another baggage fee incident? What if my bags got left behind in Bangalore or Singapore? Maybe the Lions won't be there? What if I couldn't understand them al atl? -- but everything went well. The guy helping me at the Hong Kong airport was very good, but had such a strong nasal sing-song Chinese accent I had a hard time understanding him. "I'm sorry I just don't understand," I kept saying.
"No, I sorry," he said, "my English so bad."
It was, but I told him, "No, it's my hearing, I just don't hear well," and thanked him for being so patient. I really did appreciate his patience, too. His English was terrible but at least he was making the effort to speak to me in my language.
Natalie, Dr. Tam's assistant, has an accent too but her English is excellent and I can understand her just fine. She took me to a good restaurant near here for dinner, and we talked so much our dinner lasted two hours, She's a sweet girl, and smart too. 24 years old with a degree from Hong Kong University, and feels very fortunate to be working for Dr. Tam. One of her jobs for him is helping him coordinate all his Lions activities.
I probably won't get to see Dr. Tam while I am here because he has to go out of town tomorrow morning, but he is making sure I am well cared for here. He arranged for my meeting with the Hong Kong Society for the Blind tomorrow (as Mt. Amarasuriya did with the Sri Lanka Council for the Blind), and I couldn't have nicer help than Natalie. She'll take me over to the Blind Societytomorrow morning for our meeting there.
Hong Kong is turning out to be a very nice experience, thanks to the Lions. They are good people!
Thursday 2/13/14
I've landed in Hong Kong safe and sound. Dr. Tam, past president of the International Lions, sent a driver and one of his staff to meet me and bring me to the YMCA of Hong Kong Hotel -- a very nice hotel, too -- and gave me a few hours to rest before dinner. That shower and little nap sure felt wonderful.
It was a long 14 hours of traveling from the time I left Mathru to the time I arrived here at the hotel, and except for the horrible excess baggage fee incident, it was a smooth trip.
I did have a moment of panic in Singapore when I was changing planes and waiting at the gate counter for the agent to check me in. All of a sudden someone was shouting, "Boarding pass! BOARDING PASS!!"
"Wait, excuse me, here it is," I said, flustered and holding my passport and boarding pass out. "I'm sorry, I don't understand what's going on," I turned to the airline staff who was helping me, and she wasn't there. I couldn't find my carryon shoulder bag, either. And the guys was still yelling, 'BOARDING PASS! BOARDING PASS!!"
Being yelled at in a strange place with no one helping you and not being able to find your bag, let alone your way to the nearest door, is not a set of circumstances that promotes peace of mind. I lost all peace and presence of mind and yelled, "HEY!!! I DON'T NEED TO BE YELLED AT AND WHERE IS MY BAG????" The airline staff person touched my arm (she was just behind me) and handed me my bag.
"So sorry ma'am, here I am, here is your bag."
The agent behind the counter leaned toward me so I could see him and said, not unkindly, "Relax ma'am, everything okay for you. No worry you."
It turned out that another passenger had lost his boarding pass and was having his own panic moment at the top of his lungs right next to me.
I don't know if he ever got his boarding pass but I sure was glad to get on the plane and on to Hong Kong. It was not a pleasant panic moment -- they never are fun -- but it was nowhere near as bad as the excess baggage fee incident.
I was braced for stress in Hong Kong -- Another baggage fee incident? What if my bags got left behind in Bangalore or Singapore? Maybe the Lions won't be there? What if I couldn't understand them al atl? -- but everything went well. The guy helping me at the Hong Kong airport was very good, but had such a strong nasal sing-song Chinese accent I had a hard time understanding him. "I'm sorry I just don't understand," I kept saying.
"No, I sorry," he said, "my English so bad."
It was, but I told him, "No, it's my hearing, I just don't hear well," and thanked him for being so patient. I really did appreciate his patience, too. His English was terrible but at least he was making the effort to speak to me in my language.
Natalie, Dr. Tam's assistant, has an accent too but her English is excellent and I can understand her just fine. She took me to a good restaurant near here for dinner, and we talked so much our dinner lasted two hours, She's a sweet girl, and smart too. 24 years old with a degree from Hong Kong University, and feels very fortunate to be working for Dr. Tam. One of her jobs for him is helping him coordinate all his Lions activities.
I probably won't get to see Dr. Tam while I am here because he has to go out of town tomorrow morning, but he is making sure I am well cared for here. He arranged for my meeting with the Hong Kong Society for the Blind tomorrow (as Mt. Amarasuriya did with the Sri Lanka Council for the Blind), and I couldn't have nicer help than Natalie. She'll take me over to the Blind Societytomorrow morning for our meeting there.
Hong Kong is turning out to be a very nice experience, thanks to the Lions. They are good people!
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