I am sitting in the Changi Singapore Airport lounge - it's four hours before my flight. I am going to begin the 2016 SouthEast Asia series from the end and with some mild cursing - What an END it was...
So, how did I come to be at the airport so early you might ask yourself??? There's a story involving 24 hour times, tears, hundreds of dollars, my stupidity, and bar trivia with an Aussie - so let's get right to it.
Being from the US, I don't understand, nor ever use, a 24 hour clock, or as I refer to it - military time. Several questions about a 24 hour clock: WHY???? No, seriously, why?? (I guess it is slightly more efficient with the lack of AM and PM); Why do people in countries using a 24 hour clock still wear watches?? Doesn't that cause problems? Watches are on a 12 hour clock. Anyhoo, I digress.
Turns out, this person with a Phd right here, didn't realize her flight was at 2:30AM and showed up the next day for her flight at 2:30PM. Yup - That's right folks - a full 12 hours too late for my flight. Oh the tears that were shed, the mortifying embarrassment that was felt, the SHAME!!! I've been here six times. I know that flights routinely leave in the middle of the damn night, yet, there I was blubbering in the terminal to a person who has nothing to do with my airline realizing that I was going to be in Singapore a least another 15 hours. Best yet, I really have no reason to blubber about - I am still on vacation - nothing super pressing I am missing. Yet, when you psych yourself up for a 30 hour flight, it really really really is upsetting when the whole thing goes sideways. Plus, I miss my furbabies (and family and friends - of course).
In case you are unfamiliar, these are my furbabies:
Missing there sweet snuggles!!
I am flying Qatar airlines, which is a pretty damn fancy airline - every seat has it's own TV, top notch movies, tons of food served throughout flight, free booze- the works. However, if you happen to miss your flight in Singapore, there are no in-airport agents. You have to call them locally (the very kind women I was blubbering to earlier - again having nothing to do with Qatar - gave me the phone number). I call (yes everyone - I was still crying - what can I say I'm a cryer). I wait on hold for 10 minutes. The Qatar rep finally answers, gets my details, and says she has to look at the flights and call me back - what!!?!?
I (im)patiently wait (yes, knowing full damn well this is all my fault) for the rep to call me back. Amazingly, she does - 30 minutes later. She tells me I can have my same flight but leaving the next day. Now, I really don't have much of a choice at this point. She tells me there is a no show fee and a rebooking fee, and it's going to cost me $450 bucks. Again, no choices here. But WAIT, that's not the best part. She says I have to take a taxi to her office in downtown Singapore, which is 40 minutes away and a $30 cab ride, in order to pay by credit card. I discover, after another hang up and call back (add another hour to my wait time - as if it matters) that if I want to pay at the airport, I have to go to some subterranean office and can only use cash (you know, because I always roll with $500 in cash). Long story short, I find an ATM, get the cash, and pay the stupid fees. I feel Singapore Airlines would never do this to me (they are my usual carrier), and I miss them greatly at this point.
Now, I am at the airport a full 15 hours before my flight. If you are going to be stuck at an airport for this long - Changi is the place to be stuck (think movie theaters, a full shopping mall, tons of restaurants). But, I had money to burn on my MRT card, so I took the train back into downtown Singapore. Maybe it was serendipitous (remember that my little cucumbers ***inside joke***). Because I made it back to Chinatown, which I wanted to do before I left but just couldn't find the time.
There was a lovely local artist, very whimsical. She had a print I wanted to buy at an earlier trip, but when I went back to show M - the store was close. Well, this time it was open, and the artist was there (she wasn't there prior). She signed my print and took a picture with me!! Plus, I got a really cool phone case.
Might have grabbed a beer in Chinatown as well, can you blame me? It was smoking hot outide!
Still with an awful lot of time to burn, I decided to hit Boat Quay (this is a strip of bars/restaurants) for a quick pint. I sat next to an Aussie who was supposed to be hanging out with his best mate, but as it happens, the best mate's parents sprung a surprise visit. It wound up being trivia night and true to my earlier form (remember, I don't know how to use a 24 hour clock), our two person team came in dead last. Hahaha! That's okay, it was fun and helped pass a couple of hours out of the heat and sun.
We sucked at this bar trivia!!
Here's hoping I make this flight (and the hand written receipt given to me in the subterranean "office" of Qatar Airlines actually works). Before I take off, I am going to shower at the lounge because no one wants to see or smell me without a shower in over 48 hours....
Here's my fancy lounge shower...
And my veggie curry that came with the $40 lounge access...
Stay tuned for the earlier adventures of Robyn in SE Asia - including Japan and Thailand. I promise, I am generally not this dumb :)
