Chicago -> New York

I write this entry sitting on board an United Airlines domestic flight to New York, LGA, while my $20 imitation North Face duffel bag sits somewhere in the Chicago O'Hare airport waiting to board the next available flight to New York. How did this happen, and why would American air transport rules allow a passenger and his luggage to travel on different planes?

For the second question I can only shrug, and mention that might it not be possible for a time-bomb to go undetected in a check-in bag and detonated on a different flight as the terrorist? Heck, suicide bombing will be passe if this catches on.

As to why it happened in the first place? It all started with me asking for directions to the airport from the asian lady behind the hostel's reception desk. All I managed to understand from her chupsomebonk accent was that I should go west of Congress to La Salle station and take the blue line. Blue line, I thought, I know for sure how to get to Jackson station and it's also on the blue line, so I made my way there, only to find that Jackson's closed for the weekend for upgrading. Closed, on a weekend?! Why don't they work in the middle of the night like considerate Chinese and Singaporean construction firms; it's dark in the tunnels anyway.

What followed next was 30 mins of me walking haphazardly asking for directions to La Salle station and realising that there are 3 Lasalle stations; one serving the purple/brown/orange lines, one some sort of rail station, and the last serving the blue line. With a tip of the hat to ol Murphey, I paid a visit to the other 2 stations before finally arriving at the correct station, and hauling both me, and my duffel bag on board the train to O'Hare.

I settled down with Shadow of the Hegemon and was minding my own business reading when the train operator announced that the track between some station and some station is closed, and that we should alight at the next station to transfer to a shuttle that would take us two stations down towards O'Hare. Fantastic, more upgrading. So, off the train, to the shuttle, to another station, and back on the train towards the airport; 30 mins worth of traveling time.

Finally, we're at the airport(I used "we" purely to avoid soundly like some lonesome soul) and I brisked walked to Terminal one, half appreciating the soothing vocals of a black busker while wondering why he was even allowed to busk in the airport. Maybe it's because of the crumpled handwritten "God Bless You" sign he has with him. Terminal 1, United airlines check in desk with probably 50 people ahead of me in line. Awesome. Joined the queue, made my way to the front, found out it was too late to check in, put my luggage and myself on waiting list for the next flight, and left with a confirmation ticket.

Confirmation ticket in hand, I went through security where like in Heathrow, I had to remove shoes and belt, and found myself at gate B9 where my flight was boarding. Presented the confrimation ticket to the staff and got in exchange a boarding pass for that flight. What of my luggage, I asked, and was told that it would be on the next flight out.

Still with me? I'm bored on the plane after finishing my book. I need to get the next one, and probably end up returning to Singapore with 10 books. Getting sleepy, think I'll watch some bleach while the flight attendant walks down the aisle repeating "Seatbelts" at the rate of once every 4 seconds.

Youniverse

Gwen did it, so I thought maybe I should too.

http://youniverse.com/

Apparently my love type is "crazy in love" as compared to her "wistful soul"

I would copy and paste the results, but it's in a flash file.

Tomorrow I leave for Chicago.

8th May will be when I return to Singapore.

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Now playing: Iain Sutherland/New World Philharmonic/Tasmin Little - Schindler's List
via FoxyTunes

Niagara Glen

I miss you people

Especially my dad. Doesn't he look sweet and harmless. Ah, I thought I was a rock in canadian winter, but a little bit of web camming with Gwen, and a few of my dad's photos, and I miss home like crazy.

snapshots

Alive in Canada

I'm still alive. Facebook is killing the blogging star. Why blog when Facebook is so much more convenient, at least where posting photos is concerned. The last I checked, I've over 700 photos on Facebook, gosh. I don't write much on Facebook though, so here's an attempt at regaining some writing ability while listening to mandarin songs.

Speaking of mandarin, the term used for mainland Chinese here is FOB, as in, Fresh Off the Boat. Interesting, eh? Not a very nice thing to say, but yeah, interesting.

I've one more week in Waterloo before my last day of exams and getting kicked out of residence the next day. Unlike NUS which at least is merciful about moving in/out dates, the students here are only allowed to move in one or two days before term starts, and have to leave 24 hours within the end of their last paper. Quite ridiculous if you ask me.

Where will I be going after that? Chicago, for two nights, and after that I've no idea. Maybe New York City. Then it's back to Toronto before coming back to Sunny Singapore. I'm positive that I'll melt as soon as I step out of Changi Airport. Double digit temperatures are rare here, and when that happens, everybody goes out in tee shirts; girls in skirts(:D).

Just as how I miss my friends in Singapore while I'm here, I'm sure as hell going to miss all the cool people I've been hanging out with here. As how Japheth put it recently, it's cool to sit down at a table and ask "so where's everybody from?". Ask that in Singapore and you'll get quizzical looks and "er, Hougang?".

I'm glad I'm coming home though. I miss all you guys back home! I'm coming homeeeeeeeee.



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Now playing: 陶喆 - 愛我還是他
via FoxyTunes

Facebook

Facebook has this Compare application that's good for a few laughs. Check out my rankings:

1st in "Who has better taste in music"
1st in "Who more likely to succeed"
2nd in "Who is more attractive"
3rd in "Who is more talkative"
3rd in "Who more likely to skip class"
3rd in "Who has a better body"
5th in "Who is a better listener"
5th in "Who is smarter"

That's okay right. Apparently people don't think I study very much, and nobody trusts me. And of course, how can someone who stutters be a good public speaker.

175th in "Who is a better public speaker"
181st in "Who is more trustworthy"
194th in "Who studies harder"

And the bomb:

Would you date Shaun?"

YES	4 votes
NO	17 votes
Total	21 votes