Our final goodbye to Byron was surreal, but surreal is becoming the norm for me. We entered the LAX airport, and I immediately felt foreign. I had my first taste of being a minority, and it was weird. There were children and babies preparing to board international flights, and at thirty-one years of age, this was my first time. The feeling of inferiority was strong. Not because anyone was imposing that on me, but rather because my own insecurities were reeling. People lined the walls, sleeping, eating, chatting, and waiting. We found the appropriate line, and as we approached the scale, the gentleman behind the counter asked for us to weigh our carry-on luggage first. Instant panic came over me. We had over packed our carry-on bags on purpose, to avoid the overage fee for weight in our checked suitcases. We were informed that our carry-on bags had to be 9 kg or less, and our suitcases 32 kg or less. The gentleman kindly motioned us to a quiet corner where several scales were unoccupied. The next hour was spent reorganizing our bags, weighing them, and reorganizing some more. Our 2 carry-on suitcases were practically empty by the time we got them down to 9 kg, but somehow we managed to make it all work. If I'd known about this rule (Jonathan, Bradley, and I had all checked separately on the baggage restrictions), we would've just checked an extra suitcase, since it would've been cheaper, but everything we read limited us to 2 suitcases each. Period. I felt relieved to have completed what I thought was the most tedious part of our airport ventures. We confidently approached the counter, knowing our bags would make the cut. The lady assisting us was professionally kind, but was somewhat offended when Bradley asked if she was Khmer. She very proudly stated that she was "Tai." Then to make matters worse, our credit card was declined. In the craziness of the move, we had forgotten to tell our credit card company that we'd be in L.A., and then Cambodia. So, with this charge in an international airport, I'm sure our auto-theft protection was on heightened alert. Bradley attempted a call, but with the clock ticking, we went ahead and used some cash we'd saved up for any traveling emergencies. Finally, the luggage fiasco was behind us, and we could go find Jonathan and Marissa. Then we rounded the corner and came face to face with hundreds and hundreds of people, all waiting in the same line we needed. Airport security is never fun, but the drab, unfinished look of the security check point in LAX was near depressing. I felt like a cow being herded off to the slaughter house. I know, a little dramatic, but after 3 hours of dealing with airport craziness without actually being in the airport, I was feeling quite dramatic. By this point I just wanted to throw my arms around Missy(Marissa) and cry. Then one of the security guards came into our section, and loosened things up a little. He recited the rules, but added a little humor. For example, "make sure your pockets are empty, unless you'd like a free massage." It was like a drop of water on a hot day, and I sopped it up, happily.
Walking through the detector, and being allowed to put your shoes on again is sadly, such a liberating feeling. You knew all along that you weren't a terrorist, but now everyone else knows it too. I always feel like that's one of the moments in life that deserves a number in a musical. I wanted to start snapping my fingers and dancing, but instead I just smiled, collected my possessions, and started off to find my friends.
On a plane bound to Taiwan, it didn't take long to spot Marissa's hair bun, along with a few pasty-colored little ones playing around. ;o) It was at the same time comforting and strange to see this family. To think that 2 years lie ahead of us, and yet we'd been so disconnected for the past several months with moving preparations. Our best friends sitting there, and yet part of me felt like I needed to reintroduce myself. As I weaved through the chairs in our gate, Missy flashed her familiar and tired smile. *sigh* We knew exactly how the other one felt, and there was no need for words, crying, or anything else. Instantaneous relief came over me, and I reached out to hold Penny (Penelope). Her gorgeous little grin made the previous several hours melt away, and I knew everything would be okay. Jonathan wasn't feeling too well, and was passed out on the ground. The kiddos were sleepy, but were relying heavily on delirium to keep them awake. However, roughly 20 minutes before we boarded the plane, they all gave into Mr. Sandman, and the 2 older ones continued sleeping for at least 7 or 8 hours. This was a huge blessing, as all of the adults were beyond exhausted.
Passed check-in and security at last.
Notice how haggard we both look.
He was literally jungle-gyming these
chairs 2 minutes before this pic was taken.
Evie cracks me up how she wanders around with
her blankie, randomly stopping to curl up in a ball
before deciding it isn't quite the right nesting spot.
She reminds me of an ewok. A cute, pigtailed ewok.
My sweet Penny-Lou. (Penelope Kay)
Tired daddy. Tired munchkins.
Perfect timing before we board.
A bundle of precious.
After boarding, we all piddled around with the free shows, games, and what not, until our eyelids grew too heavy. Dreamland was disrupted by lights and commotion, and I woke to find the flight attendants delivering our first meal. I had no idea how long I'd been asleep, but I would've guessed around an hour or so. As I was the only one of the 4 of us who had not been on an international flight of this duration before, I was unsure if I was supposed to wake the others or let them sleep. My gut said to leave them alone, but then what if they didn't serve again for hours? Thankfully my confusion was made clear when a big, fat, round sticker was placed on the trays in front of those sleeping. Jonathan soon rose, and the rest followed. Never before has powdered cheese & macaroni served with processed breaded chicken tasted so delicious. After a meal and a show, sleep overtook me for somewhere around 8 hours. Here and there I would wake up to Penny crying or one of the guys (I was in the middle seat between Bradley and Jonathan) inadvertently nudging or snoring. I remember at one point waking up to see Jonathan passing Penny to Missy; then again to see Penny coming back to Jonathan, fed and passed out; and then again to reach out and snuggle with Penny myself. We were our own little community. Finally, my hunger pangs made it tough to sleep anymore, and I had to rely on the new Muppet movie to distract me. Everytime I'd see a flight attendant, hope arose, only to be crushed. At last, on our 13 1/2 hour flight, approximately an hour and a half before our arrival in Taiwan, our second meal was provided. I scarfed it down, and was thankful for whatever I ate. Then the hot tea and coffee was served. Two creams and two sugars later, my tea was scrumptious. I was able to finish the Lego Movie as we touched down on the runway. It was going to be nice to get up and walk around for a bit.
One thing we learned quickly is that having 3 little ones gets you through the airport more promptly. I'm not sure if it was mostly due to their adorable level or to the desire for airport efficiency, but we were happy either way. Walking to our layover gate, we took in the sights. Jonathan and Bradley pointed things out, as this was their second time to be in the Taipei airport. The scenic spot which grabbed my interest most was the "zen garden" with plants, info charts on different native bugs, and several massage chairs. After purchasing a couple of snacks, the guys encouraged Missy and I to go enjoy the luxury of the chairs. Apparently one of the shops, "The House of Knowledge" or something similar, offers a coin per person for these massage chairs in the zen garden. Miss and I were outwardly reserved as we entered the shop, nervous we might offend by asking for free coins. A sweet young lady very quickly assessed the situation and bestowed the 2 tokens into our palms. Out of unnecessary guilt, the two of us hung around momentarily, acting interested in some of the merchandise, mostly magazines, none of which were in our language. Then we greedily headed over to choose our chair, and inserted the coins. Oh my stars! It was sensational. Each of us remarked that we never knew a massage chair of this quality existed, and here we were indulging in them for free! Fifteen minutes of kneading and rubbing, and I'm pretty sure we ascended from those seats 2 years younger. Returning to the guys and kiddos, we cheerfully sent the boys off for their turn. Then we received our first real taste of the circus show we had become. Being a handful of very few Americans/Europeans in Taipei, everyone was thrilled to take their photo with the kids. Evie and Penny have most likely gone viral by now. ;o) The blond hair on Evangeline, and the fat thighs on Penelope are just too much for the Asian culture to ignore. Almost every person who passed by our group had to stop and laugh, if not grab up one of the children for a selfie. It was a little unnerving, as neither Marissa nor I care to bring attention upon ourselves, but we made it through.
The flight to Phnom Penh felt brief compared to our previous flight, and with a meal and some more hot tea, I was ready to see our new home land. After luggage collection and visa applications were handled, Thida and Seyha met us at the gate. It was so good to see a familiar face, although I was unsure how to react. My desire was to run up and hug them both, but I didn't want to offend them on our first interaction. After a few minutes of them hugging all over the children, I was able to sneak in a little side hug. Thida brilliantly tackled the tuk tuk situation for us. Tuk tuks are the Cambodian taxi. It's a motorbike pulling a covered carriage/cart. Bradley and I squeezed into our tuk tuk with all of our luggage, as we were headed to the Frangipani Living Arts Hotel, and J & Miss were heading to the Frangipani Villas with 3 tuk tuks. We most definitely did not blend in, to say the least. My first view of the city was so intriguing, but between the airport rush and my crushed hips (between the suitcases and the side grate), I didn't take many photos.
Notice the little one riding in front. You see
children and babies of all ages riding on these
"motos," as they call them. It's neat to see their
sweet smiles when they ride up next to the
tuk tuk and wave at the "fat, white baby."
A tuk tuk. Some people wear surgical type masks
to keep the dust and grit out of their face.
Notice the 2 guys on the moto. If I understand
correctly, it is acceptable in their culture for 2 men
or 2 women to ride together, but a man and woman
only ride together if they are committed.
Our driver took us to another Frangipani location, but after realizing the misunderstanding, we arrived at our hotel, safe and sound. Everyone was so gracious and helpful. While the staff prepared our room, we were served fresh mango juice in the lobby. Then Thida appeared (she'd gone with J & Miss), along with several suitcases. Confusion was only momentary, as Jonathan explained that their room at the villas was flooded. So, the sister hotel, Frangipani Living Arts would be putting them up for the 2 week duration. Well, that was an answered prayer we didn't know we wanted to pray. It was comforting to know we could reach other quite easily, since none of us had serviced cell phones any longer, and local calls are $.25 a minute. We all settled into our temporary homes, eager to shower, brush our teeth, and recover from jet lag. Each of us knew there was a lot that lay ahead of us. Now we will be relying on our faith and each other to carry us onto greater things for His kingdom. We've fastened our safety restraints, in preparation for whatever turbulence lies ahead, and we're ready for our Almighty Captain to fly us up, up, and away.
