40 Days in Russia: Jakarta - Abu Dhabi - Moscow
I can't believe it! When I gave my passport and boarding pass, the Indonesian airport officer guy just flirted with me! I don't know why they did that. Because it was 2 AM? Or maybe that was how they're being friendly. But I don't fancy it. No, but no thanks.
Oh I forgot to mention, I had to pay airport tax when I checked in my suitcase. It was Rp150,000.
After that, I stepped in the Etihad plane and realised that it was a big BIG plane. Apparently, in every seat there were a blanket, headset, and a pouch with eye mask and I-forgot-what-else in it. Well, I should've known this. I went to Australia by a plane bigger than this, like... 6 years ago! How could I forget about it? :')
I directly put my big handbag in the overhead compartment (bad decision!) and then sat on my window seat and put on the safety belt. Because I felt so strong with my leather jacket and everything, I put the blanket under my seat. But actually, after like 15 minutes, I cover my whole body with it. I have a thin Asian skin who is used to warm temperature.
Two guys were sitting next to me and I think they were Arabian. I don't speak Arabic so I had no idea what they were talking about. But from the way they spoke, I think it was Arabic. They seemed nice, but I wasn't sure to talk to them, so I didn't. Not even "Hi, how are you? I'm going to sit with you for 8 hours."
Anyway, a few moment passed and I realised that the screen in front of me was working but the audio wasn't! I didn't tell that to the stewardess though. Idk, maybe I was too afraid to complain? Or maybe I was wrong on using the headset and I was too afraid to be embarrassed? I wanted to try it out with my own earphone, but... I put in the handbag. In the overhead compartment which is... over my head. And I was sitting in the window seat because I didn't plan to go to the aisle. For real. I didn't need to pee. I did it before going in the plane. And two "maybe-Arabian" guys were enjoying their movie. I didn't want to disturb them. So, that's why I said it was a bad decision to put your handbag in the overhead compartment before taking out your essentials. Well, I decided to sleep.
I was wearing glasses, so I took it off and decided to grab it instead of hanging it on my t-shirt's collar like usual. But after a few hours of sleep, I woke up and I couldn't find my glasses! Oh no, how could I lost it?! It was in my hand all the time! Please, universe, not this time, not in an airplane, not in other country! After the audio, now this? When it rains, it pours.... I was so desperately in need of my glasses! I didn't bring my softlens, so what if I couldn't see when I reached Abu Dhabi?! I have a minus 4 myopia so that's a very big deal for me.
So I encouraged myself and poked the "maybe-Arabian" guy's shoulder a little. He was watching a movie, I guess.
Zita : "Hi, I'm sorry. Can you help me find my glasses? I was sleeping and I lost it."
"Maybe-Arabian" guy : *shaking his head, confused*
Okay. Calm down. He just didn't speak English. So, I tried to make some gestures to show my glasses are lost. Finally he got what I meant and started looking for my glasses. Apparently, it was under his seat. Thank God we found it. By the way, I just remember that I wrote some kind of a diary in my phone's app S Note after that "tragedy". Look!
When I arrived in Abu Dhabi, I remember my mom told me to change my US Dollar to Russian Ruble. But I asked two money changers there and they all ran out of Rubles. Okay, no big deal. I texted my mom (thank God they have public wifi) and told her I'd do it in Moscow.
By the way...
It's ABU DHABI!
The airport was so big! Giant! Hahahaha... Indonesian international airports are nothing like this. When I stood in the travelator (moving sidewalk), I saw shining sport cars. Lamborghini? Ferrari? Oh, I didn't know. All I know was they're like posing there! Like models in the runway...
Too bad I didn't take pictures of the enormous airport :(
Anyway, my handbag was too heavy for me it hurt my shoulder. I just walked to my next flight and when I was in the bus that took passengers to the plane, I realised it took a long time for us to get to the plane. Means, the field was so big! :'D In this flight, the audio was working so I watched movies most of the time. I remember I searched for The Fault In Our Stars (it was just released and I waited for it since I finished reading the book, but I couldn't watch it because I went to Russia) but I couldn't find it. Oh well... It's okay, there were plenty of other movies.
A few hours later, I finally arrived in Domodedovo airport in Moscow. It's one of three international airports in Moscow (the two others are Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo) and it's the largest one. I couldn't wait to see how big it is, so I waited patiently for my enormous black suitcase. After 30 minutes, I still hadn't seen it. Okay, I still have a few hours before my train to Voronezh. So I wait again.
About my train ticket, I bought it online. My mom paid USD $48.09 for a fast train, third class. And my buddy, Vladimir, told me that I could take a shuttle train from Domodedovo to the train station.
After another 30 minutes, the flight number in the screen changed but I still couldn't see my suitcase. Oh my God, my suitcase's gone!
Oh I forgot to mention, I had to pay airport tax when I checked in my suitcase. It was Rp150,000.
After that, I stepped in the Etihad plane and realised that it was a big BIG plane. Apparently, in every seat there were a blanket, headset, and a pouch with eye mask and I-forgot-what-else in it. Well, I should've known this. I went to Australia by a plane bigger than this, like... 6 years ago! How could I forget about it? :')
I directly put my big handbag in the overhead compartment (bad decision!) and then sat on my window seat and put on the safety belt. Because I felt so strong with my leather jacket and everything, I put the blanket under my seat. But actually, after like 15 minutes, I cover my whole body with it. I have a thin Asian skin who is used to warm temperature.
Two guys were sitting next to me and I think they were Arabian. I don't speak Arabic so I had no idea what they were talking about. But from the way they spoke, I think it was Arabic. They seemed nice, but I wasn't sure to talk to them, so I didn't. Not even "Hi, how are you? I'm going to sit with you for 8 hours."
Anyway, a few moment passed and I realised that the screen in front of me was working but the audio wasn't! I didn't tell that to the stewardess though. Idk, maybe I was too afraid to complain? Or maybe I was wrong on using the headset and I was too afraid to be embarrassed? I wanted to try it out with my own earphone, but... I put in the handbag. In the overhead compartment which is... over my head. And I was sitting in the window seat because I didn't plan to go to the aisle. For real. I didn't need to pee. I did it before going in the plane. And two "maybe-Arabian" guys were enjoying their movie. I didn't want to disturb them. So, that's why I said it was a bad decision to put your handbag in the overhead compartment before taking out your essentials. Well, I decided to sleep.
I was wearing glasses, so I took it off and decided to grab it instead of hanging it on my t-shirt's collar like usual. But after a few hours of sleep, I woke up and I couldn't find my glasses! Oh no, how could I lost it?! It was in my hand all the time! Please, universe, not this time, not in an airplane, not in other country! After the audio, now this? When it rains, it pours.... I was so desperately in need of my glasses! I didn't bring my softlens, so what if I couldn't see when I reached Abu Dhabi?! I have a minus 4 myopia so that's a very big deal for me.
So I encouraged myself and poked the "maybe-Arabian" guy's shoulder a little. He was watching a movie, I guess.
Zita : "Hi, I'm sorry. Can you help me find my glasses? I was sleeping and I lost it."
"Maybe-Arabian" guy : *shaking his head, confused*
Okay. Calm down. He just didn't speak English. So, I tried to make some gestures to show my glasses are lost. Finally he got what I meant and started looking for my glasses. Apparently, it was under his seat. Thank God we found it. By the way, I just remember that I wrote some kind of a diary in my phone's app S Note after that "tragedy". Look!
June 29, 2014
Heyooww, it's Zita here and guess what? I'm actually going to Russia on my own! It's crazy, right? I know! It's 08.37 (Jakarta time) when I begin to write. I'm currently on a plane, flying from Jakarta to Abu Dhabi for transit. I use Etihad Airways.My plane took off at about 2.45 (it was delayed when the passangers were on the plane already, they said it was something that the mechanic was trying to solve. I think I have to run to catch the next flight, because it's actually only two hours different.Anyway, I was so sleepy and tired that I decided not to watch any movie or other entertainment there and just sleep. I woke up at around 8 AM (Jakarta time) and was terrified as hell because I couldn't find my glasses! I held it in my hand when I was sleeping and I think I dropped it. Stupid me -_- Note to self: just hang the glasses in your shirt or put it in your bag. I was kind of desperate so I woke someone beside me (I think he's Arabic) and I asked him for help to find it. He was so kind that he's willing to help me. He found it below the chair. (THANKS TO HIM!) So, I think I should be more careful next time.Anyway, I'm actually so terrified about going abroad on my own. This is the first time for me, and the destination is the biggest country in the world. My age is not even legal yet! (I'm 20, by the way) My parents said they're scared.. Hey, what about me?? I'm so terrified! My luggage is so heavy (it's 21 kg) and my carry-on luggage is not light too. But I keep telling myself about my purpose to go. I'm being an Exchange Participant for SunShine Project in AIESEC Voronezh. And I want to have new experience, I want to learn about the cultures in other countries, I want to improve my English, and even learn some Russian, and I would like to know how it feels like to be in the summer camp, teaching and playing with the children there. This is totally new for me. And that's what I'm looking for the first time I decided to be the Exchange Participant; something totally new. I would like to feel the excitement, the anxiety, the curiousity, the confusion, anything! Anything new! I'm eager to explore. And I can't wait to finish this project and tell the story to my friends and family back in Indonesia.Because of the anxiety I felt before, I decided to take out my Rosario necklace and wear it and I'll only take it off when I'm going through security scan. It makes me feel calm.
When I arrived in Abu Dhabi, I remember my mom told me to change my US Dollar to Russian Ruble. But I asked two money changers there and they all ran out of Rubles. Okay, no big deal. I texted my mom (thank God they have public wifi) and told her I'd do it in Moscow.
By the way...
It's ABU DHABI!
The airport was so big! Giant! Hahahaha... Indonesian international airports are nothing like this. When I stood in the travelator (moving sidewalk), I saw shining sport cars. Lamborghini? Ferrari? Oh, I didn't know. All I know was they're like posing there! Like models in the runway...
Too bad I didn't take pictures of the enormous airport :(
Anyway, my handbag was too heavy for me it hurt my shoulder. I just walked to my next flight and when I was in the bus that took passengers to the plane, I realised it took a long time for us to get to the plane. Means, the field was so big! :'D In this flight, the audio was working so I watched movies most of the time. I remember I searched for The Fault In Our Stars (it was just released and I waited for it since I finished reading the book, but I couldn't watch it because I went to Russia) but I couldn't find it. Oh well... It's okay, there were plenty of other movies.
A few hours later, I finally arrived in Domodedovo airport in Moscow. It's one of three international airports in Moscow (the two others are Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo) and it's the largest one. I couldn't wait to see how big it is, so I waited patiently for my enormous black suitcase. After 30 minutes, I still hadn't seen it. Okay, I still have a few hours before my train to Voronezh. So I wait again.
About my train ticket, I bought it online. My mom paid USD $48.09 for a fast train, third class. And my buddy, Vladimir, told me that I could take a shuttle train from Domodedovo to the train station.
After another 30 minutes, the flight number in the screen changed but I still couldn't see my suitcase. Oh my God, my suitcase's gone!
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