Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Seoul Day 1 [27th July 2011]

It's finally the day to fly off for Korea.
My flight was at 11.55pm.
Reached airport at around 9.30pm.
Took Singapore Airline. It's one of my favourite airline.

Since I've already check in online or in fact, I had already had my seat settled when I book my tickets, I do not need to head there that early.
However, I went a little bit earlier to weight my luggage. I try weighing them at home with a normal weighing machine, it shows that my check-in luggage was 20kg and my hand carry was 5kg.
Decided to weight them in the airport again, to my surprise, it was 22kg and 6kg respectively.
I wonder what did I bring for a 1 month trip.
Check in and the actual weight was 22.8kg. Alright, since it's over just a tiny bit, I wasn't required to pay any fines.

The most drama part came when I realised I had grabbed wrongly my sister's medicine instead of mine. Both plastic bag were tied the same way and so I just take and go without thinking so much.
I was running a very high fever of 38.5degree, 2 days before I fly, so the doctor gave me all the medicine that I usually eat.
Since I had took them wrongly, I returned to my sister on the spot and thinking what should I do.
Suddenly, I thought of Ms Ng, who's still at home. I called her and there she came all the way from her house to my house and to the airport.
Thanks Ms Ng. My bff always.

As usual, my parents will always want us to get in 1 hour earlier, being me, I do not like to head in 1 hour earlier since I'm alone, well, I was actually feeling worried since I'm taking the flight alone. If not usually we will head in after checking in to shop and had coffee bean inside. The usuals.
So this time round, I dragged till 11.05pm.
Took some photos and off I went in.
(Didn't take much at Changi so I will take some photos off the net and credit them accordingly for this post.)

Entered from this door.

Everything was so smooth. Because I went to the line where I just used my finger print and my first security check was very smooth. Everything was ok until when I reached my gate.

My jaw dropped instantly.
The number of people Q-ing up for security check, was terribly long. No one would ever expected it. 3 flights were leaving around the same time.
The line doesn't seem to be moving at all. And air stewards were all cutting the line to board the planes like us. I looked at my watch, getting worried. It was already 11.25pm and there's still 10 people in front of me.

Looking at them, I thank god that those in front of me were all in business class or first class when I peaked at their tickets. Most of them only had laptops and handphone to scan.
Soon, it was my turn for security check. I took a look at my watch again. It's 11.35pm. I left 10 mins for my flight.

My security check was not smooth at all.
They requested me to open my bag. Alright, I was ok with it anyway. Since it was security check and its their job.
I remembered my dad place the packet of Milo into my handcarry as he said it's safer since it wouldn't burst and dirty my clothes.
At that instant I thought of my Milo. Yes, I brought Milo over as I'm too used to having Milo in the morning. It gives me energy even if I didn't eat anything. But it was not an restricted item that I couldn't place in a hand carry. Since my dad place it in his bag always, I did not think that it's a restricted items at all.

And guess what they say when they open my bag and see the packet of Milo, "CHEY. Milo la. Nothing la girl. You can go. Have a safe flight!"
I locked my bag and dashed towards my plane at 11.45pm.
I was the last 3 to dash in for the flight.
Settled down and I made a short call to my sister. And a short message to Ms Ng.
At 11.55pm, the plane started to move. I would say that SQ is very punctual most of the time.

Yes, i took Airbus A330. I purposely chose airbus flight because I really love airbus. Really. The seats were better. (Photos credits to Singaporeair.com)

The inner side of the flight. I was sitting on the right side and both seats were mine. (Photos credits to airliners.net)

Emotions caught me at that instant when the plane started to move away from Changi Airport and to the runway.
Tears started to flow down. Yes. I cried on the plane. Silently of coz.
A lot of things flash through my mind. 1 of the things that flash through my mind was, "OH MY GOD! Have I gone crazy? I'm heading to a country which I have not been to alone - all by myself. What if I can't make it over there how? It's a month. Hello a month. A month is very long if things don't turn out well."

I know in the morning, I told my parents about getting a bit worry. And dad keeps telling me that i know my basic Korean, and I shouldn't have much problems.
At that point, I suddenly felt that I had forgotten all my Korean. All those that I've learnt, even the most basic greetings, I couldn't even remember at all. My mind was in a blank.
I was getting more and more worried that my tears flowed down non-stop.
And I attracted the 2 air stewards who were on the back shift.
I am very sure I didn't cried like someone was dead. All I did was, my tears just flowed down with no crying sound at all.
Both of them were so worried that they kept asking if am I alright. No matter how much I tell them that I'm fine, they just don't seem to leave me. Until the signal went off for air stewards to go to their seats as the plane is really flying off.

Looking to the right, it was the window. Yes, I'm really flying off, leaving Singapore.
"Bye Singapore. See you in a months time." I said to myself as the plane fly off from the runway.