Day 1 – Saturday, December 4th, 2004
...to this highend one!
Compare this old-fashioned screen...
Early morning I woke up and got straight up ready to depart for the airport in Jakarta. The flight to Singapore was scheduled on 8.00am, and we had no reason to get late for that. We flew Cathay Pacific all the way. The flight was smooth. This was my long-awaited journey to overseas after 3 years settling down in Indonesia. The journey to Singapore took about one and a half hour. The transit itself took one hour before the plane brought us to Hong Kong International Airport.
Just landed in Singapore
As I must say, the Hong Kong airport is about the same size and the same magnificence as today’s modern airports, like the Kuala Lumpur one: cold, steel impression with visible structures built upon its high-rising columns, and wide windows spanning in between. The airport was set in a man-made island. We could see the sea just slightly on the border of the runways. On the far side of the horizon, the very landscape of Hong Kong stood: rugged terrains of bumps of hills and mountains.
We had only an hour before the next flight to San Francisco. The time has come. We had to board the 747-400. Get ready for a long flight!
On the plane
Flying to Hong Kong
The flight was rough. It was shaking most of the time. The turbulent flight might have happened because of some bad weather. I didn’t sleep well. The little child behind me kept on crying. “He’s experiencing anxiety,” as his father stated. I’d just be thankful with the good entertainment provided by a small screen infront of me. Then I would have slept again. Then I woke up, and turned on the screen again. The repetitive distractions.
Just landed in Hong Kong
Time flew; the turbulences ate up hours… until the distance indicator on the screen stated that we’re only an hour away from San Francisco. That shook my head off, and brought me to think: what is really taking me here?
When the announcement talked about we’re about to land, I became more excited and nervous than ever. What will the United States look like? Or how it feels like? Or how it tastes like? Everything I want to know. It culminated when the wheel touched the runway softly. Ah, this is it.
Day 1, still - It should have been Day 2 in Indonesia… and we’ve landed anyway
We got off from the plane and on our way direct to immigration. US Citizen to the right, Non-US Citizen to the left. I figured it out. Then, the sign read: “Non-Immigrant”. OK, we knew it. The officer asked a few questions and directed me to Secondary, a second-wall procedure on people within the age of 19 – 45 to undergo special inspections. This is by no reason harmful, but I took two hours with it just because the CBP (Customs and Border Protection) officer was computer illiterate! He couldn’t have a hand on the computer, while the task was quite simple: putting some details on the computerised forms! Other people took only half to one hour, and I took double! He figured that I was bored. So he was trying to keep it up faster. Finally we went off from the God-sake immigration chores. Hey, I’m not a terrorist.
We ate lunch (and it should have been breakfast in Indonesia) before getting off to SF downtown, only to figure out that we could eat the same amount and quality of food for about 4 times in Indonesia with the same price. This place is really expensive. I know, I come from one of the poorest countries there on Earth...
The SFOAirporter shuttle bus took us along the 20-minute journey to SF downtown. I was videoing along the way with the camera. We’ve had some good talk with one woman and one man inside the bus. That light conversations between Asians and Americans. They pointed us the old Candlestick Stadium, where the famous 49ers once played in. Then the conversation went onto the weather. Then onto my camera. Then onto San Francisco’s history. Then onto Moscone Center. Then we arrived, finally, in San Francisco Marriott Hotel.
The weather was cold enough. But not enough to make me shiver, because it was not windy. Less than 10 degree Celcius. I’ve stepped my feet onto the ground, infront of the Marriott, and I’m getting nervous of meeting up with everybody. I checked in the receptions. They said my name is there. Thank God. “There’s a message for you, from Carol. She wants a return call.” The receptionist told me.
After we put our luggages in the room, my father and I went for a walk. We went to Ross, the “Dress for Less” store just in the same block as Marriott’s to buy some clothing. Then we headed for dinner. Then we got back into the hotel. We called Carol, but she was not in her room. So we waited. We called again, and she’s now in the room! We decided to meet in the lobby. It was exciting. We met for the first time, and that time we’re like we’ve known each others for years.
At last, San Francisco!
We went to the second floor of the hotel, where we could have a look at the high ceilings of a part of the hotel’s building, and where some bars are located. We found seats and started conversations. Carol and Hilary are definitely not strangers. I received a bagful of Aussie gifts. Carol took each gift one by one and explained: pins, pen, flag, t-shirt, CD and others. We spent an hour or so. I felt that I’m quite in a jetlag that time and definitely needed some good sleep.