It was after 1am on Sunday when we started boarding our flight to Taipei with EVA Airlines, which is a huge Taiwanese transportation company. Another part of their business is shipping and, all around the world, I've noticed "Evergreen" containers which belong to this company.
I felt quite posh sitting in my Premium Economy seat. It was lucky that Cina talked me into flying with them, plus buying a return ticket. It did cost $1000 extra but it was well worth it as it was hassle free. Normally, in Edmonton I'm questioned because I have a one way ticket and no visa, which I always bought on arrival. This time I was travelling on the return half of a ticket and I had a one year visa in my passport. On top of that benefit, I was allowed two suitcases. This was a blessing because Norma had given me a huge amount of Lego, including a special table and three large containers of bricks and other things. It must be worth a lot as I'm told Lego kits cost a small fortune. All of it fitted into my big suitcase and it weighed almost the limit of 50 lbs.
The meals and service on EVA are always excellent. The cabin crew walk up and down regularly, between meals, with drinks, the inflight entertainment is excellent, the meals are huge and this time I couldn't even finish my main course. I watched three movies. The first was on OK film about an American baseball player who was recruited to assassinate a high ranking German physicist whom the Americans thought might be working on the development of an atomic bomb. It's a true story which made it interesting as the film wasn't so good. He did meet the man, and had a chance to kill him, but decided he was a good person and was not working on the bomb. I was interested in the fact that Mo Berg (which I think was his name) was given the highest civilian honour the US can give to a person, and he refused. He kept the reason for refusal secret and I have no idea what it might have been about.
We arrived in Taipei at about 5am which meant that it was reasonably quiet with hardly any shops open. I wandered up and down and found my gate and settled in for the 2 to 3 hour wait for my flight to Phnom Penh. I sat across from an elderly couple who had a tiny baby. I couldn't help wondering why they were travelling with such a baby - was it their own or did it belong to a family member? The lady changed the baby's diaper and dropped the package by her seat, where it remained. It brought to mind the garbage situation in Cambodia and it was interesting that the lady continued being Cambodian even though she was in another country. It was not a happy child - it screamed blue murder most of the time and it had the parents hopping trying to calm it down. It looked like a boy, very chubby faced, but I saw bangles on its feet so it was most likely a girl.
I was intrigued by the number of healthy people who asked for wheelchairs; there must have been about twenty of them. All but one or two looked perfectly healthy. I wondered if they were doing it because it allowed them to get on the plane without queuing with the rest of us. Later I was told it may be because they don't speak English or Taiwanese so they use the wheelchair as a way of being helped. I didn't buy this reason as Khmer was used by the staff to explain what was happening.
Would you believe it; I was in the row behind the baby. Across the aisle was another baby but fortunately that one was peaceful. My neighbour squawked almost the entire four hour flight. The man tried to distract her from crying by banging a bit of cardboard on the bulkhead until the stewardess asked him not to do it; I presume the business class passengers on the other side were not amused. Then the man picked up magazines and constantly wafted them in the baby's face. The lady bounced it up and down and making supposedly calming noises. Then a lady across the aisle got involved and started to wave her pillow in the child's face and make loud cooing noises. There was nothing I could do about it apart from practising absolute patience and flexibility. Personally, if they'd just shut up, put down their toys, and let the child calm down I'm sure it would have been a happier flight for all of us.
I sailed through customs and went to claim my bags. It would be an easy job this time as I'd bought rainbow coloured straps to put around the two suitcases. Waris said, "I didn't think you swung that way", noticing the "gay" straps. I waited and waited, looking for the straps and not seeing them. Finally, I observed a blue suitcase and I decided to take it off the carousel and undo it - it was mine. I then looked for my other brown suitcase and found it also minus its strap. I wonder where the straps went? Did someone undo my suitcase and not bother putting them on again? Did they break or got caught in something? I shall never know. Other suitcases were going around with straps on them so why not mine? I've been got at yet again!
Outside the airport I did my usual thing which is to look confident and know it all, yet inside feeling like a lost two year old. My Cambodian friends always watch my arrival but for the fun if it they seem to think it's better to hide. I eventually found one of them and he laughed as he wiggled his finger in a 'come hither' fashion. Then three more male friends appeared. When I turned around there was Dalin, creeping around in the background. She's about 4 foot nothing so hard to miss. They wanted a meal so we went to an outdoor airport cafeteria which caters to staff and the locals. I'd just had a large meal on the plane so I was wasn't that hungry but I had to tuck into the rice, lotus shoots, fish with mixed veg and various soups - all at a very reasonable price of $1.50 for a set meal of three dishes.
I found my apartment intact and clean as Cina and the two maids had been over to wash the floors and dust. I spent almost 2 hours putting things back in place as I'd put them away before I left. My toaster and wall clock are on loan to the people downstairs - a Filipino wife with Cambodian husband and a little baby. Chan came over for a visit and I entertained him with the tangram puzzle which he found fascinating and a challenge. Thornin came and he was roped into having a go but he didn't have that much patience. I had a shower can came out to find Samnang hiding from me. The first thing he wanted to know was what I was going to eat and he would be cooking it. I walked over to Cina Travel with them, saying hello to my neighbours on the way. It was good to see the staff again and to meet the three lads.
When I left Cambodia last April the Golden Chain tree, which I'm told is a kind of Laburnum, was in bloom. I was happy to find blooms still on the tree six months later.
Thornin had sent a message out inviting people for dinner so I went with them to our Relax Cafe which should have the IofC logo on the door as we go there so often. The young folk enjoy having a huge pot of broth and putting into it all manner of fish, shrimp, various greens and meats. About 15 came and Chivak came for a short visit as he was at a Nescafe promotion meal down the road - he sells coffee. It was a fun time but I didn't have much time with the adults as I was surrounded by the boys who wanted my attention. As usual, Samnang was concerned about his thinning hair, which it isn't. Oudom asked me the same questions - "If Britain goes to war with Canada which side would you fight on?" "Britain is a nuclear nation so it would win again Canada, right?" "You haven't asked me about school." "I can wait until Friday to buy a jar of peanut butter". Ponleu wants a sleepover on a weekend but Oudom says it's his time.
Back at Cina Travel I met Cina and her mother, plus Cheata, who explained to me about a fall she'd had. She did it in English which is pretty good for a 3 year old. I gave Cina the two can openers she'd asked for and tomorrow I'll give her the 12 health trackers I bought for her family; she's worried that the adults aren't getting enough exercise. I'm not exercising today either, nor did I for many snowy, wet days at the farm and the hours spent on the planes.
I feel home again.
