Sunday 11 May 2008

It Couldn't be Lovelier

So I'm home from Geneva - been home for week, and how that week whizzed by! Recalling the trip now, must say, c'est on ne peut plus beau! Since my last post from the G-lounge, this is how it went.

The flight was at most uneventful. Stowed the hand luggage as usual; said Hi to the person in the aisle seat; ate the satay, the fruits and whatever else on the tray; watched a movie, listened to Michael Buble, played sudoku and walked up and down the aisle until it was safe to ask for a chamomile tea that hopefully would make me fall asleep.

Did I say uneventful? Well, not exactly. I managed to spill a drink on the young man in the aisle seat, and that's a first. He said it was alright to my profuse apology and I left it at that. After all, he was going to smell of the strawberry yogurt drink when we land, incredibly sweet!

As expected, we ended up at an unidentifiable part of Heathrow. Told a fellow passenger that I was connecting at Tlima and he laughed, saying I had just kissed my luggage goodbye! Awww...that threw my jantung right onto the tarmac, but I said a little prayer, no, actually I zikir all the way to the gleaming Tlima transfer desk and the gate and even while munching on a tasteless cheese sandwich a la vol.
The flight to Geneve was really uneventful. But you know what they say about Murphy's Law...so as expected, I really did lose my luggage when we landed. So did about a dozen or so other fellow passengers who crowded the ground handler's office to fill the necessary forms. Ah well, there goes my maggie and serunding and kain batik and baju kerja and baju tidur... may be it will come on the next flight...may be, kalau ada rezeki....

There was a Free Tibet demonstration in front of the ONU, but Rue de Lausanne was deserted, well, it was Sunday.




I checked into the hotel explaining the absence of luggage but for the bloated document bag; and yes, that is the correct check-out date; the free flow of tres bien, Madame was getting on my frayed nerves.
It was not until I came back from the pasar minggu at Plainpalais and early dinner at Ali Hayder's did the reception tell me that my luggage was coming on the 7pm flight and would reach the hotel tennish. Whew! can look forward to maggie and serunding dinner tomorrow dan hari-hari berikutnya, alhamdulillah!


The April meetings were not as contentious as those earlier in the year, but they did spread out, and the weekend in between presented a very rare opportunity to drink in some sights. Made the most of le retour des beaux jours and went on a journey to the top of Europe...

















And the fever rages on,
even on Jungfraujoch

.....and then there are the tulips of Morges



























...and the sails....





and yes, hopefully this belated spring will blossom into a timely summer for the football fans.















The journey home began with an early taxi ride to the airport - very chatty driver - so full of praise for Malaysia...la bonne societe, tres amicable, pas fanatique...merci encore, well, he could be propping me up for a big tip!

In truth, I cannot say that the flight home was uneventful. There was an instance when the plane shook really hard and the entire cabin went into complete silence. My guess was may be we just dodged some part of Nargis; it was 2nd May and we were flying over the Bay of Bengal! Alhamdulillah, we touched down on the good solid earth of KLIA as scheduled. Luggage worries proven unfounded, 28 minutes on the ERL, then home sweet home. Encore, c'est on ne peut plus beau!

2 comments:

cakapaje said...

Salam bebee,

Mafoi! Le Swiss en magnifique! (er...betui ke?) :)

Welcome back. Alhamdulillah, despite losing your luggage, you manage to soldier on in Geneva. Say, you did not mention what you were doing there! Care to whisper a word or two? :)

Bebee said...

Salam Cakapaje,
I'm no expert of le langue, but if you don't look up the first word in the dictionary and can give and take on the grammar, betui ler tu!
Now you have to tell me how to whisper in public domain:)