China: Day 7

12AM
Well, at least it wasn’t super important I get home tonight. It’s been crazy since Beijing. I realized at 1:05pm that the flight confirmation I had printed (5:30 departure) hadn’t been updated and that my plane was actually leaving at 3:30pm. Yikes. I grabbed my stuff and shoved it in a bag. I’m pretty sure the taxi driver didn’t know what hit him when I jumped in his cab. Thankfully only small traffic jams so I was there by 2:00pm. Yet again I got lucky (or so I thought) that my flight was delayed an hour. By the time I got through Chinese customs, took the airport subway (did I mention how big this airport was) and found my correct flight, I had just enough time to swing through the store to grab some cookies. I wanted to take them home for Cade to try because they were so yummy…well, I just ate the last one for dinner.
It was a long 12 hr flight to Newark airport. At least there was a good movie selection and decent food. When I got off at Newark I had to go through US customs, using up some precious time to get to my plane. The connecting flight to Chicago left 1 hour after I landed from Beijing. Yay, another delay so the rush was off! Then it was time to collect my boarding pass. Humm, somehow I suddenly don’t exist even after they swipe my passport. Three different TSA agents later and I finally have a ticket and I’m now running to my plane. Just made it!
I slept most of the two hour flight to Chicago. Here is the downside to that delay: by the time I got off the plane and full out sprinted across the airport, my connection was already gone. Great, not getting to work in the morning. I wait in this super long customer service line for about 45 minutes before the lady tells me “Well it’s not your fault but it’s not ours either.” By this point I’m exhausted and suddenly felt the urge to smack some sense into her, but I refrained. I asked for the next available flight (7:45am) and some food/phone/place to stay. Reasonable I thought…but apparently not. The most she could do is give me a discount at some hotel where I would have to pay a taxi to get there and then pay for a room. Seriously?!? And they don’t even have a phone! I got a little angry and asked where I could complain. Get this, they don’t even have a number to call-it’s all online. There must have been steam coming out of my ears because she meekly offered to let me use her personal cell phone. I hope I saved my parents the majority of the drive to Detroit.
The $5 I have to my name is Chinese money and the exchange places are closed. That means that pack of cookies I bought earlier was dinner. I don’t really want to sleep here because I’ve got my valuables in my bag and don’t want to take my eyes off it. Only 6 more hours until they board. And the best part-to file the complaint online I had to pay $7 for internet service.
I really want a shower. I guess I’m going to go wander around the airport for awhile. Maybe someone will be on later to chat with. Hopefully I will be home tomorrow sometime.