This is a little out of date but since I started writing it, I will finish it.
It all starts at the security check-in at the Indianapolis airport. For a change, they do not use their favorite “You have been randomly selected for additional screening” phrase anymore. In fact, this time, the security people were friendly and nice. But I still have to take everything out of my pockets, my belt, my brace, my shoes, my watch and my laptop out of the bag. The new Indianapolis airport is nicer and cleaner but that does not help much in the mood when you know you have a 17 hour trip ahead of you.
The delay in Indianapolis gives me only 45 minutes to catch my plane in Chicago. Fortunately, the arriving gate is next to the departure gate, so I immediately get in line and into the next plane. The flight is OK. I can’t get any sleep so I watch a movie, an Animal Planet show, a “How I met your mother” episode and read about 200 pages of my new book.
Arrival in Germany at 7am in the morning. I am really hungry so I head for the McDonalds and get a double cheeseburger with fries for breakfast. I still have some time to kill so I take out my laptop and start playing Football Manager. Germans are known for their efficiency but what happens next I call stupidity. I go through security to get into the gate section B12-B16. Like any other time, they talk to me in German, I have to take everything out of my pockets, my belt, my brace, my shoes, my watch and my laptop out of the bag. I still don’t carry any guns so I go through, only to find out that there is another security check in order to get into gate B14. And here we go again, take everything out of my pockets, my belt, my brace, my shoes, my watch and my laptop out of the bag. Meanwhile they still talk to me in German. I am in my gate now, and I can “feel” Cyprus. I try to find a seat only to find a girl taking two seats together so she can lay down and sleep. Another guy next to her who is all dressed up with his nice jeans, his shirt and his nice coat – a very good indication that he is a student who is returning to Cyprus for the first time – is doing the same thing. I find a seat and start reading my book. Meanwhile next to me are sitting three Cypriot students who if I am not mistaken study in Boston. I can not help but overhear them telling about how easy they can get American women and how ignorant Americans are. Another indication of Cyprus mentality. After all we are in the centre of the world. And if you don’t believe me just get any map and fold it in half…
I sleep in the plane only to wake up half an hour before our landing in Cyprus. Out of the plane and into the customs building I can already feel the smell of Cyprus..the smell of smoking cigarettes in a non-smoking place. The security guard “checks” my passport for no more than 1.5 seconds and lets me through. I could have even be the convict “Al Capone” who recently escaped from the Cyprus “prison” but who cares? I get out of the building carrying my bags. Friends, family, friends of family are waiting for their loved ones, sitting in the exit of the airport. I am already tired from the long trip so I “accidentally” hit the person in front of me who stops to talk to his friends, I find my parents who are holding their grandsons who are waiting to see the airplanes and I start my 3-week vacation…
Happy New Year everyone!
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