Gotta love airports

I just remembered a rather funny anecdote from when I was travelling to India the second time, back in 2007. I'm sorry I seem to be talking about India all the time, but I'm trying to make myself to write down more about it (especially in order to finish my So-Called Book), so please bare with me.

So, I book my ticket, go to the office, cash it out, get out on the street and start dancing and giggling uncontrollably. Movie scene. I got a really good deal, since I was still under 25 then and I was really happy about that. I pack my shit up and my friend Maja takes me to the airport. I'm not taking anything warm to wear, since the temperatures there are 25-35, but it's December here and people are giving me weird looks. I know better.

I have a cup of coffee with Maja, do some shopping at the tobacco shop and get a small but insanely appreciated gift from Maja - a Snickers. I suggest we go to the counter, so I can check in and get that over with. At this time she's completely cool, letting me do all the blabbing and all. If I get aware of the fact that I'm leaving for India for five months, I'll start running around the airport in circles. Like when a soccer player scores.

Okay, check in time.

'Hello.'
'Hello.'
'I'd like to check in.'

I give her my ticket and my passport and she's completely Mona Lisa with me. She checks the passport, glances at me and checks the ticket. All of a sudden she's all nice and all, giving me the widest smile possible.

'So, have you ever flown before?'
'Yeah, sure.''
'Out of the country?'
'Yes.'
'And you're travelling alone?'
'Yes, I am.'
'To India?'
'Umm, yeah.'
'Alright...'

Maja is standing next to me, checking out brochures like's she's taking her next vacation somewhere in Polynesia. In fact it's just a bunch of those small name tags that you can put on your luggage. So, the hostess is giving a call to Istanbul Atatürk Airport to confirm my flight and motioning me to to put my backpack on the baggage strip. All with a gigantic smile.

She puts the big label saying IST and BOM on it and another one saying Türk Hava Yollari - Turkish Airlines. She doesn't stop there, but puts at least five more saying Special Care, VIP passenger, Extra Heavy, Handle With Care and what not. I'm looking around to see where the candid camera is hidden. By this time there's at least another hostess and a host with her and I feel like there's a light spot on me. Or one of those red sniper dots, you know.

And everyone's smiling at me. Maja is just grinning, but she also has no idea what's going on. So, the hostess yells to the main desk host or whoever he was:
'This gentleman is flying to Mumbai, so please take special care of him. He's flying India by himself and he's fourteen.'

I look at her in awe and can't suppress a burst of laughter. I hope none of my saliva jetted her way over the counter. Maja is laughing like crazy, but you can her no sound coming out of her mouth. She's trying to cover herself up with those tiny name tags, but she fails completely. It's just name tags.

Not that it matters really. Thanks for the compliment, now I feel even younger. I wanna make the most innocent expression possible and even put my hands on the counter, like a puppy putting its front paws on the table. But I try to get a grip.

'Umm, sorry, but I'm not fourteen.'
'But your ticket says Young Passenger.'
'Yes, it does, because there's a discount if you're under 25. I'm 24.'
'Aah, okay.'

She's a bit embarrassed, but in a cute kind of way. My backpack and all its tags are on their way to wherever the whole machinery is located, somewhere behind the counter.

'My baggage is going all the way, right? I don't have to pick it up in Istanbul?'
'No no, it's going all the way, don't worry. It's completely secure.'

With all those tags I can't imagine otherwise, but better be sure.

'Okay, so here's your boarding pass, you've got enough time in Istanbul to look around and enjoy your trip.'
'Thanks very much!'

I turn around and everyone's looking at me like I'm wearing the fuzziest cuddly-panda-bear outfit that was ever made and I figure they've all got lolly-pops and candy prepared for me. Maja is totally grinning all over the place and I figure she'll be telling the story to everyone as soon as she gets to work.

So hang around a bit more, we say good bye and I catch a glimpse of her just standing there, her hands down and looking somewhere in my direction, but not really at me. I go behind the corner and see a bunch off people waiting at the security check, some of them knowing the routine and already taking off their belts.

Here goes.

Somewhere in Iran, 2008

You can also check India (Take One), India (Take Two) and India (Take Three) for some more stories.