June 26, 2009

• USA Trip 2009 - June 23 - July 3

  

  June 23

  The trip began from Narita International Airport.  I had not been able to make it for a couple of years because hubby's mother is not well, but this year she was sufficiently stabilized for me to visit New York.

  

  Behold the plane.  The international flight was not bad considering I was traveling economy class and sitting in the middle.  I just got up whenever the nice fellow on the aisle did and things went pretty well.  The "fun" began while making the connection from Newark to Albany.  The Continental Airlines flight took off over an hour late, naturally.  The "thank you for your patience" announcements were made, but I know that really means, "You are completely at our mercy, deal with it!"  The waiting area was populated by an Indian gentleman getting a lot of loud business done on his cell phone and computer, three ladies yelling at each other in sign language and two very noisy children bellering and rolling on the floor.  I had just gotten off a twelve hour flight and 13 hours worth of jet lag was beginning to set in.  I was not really in a mood to have my hearing assaulted by gleeful rug rats so I moved my seat a bit further from the source of the tumult.  It was a rather tumultuous tumult, and I made a comment to the lady next to me about how I wished those kids would shut up.  Lady had no reaction.

  It was finally time to board the plane, and I observed that Lady was actually the mother of one of the kids, who will henceforth be addressed as Damien.  You have all seen the movie "The Omen," right?  This three year old tyke's favorite word was, "NO!!"  This was repeated frequently and with much gusto and for variety's sake he occasionally hurled other nasty phrases at his father who did nothing but beam down smiles upon his disrespectful progeny.  Damien had apparently turned his mother into a zombie, as she had no interaction with him whatsoever.  At the airport she had placed so much distance between herself and the rest of the family that I never imagined that she was related to Damien in any way.   As luck would have it, Damien and his family were seated directly behind me on the plane, and I was privileged to become a captive audience to the continuing performance of the "One NO!!-te Samba."  The plane was further delayed as we all waited for 14 connecting passengers coming in on a different late flight, and we were AGAIN thanked for our continuing patience. 

  At one point Damien flung a computerized game heavily to the floor of the plane, where it landed with a resounding thud.  Mother did nothing, so Daddy took firm control and asked, "What do you say?"  "NNOO!!!"  (Add gutturals)  Daddy gently suggested that might not be the most polite answer.  Thankfully Damien fell asleep soon after, and peace reigned.  As we arrived in Albany, Damien's Daddy heaped praise upon him for how well behaved he had been.  I would hate to see the little dear on a bad day.

  Why do parents let themselves be badgered by three year olds?  It reminds me of another kid in my Tokyo neighborhood who ordered her mother, "Tatakuna" ("Don't swat me!") when she was lightly dusted on the butt for climbing on a sofa.  This mom is very strict on table manners, yet lets her kid push her all over the place by allowing selfish, willful and demanding behavior in other areas.  Mom always seems sad that she does not enjoy the relationship with her little girl.  The little girl is probably also unhappy and insecure with a mother who refuses to take charge and establish secure boundaries of behavior.  The kid will eventually flush mom down the toilet, and as she whirls on down and away, mother will wonder where she went wrong.  Well, enough ranting and on to the trip!

  June 24

  

  In Upstate New York - Herr and Frau Compukermann kindly humored me by taking me out for Indian food!  Behold the temple of culinary delights, the Sitar Restaurant!

  

  The buffet was nothing but total spice heaven.  I recommend the bean curry.

  

  Now here was something I had not experienced before, rice pudding with cardamom!  It was simply entrancing.

  

  They even let me take a picture of the kitchen.  But why does the cook look Chinese?  It didn't matter, the food was delicious down to the breath-freshening fennel seeds at the cash register.  Herr and Frau C, thanks for tolerating my whims, and you can spit the fennel seeds out if you don't care for them.

  June 24 was shopping at Boscov's  and Wall Mart for various and sundry items.

  June 25

  Today was lunch with Cousin and Son.

   

  

  After lunch we lusted after the cakes and pies in the revolving stand!!

  

  

  

  

  

  We did our best to resist temptation...  We didn't eat a whole piece of pie, but split one, really!

  June 26

  

  After another trip to Wall Mart to pick up a very portable 300G hard drive, supper was out with a some old friends, I mean dear friends.  When I was in junior high I thought that the fellow in the red shirt might become my father in law.  Haha!  His son was lucky to get away and is probably a happier man for it.

  

  He sure knows the right eateries!  I managed to stay awake, but don't remember what I ate.  Maybe it was a club sandwich.  Whatever it was, it was good.

  

  Did someone mention dessert?  The Almond Joy ice cream was delicious!

  

  Next to the ice cream place was a trip down memory lane.  How many trips did the First Presbyterian Church Theta Pi youth group make to this skating rink?  I can remember the huge blisters on my feet from going around the rink a zillion times.  What fun that was!  Thanks to Harry in Troy!!

  June 27

  

  Today Aunt Marie and Uncle Bill were kind enough to host some of the family clan!  Take note of the ship on the blue shirt.  You will see it again later.  Uncle Bill had a hand in the construction of this fantastic replica.

  

  

  Uncle Gene is trying to smile.  Haha!

  

  Aunt Mike, glad to see you out and about.  Nice to catch up with Kim, too.

  

  Dion is brave to face the in laws all by himself!  What a great guy!  Cousin Paul sure grew up handsome.

  

  Cousin Bobby's family.  I especially enjoyed making the acquaintence of his son Zachary.

  

  Enjoying the outdoors

  

  Tina's kids - Congrats on the job, Ashley!

  

  Thanks so much, Aunt Marie!!  A wonderful time was had by all!

  I must also say that Aunt Marie's next door neighbor is very nice.  I had just gotten done seeing Tina's family off from where they were parked by the side of the road, and was about to go back in when I was welcomed at the door by a kind lady who wouldn't let me in because I was at the wrong house.  Her lovely little dog didn't even bark at me.  Another day, another idiocy.  Exkyuuuuuuzay moi!

  June 28 Sunday morning was church, of course, and it was to be the first and last sermon for me to hear from the pastor, as it was his last Sunday there since he is leaving to become a missionary in Brazil.  There was lots of food and fellowship!  Later in the day we visited a site along the Mohawk River where the ship Onrust (Dutch for "unrest") was moored.  This is a working replica of the first ship actually built in the New World, and it navigated the areas around New York and New England in the 1600's.  For more information, please go to the following website. http://www.theonrust.com/Welcome.html Here are some pictures. I wonder what part of this Uncle Bill worked on? A 911 Memorial From the riverside restaurant We were getting hungry, and all of the outdoor tables were full, so we took a seat inside only to be told we had to order a full meal.  We just were not that hungry after the festivities at church, and the waitress was kind enough to make an exception for us, but we are not supposed to tell.  We just got some soup and an appetizer, but it was still too much food!!  Mighty good, though!

  June 29

  Today was the gathering of the siblings for the first time in three years.  Herr Compukermann and I rode over to Meriden, CT to pick up John and his lovely wife.  Meanwhile Steve was arriving by train from Illinois.  I had an adventure that Herr C didn't know about at the rest stop.  I know I have been away for awhile, but I certainly should know how to flush a toilet.  I knew that if flushed, because the child who used it before I did flushed it.  There was no handle to push, ANYWHERE!  I finally found the tiny button on the broken metal apparatus on the wall and made a clean getaway.

  

  I thought about getting one of these, but just brought home a picture.  It's cheaper and takes up less space in the suitcase.

  

  In Meriden we met up with John and his lovely wife and her lovely mother.

  

  All the kids gathered for dinner.  I hope they can behave themselves! 

  

  

  The after dinner constitutional consisted of stalking an immature great horned owl out back.  See it in that patch of light in the center of the picture?  Below is a zoom version.

  

  This is an owl, really!

  

  More stuff from out back.  I like it, you look at it.  (Gotta keep Grandpa's tradition alive, and he NEVER would have gotten up had a grandchild claimed the chair he upon which he was seated.  We never even considered the possibility!!  His mere presence in any chair instantly transformed it into a throne.  One of his sons once said that Grandpa would have made a good king. Haha!)

  

  These lilies were blooming all over the place except in Herr C's front yard, because a deer ate them.  I wonder how much longer wildlife will populate the back yard?  The trees there have reached maturity and are starting to fall over.  The nearby church that owns the back property began clearing away the dying trees, but that came to an abrupt stop when one of the trees fell onto the machinery.

  

  June 30 - Lake George Cruise

  

  Everyone is up, bright eyed and bushy eyebrowed!

  

  

  I give a demonstration of the portable Washlet that I have brought with me from Japan, but no one is interested in giving the thing a test drive.  On to today's American "Go Somewhere," a cruise on Lake George!

  

  We have arrived at Lake George and prepare to board our vessel, the Lac du Saint Sacrement.

  

  The dining room awaits us, as does the band and the dance floor.

  

  Their first musical selection is "Gilligan's Island."

  

  On to the buffet!

  

  

  

  Stop playing with your camera and sit down and eat!!

  

  

  Lunch is over, so let's wander around the ship!

  

  

  Modelz

  

  

  Hey Steve, those bikers look tough!  Oh, it's ok, they are Christian bikers.

  

  

  An interesting passenger who didn't want to talk to me.

  

  Some pics from the upper deck

  

  

  How much is this gonna cost?

  

  Here comes another member of the Lake George fleet, the Minne-Ha-ha.

  

  I had missed getting a picture when the ship passed us before going the opposite direction, so I was glad for another photo op.

  

  Zoom in on the shutterbugs in the bow.  Great minds think alike.

  

  

  No sooner had we returned from Lake George than we received a call that another gathering was about to take place at the Blue Ribbon Diner!  We were able so catch up with a few more people that we were not able to see at Aunt Marie's.  The occasion for the gathering was Aunt Mikie's (Virginia's) birthday.  All those gathered know who they are.

  

  

  Nice to see Uncle Wayne and Aunt Barbara

  

  

  Thanks again for Saturday!

  

  

  Aunt Mike is honored with "Happy Birthday," complete with a spontaneous "Amen."  The Holy Spirit must have moved us.

  

  Nice to see Dion again, especially with Andrea!

  

  I took the first group picture and Steve took the second so we could Photoshop ourselves in to include us all.

  

  A kind waitress saw our plight and snapped the shutter for us.

  

  Aunt Mike, thanks so much for sharing your birthday with so many.  We all enjoyed it immensely!

  At Cahoes Falls

  The Cahoes Falls are located on the Mohawk River, and are according to Wikipedia, were in the 1800's considered the second most beautiful falls in New York State after Niagara Falls.  There is a legend that the name comes from the Mohawk Indian word "Ga-ha-oose," which means "Place of the Falling Canoe."  This waterfall encouraged the construction of the Erie Canal.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  This little fellow was singing his heart out.

  June 2

  

  Eechh!  Only a mother could love faces like this.  Hey, we all just got up!

  

  Happy Birthday!

  

  Don't blow too hard, now!

  

  Steve returns to Chicago by train.

  

  A word of prayer before departure - sorry my eyes weren't shut.

  

  

  From July 3rd

  

  Sunrise at Albany Airport - not my plane

  My parents were kind enough to get up at 4:00 AM to have me at Albany Airport at 5:00 AM for my 7:00 AM Continental flight to Newark (due in at 8:00 AM) where I was to board a to a flight to Tokyo's Narita Airport leaving 11:10 AM.  I got through security and to the departure gate where the "for the want of a nail" downward spiral began.  Our gate desk staff people are Greg, Laureen and Lamont.  Greg makes an announcement that one of the cabin crew had called in sick, and that departure would be delayed while a replacement was is called in.  In a worst case scenario some of the people with 9:00 connections might not make them.  At 8:00 there was another announcement of mechanical problems, and folks began to line up at the departure gate desk to make new arrangements.  There was also a mention of limousine service to Newark, but no one asked who needed it (As in I need to leave NOW to make my flight to Narita), and it never materialized.  There were only two computers at the departure desk and as 8:30 approached the first ones in a long line had still not been assigned their new travel arrangements.  There was still no indication whatsoever as to when our plane would leave Albany, and I began to get nervous about my international connection.  Is there not one extra cabin crew member on standby?  Is there not a single operating aircraft on standby?  Are there no other staff available to deal with a missed connections, the number of which is snowballing with each tick of the clock?  Is it by chance that the gate is located across from the interfaith prayer room?

  

  We really are across from the prayer room.  The lady sitting next to me says, "The sign on the wall says that Continental's ideas may fly, but their planes sure don't!"  The flying ideas are probably those of another company, but at this point we are all getting punchy.

  I jump line and become vocal with Lamont at the gate desk, and Greg makes an announcement that those in line who so desire are free to go back out through security and make alternate arrangements at the Continental Ticketing Counter.  If there is potential for a problem, I figure that it is better to deal with it sooner than later since Continental offers only one daily flight to Narita.  I and another lady opt for this alternative since absolutely NOTHING is moving at the gate desk.  I am able to make arrangements for the next day on a Continental flight out of Newark as well as another connecting Japan Airlines Flight to Fukuoka in the event that I missed that day's flight.  I have alternate arrangements, but now I have to go through the long security line again, and am sweating bullets because I still have no idea if or when the plane out of Albany is leaving.  What if the plane is suddenly airworthy and takes off while I am stuck in security check?  The fellow behind me encourages me to jump line, so I do.  My bag is checked but doesn't come out of the screening device because the bag of the person behind me is being examined closely.  Hello?  My bag is fine, and I need to get moving!  The corpulent security girl whines that she is unable to touch my bag until it totally exits the screening machine.  Yeah, we all have our problems, and one of mine is a lack of time for stupidity. 

  I arrive back at the gate to hear one of the gate staff snapping that an announcement had made (once) that those still waiting in line could go to the Ticketing Counter for service and that they themselves had chosen to remain at the gate and complain.  True, but very unprofessional of her.  She is forgetting that it is actually we who are her employers!  We are the ones having our plans ruined, not she.  We have all made a contract with the airlines to get us to a certain place by a certain time, and the contacts have been breached through incompetence.  Of course people are going to complain if their 4th of July weekend is spoiled because Continental lacks backup on several levels.  I do not envy the gate staff, however; Continental has placed them in a very unpleasant situation.

  

  People are STILL lined up for rescheduling after two hours!

  The 7:00 plane finally leaves at 11:00 in time for me to miss my 11:10 flight to Tokyo.  There are 14 computers at the Continental Customer Service counter in Newark, but only two people manning them.  I am first in line this time, but still have to wait for the lady behind the counter who seems to have little idea of what she is doing.  Arrangements are finally made for me to stay overnight at a hotel at Continental's expense.  I ask for a seat assignment on the new flight and get one.  Desk lady then tells me to take the monorail to P4 to catch a shuttle bus to the hotel.  I cannot find the "monorail" and am told matter of factly that by airport staff that the monorail is called the "Air Train."  Why couldn't Continental Desk Lady have given me the proper name in the first place?  This is a minor detail, but at this point I have had it with confounded compounded stupidity.  Next I have to reclaim my luggage that is not going to Narita today, and am told by luggage personnel to wait at carousel 9 for what might be 45 minutes, which was actually less than ten, thank goodness.

  So I get to the hotel, the hall of which is heartily vocalized by a couple of fellers having a good old time.  I will spare the overheard details of the afternoon tryst.  I ask at the desk about the schedule for the airport shuttle bus - 24 hours a day leaving every 15-20 minutes.  The next day I am out front at 8:00 AM and am still out front at 8:25.  There are three buses sitting there and none of them is moving.  The person at the hotel desk just says one bus left and another is coming.  Another functioning bus finally arrives and we are off at 8:30.  These all might seem like minor things, but living in Japan, I am used to having things work on schedule.  I am also used to at least having regret expressed when they don't.

  At the airport I go to the only Continental desk that I see, but am told by a Hispanic lady that this counter is for "you aim" only.  Apparently she expected me to understand "unaccompanied minors" from this statement.  I can handle Japanese just fine, but I don't speak mispronounced "English" airport code, my bad.  After I found the right counter things finally became normal and I was able to check in.  The check-in staff seemed a bit confused that I was flying into Tokyo's Narita Airport and out of Haneda Airport, but I told them that I knew how to do that and to just go ahead and make the arrangements. 

  

  My plane back to Narita

  After immigration, baggage pick-up and customs at Narita I got my shuttle bus ticket and was on my way to Haneda in a mere ten minutes.  I get there in one short hour.  The plane out of Haneda was a half hour late, but at least they were sorry about it.

  

  My plane out of Haneda back to Fukuoka.  It's the one still on the ground.  The plane took off half an hour late, but they let us know about the rescheduling far in advance, and rather than arbitrarily thanking us for our patience, apologized for the delay. 

  In retrospect, after I had made alternate arrangements to fly out of Newark the following day, I felt somewhat at ease.  I would be flying out tomorrow if not today, and the rest was in the Lord's hands.  There is a reason for everything including this.  God is good and faithful to get us to whatever destination he has for us, sooner or later.

  • 00:11
  • 1 Comment