(This post is actually a couple of days old. My hacking job in the Frankfurt airport didn't last very long so I got booted out just before posting.)
I'm in the Frankfurt airport right now with an 8 hr layover. The trip has gone pretty well so far (21 hours down, 13 hours to go), but I am already exhausted. Jada has been pretty well behaved except one freakout on the plane that almost gave me a panic attack. Luckily I was able to rush to the bathroom with her and let her walk around a little bit in there. I HATE using the leash. It is the saddest thing to watch. Every time I put it on she just tucks her tail in between her legs and tries to get it off with her little paws. She just wants to be FREE. I got to Frankfurt this morning and went to the bathroom to change (I also spilled Coke ALL over myself on the plane). Three women in burkas asked me if they could use my water bottle. They said they had to wash themselves for their morning prayers. Their gratefulness was profuse and genuine and I was surprised by the amount of thanks they expressed for what seemed to me a simple favor. It touched me how much these women thirsted for prayer. Despite being a repetitive ritual, it still seemed meaningful for them--more than meaningful, vital. It was such a beautiful little event in this dirty airport bathroom. Afterward, I filled the bottle with water for myself and felt as if it was a little bit holy. I finally found the correct terminal (after going through security twice) and I'm sitting in the wing where flights leave for the Middle East (I think, because most people here look Arab or are very blonde, German I think).
It's also very fun to meet creatures along the way while travelling, and Jada is a constant attractor and lead-in to conversation. In DC, I started talking to a man and found out he's originally from Jordan and is now taking his 7 yr old son to visit for the first time to meet all of his extended family (reminded me of my first visit to Colombia at age 5). The son was super funny, and kept talking about this scary, possessed "clown doll" in his carry-on that I later found out was just a gift for his grandmother. Later, on the plane to Germany, I met a guy who'd taught physics, of all subjects, in Germany for 15 yrs and we started talking about physics labs, ect. As I was getting off the plane, an American woman I'd never seen, wished me luck in Jordan, telling me it was a beautiful country--she must have overheard my earlier conversation. So far, all good signs.
I'm in the Frankfurt airport right now with an 8 hr layover. The trip has gone pretty well so far (21 hours down, 13 hours to go), but I am already exhausted. Jada has been pretty well behaved except one freakout on the plane that almost gave me a panic attack. Luckily I was able to rush to the bathroom with her and let her walk around a little bit in there. I HATE using the leash. It is the saddest thing to watch. Every time I put it on she just tucks her tail in between her legs and tries to get it off with her little paws. She just wants to be FREE. I got to Frankfurt this morning and went to the bathroom to change (I also spilled Coke ALL over myself on the plane). Three women in burkas asked me if they could use my water bottle. They said they had to wash themselves for their morning prayers. Their gratefulness was profuse and genuine and I was surprised by the amount of thanks they expressed for what seemed to me a simple favor. It touched me how much these women thirsted for prayer. Despite being a repetitive ritual, it still seemed meaningful for them--more than meaningful, vital. It was such a beautiful little event in this dirty airport bathroom. Afterward, I filled the bottle with water for myself and felt as if it was a little bit holy. I finally found the correct terminal (after going through security twice) and I'm sitting in the wing where flights leave for the Middle East (I think, because most people here look Arab or are very blonde, German I think).
It's also very fun to meet creatures along the way while travelling, and Jada is a constant attractor and lead-in to conversation. In DC, I started talking to a man and found out he's originally from Jordan and is now taking his 7 yr old son to visit for the first time to meet all of his extended family (reminded me of my first visit to Colombia at age 5). The son was super funny, and kept talking about this scary, possessed "clown doll" in his carry-on that I later found out was just a gift for his grandmother. Later, on the plane to Germany, I met a guy who'd taught physics, of all subjects, in Germany for 15 yrs and we started talking about physics labs, ect. As I was getting off the plane, an American woman I'd never seen, wished me luck in Jordan, telling me it was a beautiful country--she must have overheard my earlier conversation. So far, all good signs.
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