After a full day of working with Ben at a Chojeon English camp, we rushed home, showered, tossed a few last items in our suitcases, locked the deadbolt of our cramped Korean apartment, and began our journey to Kenya not knowing what to expect. As we traveled with plenty of time to the Incheon Airport, we learned a little bit more about each other.
While I basked in the joy of being done with work and the knowledge that we were leaving Korea for the first time in a year, Seth double, triple, and quadruple checked our flight itinerary, our progress on the public transportation, and how many spare minutes we would have. His mind was consumed with worrying about all the bumps and glitches that we might face before arriving in Kenya. Because of our previous travel experiences together, I did know that he often travels like this, but I think his stress was amplified by the fact that we were traveling to Africa and not simply around America or Korea. Annoyed at himself, he explained that his family always flies standby because his dad is a pilot for United Airlines. His conclusion was that because things are never guaranteed with standby, there was always a high level of stress when traveling as a kid, and that has shaped how he travels today. Of course, in Anna-fashion, I did tease Seth quite a bit, but in reality, I was and always am glad that he takes care of the worrying while we travel. If he didn't, I'm sure I would take on that role, and I'd rather not.
We should have known that this trip was going to be challenging simply because of the way it started. Because of the popularity of Emirates and the time of year, the plane was completely sold out, and we didn't do an online check-in. Therefore, we were forced to sit apart during our 10hr. flight to Dubai. This and the fact that I hadn't eaten since lunch did not go over well. I sat stoic in my seat surrounded by Korean ajummas as Seth looked back at me with a sympathetic smile. Although I was uber-crabby at the time, I have to admit that after having some food and reflecting on how good the circumstances actually were, I was fine. I was reassured by the fact that family and friends in Korea, Kenya, the United States, and Canada were praying for our safety and protection. This was a comfort, and as the instant airline beef and noodles digested, I realized that everything was not only good but great.
Emirates is by far the best airline I have ever flown on. We had the privilege of traveling on the biggest plane in the world: the A380. The whole upper deck is first and business class; they are provided with two showers and a personal bar. Even in economy class each person has a personal touch screen TV with endless options such as Friends, Fringe, Lie to Me, Glee, etc. detailed information about tourist activities in Dubai, frequent news updates, an abundance of film options like Avatar, The American, Inception, The Other Guys, etc. They also provided each person with a personal blanket, pillow, toothbrush and toothpaste, and eye mask. I was completely taken aback when the intercom announced the vast array of languages the flight attendants spoke: Arabic, French, Korean, Mandarin, English, Tagalog, Spanish, Hungarian, Swahili, Japanese, and the list went on. The entire staff was very professional and friendly.
We were both surprised and relieved to be surrounded by so much diversity the instant we got off the plane and entered the Dubai International Airport. Korea is 98% homogeneous. We relished hearing so many different languages and seeing so many different nationalities.
While doing some quick research on my touch screen on the flight, I learned that Dubai has virtually no middle class. The increasing foreign population is slowly reviving a middle class, but as we spent the day wandering around our first Middle Eastern country, we were struck by the disparity between the lower and upper class. The residential area that we first wandered through was cramped with rundown apartment complexes and local markets; whereas, the business and tourist district was posh and meticulously clean. The airport and subway themselves were overdone. There was literally a gold shop in the airport directly across from a Rolex store.
At 7:00am in Dubai, I felt like a complete alien. 95% of people on the streets were men dressed in traditional Arabic clothing. We found a little cafeteria near the river and ate some snacks, but I couldn't quite relax and enjoy it while being the only female in sight.
Getting increasingly exhausted, we summoned enough energy to be typical tourists and take our picture by the tallest building in the world: The Burj Khalifa towering an impressive 2,717 ft. in the air. Seth rightly said it looks like something from a fantasy or sci-fi movie. For some reason, I think it belongs in Batman's city: Gotham. Always in the Burj Khalifa's shadow, we wandered around the Dubai mall. The people, buildings, and merchandise screaming, “Look at how much I'm worth!” We quickly and strongly felt our American middle class-ness. The in-mall aquarium hosts sharks, sting-rays, and other sea life that has given itself a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.
With Seth pretty much dragging me, we made it back to the airport. Although still flying Emirates, this plane wasn't quite up to the same standards as the last. On our way to Nairobi, we were joined by a potent odor of B.O. and fussy children, but we also got to sit together and had extra time to sleep before experiencing Africa.
-Anna
No comments:
Post a Comment