Travels and tribulations..

Poll is closed, you want to hear about...

Stories about the random occurrences of my day
5 (62%)

More about my future teaching gig in Abu Dhabi
2 (25%)

Serious posts about the issues of teaching in the North
1 (12%)

***

Lucky for you, I had lots of random occurrences yesterday during my travels from Webequie to Montreal. My first flight on Wasaya Air from Webequie to Thunder Bay was fairly uneventful. It was an hour late, which is absolutely usual. We hit some pockets of air which caused the plane (which I'm pretty sure is made out of tin foil) to pitch sideways, so other than thinking I was going to die...it was uneventful.

I had a 3 hour wait at TBay airport, so I bought myself a big old sandwich at Tim Horton's. You can never know how much I miss a good, delicious, sandwich up North where I don't have the materials available to make one. I also did a little random shopping in the TBay gift shop, they have some cute stuff there surprisingly. After that I wet my whistle (is that what old people say when they mean that they drank?) at the airport bar and waited for my flight.

The next flight was Porter airlines from Thunder Bay to Toronto. I've probably already mentioned how Porter is my fave airline because they give you a free sandwich AND all the wine/beer you can drink. Usually I only have a few glasses, but this time there were fewer people on the plane so I got a lot of refills! After that I had to get off the plane in Toronto to switch planes for Montreal. I have also probably already mentioned that I love the Porter lounge in Toronto. It has free internet, comfy love seats, and fridges full of free pop and cookies.

So I had a sweet little stop-over in the lounge and then they announced my flight and I was off, or so I thought. They announced flight 433 to Montreal, terminal 2, then flight 435 to Ottawa, terminal 5. So, naturally, I went to terminal 2. They looked at my ticket, said "Thanks-have a safe flight!" and as I started to walk away said "WAIT! Let me see your ticket!" They looked again then pointed out that this flight was going to Ottawa. Apparently the lady had switched the flight number and gate when she announced it and I almost went to spend my holiday with Mr. Harper. Ugh.

After getting safely on my MONTREAL flight, I had several more glasses of free wine and we arrived in Montreal where I had to find my way to the 747 bus and make my way to the subway. Now, it's at this point where I am wandering around the airport, trying to read french signs, that I realize I maybe I shouldn't have drank the equivalent of a full bottle of wine on the plane when I had to find my way somewhere I'd never been before *blushes*.

So I am wandering...WTFing, going back and forth, dropping stuff and finally I ask a security guard and he says "Just follow the stickers on the floor!" I look down to see the GIANT pathway of stickers that say: 747 SHUTTLE THIS WAY! in english and french. Damn. So I laugh at myself and carry on my way. Then I get to the bus, wait 20 minutes for it with what I think is my EXACT CHANGE (a five dollar bill and three loonies...) till the bus comes and I see the sticker of the five dollar bill with an X through it. F*&$! So I run(while still tipsy and carrying three bags) to the machine (which is entirely in french...till I notice the-Press star for English note AFTER I'm done screwing with the machine).

I finally make my way on the bus and wait for the first stop where my sister told me to get off. They announce it in a crackly-too quick-french accent, so I go up to the driver to ask about it. I was supposed to be getting off at Lionel Groulx station. Now I don't speak french. Nor do I pronounce it well. So I say to the lady, "Is this LYE-O-NELL JEE-ROO station?" She laughs at me and points and says "Metro!" meaning the subway. Damn, guess I didn't get that one right.

I get into the subway and I have this pass that I'm simply supposed to scan and walk through the turn style. OF COURSE it doesn't work. So I'm trying to explain this to the man behind the booth (which by the way, has no microphone-so he can't hear me, nor can I hear him) and he also doesn't speak English. So there is a lot of pointing and confused/frustrated looks. So finally I think he gets it and signals me through the turn style. I get halfway through, then my suitcase can't fit. Naturally, the turn style locks. So now I am locked in between two bars of the turn style, holding my 40 lb suitcase mid air, while everyone just stares at me. I'm yelling "PUSH THE BUTTON AGAIN!" and of course, he doesn't understand me. Finally, another tourist (someone who came from the airport too) helped me with the suitcase and I muscled my way past the bar.

Frig, welcome to Montreal!

Unrelated- Happy Earth Day!