Thailand...

Hello from Thailand!  Just kiddin.  Flight cancelled.

As quickly as I came up with the sweet idea of going to Thailand (and booked a flight), it was gone.

I knew something was wrong when I was in the check-in line.  Everything was moving along at a great speed.  Then, with about 3-4 people in front of me, everything came to a halt.  Every ticket agent looked scared, and every one of them was on the phone all of a sudden.  You could feel the anxiety.

Those 3 people in front of me took about 20 minutes each.....and then it was my turn.

"I'm sorry to inform you that your flight is delayed"....I asked for how long....."I don't know" is the answer I got.

Long story short, they tried to find me a direct flight, my previous flight connected through Hong Kong.  Nothing available.  Then they tried to coax me into some donkey of a route that would have pinned me in Hong Kong for like 10 hours....and put me in Phuket at around 11am the next day!

Ain't nobody got time for that.  Especially since I only had two days there.

So I threw a fit.  Next thing I know- security- some other people....plain clothed security (that was a first)....and I ended up walking away mad but not in jail.

Immediately, I emailed Sarah's assistant and asked her to see if she could help me get my money back since it was a Chinese airline and their customer service phone line is 98% Chinese language.....and she came through pretty well.....as usual.  I have to get that chick some sort of thank you gift, she's always helping me out.

Anyway, I emailed Pornsak Pornjaren, swear to god that's his name.....given and sir both begin with the word porn.....but don't judge cause he's a cool dude.  Anyway, I emailed him and told him no dice.  He's the manager of the little bungalow village I was going to camp at.  Since he doesn't require any money up front....he just said no prob.  Even if I had paid something- it was like $6 USD a night....wouldn't have killed me.

It all needed to work like clockwork.  I needed to get there early enough today to settle in quick style and get a little time on the motorcycle.  Wake up early tomorrow morning and fish...kick it some...and crash so I could get up early again and fish.  Leave Thailand thursday morning so I could be back in time to get one or two things done, then move to the new place Friday.

Why even walk you through it....

All told, I feel a sense of relief.  This morning I woke up early, way early...so I decided  to go for a run.  No sooner did I get going and it started pouring rain.  Ran anyway figuring I'd burn off the beers I was going to drink on the beach....came back up to the house, key gone.  Gonzo.  Goner.

Not a good way to start the day since we only have one key to this place.  I think I lost the other key too.....but I secretly think Sarah lost her key- then took mine and faked like it never happened.  At any rate, only one key.  I retraced my run....but no luck.

I also heard mention at the ticket counter of some serious delays in Hong Kong.  I had visions of a Snowden-style airport marathon....and figured I'd cut bait.  Something was off today and with my travel luck I didn't want to push it.  Also, both Sarah and David said something to me, separately, about being safe....and it gave me a bad feeling that something bad was going to happen.  Remember this when tomorrow there is another horrible tsunami or something.  Or, maybe the bad thing happened right away.  Whatever the case- I feel like I got away with something today....and now I can't shake the feeling that I was supposed to be on that flight- and since I wasn't fate is going to try to catch up with me.  Just like the show Lost....OMG- I'm Frank Lapidus!

In closing, we all spend but a blink of an eye on this planet.  You win some, you lose some, but you gotta suit up for them all....and there are no shortcuts to any place worth going.  If you fall seven times, stand up eight.  Only he who can see the invisible can do the impossible, and a man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.

By Calee Cariaga
Boss of Little Flower
Shanghai, China
2013

Frank Lapidus?  Or Caleedus?