September 27, 2008

24

I was supposed to be in Pasadena on September 21st but, as you already know, I could not make it because I forgot a form. In the end I could take the planet he 24th but this wasn’t free of stress and adrenaline...

Once my original flight was cancelled, I had to tell my parents a direction where to send the package with the form. I talk to people in the airport and they told me I could send it to the office of left luggage. The boss there confirmed it. So I gave the address to my parents and I went to Dublin. My stay in Dublin was ok. I walked a bit, worked another bit, connected to the free McDonalds wireless and had some relaxes time. But the 24th was another story….

6:30 I wake up. Tough. Very tough.
7:00 Get some breakfast to take away. My eyes are still closed.
7:30 Get the aerobus. Sleep a bit inside. I'm doing great! :)
8:00 Go to the office “Left Luggage”. The package is not there. What do you mean??? FedEx told me it would have arrived yesterday!!! After a while, another guy comes and say that he returned it because he could not read the name properly. What???
8:15 Call my father. He is going to talk to FedEx.
8:25 Calls me back and say that I have to ask it to FedEx Dublin.
8:30 I call them and after talking to 49634 bots, some human voice appears and she tells me that the code I have is wrong.
8:45 I call my dad. He does not pick it. What do I have to do???
8:47
I’m in the row to check in. I need to take this plane…
8:55 My father calls me back. Tell him the story. They need the code.
9:05 No call back…
9:10 No call back… I will not make it…
9:15
No call back… Fucking FedEx…
9:20
No call back… I want to kill the guy in “Left Luggage”… I was supposed to go to US immigration in 5 minutes...
9:25 Done! They give me the code!
9:28 I try to call FedEx Dublin. No way to talk to a person. What’s wrong with them!!??
9:35 Call FedEx Spain. They answer and…
9:40 They tell me where the package is. Is closed to the airport!!!!
9:42 Pick up a taxi!
9:52 Arrive at Fedex: Please, get this package urgently!!!
10:00
I have it!!!! Sign some documents, and I run back to the taxi. It seems there’s traffic jam!! He takes an alternative road. A bit longer way, but it looks much better.
10:15 I arrive to the airport!!! Run Aniol, run!!! I enter running, run to the US immigration office, and I tell them that I had a problem with the form, bla, bla, bla, … And the woman says… Don’t worry, the plane is not going to leave without you :) As soon as I hear this, my heart starts beating at the normal speed, and I realize that, in the end, the day I will finally arrive will not be other that the 24th.

September 22, 2008

USA? Dubín, Irlanda...


Después de la despedida de mis padres, hermanos, abuelas y Lien, del vuelo a Dublín y de dormir acurrucado entre un banco del McDonalds y mis maletas, y de finalmente embarcar para volar hacia Los Angeles y rellenar los formularios pertinentes me dirigí al funcionario estadounidense con mi pasaporte.

El hombre, muy simpático, me dijo “muy bien, y el formulario DN-1029?”. Yo sabía exactamente donde estaba… En un sobre en casa de mis padres en Girona. ¿Debía decir que me lo dejé, o que me robaron una maleta con el formulario dentro? Dudé. Pero al final opté, seguramente equivocadamente, por decir la verdad. El hombre, sin borrar la sonrisa de su cara, me dijo que pasara a un cuarto.

Después de una breve espera, vino un tío forzudo para decirme que no podía volar. ¿¿Cómo que no puedo volar?? ¡¡¡Llama a la embajada!!! ¡¡¡O entro como turista!!! ¡¡¡O mandan el puto formulario por mail!!! ¡¡¡¡Tío, no me puedes hacer esto!!!! ¡¡¡Me están esperando!!!! … ¡¡¡¡Kghjlenhaufh!!!! …
Mi papel de hombre exageradamente histérico, asustado y enfadado no funcionó. Así que, en vez de estar dando mis primeros pasos en los Estados Unidos, estoy atrapado en Dublín. El miércoles, si no hay ningún contratiempo, podré finalmente volar, esta vez sí, hacia Los Angeles.