Tuesday 2 November 2010

Disasters

Standing by the printer, on Thursday evening. Work (or at least this part of it) closes at midday on a Friday. I have a meeting starting at 9am. The whole of Belgium will be closed on Monday and Tuesday. I leave on mission on Wednesday morning.

- So... says the guy from the office, conversationally - when are you flying out?
me - Wednesday morning
- oh! *sudden face of doom* But you'll be far too late - the bus leaves the hotel an hour after your plane lands. You need to change that flight. We're all going on Tuesday evening.
me (turning pale) - are you sure I won't make it? Even if I get a taxi or something?
- I think you need to change it.
- But... but... on Tuesday I'm in London renewing my passport...

The next two hours were a blurred mess of running from office to office, shedding e-ticket printouts in great paper sheaves in my wake, trying to find the right person to authorise my flight change, trying very hard not to burst into tears and spending a puzzling fifteen minutes looking for a lift that would take me to level 2 (apparently there are several which pass it by altogether).

Tomorrow starts at quarter to six and ends at ten in the evening and includes an ambitious itinerary of changeovers so nail-bitingly tight they would produce grey hairs in a skeleton luge driver.

Wish me luck.

4 comments:

Laura said...

Good luck!

Sara said...

Hope you made it smoothly!

I'm new to Belgium, came across your blog, and am really enjoying reading your story! I'll be back :)

Anonymous said...

Powodzenia, trzymam kciucki

Anonymous said...

An update for those followers of Pinolona's blog who might have been concerned at whether it all ended happily:
The flight was changed OK, the passport office in London produced the new passport quickly and left her with ample time to get out to Heathrow to catch the new flight. In all a remarkably stress free day in London.
It was all so efficient that by the time Pinolona's mother and brother had arrived in London to see her it was already too late and she was well on her way. Which left them at a loose end and cost a restaurant lunch followed by a new winter coat for mum (too early to catch the sales of course). Maybe it would be better for Pinolona's dad if she did not include London in her itinerary. Though he did enjoy getting to see her himself so it was not all bad! In case you did not already guess, the author of this comment is Pinolona's dad