Thinking Out Loud

 "If you missed your ride, just wait for the next one. 

But if you lose a person, it's over."

With my Hands

While we were on vacation in New Orleans with our children last September, I specifically told Jay that when we're in Breda for his work, he must go if he is invited by his Dutch colleagues to hang out after work.

Well, today is his first day of work here in the Netherlands. 

I woke him up at 6:10 a.m. to become ready to go down for an early breakfast at 7. 

His work starts at 9. It would be a shame if he came in late when his work takes place at the conference room on the first floor of the hotel we're staying at, Hotel Nassau.

I decided to work in the morning in our hotel room. Although all of my online shops are set to vacation mode, I just needed to update information in the spreadsheets.

Oh, let me correct that. "I TRIED to work" was the exact term. 

I've been very sleepy during the daytime here and the opposite of that in the evening. I was too sleepy to even consider getting lunch. I was just too tired to drag myself out of bed.

By 2 p.m., I was starving. I decided to get ramen at FoodHall. It's a 6-minute walk from the hotel.

I got a gyoza ramen, and oh, I made sure I brought my water flask because water isn't served gratis in restaurants. 

I walked back to the hotel after my late lunch, and I took a nap. 

By 4:50ish, Jay sent me a text message that they're heading out for beer at a place called Big Belly Bar and Restaurant, a 4-minute walk away.

Once again, I had no intention of eating dinner. I was simply too exhausted. Just too sleepy to think about what food to get.

By 7 p.m., I finally got out of bed and walked to Bao Ramen Kitchen. 

More than anything, I just wanted to eat with my hands. So, I ordered takeout of their crispy roasted pork belly and a side of rice. 

I couldn't finish it and set it aside. Also, I wished this came with a vinegar dipping sauce.

Jay came back at 7:30 p.m. and said that he didn't have dinner yet. They only had beer and appetizers.

So, I offered him my leftovers. The problem is he's not really keen on eating using his hands, and the takeout didn't come with chopsticks or a disposable spoon and fork. 

And because he had no choice, he also ate with his hands. 

to NL

Jay booked an Uber on Saturday for our trip to Dulles International Airport for the following day, Sunday, at 1 in the afternoon on November 2. Our driver was Nelson, but by Sunday morning, it changed to Jose. 

We left the house at 12:56 p.m. because he came earlier, but before Jose started driving, he reminded us to check if we brought our passports and ID.

The ride was smooth. Fortunately, we avoided any traffic jams. By the way, his car was clean, didn't smell, and was roomy. 

I was able to work and read a little before boarding. I had to answer messages from customers in my two online shops. One wanted to purchase a button-down short-sleeve shirt, and another wanted to buy more of the mother-of-pearl necklaces she purchased a couple months ago. I hope they will still be interested in purchasing those items when we get back in a few weeks. 

It started boarding 30 minutes before the scheduled departure, but about 10 minutes after boarding time, an apology was heard, and it was said that there was some delay. 

I made use of the time; I informed my children and my little sister of our flight status via the FlightAware app.

The plane finally taxied at 7:02. Our schedule was at 6:10 in the evening, bound for Amsterdam. 

I was worried about who I would be sitting beside because Jay's employer booked his ticket. 

Although our children encouraged me to also get a ticket in the same ticket class, the price difference is just too wide. I'd rather spend that money on food, shopping, and other adventures in the Netherlands. 

I told the mister that riding with him nearer the cockpit wouldn't make a difference. However, there is a huge gap in terms of the price between ticket classes.

There are differences in every class in terms of comfort, service, and menu, but that's alright. 

All of us will arrive at the same time, right?

And the argument was over, and I chose the cheapest fare. 

I chose the seat by the aisle, and I was seated beside a little Asian American girl. She was traveling with her mom. I wasn't sure of what descent they were until she introduced me to her little sister. In the gap between two seats in front of me, there were tiny brown eyes smiling at me. I said hi to her, and the girl next to me said, 

"That's my little sister." 

I waved to her little sister. Her tiny fingers waved back, and then she shifted her gaze to her sister and said in her tiny voice cheerfully... 

"Eonni!" 

 They were Koreans. 

The little sister in front sat beside their dad. 

By 8:25 dinner was served. Thank God, finally! I have been famished for a little over two hours already. 

I had a salad with vinaigrette dressing, a piece of bread with butter, beef Bolognese lasagna, and chocolate cheesecake for dessert.

At 9:58 p.m. someone needed medical assistance. I didn't know if there was any medical professional on board, but I think the passenger felt better. He was moved to the seats near me. There were about 6 seats, the farthest back of the first row. I think they were for the flight attendants. 

By 10 p.m., the little girl's mother asked her to sleep, because according to her, they wouldn't be able to check in at a hotel in Amsterdam until 4. 

I scoot a little to my left so the girl will have enough room to lie down. 

I watched a few episodes of a Korean drama that I downloaded from Netflix many months ago, Miss Night and Day. 

An hour to the destination, breakfast was served. At first, I decided on a cinnamon roll but changed it to a sweet and spicy waffle and sausage sandwich instead. I had hot tea with it.

A half hour before landing, I applied moisturizer with SPF on my face, combed my hair, and was done visiting the lavatory.

We landed at 2:00 a.m., Washington time (8:00 a.m. in Amsterdam). 

At 8:06, Amsterdam time, I got a message.

It said, 

"Abot na mo? Ingon ni arrived 6 minutes ago." 

( "Have you arrived? It said (on the app) it did 6 minutes ago." )