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January 20, 2008

The Liquid Smile

I was sick yesterday.

I was supposed to meet a couple of co-workers by the cathedral in Freiburg before catching a train to fly out of Frankfurt to Paris. I woke up early to pack up my hotel room but I found that I had to keep taking breaks. I would sit down at the end of the bed and stare at my shoes. All I thought was that I really needed to get some breakfast.

I wandered down to Starbucks, the closest place to the hotel to get something small, and I bought a piece of lemon loaf and a cup of tea. I brought it back to the hotel room. After finishing the tea I felt even worse.

I checked out of the hotel and got a taxi to the train station. I collapsed into my seat and was awoken about half an hour later by the agent wanting to validate my ticket. She told me that the train I got on didn't go to the Frankfurt airport station but went to the Frankfurt main station instead: I would have to transfer at Mannheim.

My stomach was in knots. I was hot and cold and hot and cold. There was no doubt about it. I was really ill.

An hour into the train ride I couldn't keep it together. I ran for the bathroom and smiled a liquid smile.

"In two minutes, we will be arriving into Mannheim station," said the conductor.

And there I was, smelling like half-digested lemon loaf, in the train bathroom. I was barely able to rinse myself off before I got to my bags and stepped off the train.

I had ten minutes before the next train was to arrive. I wanted to find a bathroom and clean up. I struggled as fast as I could only to find the station's bathroom was guarded by a turnstyle much too small for my luggage. It wanted 50 cents. I had no change. I couldn't have even asked someone to watch my bags if I had wanted. I resigned myself to smelling pukey for 10 more minutes before I could clean up on the next train.

Finally, I had made it to the Frankfurt airport terminal. I'll I had to do was to check in and wait for the plane.

"Sir, your bags are 9 kilograms over the limit."

"Yes, but I am gold elite status, isn't there an allowance?"

"No sir, Air France does not have a weight reciprocity agreement with Northwest Airlines. I can give you a plastic bag to carry on items from your baggage."

I moved the bulk of my clothes to a large plastic bag, checked in, and went through security. I slept for 30 minutes before the plane came.

As soon as we were able to move about the cabin I moved right into the bathroom again and joined a different set of folks in the mile high club.

At the airport I took a taxi to my friend Mika's house and said hello to her mother. Within minutes, I was asleep at 6:30. I slept clean through until 7:30 this morning.

Now I feel well enough to eat again. Hopefully I'll feel better for this busy week!

Posted by jordanh at January 20, 2008 4:43 AM

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