Planes

So, we left Seattle at about 6 in the morning. I don’t remember much of Seattle-Philly, except that I was between two strangers and I curled up on top of my fold-down tray and tried not to think of Fight Club.

The second flight was less pleasant, despite the better seating. MG and I actually got a seat together, but after napping for the first flight, I was unable to sleep for the second. I’d borrowed my sister’s green messenger bag for the trip, and ten feet from the plane, the strap broke. So, I was sitting there fuming. Every time I tried to get something out of the bag, the strap would flap into the aisle and demand that I move it.

The really memorable part of the flight was vaguely horrifying. I’d dropped my pencil or deck of cards or book or something. I bent over to get it, and felt the seatbelt pop. I looked down to the buckle, and it was still attached. Um? With the gentle strain of a bending summer-fattened Kristin, the seatbelt came loose from the seat.

I was sitting there freaking out. The airlines insist we wear seatbelts. Obviously they keep us from just falling over during turbulence, but the absolute “SEATBELT SIGN ON” thing always left the impression that it could help during a bad landing, or even a small crash. Maybe the jet would miss the end of the runway, and run smack into a building, and those obedient few would crawl out saying, “Wow, I’m sure glad I was wearing my seatbelt. I could have really been hurt,” and those who shunned the Seatbelt light would be sitting there, freaking dead.

I pushed the flight attendant button, and one of those really stereotypical overly-made-up middle aged women arrived. I just held up my seatbelt. She gave me this really bored look, and told me to stand up. She picked up the seat cushion, and started trying to snap the belt into place. She couldn’t quite get it, but another flight attendant snapped it in right away.

So, some conclusions could be drawn from this.
1. No one was worried, SO
2. This must happen all the time, SO
3. It is not just my random bad luck, SO
4. There are a number of faulty seatbelts everywhere that will give out with a few pounds of pressure, SO
5. These seatbelts have little to do with our safety, SO
6. Why do the airplane people keep telling us, fasten your seatbelts, keep your seatbelts fastened, when they see this enough to look bored?
7. Also, I’m a little bit paranoid.

I was tempted to just leave the stupid thing unbuckled for the rest of the flight, but...I buckled it every time anyway. I just wasn’t happy about it. Back to Fight Club, anyone? (I really need to stop watching that so much. Brad Pitt’s character asserts that the oxygen masks are just there to give us an oxygen high, to make us more cooperative. But like I said, Brad Pitt.)

I am angry.

Remember how I kept saying I'd fill you in when I got to Berlin?

Julie said said said we'd have internet. Maybe not in every apartment, but we'd have a wifi spot in the building. Sooooo guess what? Kein internets!

I am currently sitting in a cafe a decent walk from our apartments, because its internet is free. (You are still obliged to order something, and it is not cheap.)

I am pissed. Everyone I've talked to is pissed. I could pretty much kill at this point. If Julie had actually, you know, come through, I probably would be up to Switzerland in my story by now. As it is, this blog seems incessantly useless, because I am not carrying my widescreen laptop through Kreuzberg every day. I may be able to type something beforehand and then do one big post in a week or so.

I don't think I can even afford to update my HOMEWORK blog. That's what at least Rachel is telling Julie, and I plan to do the same. I'm not paying for these expensive little cafe thingies when I have good, cheap food in the apartment. We paid good money for these apartments, this program, and we expect internet, particularly because the program demands we BLOG everything.

I shall try not to explode.

Don't worry, less than a week until I have time to do an extended entry.

There are people waiting for the computers, and a 30 minute limit. Let me say that Roma has been fabulous, and I can't wait to upload my pictures and show everyone.

Forgive me, but I have no time to spellcheck these...
We've been to:
the Colloseum
Palantine hill
the Roman Forum
Piazza Popola
Piazza Navona
Piazza Spagna, including the Spanish Steps
St. Peter's, including the Dome and the Crypts
the Vatican Museum, including the Sistine Chapel
the Pantheon
the Fountain of Trevi
a number of smaller churches and fountains and stuff

And, well, they were amazing. I have ten minutes left, so, yes, description later.

Buongiorno! Non posso mangiare i frutti di mare. Arrivederci!

It's far too early for me to be up...

Ouzo: tastier than you might think.

So, I'm in Napoli!

Wow. It is really astonishing how hard it is to get around without Italian. Ah well. We haven't really done anything besides get to the hostel yet. I'm waiting for MG to get ready, then I think the plan is going to a flea market? I have a novel-length account of my exploits in a notebook (I had to do something on the train), and I'll probably transcribe abrdiged sections to this once I get to Berlin. It feels weird trying to write anything until then.

Luzern has been my favorite so far. I did not expect to be so moved by the lion, and I can't be sure it wasn't partially because I hadn't slept in over 30 hours, but it was amazing.

Just in general though? The Swiss landscape, the old stone buildings, the beautiful mountain lake...all perfectly amazing.

The train ride through the Alps was also pretty impressive. We only wrote in our journals while we were in tunnels, and spent the rest of the time looking around. There were all these incredibly adorable little towns! In parts, the mountains were clear, in others there was mist exactly like my last hike. Then we started playing cards with a couple of guys from Holland, which is another story entirely.

So far? Italy is just plain hot.

Well, I'm in Switzerland.

Do trips ever go exactly as planned?

Our time in München was gorgeous, our time in Frankfurt sucked beyond belief. Don't stay at EasyBed24! Don't do it! Humorous tales to follow when I have more than 8 minutes and a non-satanic keyboard. Suffice it to say I haven't slept in 35 hours, missed a train, and am a little bit out of it.

Luzern is gorgeous!

Byebye.

Okay, folks, I'm off. Goodbye, Ciao, Auf Wiedersehen!