An Expensive Omelet

I woke up at 5am this morning. I guess the jet lag is still getting me and I get extremely sleepy in the afternoon. However, I am doing pretty well coping with it—the key is to forget completely about what time it’s in San Francisco right now. A few hours sleep on the airplane also helped. I was delighted when my name was called at the airport before I boarded the aircraft, informing me that I was upgraded to the business class, which means that I can lay down my seat almost flat like a bed. Although the food wasn’t good, actually the fish was awful, but at least I got a cloth napkin on my table, and I didn’t have to pay for the food. Then there was a problem! No, not the airplane, the food. The crew in San Francisco forgot to load omelet for breakfast as printed on the menu! Passengers were left with fruit and croissant. I thought it’s not a big deal, but the flight attendants were totally apologetic and gave us a form to redeem some compensation. 5,000 miles to be credited to my frequent flier account because I didn’t get an omelet for breakfast. That’s definitely a very expensive omelet! Considering the airlines try to charge everything now, I am pleasantly surprised by this gesture. I guess classes do matter when it comes to treatments. After I arrived London, I found it was awfully quiet for being London. It turns out that it was "Summer Bank Holiday," whatever that means. I know that I don’t like it, because so many places were closed and I couldn’t easily find a place to eat, even British food is not something I am looking forward to. I have been to London a few times before, but it’s still fun to be a tourist wandering around before I head to Southampton. I had a hard time trying to find a restroom to pee around the Queen’s house, especially when some criminal just raped a woman St. James’s Park that day, so polices secured the area when I passed by. That means the only toilet in the park was also closed. I could have learned from the horses doing it right there, but I should show more respect to the Queen. Who knows? Although that probably will never happen, what if I become one (a queen) someday? http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf Taking the train to Southampton was a challenge. I couldn’t buy a one way ticket from the ticket machine. Later I found out that it would be more expensive to buy a one way ticket than buying a round trip tickets, and I had to buy in a queue at a ticket window. After I got on the train, I was told that I must move to the first four cars because the rest cars would separate from the first four and head to a different direction. When I tried to board "the first four" cars, it read on the door: "This is couch number 6." I am luck that I actually understand English. What if somebody doesn’t and tries to take a train? And I don’t even thinking about driving, that will be a whole new story. I checked in Southampton, quieter and really have nothing to do around here. To my surprise, I am able to find a few decent restaurants next to where I am staying, although in the cafeteria at the University of Southampton, everything looks like from the kitchen of the "two fat ladies," which don’t look pretty. I am fortunate that I don’t go there for school. The life is peaceful in Southampton. Hopefully a cute bartender downstairs—on his second day at this new job when I met him last night—can add some vibe to this city, where Titanic departed and sank. However, where I really want to go right now is home. Can’t wait.