17.10.09 (Saturday, also known as Donkeyday)

Donkey missed flight to Kathmandu.

You believe or not this morning I missed a longed-for scheduled flight to Kathmandu as a result of being minutes late to the Nepal Air check-in counter. I am one meddlesome parent who always reminds his three-yes, three and not one- children who are studying abroad not to miss check-in times for their outgoing flights. So how could I myself have become totally unaware of the check-in time for my flight to Kathmandu? Me a donkey, what else!

18.10.09(Sunday, also known as Sadday)

Early sign of senile dementia?

I was told that some folks in the Rawang coffee shop- where my siblings and I regularly take our breakfasts-bought 3-digits and 4-digits upon hearing news of me- a supposed-to-be learned and clever lawyer- missing my flight. They just thought up some silly numbers matching with my embarrassing airport experience. Good thing that none of those numbers were drawn. If otherwise my misfortune would have sent them laughing all the way to the bank. Whatever, they would remain a bunch of happy losers all and they would still stake their money on those numbers in the next 2-3 draws.

By now they have probably spread the news about a 'read-many-books' lawyer missing his flight, all over Rawang town.

I have been wondering all day long what those other 10 members of our team are doing in Kathmandu. What tourist spots have they visited? What things have they bought there to get ready for the long journey? Will I be less prepared for the long walk without two days of preparation in Kathmandu?

Will they just laugh out loud at my missing flight experience when I show up tomorrow?

What if they can’t find me or I can’t find them? To be prepared for any contingency I had in the morning exchanged for more US dollars just in case money-changers in Kathmandu don’t accept Malaysian Ringgit. I had also messaged Mee Poon, our team leader, “Don’t wait for me. Catch up with you in the mountains.” I figure that that is not hard to do because they are supposed to be moving on in one direction following a well-beaten trail around the Annapurna mountains of Nepal.

I have been telling my family that I would go to the airport tomorrow morning at 3 a.m. to wait for the counter to be opened and be the first to check in!