The earth is rounded 2

Near the place I stayed...



A smart way to park smart.


Anyway, the next day I woke up at 5:30, I headed to the Airport. Very convenient to go to the station which was just one minute walk from the accommodation.

Frankfurt (Main) International Airport. Of course, it is 10 million times bigger than Frankfurt Hahn.

I arrived there early. Had some chat with friend who works at the airport, then went to the gate.

Despite smoker-unfriendly-Europe, this airport is the exception. There are smoking area everywhere. You don't have to smoke in the cage-like smoking room like Narita or Helsinki airport, here you just stand in front of smoke eater (machine). It is easy to observe what is happening at the departure gate when you are smoking.

Today, the gate area where most westbound flights leave, was crowded. Me as stand-by passenger, have to wait until every passenger get on board. Yes, people who are still hanging around the gate are quite likely the airline employees travelling on stand-by.

The one I take today is United Airlines (guess what, it is the airline where I used to work until recently) UA945. Gate agents are Lufthansa(Star Alliance Group) handling agents.

Around the time when I thought I will be called momentarily, a lufthansa femail agent shouted,

"Mr. Hidekis?"

That's my name. Finally!

But strange. Instead of giving me a boarding pass, she passed me an emergency mobile phone that usually used by airport staff. What a.....

"Hullooo..?"

I answered powerlessly as I was so hoping to get on board, sit back and relax as soon as possible.

"Ah, Hidekis? Long time. It's Maria(fictional)"

Ohm? After flashing quick thought, I now remember an ex-colleague who were transfered to London.

"Oh hey, long time. Aren't you supposed to be in London?"

She explain that she was transfered once again as she speaks German well.

"By the way, the flight you are taking is very full. All passenger has boarded and there is only 1 seat left that is Business class. I hope it will be yours."

Oh. I thought it won't be busy flight as midweek.... Who has priority for employee stand-by traveling? It's Seniority. There are a few people hanging around the gate. Knowing there's only one seat left, I was watching those people in an agressive way..

"Mr, Uh.... Hidekis?"

Not too confident how to pronounce my name, but Yes, that's my name. I jumped and showed my happiness.

I threw myself into a nice, confortable Business class seat, and of course, asked for Champagne.



New livery United Airlines Boeing777 pushed back on time...

The earth is rounded 1

Sometime in the late May, I was at Dublin airport in the early morning. Temperature was 2degree, my appearance was absolutely winterlike.

This was already my last large holiday of this year. Hidekis who used to work for an airline company has a set of free ticket to Japan left. Only one thing I do not like is that I have to take flights via USA which takes twice longer than the ones via Siberia.

Anyway, this time I have some additional destination within this holiday, and the first one is Frankfurt, Germany. I was to meet old friend there to have dinner. My ex-ex-work place was an airline company who does not opperate between Dublin and Frankfurt, so I had to buy a ticket.

It was about a month before the holiday, most of the airlines are already expensive, I dont know why. So the conclusion was to take Ryan air to Frankfurt Hahn. I did not want to take it but did not have any more option.

Frankfurt Hahn is not in Frankfurt. That's a chatch. It takes more than 2hours buy bus to go to Frankfurt city.


Arriving at Hahn, there's absolutely nothing. In the air side, there was just an Aerofloat cargo DC10. I got on the bus to the city and waited for departure. A poor old lady who believed that she bought a flight ticket to Frankfurt Main (international) was complaining to the bus driver. Of course it was not driver's fault.

Driver: "Have a look around, madam. There's nothing. This is so called -Middle of nowhere"

...Well, did he have to assure that? I don't know.


The place where I stayed that night was just near the Hauptbahnhof (central station). How close was it?



It was litterely in front of the station. So convenient.

But I want to speak up here. I can not at all imagine it is the place where World cup take place. The signs in front of the station is nothing to do with soccer. It was so calm and boring. 4years ago when the world cup was in Japan, there was Adds everywhere in Tokyo. People were excited about that. Even in New York where I visited later of this holiday, in the States where soccer is not very popular, it was like a photo below.



Well, I was a bit dissapointed about it. But the food in the restaurant I went with my friend was very very good. So I forgive you (who?)

Coming next: unimaginablly long flight journey...

Back from Japan

Hi there.
I am back from Japan for holiday. I will not going back to Japan until next year, so I wanted to do as many things to do as possible.

I will be writing about the trip for a few weeks and show you some photos. For now, good night...