Airport Drama; The Beginning of 'Princess Doha'
One of my excitements, after I knew I am accepted in Erasmus, would be the feeling of boarding abroad. I had never been in an international flight's departure terminal before. My longest boarding was only two hours and yet it still domestic flight. Once I got the ticket to Madrid, I was happy because that would be my first time. I checked back my ticket and my trip would transit for an hour forty-five minutes in Doha International Airport.
Before I departed, I asked my friend, Mutia - who had been experienced in international flight before, whether it would be enough for us to pass all the security posts in within a short time. She said it would be fine as long as we did it quickly. To shorten the story, I arrived in Doha around 12 am and the next flight would be an hour after. The line for security check-in was not long and I passed it quickly. After passing the security post, my friends and I could see many people with the same destination as us, Madrid, still waited in the waiting room. Even though there were 45 minutes left, we did not hear any announcement from the airport crew that telling the passengers to go to the gate. Thus, we decided to go to the bathroom right in front of the waiting room.
It did not take a long time for us in the bathroom. It was only around 10-15 minutes. Then, we shocked! We saw that no one left in the waiting room. We saw on the screen and it said that the gate was opened already. We dash to the gate. In front of the entrance, there were two big men in a nice suit stood and ready to check our passports and visas. I made a line in front of the man that stood on the right side. When my turn came, I could barely see his face because I concentrated to see the screen. It said 'Last Call'! I thought it would be quick for checking the documents. Three of my friends passed it in within a couple of minutes. Me? I got stuck. The man kept turning my passports and checked my face. I whined inside my heart, "Hey man, don't you see the photo in that visa is exactly me. I can miss my flight. Hurry up!!"
My friends who already in the gate looked at me and their face also wondering what made me so long. After another five minutes, he said something that really shocked me. If the readers read this, you guys might think that his question will be related to my identity or anything else. But, you guys are wrong!! He asked, "What is this?" while he pointed to one of the pages of my passport. Oh MY GOD! So, he was really curious about all the pictures in my passport. Well, indeed, Indonesian Passport has so many different images in every page in it. It shows the different endemic floras, faunas, traditional houses, and many things related to Indonesian culture.
It has 48 pages and he tried to ask every pages. I did not know everything inside which I regret and ashamed only know the half of it. I just could not remember their name except I was sure enough that all of them belongs to my country. However, I should make it quick since it was the last call. But, instead of I had to do what I had to do, I explained to this man about the picture. I told the name, the origin of the things, the function, and many more. I knew I was silly. He teased me by saying "Are you okay, Miss? You look so uncomfortable". "OF COURSE NOT. I WANT TO GO TO THE PLANE RIGHT NOW", I said that inside my heart. I did not have any courage to shout out that sentence to the stranger. I did not want to cause any troubles, so I simply said "Umm..well.. I am not okay, Sir. See? My friends are waiting for me, so I need to hurry". I said that while my face acted as an innocent girl. I bet I have a good sense of acting, right? (*kidding).
After I replied to him, he turned back my passport and let me go. I heard he said something to another man, but I did not give any care. I ran quickly and looked for my seat. There were no five minutes after I found my place when the flight crew announced the plane was ready to board. It was almost. I sat separately with my friend but they were in one row with me. I told them what exactly happened before and one of them made a joke by saying that the man amazed with my charm. Since that day, they always chatter to call me "Princess Doha" for a term that my charm succeeds to make me stuck in the airport and almost miss the flight. If I am really a princess, I suppose to pass the security easily because everybody knows me, right?
(Here I give the photos of three images that exist in my passport)
Before I departed, I asked my friend, Mutia - who had been experienced in international flight before, whether it would be enough for us to pass all the security posts in within a short time. She said it would be fine as long as we did it quickly. To shorten the story, I arrived in Doha around 12 am and the next flight would be an hour after. The line for security check-in was not long and I passed it quickly. After passing the security post, my friends and I could see many people with the same destination as us, Madrid, still waited in the waiting room. Even though there were 45 minutes left, we did not hear any announcement from the airport crew that telling the passengers to go to the gate. Thus, we decided to go to the bathroom right in front of the waiting room.
It did not take a long time for us in the bathroom. It was only around 10-15 minutes. Then, we shocked! We saw that no one left in the waiting room. We saw on the screen and it said that the gate was opened already. We dash to the gate. In front of the entrance, there were two big men in a nice suit stood and ready to check our passports and visas. I made a line in front of the man that stood on the right side. When my turn came, I could barely see his face because I concentrated to see the screen. It said 'Last Call'! I thought it would be quick for checking the documents. Three of my friends passed it in within a couple of minutes. Me? I got stuck. The man kept turning my passports and checked my face. I whined inside my heart, "Hey man, don't you see the photo in that visa is exactly me. I can miss my flight. Hurry up!!"
My friends who already in the gate looked at me and their face also wondering what made me so long. After another five minutes, he said something that really shocked me. If the readers read this, you guys might think that his question will be related to my identity or anything else. But, you guys are wrong!! He asked, "What is this?" while he pointed to one of the pages of my passport. Oh MY GOD! So, he was really curious about all the pictures in my passport. Well, indeed, Indonesian Passport has so many different images in every page in it. It shows the different endemic floras, faunas, traditional houses, and many things related to Indonesian culture.
It has 48 pages and he tried to ask every pages. I did not know everything inside which I regret and ashamed only know the half of it. I just could not remember their name except I was sure enough that all of them belongs to my country. However, I should make it quick since it was the last call. But, instead of I had to do what I had to do, I explained to this man about the picture. I told the name, the origin of the things, the function, and many more. I knew I was silly. He teased me by saying "Are you okay, Miss? You look so uncomfortable". "OF COURSE NOT. I WANT TO GO TO THE PLANE RIGHT NOW", I said that inside my heart. I did not have any courage to shout out that sentence to the stranger. I did not want to cause any troubles, so I simply said "Umm..well.. I am not okay, Sir. See? My friends are waiting for me, so I need to hurry". I said that while my face acted as an innocent girl. I bet I have a good sense of acting, right? (*kidding).
After I replied to him, he turned back my passport and let me go. I heard he said something to another man, but I did not give any care. I ran quickly and looked for my seat. There were no five minutes after I found my place when the flight crew announced the plane was ready to board. It was almost. I sat separately with my friend but they were in one row with me. I told them what exactly happened before and one of them made a joke by saying that the man amazed with my charm. Since that day, they always chatter to call me "Princess Doha" for a term that my charm succeeds to make me stuck in the airport and almost miss the flight. If I am really a princess, I suppose to pass the security easily because everybody knows me, right?
(Here I give the photos of three images that exist in my passport)
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