email643.xml

email643.xml

born-digital

email

unknown

yes

2002-08-31

Date: Sun, 9 Sep 2001 15:23:10 -1000 (HST)
From: Jeff esmond@hawaii.edu
To: Undisclosed recipients: ;
Subject: Re: how to get to!?

Hi Emi,


My ride is in 35 minutes and i still have to return my bike!
My first thought is I'm gonna take the Narita Express.

I will check email when i get to singapore airport where i will spend the
night.

I have one problem. My two bags I checked in, I mean packed are HUGE and
HEAVY. I hope it's not a problem. And I hope its not too much to store at
the airport in Tokyo.

Okay, I better get going!!!!
aduhhhhhhh......


Aloha,

Jeff
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 06:03:00 -1000 (HST)
From: Jeff <esmond@hawaii.edu>
To: Undisclosed recipients: ;
Subject: my new home

Hi,

Well I'm scouting around the airport for a place to set camp because who
knows how long I may end up here. I'm at Singapore Airport and I guess I
was literally taking off from Jakarta when the events in New York began.
I'm flying United in 7 hours but who knows what will happen.

In spite of that I had a great day in Jakarta and I'm very sad to leave
Indonesia and kinda wish I was there right now instead of at the airport.
Unfortunately I cannot acces the Business class lounge for United until it
opens at 4:30 am. which is the time I can check in.

After a lot of hassle I managed to check my two giant bags straight
through to Narita from Jakarta while reducing the overweight baggage fee
by hundreds of dollars. All this I managed to do in Indonesian. Maybe
thats what helped?

Love,

Jeff
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 06:08:37 -1000 (HST)
From: Jeff <esmond@hawaii.edu>
To: Undisclosed recipients: ;
Subject: Re: how to get to!?

Hi Emi,

Did you see the news before you went to sleep or after you wake up?

I guess it happened as I was taking off from Jakarta and I'm here in
Singapore Airport and really feeling kind of alone and who knows how long
I may be here if United tstops flights, nonetheless I assume there will be
delays due to heightened security. Can you keep track of my flight so you
know when to expect me? Unitd 890. I cant wait to see you and get through
this flight.


Aloha,

Jeff
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 06:16:35 -1000 (HST)
From: Jeff <esmond@hawaii.edu>
To: Undisclosed recipients: ;
Subject: united website


there's a short note that says all United flifghts worldwide are suspended
until further notice.

Love,

Jeff
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 06:21:09 -1000 (HST)
From: Jeff <esmond@hawaii.edu>
To: Undisclosed recipients: ;
Subject: singapor


well i'm sitting here at the airport. seems the events in NY happened as i
took off from Jakarta and here i'm supposed to make my connection to tokyo
in the morning but the united website says all flights worldwisde are
closed. good thing i brought my actuarial tables

Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 13:08:01 -1000 (HST)
From: Jeff <esmond@hawaii.edu>
To: Undisclosed recipients: ;
Subject: ok


Of course I was the first person in this airport to nkow that United
flights were cancelled and I went down and tried to do something about it
but they did not believe it. So it took me all nite because no one wants
to do anything or its all closed. Finally at 4:30 the united desk opened
and i was the first person. they told me they'd try to get me through Hong
Kong. People with destinations in the US were given hotels and told to
expect a few days.

Finally at about 7:00 which is a few minutes ago I got my ticket and I'm
boarding Japan Airlines at 8:00, only 40 minutes after my first scheduled
flight direct to Tokyo. I'm glad. I dont wanna stay here. It seems safe
here though at the airport, who knows. It's pretty empty all nite and
everyone whj flew in didnt know. Most like me passed the tv's and saw the
crowds but I didnt wanna sit in front of the tv all nite.

I'll try to let you know after I get to Japan.

Love,

Jeff
Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2001 16:39:20 -1000 (HST)
From: Jeff <esmond@hawaii.edu>
To: Undisclosed recipients: ;
Subject: chicken kiev

Aloha,

I:m in Tokyo using a Japanese keyboard.

would you believe that the first meal here I had was chicken kiev! Emi
asked her Mom to make something western after knowing i:ve een eating rice
for two months and so chicken kiev it was. I asked her Mom what she
called it and I heard a lot of japanese words and then in the middle i
heard the word kiev.

anyway, i got on the japan airlines flight and it wsnt even full. people
whose destination was the US were not allowed on the flight so i guess
most people were not just going to tokyo. there were not very many
americans onboard and the seat next to me was empty. they woulndt let me
convert my united business ticket to buesinsess but it was okay. it was a
very quiet flight but i dont think it was because of what had happened
but rather because the japanese were just naturally quiet, they didnt have
faces of concern like i had so i just relaxed and it was a decent flight.
it was an md11, not a 747 to my surprise for th 6 hour plus flight. Each
meal got a free little bottle of wine.

after i got here, just like last time three years ago, they had to go
through my bags at customs. after being travelling for two days via
jakarta i wasnt clean shaven. fortunately they didnt go through every
thing. i checked my giant bag in for storage but since its so expensive i
took my extra heavy bag to tokyo and lugged it around for a long time at
shinjuku station which was overwhelming at all the people there running
ast me to catch their trains. it was typical jpapanese. the only
difference between the packed tokyo trians and the packed jakarta trains
was that in jakarta they dont close the doors so that people can hang out
andthen they also get on top of the train.

anyway, i was so exhausted last nite after barely sleeping at singapore
and on the plane that i just had to go to sleep before trying to email.

i:m scheduled to fly home on the 24th. i:d much rather be here with people
i kno w than in singapore which is so boring even though the foood is
so
good. but i:@d really rather be back at my little hut in bali.

Love,

Jeff

9/9/01 - 9/12/01

Flying through Asia