Sifting through my past

I passed through passport control with ease. No queues, only Korean efficiency. As I came through customs, though, I was targeted by security. They could read the fear on my face because as I came off that flight and took my first steps in Korea I was carrying the full weight of my decision with me. I had jumped into this so fast I barely had time to accept what I was doing, where I was going and how truly different it would be. I was just desperate for different.

So my baggage was put through an x-ray before being dissected with gloved hand yet again. My luggage had been sealed shut with not only zip ties but plastic wrap, the kind only South African airports seem to have available for travelers. It became obvious early on that the awkward Korean security official designated to search through my bags, spoke very little English. Using a box cutter he battled his way through my security measures. As he finally unzipped and unclipped my bags he begun to remove and examine everything I’d chosen to take along with me from my past. I soon began to feel guilty and worried. So I pointlessly explained everything in his hand.

“It’s an antihistamine, for my allergies, I sneeze a lot,” I say as he opens up every box of my four month supply and pulls out the foil casing to examine it. “Oh those are vitamins, so I don’t get sick, I use a lot of vitamins. Do you have vitamins in Korea?” I ask. No response, I suddenly feel a little awkward. He then goes for my four month supply of birth control pills. “I take those so I don’t get pregnant, so I don’t have a baby.” As the words come out of my mouth I instantly regret them, I’m feeling even more awkward now. I should have just said they were birth control pills I think to myself, at least he wouldn’t have understood that. I resolve to keep my mouth shut from this point. Next up he pulls out my supply of tampons. I’ve brought a lot with me, apparently you can’t get them out here. He opens up one of the boxes, pulls out a tampon and curiously stares at it before placing it back in the box and setting it aside, so as to search through the other boxes I’ve brought.

So it continues, I stand there for an hour. Eventually he’s pulled everything apart and satisfied I’m not smuggling drugs or weapons. His curiosity gets the better of him and as he replaces everything, he can’t resist, and asks me about the tampons. “What these?” he says, in his basic English as he waves a tampon around in the air. I’m laughing to myself now, it’s my turn to make him awkward. “For ladies,” I explain. “We use, once a month,” I continue before he blushes and says, “Oh sorry.” Needless to say I was on my merry way shortly after that.

Arriving in darkness

Korea Air was my first taste of Korea, literally. The airhostesses wore a pastel coloured uniform, their khaki, white and teal was in stark contrast to the navy blue of the SAA staff. Most wore some shade of pale pink on their nails. I became very aware of my bright red nails as I slid them under the food tray. Their skin was smooth and paler than I expected, not a strand of their silky hair was misplaced, tucked behind a stiff ribbon-shaped teal hairpiece.



I unashamedly stared at the people around me as the airhostesses came around with the food. I strained my ears to hear what was on offer. I couldn’t tell, too many loud clubs meant my hearing wasn’t capable of deciphering their soft spoken voices, or was it that they weren’t speaking a language I recognised. As the two Koreans seated next to me received their food I peered over at the choices. Airline meal number three and I was already queasy, I needed to know whether this was worth stomaching.

I watched as the one begun putting food from various containers into the empty bowl in front of her before squeezing a bright red sauce out of a tube and mixing it all together. The other meal looked more like something I’d recognise, rice and what looked like it was probably, hopefully chicken. The, by now all too familiar, sound of the trolley coming my way drew my attention to the airhostess on my right hand side. Chicken and rice or *insert strange sounds here*. No hesitation, chicken and rice I say. She gives me a, how unsurprising, look as she hands over the food, smiles and nods her head.

I tuck in, not too bad, better than SAA actually but still I need to get a real meal, something that hasn’t been prepared at 40 000 feet. The food is soon cleared away, and then comes a nice surprise, strawberry Haagen Dazs. I haven’t had that since I lived in the UK. What I didn’t know then was that Koreans love ice-cream. It’s everywhere over here. In fact if it’s sweet it’s on the shelves, it’s the salty snacks that are hard to come by. I’m yet to find salt and vinegar crisps.

It’s dark outside, nighttime in Korea. I can’t see my surroundings as we come in to land. Not like when we arrived in Hong Kong. The plane came in on an airstrip that jutted out into the ocean, you couldn’t see the ground and it felt as though we were landing on the water. As the plane turned toward its designated location the beautiful backdrop of mountains came into sight and I became filled with the excitement of my new surroundings, my new adventure. This time my arrival was shrouded in mystery.

Stepping Outside of South Africa

When I stepped off the SAA flight in Hong Kong, I stepped out of a world I knew and recognised. I was changing airlines so, would have to pick up my baggage but I had no idea where I was going. I followed the english signs that said exit assuming they'd eventually lead me to the baggage reclaim. After what felt like at least 2kms of walking I got to where I needed to be. I had no idea what the time was but knew I only had two hours between flights which didn't give me much time to check my stuff in.

Heavy luggage in tow I found my way to the departures check in. My flight was booked with Cathay Pacific, so I look out for their symbol and find my way to an open check in point. I promptly get redirected, apparently I'm not in business class. No surprise there. Then when I get to what I think is the correct check in aisle I'm turned away agian. Turns out I'm not booked with Cathay Pacific but with Korean Air, my flight booking was changed. I sift through the wads of printed paper I have and find my most recent flight print out. Ah my mistake. “Where is Korean Air?” I ask. Aisle G I'm told.

I walk to the end and get in line. I’m a little over weight and I’m worried she’ll charge me extra, I don’t want to have to dig into my dollars. I’ve got the heavy stuff in my handbag though, the big bottle of bodywash, shampoo and conditioner. Necessary beauty comforts. Who knows what they use in Korea. No problem my stuff makes it thorugh.

I on the other hand don’t. As my hand luggage goes through the x-ray point, they pull it aside and search through it with gloved hands. I feel like a criminal. “Can not take,” the security guard says in her basic english as she waves my bottled beauty products in my face. “Why?” I ask. Beginning to panic at the thought of having to abandon them. The giant half a litre body wash is hypo allergenic and I have very sensitive skin. I protest to myself. I’m going to need that to come with me.

“100ml maximum,” she says as she points to the 500ml measurement on the bottle. New flight regulations, thanks to terrorists. The South African airport security hadn’t seemed too bothered though. Typical, World Cup soccer security is clearly up to scratch I think.

“Can I check it in? I have to take it with me,” I explain to her.

She repacks all my things, keeping my liquids aside and escorts me out the back exit, and I find my way back to the Korean Air check in and the woman who had helped me. I explain my predicament and she goes off while I stand there for a while wondering what she’s going to do. She returns with a box and some duct tape. My stuff is sent on its way. What a relief I’ll have my non-allergenic body wash because God knows what I’m getting myself into.