SATURDAY, JAN 19, 2008
I think I was the first person amongst all those who had partied the night before to wake up. I know Shonn didn't wake up will past noon!!! I was up at 9am. Took a shower and was back to packing.
There were several people going to come today to clear up what was left in the house.
3pm: Johnnie and Narrisa come over to pick up.... THE TV!! Allen had left his car at my place the night before, so, he had come to pick up his car. And Charlie had stayed over. So, Charlie went to get lunch for all of us including Shonn. Johnnie also took several items from the house which made the house start to really look like I was no longer going to be living there.
I had to make a run to the storage one more time and when I got back, Gill, John and the kids came by to pick up the desk and other miscellaneous items. Auntie Sally also came over to take food stuff that I didn't want to go to waste. By the time they left at around 7:30pm, what was left in any of the cabinets in the kitchen... went into the trash. The house was now left with my luggage (4 pieces), Shasta's crate, a foldaway bed/couch and a bed (which Steven would come by and pick up the next day after I had left) and small items that were still needed to get by today and tomorrow morning. There had been progress but it's hard to empty a house and leave immediately for the airport.
I was supposed to have dinner with Shonn, Troy, Allen and Matt at Matt's place as they watched UFC, however, there were still small items in the house to pick up and I started doing that. The next thing I knew, it was almost 10pm. I called and they said to just come over. So, I went over. They had decided not to order in and so we went out for dinner. We were going to the Hawaiian place on the corner of 19th and Taraval but as we approached that area, we realized that there was a black out, just in that maybe 4-5 block vicinity. So, we went to Shonn and Troy's favorite restaurant down the street... King of Thai.
I didn't want to stay out late as I still needed to take care of Shasta's crate and wake up and feed him and sedate him and stuff so, shortly after 11pm, we parted company. I went to bed shortly after I got home.
SUNDAY, JAN 20, 2008
This is the day.
It doesn't matter at this point if it was a good idea or not to move back to Singapore. It IS going to happen today.
I am nervous for Shasta. 90% of animals that travel make it. Many make it but suffer some kind of anxiety problems after. Shasta's chance of making it is high, but, then again, who knows?
I feed him and then take him out for a walk. This will possibly be the last time over the next 24 plus hours that he may get to take a regular pee and poop. He will have to it in the crate after he is checked in at the airport.
I have enlisted the help of Charlie, Matt and Allen to come help me take all the luggage and Shasta and crate to the airport. Matt and Allen show up at 8am. I am almost ready. There are several items that still need to go to storage, but Allen has so kindly volunteered to do that for me.
We load up and head to SFO.
Everything moves along rather smoothly. It takes us a while to find someone with a flatbed trolley to take Shasta's crate but it wasn't too bad. I have 4 pieces of luggage to check in and pay for the excess luggage charge. Charlie is watching Shasta a few feet behind me. He has to remove Shasta from the crate because the airport staff have to drill holes about 1 inch big in the back of the crate. Apparently, crates have to have holes on all sides and this one did not on the back. It takes 5 people almost 40 mins to figure out how to charge me for Shasta traveling as excess baggage!!! At one point, there were 4 people standing in front of me looking at the computer!!! We finally get all of that done and then I have to take Shasta to a TSA inspection point. It is not the same TSA inspection point as human beings.
At the TSA Inspection point, I am asked to remove Shasta from the crate and the TSA person inspects him and then the crate. After that, when they are convinced I have only a dog in the crate, they whisk him off directly to the plane. I have about 30 mins left to boarding and I go join Charlie, Matt and Allen for breakfast. And then I clear security.
Charlie, Matt and Allen. Once again, a HUGE thank you for your assistance with taking me to the airport and then going back to the house to clear up everything else there. I really, really appreciate your kind assistance!!! Dinner and drinks on me in Singapore!!
I did not get my upgrade and so, I'm in poor man's class on one of the world's worst airline. I'm not looking forward to the flight. They are going to serve me inedible food!!!
Flight was uneventful. In the middle of the first section to Narita, I ask the flight attendants if I can go see Shasta. The answer is expected. No. I'm getting a little worried as the plane shows the outside temperature as -79 degrees F. All I have been told is that Shasta is going to be in the cargo hold. I know that is not going to be -79, however, it can't be 79??? Can it?
Upon arrival in Narita, I ask to see Shasta again and am told that it is not possible. However, they will check on him for me.
This is what they actually meant: " Sir, your dog is on the plane."
Thanks! Is the dog on the plane dead or alive??
They don't know. For the entire hour and a half in transit, I couldn't get anymore information out of them except that Shasta was on the plane.
Because of my concern about the temperature, I had emailed Jessica when I landed and she managed to find out that livestock is actually kept in a separate cargo hold that has pressurization and heat. That relieved my worries a little.
On time, I got on my next section to Singapore.
This portion of the flight was equally uneventful. We arrived in Singapore half an hour early.
There is a bunch of procedures that I need to take care off right now.
United will hand him over to Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS). SATS will then have to deliver him to Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA). This usually happens within minutes of the flight landing. However, AVA closes at 10:30pm and the flight's scheduled arrival was 11:59pm. Even though we arrived at 11:30pm, AVA is already closed and I would have to go to the "Lost and Found" section and tell them about Shasta's arrival. I will have to present them with some documents and first thing the next morning at 8am, SATS will deliver him to AVA. I kind of made the lady I was speaking with promise me he would delivered by 8am and she was agreeable with it. I also requested her to get someone to check up on him to see how he was and I was told he is fine. I'm not too sure what "fine" means but as long as he is alive, that's part of the battle won. I collect my luggage and meet up with Jessica and my parents and head back to my parents' place where will be staying the night. Tomorrow is another day of more procedures with Shasta.
Shasta and I have arrived safely in Singapore. The first day in Singapore will be related in a separate posting. As stated in another posting earlier, upon arrival in Singapore, the temperature is 81 degrees F and almost 100% humidity. The fun is about to begin.
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