Stuck in D.C./Never Fly United Airlines

I should have arrived in Argentina about an hour ago, but instead I'm sitting in a friends' living room in Washington D.C. What happened is that last night couldn't have gone any worse for someone who is traveling on a tight schedule or a tight budget. Things started badly on the way to the airport in Boston, with huge traffic delays close to rush hour. But there were no accidents and the lanes suddenly opened up by the airport as if there was never traffic at all. The first close call was narrowly avoided.

Once I was checked in and at my terminal gate, things seemed to be going along, yet there was still no plane at the gate. However, the board said that we were "On Time." Eventually a flight attendant spoke softly into the microphone to say that the plane we were using had just landed and there would be a little delay. This wasn't a good thing.

For whatever reason, STA Travel had booked me on the 7:26 pm flight from Boston to Washington Dulles. From Washington Dulles, I was scheduled on the 9:52 pm to Buenos Aires. This only gave me about a 45 minute window according to their itinerary, never a good enough amount of time. But there was little I could do about it, and it was the cheapest option. I was a bit nervous, but knew in the back of my mind that even if I missed my connection, United Airlines would help out because it wasn't my fault the plane was late.

After we all boarded we sat in traffic on the runway as the sky got darker, and by the time we took off we were delayed over an hour. I was pretty sure by this point I wouldn't make my flight, but was surprised how quickly we got to Washington. In only about an hour and a half we made it, touching down at 9:30 pm. The whole flight they were announcing information about connections, asking people (who in the end didn't) to stay out of the aisles unless they were connecting. We were cutting it close, that was for sure, but we were confident that at the very least the tower would radio that a plane had just landed with many connections.

We were wrong. We rushed off of the plane as soon as we could and ran from gate C7 to C12, which weren't close to each other. But no one was at the gate anymore. We ran to the next one to ask for help, and the man there simply told us to wait at the gate. Going back, we could see out the window that the plane was still there. Two women came from behind the gate and as we frantically explained our cases, they unsympathetically stated that the gate was already closed and there was nothing they could do. There were three of us from Boston: a woman trying to make it for her daughters' graduation tomorrow, an Argentinian on his way home, and myself, tyring to make an interview that would have been today.

I could understand at the very least missing a flight because of delays. Those things happen, and you can't change the weather that delays planes across the globe. But what United Airlines did to us after this was inhumane, and I've never seen such rude behavior by customer service representatives. We were told to go speak to someone, and after waiting in line a few minutes they started reading off our names with new tickets for the same flight at the same time tomorrow (today). 24 hours later.

Normally when the airline is at fault for your delay (anything other than you personally causing the missed flight) they will take care of your hotel reservations, fees, transportation, and food vouchers. Just earlier this month while flying home from Quito to Miami I was bumped without my consent from my original flight. LAN put me up in a 3 Star hotel, paid for gourmet meals, and put me in business class the next day, in addition to $170 added to my credit card. United Airlines, on the other hand, only offered 50% off on a hotel, no transportation, and no meal vouchers. Even if we went to the hotel we would have to check out hours and hours before heading to the airport.

Nevermind the fact that some of us just spend $1000 on a plane ticket, but I'm broke enough as it is. It should not be my responsibility to front the cost of a hotel when their plane gets me to my destination late. I got to the airport on time, I expect the airline to do the same. This is why you bother paying so much money for a plane ticket in the first place. But the man and woman from United offered no assistance. They had 50 other people missing connections to deal with, and no one was happy because of this policy.

The woman claimed that because it was weather and not mechanical delays, United didn't have to pay for our hotel. She said no airline does that, which is a lie. Last year I was on a flight on American Airlines which was canceled because of an imminent blizzard. Say what you want about American, but at least they put me up in a hotel with meal vouchers and got me on the next flight. United, in this case, wouldn't even try to reroute us another way. There's only one flight a day to Buenos Aires, and when I told them I couldn't afford a hotel, she suggested I stay in the airport. Really? For 24 hours?

Worse still, they couldn't even give us our bags. Jokingly, the woman said if we really wanted them we could wait in line for 3-4 hours and fill out some forms. So she was basically giving us the big "FU." I guess I'll just continue to wear the same clothes for another 30 hours, no problem since it's August and my deodorant is packed away. No toothbrush either. Luckily I had my glasses on, but if my contacts were in I would be forced to wear them for 2 straight days.

I've done a lot of traveling and a lot of flying with many airlines throughout my life, and I believe this to be my first, and last experience with United Airlines. I have never been treated so unfairly, and I recommend to any travelers out there to avoid this airline, which has made it quite obvious that they are not passenger-friendly. Even through flying with cheap airlines in Europe where I sometimes questioned whether I'd make it there or not, I didn't deal with this kind of trouble. And say what you want about LAN bumping me without my consent, but at least they took care of me.

I'm missing an interview in Buenos Aires as a result of this, and the other woman from Boston is missing her daughters' graduation, as well as losing 1 of her 2 days in the city. Luckily I have friends who went to college in Maryland and still have friends in Washington, D.C. I was able to get in touch with them, and after a $35 airport shuttle, I got to my friend Kerry's apartment, where I'm spending the day until heading back to the airport.

The thing this all reminded me of was dealing with corrupt officials or backwards policies in Latin America. There, I've said it, United Airlines is as efficient as a corrupt company in a developing country. And I hope that someone from this company will read this and see that in a time of a shaky economy, where you really need to go that extra mile to win over the customers, they have failed. I heard at least 5 people say they will never fly United again. I will continue to travel and move on. If United continues these policies, I can't say the same for them.

Departure

Like a veil slowly being pulled away from my face, consciousness starts to come in as the light in the room fills the void from the chasm--on one side there is asleep, on the other awake. And before I know it, my eyelids still shut, I know that I'm awake and today is a new day. Try as I may to just remain in bed and stay in the moment, I'll eventually accept the fact that it's over, and just kicking it in bed is only detracting from the time left.

But I want to remember this moment, how I feel right now. I want that lasting image, so I stay in bed with the covers on me and the oscillating fan on the low setting, with the shades allowing only cracks of light through the two windows ahead of me and off to the right. There's perfect silence and it's gorgeous. No alarms, no babbling down the hall, no TV at all. Waking up naturally is a gift, and even though I've never been a morning person and I'm still a bit crabby after waking up on my own volition, I'm grateful for not being woken up with a jolt.

Finally, after a minute or two of floating on the bed, I vote in favor of getting up. I have to pee and there's only one thing you can do in that situation. But the bed is so firm, so comfortable, and after spending so many months on a saggy bed that creaked nearly every time I breathed deeply, I appreciate the calm of this one all the more. I don't know what my bed will be like tomorrow, but right now, in this moment, this is the best bed ever. Period.

Down the hall to the bathroom the silence continues, broken only by the sound of liquid hitting liquid, but that's alright. It's better than a honking horn. And then suddenly, like the sunrise hitting different parts of the trees and running the shadows out of town, noises start to present themselves. A voice downstairs, the distant sound of some music being played through lousy speakers, a coffee machine. These are the sounds of a home-- one which will soon be minus one person. I have all morning and afternoon to idle around before heading to the airport with my parents, so I take my time.

A small breakfast, a quick run, and a luke-warm shower. Like with the bed I want to remember this shower, and I extend it just a minute or two, because I have no idea what the next shower will be like. How much grime will be in the tub, or how bad the pressure will be. It's a random guess, but in this sweet little shower in this house I grew up in, I'm enjoying one last solid rain storm. Keeping in mind how much water would be selfishly wasted in order to reminisce, I get out and dress. A small lunch is all I need because I'm having a way too early dinner around 3 or 4 o'clock, one last time for mom's fajitas that I love so much. Then off to the airport.

Still here though, with just a couple hours left to spare. It drags, the sky gets darker, and a thunderstorm is on the horizon. I wonder if this will screw up my flights, but I've previously learned how to just take it all as it comes. If it rains it rains. And if the plane is late or doesn't arrive at all, at least I had my last comfortable sleep, decent shower, and favorite dish at home. One way or another I'll get to where I'm going, but I'm not even here anymore. So many people, myself included, have been down this road before. I'm used to this. Yet it's always something new. Something different to look for. I'm alone now. I'm on the road now.

All Set to Go, Again

Final preparations have been made, and with the exception of some last minute, day-of packing, I'm now ready to leave for Argentina tomorrow night. Last night I had a final dinner with some friends, and tonight I had dinner with my family. After the dinner I saw some of the friends one last time, and now it's just a matter of hanging out tomorrow until I leave for the airport.

My first flight from Boston to Washington, D.C. is around 7:30 pm, and once I get in there I only have a short window of time before the connection on to Buenos Aires. I'm excited and ready for it, though there is always that bit of sadness that comes with saying goodbye to a familiar place and friendly people. I just hope I can contain some of the excitement and be able to fall asleep easily tonight.

I will try to continue blogging throughout the process, but it might be difficult to do so for the next few days, what with all the moving around and all. The very day I land in Buenos Aires, Friday morning, I have an interview with a potential employer. It will undoubtedly be a bit difficult to find my way around the Metro and neighborhoods, but I've been going over the maps and trying to familiarize myself with the city before actually getting there. Hopefully the jet lag after a red eye flight won't rough up my interview too much.

From here on out it might be quiet for a few days, but don't worry. Soon enough I'll have blog posts all about the journey and how it has been getting adjusted to Argentina. And I will try to have a camera on me as I get accustomed to the new country, taking interesting photos and videos as well. Keep tuned in, as it will be a series of discoveries and adventures up ahead.

A Year in the Making: Then and Now

I'm getting ready to leave again, this time for Buenos Aires, Argentina. Thursday night will be my last time in the United States for a long time, and I'm not sure when I'll be back home. I have no return flight, and if the right job comes along and things are going well, I'm not going to rush home. I've picked up most of the things I need, bought new clothes, and even have a new lap top to boot. All I have to do now is pack.

So I'm thinking about how I felt a year ago, preparing to leave the U.S. for a year of teaching in Ecuador, compared to how I feel now, going for probably at least a year to live in Argentina. Obviously, things are much different now. I've already got a year of experience in South America under my belt, thought I know things will be so very different in this new country I'm going to. For one thing, people refer to it as "European", rather than "developing".

I've been to Chile and Uruguay, but never to Argentina, despite the fact that my mother is from Buenos Aires and I've always wanted to go. I guess I've been saving the best for last. Having traveled all throughout Ecuador and parts of Peru, I can already attest to the differences from the countries in central and northern South America as opposed to those in the south. Basically, life will be nearly totally different from what I was experiencing in Ecuador.

Before leaving for Ecuador I was nervous, unsure of what lay ahead and what would happen to me. A million different images of what Ecuador would be like ran through my head, none of which were correct. So much uncertainty hung in the air, so much depended on being able to deal with whatever happened with a smile. On the exterior, I told people I wasn't nervous and was pumped to go, but inside I knew that wasn't entirely true. Alone in a room at night before waking up early to leave, your true emotions show themselves.

A year later, almost to the exact date, I'm not feeling that way anymore. I just barely got home really, and I'm still in a state of semi-reverse culture shock. I'm still amazed by some things, and these American prices continue to perplex me. But I'm looking forward to going back to South America, especially since it's to a country that I've dreamed of going to for so long. I don't feel nervous, even with the uncertainty of going down without a job waiting for me. I've survived in a country that can make life difficult at times, and I'm confident that I can deal with almost anything now. In fact, it's a little bit strange now when things get accomplished with too much ease.

I'm also going to enter a new sort of life. I have dual citizenship in Argentina, and all I need to do (hopefully) when I get there is sign a paper and apply for my DNI citizenship card, and then wait for the passport many months later. Barring any terrible delays, I'll be just like any other Argentinian, sort of. But for all intents and purposes, I won't just be another foreigner in another country again...sort of. I'll be able to vote, get a bank account, and even pay taxes (so excited!). This will also enable me to receive free health care.

These past weeks at home have passed by quickly, as I expected, and luckily I never felt bored. But I can also see myself spending some more time at home, which wasn't something I was fully prepared for. But it's a good thing, because it means that I'll have something to come home to, whenever that may be. For now, I'm keeping my eyes to the horizon and looking at the map, wondering what will come up next.

Simmering in the City

On Friday afternoon, after receiving a clean bill of health from the doctor, I headed into Boston to meet up with some friends. I always tell people who aren't familiar with the area that I'm from Boston, but I really live about 30 minutes south of the city, so I don't spend too much time running around in my "hometown." But now more of my friends have moved into the city, so it's easier to go in for nights out.

My plan was to spend Friday and Saturday in the Boston area, and on Sunday drive to Amherst, almost 2 hours away to get some great food. One last big thrill at home. So on Friday I headed into town and, though I was lost at first because there never seem to be any street sign in Massachusetts, I eventually parked my car across from my friends house in Allston. From Allston, I took the Green Line into Boston to meet up with my friends after work. We had bought tickets to see comedian Dave Attell perform at the Wilbur Theater, and we were happy with the performance. Though dirty, he manages to somehow keep it in check and not lose the audience.

After the show we grabbed burritos, headed back to the apartment in Beacon Hill for a drink, and then went out to a bar/club called The Good Life. It could have been a cool spot, but there was only a small circle for a few break dancers, and there was no way I was going to get in the middle of that. After a while we'd had enough and flagged down a taxi. But a girl was getting out slowly and we waited politely. Once we got in the meter still said $9.40, so we told the driver to reset it. Apparently, the girl told him we would pay for her cab and he believed it.

The driver had an accent and I could tell he didn't speak English very well, and I was genuinely mad that the girl thought she could just blow off a cab like that. We were going to go back into the bar to find the girl, but the driver just decided to cut his losses and move on. After that fiasco we just got some pizza and headed home.

The next morning my friend Dan headed off to the Countryfest Music Festival in Foxboro, while my other friend Dave who lives in Allston picked me up. We grabbed breakfast, met up with some other friends, and eventually made our way to Hampton Beach in New Hampshire. By the time we got there many of the crowds had already left, and we had a good section of the beach to ourselves. We played football in the water, but eventually high tide came in and we ran out of beach, literally pinning us against the rocks at the retaining wall. It was time to go.

Back to Allston we went, cleaning up and eventually heading out to a party and then a bar until closing time. But somehow, after walking a friend back to her car and then watching some TV, we didn't get to sleep until 4 am. And by the time I woke up at 6 am the heat and humidity were already very high.

My other friend Dan was still in Sharon after the concert and he had to take the commuter rail into Boston. I picked him up at 12:30 pm and we headed off for Amherst, our old college town. We'd been talking about going back there for a day to eat at our favorite places for about 6 months, and it was something that kept me going every time I had a lousy meal in Ecuador. Now we were finally going to do it.

One of the things that always irked me about driving out to Amherst was driving on the Mass Pike. It's just so open, with nothing to look at but a million trees, and with hardly any exits, you have few chances to pull off in the event of heavy traffic, which always happens. Today was one of those days. Shortly after starting the trip traffic was bumper to bumper, and we were backed up for 14 miles with 2 separate accidents. The temperature was 96*, and the air conditioning in my car was broken. As a friend said, it was hell on wheels.

Both of us were sweating profusely, and we had to pull off at the rest area to get drinks before passing out. We were seriously considering just pulling off at the next exit and turning around. Neither of us had eaten and it was getting late, and I was wondering if it would really be worth the hassle. I was dehydrated and feeling dizzy. But we had also been thinking about the burritos from Bueno y Sano and the pizza from Antonio's for months. It's mouth watering food, I tell you.

We kept driving, each give and go on the clutch wearing on my feet. I was leaning towards going home, but Dan wanted to go on. So we did. For miles we dragged until finally it broke and we were free. A trip that normally takes between 1.5-2 hours with lighter traffic took us almos 3.5 hours. But we were back in Amherst, finally. We parked the car just as rain started to fall and went straight for Bueno y Sano, our favorite burrito joint.

One of the best aspects of the Bueno burrito is the wrap. An underrated aspect of the burrito, we believe that a truly great burrito needs to be held together, so that you can stand it up and it won't fall apart. Bueno burritos normally go above and beyond with this test, but today we were ordered the Grande's, and I guess there was too much for the wrap to handle. Both burritos started falling apart. It was disappointing, but still delicious. Nothing beats those burritos.

Once we were satiated, we walked around for a few minutes and maybe 25 minutes later headed to Antonio's Pizza for our second meal. We both got the Chicken, Bacon, Ranch pizza. It was tough to finish it after a grande burrito, but we had to. It was too good and we'd come too far. The meals were successful. We'd only been in town about an hour, but it was time to go. We quickly drove around the UMass campus to see the changes and started the trip home.

Hitting some light traffic on the way back, I finally got Dan to South Station by 7:30 and was home by 8 pm. A very long travel day, and perhaps it was too much. I'm still not sure if it was worth it, but the food definitely justifies the hassle. And maybe in another year we'll do it again. Just hopefully with less traffic and sweating.

My last weekend was fun and I was able to see some friends for the last time. I'm off to Argentina on Thursday, and a whole new set of adventures will begin. But I'll always be able to come back to Boston and have friends here. It's nice to know things like that.

Confessions of an Economic Hitman

Today I finished reading "Confessions of an Economic Hitman," by John Perkins. Perkins, who started out his international career as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Amazon in Ecuador, wound up becoming a large factor in U.S. foreign policy that helped shape our world today. But not for a good reason, as the title might suggest.

Perkins details in his memoir about his involvement with a now defunct company, MAIN, working out of Boston. MAIN was an engineering company that secured projects all over the world for such things as electrical plants and dams. Basically, Perkins job was to travel to developing countries and "trick" international banks with inflated profit margins. With these bogus projections, he was able to secure enormous loans, knowing that the countries would never meet those goals and never be able to repay the loans. But that was the point all along.

In essence, this was another form of slavery or feudalism, currently known as Globalism. These companies, and by association the U.S. government, wanted these countries to fall behind on their loans so that they could exploit their natural resources when needed or call in favors at the U.N. Mostly, these natural resources dealt with oil. Perkins does not try to hide his own involvement, talking about how he had to lie to representatives, pimp for Saudi princes, and mislead people with his resume and expertise. Perkins worked with MAIN in countries like Indonesia, Panama, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, as well as having knowledge of Ecuador, Venezuela, and Iraq and Afghanistan.

This book can come off pretty technical, and for someone like me who never really studied economics, it was at times a bit confusing and dry, but the author also tries to put it in a context and language that everyone can understand. It's an incredibly revealing read, and an eye opener indeed. For the last few days I've been feeling a bit down and finally realized today that it was mostly after reading in this book that I felt worse. What is revealed in the pages is a scheme that the United States has been pulling off for the last half century, forcing its hand in the politics of other sovereign nations, and removing democratically elected leaders when they refused to give in to corporate demands. It's a hard thing to learn.

However, before we go patting Perkins on the back for being such a thoughtful whistle blower, we have to remember that he was in fact an Economic Hitman who helped in furthering that system of corruption and drawing countries into tremendous debt and trouble. He should be lauded for finally quitting his job and speaking out against it, but he is also guilty of some crimes, if not legally than morally. But, there is something to be said about admitting wrongdoing and trying to make amends, which he seems to be doing with his non-profit organization, Dream Change.

Perhaps I find this so interesting because I have just spent 11 months in Ecuador myself. I have driven over the very dam he describes by Ambato and have been through the town of Shell, named after the oil company. Having lived in this country, the words take on a new meaning, just as the parts on Indonesia or Panama would mean more if I'd lived there. Perkins writes about how he started out in a volunteer organization and convinced himself that he was still doing these countries good by putting in projects in their countries. As I'm interested in a career in international relations, and having just finished a year of volunteering, I'm going to use this book as a guide and hope that I don't fall into the same trap, and to see to it that I'm actually helping a country, rather than exploiting it.

I highly recommend reading this book even if you've never heard of these places or have no concept of economics. In the 11 months in Ecuador many other volunteers had recommended it and I had to wait until I got home to get a copy, but the wait was worth it. If nothing else, it will enlighten you to some of the things that our nation does in the name of progress.

Above: Photo of John Perkins, by Daniel Miller, from Dream Change.

Boredom Sets In

Being home so far has been great. I've been able to catch up on some rest and relaxation (as if I was totally stressed out beforehand anyway) and hang out in the suburbs after living in a heavily polluted city for 11 months. I've continued running and biked a bit too, hoping not to gain back too much weight after losing so much in Ecuador, which I don't think was a totally negative thing anyway.

After buying a couple of books and a Lonely Planet guide to Argentina, I've been keeping as busy as I can be by reading for at least a little bit each day, and in the last two days have really stepped it up by trying to finish "Confessions of an Economic Hitman," by John Perkins. It's interesting to read this book because in addition to talking about other developing countries, the author writes about his own experiences in Ecuador, and it's always cool to read about a place that you know so well.

I've seen friends, and though I haven't seen them all or as much as I would like to, it's still nice to catch up with those that still want to. I've eaten better food and drunken better beers, enjoyed nicer weather and a wider array of television programs. Though I have to admit, my enthusiasm for television has severely dipped, and I can hardly sit down in front of the TV long enough to finish a 30 minute show. I don't necessarily think that is a bad thing though.

I'm now working on a new lap top, a MacBook Pro, and have been getting adjusted to it over the last week or so. Things are going well, and I've already started to forget some of the habits that using a PC tied me down to for so many years. So I've kept busy, which is always a good thing as long as you're okay with it. But today, after reading for a while and watching a movie, already having run over 4 miles and checked my email a dozen times, I realized that I was itching. I was ready for something else. I'm bored.

It's normal to have these feelings, especially after living in such an exciting environment for almost a year. The tranquility and relaxation of suburban life was a welcome relief for 10 days or so, but now I'm starting to crave the city again. Or at least to crave something to keep me going a bit longer. It's harder not having much to do and anticipating so much that lies ahead of me. Before I had to worry about heading down to Argentina with no job, but in the last couple of days I've been contacted about several interviews for the week after I arrive in Buenos Aires. So now, knowing that something is waiting, I wish I could get to it already.

Even if I am getting bored, I only have to remind myself that I have just one week left of it. If I had no return date at all, I might see this as a serious problem, but instead I'm seeing it as just the calm before the storm. Buenos Aires will be a crazy party city with plenty of opportunities to meet people, experience a new culture, and burn through cash and time. So if I need to spend a few more nights idly watching movies in the basement and reading, I think it's a fair trade.

And there's really nothing wrong with getting bored from time to time anyway. It's good to have those extremes to keep you in check and help you better appreciate the fun times. If it was a crazy party all the time, that too would eventually get old and be lame. Just like you sometimes need to embrace sadness like a warm blanket, it will allow you to feel the total opposite of true happiness at another time. And to really deserve it. No sweetness would be the same without the sour.

So for now I'll continue reading and getting by for the next week, enjoying the end of this little vacation, and hopefully keeping busy enough to ensure that I don't go totally crazy. In 7 days I have a boring 13 hour flight, after all.