Random Encounter I
Having coffee at Astoria on Saturday with Bishop Junior and suddenly hugged from behind by G, who I have not seen for a couple of years as she only moved to Wellington two weeks ago. She mentions she is off overseas the next day, so we agree to meet up when she is back.
G calls me in somewhat of a panic on Sunday afternoon. She had encountered a minor problem at the airport – her passport had expired. And yes she is blonde. I am the only person in Wellington who has known her for more than a year and can verify her photos for her urgent passport application. In between cracking up with laughter, I of course agree to meet her asap. DIA, impressively, are able to get her a new passport within 12 hours.
Also in a fit or irony, she was telling me a story about someone that she herself didn’t know, but related to a role he has. Around ten seconds after she finishes telling me the story, we bump into him and I have great pleasure in introducing him to her.
Wellington is a small place.
July 24th, 2007 at 11:20 pm
in june 2004 I turned up at Wellington airport on a sunday afternoon two hours before my flight to Auckland and on to LAX. On checking in I was told that I could not travel because my passport was “too worn”.
Matters were complicated by the fact that I’d been dropped off at the airport by my girlfriend and had her 13 year old daughter with me. Her father was supposed to come to the airport to pick her up before my flight.
I phoned the DIA, took a taxi into Manner’s Mall and got a new passport, manager to meet Anastasia’s father there (and got a ride back to the airport with him). I missed my flight to Auckland but got the next one and had to jog between the domestic and international terminals in order to get to my flight as the final boarding call was made.
July 25th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
3 years ago my boss ( wife ) and myself went to the US and travelled on 3 international flights. Upon returning to Auckland, customs asked me how long I had had my passport. I replyed about 7 years and had used it to enter 5 countrys, they started laughing and suggested it might be a good idea for me to sign it or they might not let me back into the country, so much for airport security.