It was an uneventful return voyage home to Ireland, overall.
The main thing that cast a long dark shadow on my layover in Heathrow was Aer Lingus (a.k.a Aer Pirates) charging me £260 for my 'excess' baggage weight. Yeah, apparently you are only allowed 20kg IN TOTAL on flights from the UK to Ireland. So naturally I was overweight (ahem!) because I had two 23kg suitcases. The strange thing is every single time I've taken this route that is how much luggage I've had, and this is the first time they've jerked me around and robbed me blind IN STERLING.
I called the baggage department today to plead my case and was informed that the complaints department can only be contacted by FAX or snail mail. Actually. It boggles the mind. So rather than getting in touch with Horatio and asking him to deliver my concerns post haste, I will just use my tiny blog to say
Aer Lingus is the worst airline in the world. Never fly Aer Lingus. Ever. Unless you like being robbed by a woman in a bad green suit with too much makeup on.
When I arrived in Limerick I bumped into a mother /daughter duo from California at the airport who were heading to my neck of the woods, so I offered them a lift. They were great company for the long drive and kept me awake for the duration despite my lack of sleep for >30 hours.
And now I am here, sorting and unpacking, assembling and organizing.
When I went to buy some breakfast staples I caught myself frozen with a vacant stare directed towards the milk aisle, remembering the weekly argument that Tobie and I would have over whether to get low fat or regular coffee cream. Loneliness comes crashing down hard when you least expect it.
OK OK OK I promise not to make this blog an homage to Tobie and a constant whine about how much I miss him. I am back in the hospital in 3 days which means I'll have plenty to whine about soon enough.
I am actually getting a little scared. What should I wear? Who will my consultant be? Where will I park? Is the cafeteria food edible? A tiny tiny part of me is also excited. But I really have no idea what being a medical student on clerkships in Ireland is all about. So I am mostly scared.
It's going to be an interesting ride*, that I am certain of.
Tomorrow I am driving back to Old Town Where The University Is to say hello and goodbye to some of my classmates who are now scattered around the Eire, also getting ready to start placements.
Hello 3rd year.
*I really need to drop that word entirely from my lexicon.
The main thing that cast a long dark shadow on my layover in Heathrow was Aer Lingus (a.k.a Aer Pirates) charging me £260 for my 'excess' baggage weight. Yeah, apparently you are only allowed 20kg IN TOTAL on flights from the UK to Ireland. So naturally I was overweight (ahem!) because I had two 23kg suitcases. The strange thing is every single time I've taken this route that is how much luggage I've had, and this is the first time they've jerked me around and robbed me blind IN STERLING.
I called the baggage department today to plead my case and was informed that the complaints department can only be contacted by FAX or snail mail. Actually. It boggles the mind. So rather than getting in touch with Horatio and asking him to deliver my concerns post haste, I will just use my tiny blog to say
Aer Lingus is the worst airline in the world. Never fly Aer Lingus. Ever. Unless you like being robbed by a woman in a bad green suit with too much makeup on.
When I arrived in Limerick I bumped into a mother /daughter duo from California at the airport who were heading to my neck of the woods, so I offered them a lift. They were great company for the long drive and kept me awake for the duration despite my lack of sleep for >30 hours.
And now I am here, sorting and unpacking, assembling and organizing.
When I went to buy some breakfast staples I caught myself frozen with a vacant stare directed towards the milk aisle, remembering the weekly argument that Tobie and I would have over whether to get low fat or regular coffee cream. Loneliness comes crashing down hard when you least expect it.
OK OK OK I promise not to make this blog an homage to Tobie and a constant whine about how much I miss him. I am back in the hospital in 3 days which means I'll have plenty to whine about soon enough.
I am actually getting a little scared. What should I wear? Who will my consultant be? Where will I park? Is the cafeteria food edible? A tiny tiny part of me is also excited. But I really have no idea what being a medical student on clerkships in Ireland is all about. So I am mostly scared.
It's going to be an interesting ride*, that I am certain of.
Tomorrow I am driving back to Old Town Where The University Is to say hello and goodbye to some of my classmates who are now scattered around the Eire, also getting ready to start placements.
Hello 3rd year.
*I really need to drop that word entirely from my lexicon.
7 comments:
Just remember- it's no longer "are you allergic to any medications?" You now have to ask about allergies to dog breeds, too.
Heh. Indeed. That *and* bioidentical hormones...
:)
Yay! I'm glad you made it safely! Good luck in Ireland!! :)
Welcome back to Western Europe! I can't believe you're back to school in 3 days - I promise to not gloat over the time I've still got off ;)
Yeah, Aer Lingus, Ryanair, EasyJet - they are all out to get a fast buck from you and it really sucks how much you got stung for.
Hope you'll enjoy being back - I'm sure the next trip back to Canadia isn't too far away :)
When in doubt, just percuss it.
When you asked the mom/daughter duo if they would like a ride - did you get a funny look from the others at the airport?
You were sure taken for a ride with that excess baggage.
Ya, I can see where they get that definition! ;)
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