Day 37

The benefits of being a girl:

It's a amazing what a smile with a touch of courteousness can get you.

The Situation:
We were both checking out of the hotel at the same time, and I overheard him saying he'd be back in 10 days. I instantly thought to myself, he stole my line. In the last month, I've checkd out of the Walmont five different times.

We ended up on the same shuttle to the airport, the same bench, side by side. He started talking to me, and I struggled to gather his words. From Jerusalem, name is Mosha, in English it's Moses, and is here on business. We both ended up checking in for our flights, standing in the same line, side by side. I did my best to understand his explanation to me that my bags would be overweight, and how to avoid paying a large sum of money. I played rearrange with my luggage, while he held my place in line.

We landed in South Africa, and ended up walking down the terminal together, side by side. He offered to carry some of my belongings, and I let him be the gentleman. We finally went our separate ways, he checked in for his flight to what sounded like Ethiopia, but I know that wasn't it, and I checked in for my flight to Washington, DC.

After passing through security 30 minutes later, and making my way towards my gate, I shouldn't have been shocked when we were walking through security, heading towards the gate, side by side.

His business class status was enough to get him free access to the lounge, where free food, drinks, internet, and nice restrooms are in plenty. My messily economy status doesn't have those same benefits. But for $2000 more I could upgrade to business class...I decided to pass. He tried to articulate that he wanted me to come up to the lounge with him, and I tried explaining that I didn't have his same privileges. I went along with it anyway, knowing what his true intentions were.

We entered the lounge, and like predicted, a fee was required for me to pass go. My options; pay $40 US dollars, or R250, which equals to $25 US dollars. I'm still trying to digest why they have two different prices, but either way, I would be entering the lounge. What else do you do on a six hour layover? Bless Mosha for pulling out a $50 bill and granting me free access to internet, food, drinks, and a 10 minute awkward conversation before he had to catch his flight.

Sometimes being a girl comes in handy. Too bad my "charm" didn't snag me an upgrade to business class for my 19 hour flight home. It worked for my 45 minute flight to South Africa.