Tag: dubai

I flew to nice with emirates because L is a ‘platinum’ member, and he could nominate a person as a ‘gold’ member, which seems somewhat unfair to others. Before I met L, I have never traveled with emirates, and all of sudden, I find myself enjoying all the perks as someone who flies every so often. The benefits(of gold tier) include: 

1. Fast check-in, boarding, and luggage handling.
2. Free Onboard Wi-Fi 
3. Access to selected worldwide lounges
4. Being greeted with a ‘welcome back miss xyz’, which makes the least sense to me

Because the Dubai international airport lounge took my airport lounge virginity, Sydney Airport Emirates lounge was not impressive, especially for a 6 am morning flight. 

The breakfast options were quite basic, resembling an Ibis Budget brekkie with choices like cereal, bread, butter, jam, waffle, pancake, yogurt, granola, eggs, and hash browns. I expressed my disappointment, and L jokingly asked, ‘Why did you even stay in Ibis Budget?’ Comfortable people should acknowledge that normal folks sometimes opt for budget options. I’ve slept in worse places, like a random motel in Denham, West Australia.

The Sydney lounge lacked cuteness, so boring to be honest, during breakfast hours.

On the other hand, the Dubai International Airport lounge offered a variety of menu options. While I should have meticulously noted each section for a potential blog post, I’m relying solely on my memory. The lounge had a snack bar offering pub-style food such as wedges, fried chicken, fish, a small salad bar, and pizza.

This section was bustling, being the nearest dining area from the lounge entry, where most people grabbed a quick bite before their flights. For an economy seat person like me, the lounge sounds like a buffet to fill your hunger, considering airplane food is never any good. However, if you’re flying business class, the meals are of much better quality. I assume people don’t venture beyond the snack bar unless they’re starving.

The business class meal is more balanced and less carb-concentrated (though the bread roll was unlimited if I wanted so, a flight attendance was walking around with bread basket and kept asking me if I wanted more). I had beef ribs and it’s hard to fail to cook beef ribs, it was good, bit too mushy if I have to criticize.

Champagne, cheese board, and other snacks(olives and such) are unlimited too but sadly, my tummy is only one.

Eager to explore as a lounge virgin, I ventured towards the ‘silent zone,’ which had chair-beds in one side and office chairs(and desks) other side  for working or napping.

There were 2 or 3 more ‘fine dining’ areas that, as they call it, change their menu based on the season or time. The standout for me was prawn congee for breakfast,

along with smoked salmon, tabouli, baklava. The options were overwhelming. Bars and coffee machines were scattered throughout the lounge, offering a variety of beverages.

It’s a pleasant experience to shower before the flight (so I can sleep the whole time), but it’s always quiet. The lounge has around 10 individual shower rooms with a hairdryer and a toilet inside. You can ask the staff for a toothbrush and razor if you want to shave (I saw another guy ask for it). Don’t forget to ask for slippers; they’re the best – I wore them until I arrived in Sydney and discarded them at the airport. They have a faux mink fur inside, providing warmth and coziness. Even if you fly economy, Emirates gives you a pair of socks (and an eye cover, toothpaste/brush) in a cute sanitary pouch, which I appreciated.

The Dubai International Airport Emirates lounge also has a separate gate for boarding, which I think helps you save time – if not, what’s the point? From my experience in business class, not only do you get comfy seats and quality meals, but you also save a lot of time. For instance, your bag has the ‘priority’ tag, so you don’t have to wait forever for your luggage at the baggage carousel. 

I had a discussion – not really an argument – about boarding preferences. I’ve always boarded as late as I can to avoid sitting in the same small seat for extra minutes. Yet, with a business ticket, I found myself at the boarding gate before the actual boarding time because the seat is comfy, and they offer welcome food and drinks before the flight. L, on the other hand, advocates for opposite, providing various reasons, but I’m not convinced. We talked about it very seriously three times so far.

We’re keeping a list titled ‘L Told You So’:

• Do not wear a white tee in flight: I like white teeshirt and I dropped raspberry jam from the dessert and I’ll never be able to get rid of the stain. The dessert was good… white chocolate mousse Dom filled with chocolate sponge sheet and raspberry jam I think.

• Nice will be cold: I never believed it, 10-15 degrees sounds okay to me with some cardigans and knit but YOU WILL NEED A PUFFER JACKET if you plan to visit Southern France in January. I went to Paris in autumn and I thought Nice will be like Hawaii or Okinawa. It gets really cold at night and the night is long. Sunset is about 5pm and the sunrise is about 8am. I’m from Sydney where sunrise 6am sunset 9pm!!
• Get lower dosage of NICORETTE®: I OD-ed on 4mg x2 gums and I had to throw up big time and had to drink kids’ nausea syrup. At this point L didn’t nag too much I think he’s getting used to it

List goes on and on, despite being a nominated GOLD MEMBER™ by PLATINUM™, I tend to be stubborn and not listen to L’s advice. L believes it’s because no one has ever disciplined me in my entire life, and I’m not accustomed to comfortably listening to someone’s advice.?

In conclusion, if you can afford it or if your boyfriend wants to spoil you, why not fly Emirates business class? It’s comfortable and nice. (Dear Emirates, would you sponsor me in the future? UwU)

This post is not affiliated with Emirates airline.

“Wanna meet me in Dubai?” L asked.

I was in Korea for the first time in 5 years. Pandemic, poverty, the uncomfortable flight seats that make my tailbone hurt for a few days – packing and unpacking that takes forever, Often, I would carry my unpacked luggage from one trip to the next. How about nosy taxi drivers that ask thousands of questions from the airport to home or vice versa? Over time, the routine grew tiresome. Money was the problem too. I was busy at putting food in my mouth and my dog’s, that’s it. When I didn’t have money to spend, I ate less, I did not buy things, or did not go on a trip, that was easy.

People asked about my pre-Xmas holiday if I’m excited, if I have been missing my parents much, but I was actually overwhelmed by those questions and the fact that I’m not at all. Dentist, biopsy, nosy mum, and awkward dad – everything about Korea stresses me out, and it made me suffer from constipation to diarrhoea.

As I expected, Sydney to Seoul flight couldn’t be worse. I thought that I’ll never fly again unless I can afford the bougie class while looking at the people who were sleeping peacefully in those tiny seats. The plane was packed, no movie seemed interesting (except I watched the element for 45 minutes or so), didn’t have internet or couldn’t pay for the internet, and there was no Powerpoint or type C port (only USB A, thank you, Korean airline), didn’t have gin only had vodka and OJ(with pulp)…

I hated it from 0 to 100. “I don’t know if I can do this again 2 weeks later,” that was my first word when I saw my mum at the airport.

And what? Dubai? Another 8 hours?!

L is resilient. He has been like this from day 1 and maybe his entire life. Unlike me, I give up. I give up so quickly and easily that sometimes I give up before I even try. I never even try the fullest because then when I fail, I can finger myself that I didn’t try my best and will probably (in fact, never) do from next time. But I know, there’s no such ‘next time’ in our lives, and that’s why I like L so much or I don’t know, you’re attracted to someone who features something that you don’t.

It’s not uncommon that people ask me out for a dinner date. It happens every now and then, but I never say yes. I do not want to do things that make me uncomfortable even it’s FREE. With strangers, it’s easier to have sex than have dinner with.

My excuse usually goes:

1. Be honest: I am not comfortable, I’m shy, I don’t drink and party… etc.
2. Not honest but still true: I’m not hungry, I won’t be hungry.
3. Start to make up stories: I’m busy(which I am never), I have a plan for that night already(I never go out).

People then give up on me too. They probably think that it’s not worth the effort or i’m hard to convince or i’m not fun, whatever the reason is, but L never gave up on me (yet). He had to look after +1 when it was our first night out(She drank a lot…I didn’t drink at all that day.), he had to walk the dog at late night on random date night, sometimes he had to blow my nose, and more…

“Come to Dubai, habibi?” Not gonna lie here I didn’t want to. If there’s cities that I never considered traveling around, Dubai would be one of them. I just never thought that it’s going to be good. What do I do there – ride a camel and visit the mosque? What about food? I never even heard of UAE food, to be honest. I may sound very open-minded, but I am not. I am a close minded typical conservative korean princess fussy eater. I also thought that they gonna send me back anyway to where I come from because I have many tattoos and I act not Muslim.

L works in London and I was in Korea, and Dubai, in fact, was in the middle. It sounded okay (with no better options) if we can spend time together for the weekend. Still, I just told my mum that I am not sure if I want to fly again, and look. I had to fly another 16 hours for the 72 hours. L didn’t give up and kept asking, and I said “okay, whatever.” Not only because I missed him a lot, but also an unplanned trip like this was what I used to like before when I was healthier and younger. I hated everything, including myself, so much in reality, so I used random travels as a tool to escape reality.

While we were in Dubai, L asked me twice: Why did you go to Thailand? Why did you go to New Zealand? I could not answer really because there was no reason.

When I said yes to Dubai (that was less than 24 hours to flight), my mum was quite upset about it. Mum said, “You know sometimes I miss you so much and it hurts in the chest.” I didn’t understand and said back to my mum. “I don’t feel anything.. am I weird?” I think it’s because I was trained not to. My mum is a true social butterfly. When my parents were not separated yet, they used to argue a lot because my dad is like me: anti-social and autistic. He didn’t understand why she has to go out every so often. I was involuntarily trained not to be lonely and feel the missing whenever she was out for socialising, and dad was not very nice to me because he’s upset. I don’t feel such thing, I am but chronically sad. L calls me emu because he’s old and doesn’t know the word “emo” or merely, mistyped.

The flight wasn’t bad because I am an easily adaptive person. There was internet, comfy seat, bigger screen, plus I prepared calm-down meds. Dubai itself wasn’t that bad either. They didn’t put me in a jail cell because I didn’t wear a hijab or burqa and walked around no-bra (but still, people look at me until I get burnt my face from their eyes). Everything is so luxurious and gigantic, from what they drive to what they’ve built, but I would still never go alone. We got lost at the Dubai mall, had great food (but not authentic UAE food), drank, meet his another friends(I wonder where about he does not have his friends), sat by the pool, gym, sauna, sex until our dick and pussy got sore. Can’t complain about anything if I look back the moment when I saw him at the airport for the first time in 2 weeks. wait, I said I don’t have such a feeling, because I am involuntarily trained not to, didn’t I