first world problems
Out of context: Reply #1552
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- Khurram1
So things went from bad to worse. I arrived at the airport on the 31st and tried to checkin for my flight to Taiwan and I was denied a boarding pass.
Turns out, and I sort of knew this, that my passport needs to be valid 6 months for entry into Taiwan the day I arrive. My passport WOULD have been valid, as I had timed to arrive there on 31 January. Unfortunately, because of the corona virus situation, I was now arriving on Feb 2nd - which meant my passport would now only be valid 5 months from date of arrival.
And so I was refused at the airport. The edibles I had taken just hit me as I stood at the checkout counter, mouth aghast, wondering what the fuck i do now - my apartment rented out to someone else, my stuff in storage, big suitcases by my side - nowhere to go.
In the end, i managed to get the last flight from Montreal to Manchester, at the cost of over $1,000 - add to that the 1000s i'd blown on my ticket to Taiwan, no longer valid, and the acomodation I'd booked there i couldn't refund.
So now I'm staying at my mum's house in England for a couple of weeks until I regroup. Which I guess saves me $1000 in terms of what i would have spent in Taiwan on fun and entertainment.
I have onward tickets from Taipei to Philippines then to Tokyo and accomodation already booked - so i need to get to Manila on Feb 13th - and shell out for another flight - but now i'm reading corona just killed someone in Philippines and i don't know what's going to happen with that.
But i'm going to persevere with the 3 months of travelling I had planned no matter what. Even though I'm out $2000+ now for nothing. Thankfully im' prettty affluent and have a thriving business so i can take the hit.
Anyway, FML right now.
- I'm going to hire a car and drive around Japan and see the cherry blossoms blooming and possibly spend a week at a Zen retreat. Planning itinerary now.Khurram
- Whoa.
Intense @Khurram, BUT consider you're alive AND living life in a non -traditional way. #Godspeed
: )ideaist - Thanks ideaist! Definitely a first world problems situation. But like my Murphy's, i'm not bitter :))Khurram
- Was really excited about Taiwan though. Been watching new Taiwanese cinema for months in excitement. Next year after I renew my passport!Khurram
- And I just been reading how racist Japanese society is - people don't even sit next to you on the bus if you're black/brown. Probably more to come in this storyKhurram
- Sounds like you’re your own worst enemy. Earlier passport renewal. And ingesting local drugs after you land. May be a better move next time. ;)BH26
- Yeah I was a bit blase about the whole situation. Esp regarding passport. But the edibles, my plan was to go "clean" for 3 months so i took them for the plane..Khurram
- so to be sober when i land. Then i don't do any drugs (even alcohol) for the duration of the trip. Not that being high made any difference in this situation.Khurram
- Where you plan to go in Philippines? Manila is kind of a polluted mess but some of the smaller islands are amazing.yuekit
- Japan > Taiwan all day.stoplying
- @yuekit - Siargao - small surfer island in the south. Those islands look amazing for sure. 4 weeks there, signed up to an MMA gym and plans to surfKhurram
- @stoplying! ;) I was waaay more excited to go to Taiwan. And now i'm determined to do it next winter. From the traveller forum i've been on Taiwan is an...Khurram
- extremely liveable and affordable developed country. Plus it has none of the racism Japan, S Korea and CHina have. Very tolerant society. And, as mentioned..Khurram
- I've been obsessed with Taiwanese new wave cinema for the last two months so i was looking forward to it the most. Plus they have better beaches/surfingKhurram
- And it's not an either or situation, right? I spent time in Singapore, Hong Kong winter 2019 so Tokyo was a bucket list thing that was going to happen anyway.Khurram
- Ah nice...that's actually where I went last time I was in Philippines (Siargao). Amazing place, really breathtaking.yuekit
- I'm not a surfer but it's a great island to ride around on a motorbike and explore. The landscape is mind-blowing, like you were dropped into a simulationyuekit
- where someone cloned too many palm trees :) You'll see what I mean when you get there.yuekit
- yeah man, so pumped. Was deciding between that or Boracay. I should have been there in beginning of January but seems like everything was against meKhurram