| Log Cabin Chronicles Letter From the Oasis #6 |
 Jerry Buzzell  Jerry's previous columns are archived HERE
| Posted 09.28.01 |
Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
FINALLY, I GET BACK TO THE OASIS Our holiday at Lake Seymour in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom was idyllic. The weather was perfect. Our new cottage was very comfortable. Family and visitors and solitude in acceptable proportions.
But our vacation was coming to an end and it was time to return to the our jobs in the Emirates.
Tuesday, September 11
Preparations to leave the next morning were done. I drove up to the Morgan town offices and paid the taxes; then took a drive, stopping to photograph the turning leaves. It had, after all, been twenty-two years since I'd been in Vermont that late. Arrived back at the cottage to a world turned upside down.
"Where have you been? They've blown up the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon!"
We don't have television so the first we heard of the events of that morning was when my sister-in-law phoned: "You can't go back there!"
It was obvious we wouldn't be flying out the next day. I contacted our travel agent in Victoria, who told us that she had rebooked our flights for one week later. So, that problem was solved, for the moment at least. I contacted my Chairman and Dean and Linda contacted her Director to tell them of the delays and our plans to return.
We still had the problem of the car.
The problem of the car. While in Vermont, we drove Father's pick-up truck, but when leaving, we would need a ride or a vehicle to take us to Dorval, in Montreal.
The Grahams were visiting from Ottawa so, when they went home on Sunday, I rode with them to Dorval and rented a car, planning to drop it off on Wednesday morning.
Good thinking, normally. Now we were potentially stuck with a car for an extra week (at $59 a day, plus taxes). Phoned Thrifty in Montreal.
Can we drop it off in Sherbrooke? Yes, but it'll cost you $150 per day (plus taxes) because we can't renegotiate the contract.
Forget that, I'll take it to Montreal. So on Wednesday, Linda and I drove in tandem to Dorval.
We had some banking to do in Beebe so we went across the border there. Linda driving the rental car (Quebec plates), me with the truck (Vermont plates). She went through smartly and I pulled up behind.
Routine questioning until we came to the question of the truck. Canadian residents aren't supposed to drive vehicles with American plates in Canada.
I was politely requested ID and the truck's papers and asked to "pull ahead and wait while we check your identity." I did so. I had my passport with me and gave it to her, along with driver's license and my UAEU identity card. And waited. And waited. And waited.
Finally I went inside and asked what the problem was. Be patient. They are checking. Waited some more. And some more. Phone rang. Words were spoken. Nothing else. Asked again.
"They are checking." What else can they be checking? "You are a permanent resident of Canada." "No I'm not. I'm a non-resident Canadian citizen." "No. You are a permanent resident of Canada!"
I could see that I was going to have to argue this point at a higher level. So I waited.
Finally, a Canadian Immigration guy arrived from Rock Island and joined us. He spoke to the Beebe staff and then brought papers over and we talked.
"Our computer says you are a permanent resident of Canada, 1975."
"Yes, but I became a Canadian citizen in 1981." He wrote that down.
"Between 1978 and 1997, I taught at University of Alberta. In 1997, I became Professor of Anatomy in Kuwait. I worked there for three years. I moved to the University of the UAE a year ago. I have been vacationing in Vermont where my parents and brothers and sisters are and we have a cottage in Morgan. We planned to leave today but because of the events of yesterday, our departure has been put off a week.
We are going to Montreal to return the car we had rented to take us for our flight."
He took notes and, when I had finished, he gathered up my papers, handed them to me and said "Have a good trip." "Thank you," I replied.
Returning that afternoon, we drove up to the US border station in Derby Line. "What are you bringing back from Canada?" "Nothing." "Okay."
So, we had an extra week at the lake. Phone and e-mails kept us in touch with our employers and friends in Al Ain (and elsewhere). Many of my family have always been uneasy about our living and working in the Middle East. However, most of them have given up trying to make us be sensible. We gave whatever reassurances we could when asked, and got on with life.
Our route back to the UAE was to be a roundabout one. Montreal-Toronto-Victoria, then Victoria-Vancouver-Amsterdam-Dubai.
Paid the airport tax. Long lineup going through security. Backpack and bumbag on the belt to be X-rayed. "Please open the backpack." Everything was examined. My cameras - looked through the viewer. My GPS - "What is this?" My computer - "Please turn it on." Easily the most thorough examination I've ever experienced. But, we passed, repacked, and were on our way.
Montreal-Toronto. Toronto-Victoria. No problems. But, once in Victoria, I thought it best if I rechecked with the travel agent, if only to express our dismay and displeasure that she hadn't rebooked that day's flights.
The agent we had used was away for the week so I asked her colleague Andrea to check our KLM reservations to Dubai. She did. Linda was booked through. No record of me! Linda's flight is full. There's room on Saturday's flight.
I was not a happy camper.
Yes, book me on Saturday. The extra two days means an extra four days off my next year's holidays (in addition to the extra week), because of the intervening weekend (Thursday-Friday) but I didn't see that I had any choice.
Our original travel agent is history, as far as we're concerned.
The next day (Thursday), Linda left. On Saturday, it was my turn.
Victoria to Vancouver. Air Canada allowed me to check my bag through to Dubai but, of course, they couldn't give me any KLM boarding cards. Airport security wasn't much of a problem, though they did confiscate the blade in my razor.
I didn't look forward to killing 3.5 hours in Vancouver.
It turned out that 3.5 hours was just about right.
The lineup for KLM stretched outside the booking area into the departure hall. Stand in line, moving slowly. At one point, we moved very quickly, but that was because someone decided to re-align us by 180 degrees.
Finally, though, it was my turn and I gave my ticket to Carla. Who did the usual ticketing things and then told me to come back at six to pick up my boarding cards.
Huh?
That did not make me very happy. Leave my ticket behind and spend another hour wondering what was happening. Would I have to stand in line again? No, she assured me, she would call my name when it was ready. She was adamant and so I went. Browsed the bookstore, sat and read, and then went back to KLM at 5:40.
Carla was working the computer and about a dozen or so of us were patiently waiting. A couple of other KLM agents were helping her. Every once in a while, they'd call out a name and someone would go up, get a boarding card, and leave. Finally, at just about 6 o'clock, it was "Mr. Buzzell."
Then it was the sprint to the long line-up at security. Finally through that - no problem - and on to catch KL682, which I did with about ten minutes to spare.
The flight to Amsterdam was about 9.5 hours, and it was followed by an eight-hour layover; then KL427 (6.5 hours) to Dubai, arriving at six in the morning. Quickly through immigration, baggage claims, customs, and into the light of day. My ride was waiting to bring me to Al Ain, and here I am.
What is the atmosphere I see here in Al Ain?
'Watchful calm' is how I'd describe it. Most people are carrying on quite normally, while aware that the situation is tense and there are a lot of Pakistanis and Afghanis here.
We do see and hear lots of references to the situation. What we've seen in the newspapers has been pretty even handed, without for a moment lessening their hard-line stance with regard to the Palestinians versus the Israeli situation. (In fact, I received an e-mail this morning, from a senior Emirati colleague, suggesting that the real culprits on September 11th were Israelis, not Arabs.)
Best,
Jerry |