Great domestic airport experiences

4/15 Friday
Leaving  las Vegas to Phoenix to connect to JFK. Wouldn't you know it.... Flight is delayed and now I might miss my connection. 

I received a phone call from us airways informing me of the delay so I got on the phone to catch any flight out to JFK. My flight to Dubai leaves at 1120 am. If I don't catch any sort of redeye flight, it sets my entire itinerary back a day. Oyvay. 

After being on the phone with 4 different agents at 4 different calls,I realized that they all have the same accent....tagalag. After excruciating conversations with the agents i just had to surrender to their mercy. It was like talking to one of my schoolmates parents. A-no?
Anicco!!!!!

On the way to Phoenix, they announced that the connecting flights will wait for this flight. Whew. After a brisk walk from my gate to the boarding gate, I realized I had walked (and jogged) a good 3/4 mile. Panting at the gate and trying to grasp for any oxygen, I made it to the gate and made the flight!!!!yippee. 

Now I am at JFK and waiting for my next leg of travel. My brother called to warn me that the people in Tanzania are innocently naive and to not be offended by their comments and gestures upon arrival. Because they see slot of rude china business men, they assume that are Asians are as such. Understandable. I am now in their world.  So now I am somewhat prepared. 

What i wasn't prepared for next was this:  So we go through the security line with tsa in New York and this black female agent looks at my passport. Looks at me. Looks at my passport again. And I asked if there was a problem. Her reply, "something is different about you and the picture. You look 'chinkier' then in the picture."  REALLY BIATCH!!!  This coming out of a federal employee? Chinckier? I was ready for an comeback but commonsense took over and I think I will just leave it alone so my trip wouldn't  be complicated with body checks and next thing you know, they wouldn't put me on the plane because I would become hostile. Because you know I can!

So my thought of the day is this: should the ignorance an stupidity of this particular African American be just as tolerated as the naivety  of the Africans that my brother has prepared me for?

I think I will turn off my confrontation mode for two weeks and start enjoying my African journey. Hakunamatada.