If watching dozens, if not hundreds, of videos about plane crashes have taught me anything, it’s that flying isn’t dangerous, it’s capitalism that’s dangerous

Can you share the Turkish tampon story

This one time I forgot to lock a plane toilet and a man walked in just as I was inserting a tampon. He got the kind of view my gynecologist usually would, cursed up a storm in turkish, and immediately slammed the door closed.

I was 22 and mortified and it was the second hour of a transatlantic flight so staying in the toilet until we landed wasn't an opinion. The sink was too small to drown myself in. I had to leave that toilet eventually and face my demons (making eye contact with the rando who'd just seen my whole vulva)

So I psyched myself up. Left the toilet. And there was absolutely nobody because the guy had LEGGED IT and I guess he went back to his seat and pretended to sleep. The plane was dead quiet. I went back to my seat and immediately started telling someone about it as a way to stave off the embarrassment and I just haven't stopped since, because this cured me of any shame I might have had and it's just a very funny story that I think drives home the kind of person I am (shameless via exposure therapy)

anyway, in hindsight, maybe that man was more mortified than I was. wonder if HE told someone about it or just quietly pretended to sleep and convinced himself it was all a dream. I'm the monster in someone's story.

Tampon man from the Turkish Airlines flight number [redacted], I hope life has been treating you well. I'll never know who you are but I'll always remember your way with swear words <3

Hi, i could really use some support. I was supposed to go on a big trip to Turkey for some sun, but I've busted my knee and now I'm bed-ridden in Wales instead. My doctor gave me this device to "help me experience a Turkish holiday" but I've no idea how to set it up.

Your doctor is absolutely right, Chronivac Travel offers great and authentic travel experiences. Here's something I think you'll like. Turkish guest worker on home leave. You can get your boarding pass at the Turkish Airlines counter. And until then, I've booked you the wheelchair service at the airport. After that you won't need it any more.

From the moment you check in, you will become a month younger every minute. And you'll have spent an extra month in Cardiff working on the rubbish collection. Hard work during the day. Hard training at the gym in the evening. And save every penny. After all, you want your family to be proud of you. You live in Cardiff with your cousin. He's the one who got you the job. That's why you speak very little other than Turkish. And in addition, every hour one of your grandparents becomes a real Anatolian.

Your knee problems are history within a minute of picking up your suitcase. And you can even say "goodbye" and "have a nice day" in Turkish. Your backpack is suddenly a hipbag. Almost a real Louis Vuitton. Your cousin has good sources for almost everything. And when you finally get through the one hour security check, you are 35 years old. Your father's father was Turkish. And for the last five years you've spoken almost nothing but Turkish. Your style of dress has already changed completely. Fake leather jacket, ripped jeans, expensive trainers. The latter are fake, of course. Your hair is short, your beard freshly shaved, but your beard growth is getting stronger. You already have a beard shadow again.

You spend most of the time until boarding in the smoking cabin. The flights to the family are okay, but the fact that you can't have a smoke for four hours is torture. At the beginning you read the sports section of the Hurriyet. But after a few minutes you start to discuss football passionately with the other fellas around you.

You are 30 years old when you leave. Your father is a proud Anatole. And so are you. Proud of your manly body and your manly genes, which dominate those of your mother. No one takes you for a Welshman. And when you change planes to Antalya after a total of four hours in Amsterdam, you are no longer one either. A 20-year-old Turk through and through. Macho at its best. But if you can't fuck a chick, you fuck a cousin. If you don't make eye contact, it's not homo.

And when you finally get to your family's summer house and sit on the leather sofa, proudly watching everyone unwrap their presents, you check out your cousins. One or the other is due tonight!

Istanbul

you can't get there from here though, at least not direct. The most convenient route from Scotland is via Istanbul, and given the flight timings and Turkish Airlines stopover policy it made sense to break our journey and spend a couple of nights there

We arrived on Saturday evening, just in time for a walk from our hotel in Sultanahamet to see the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque before finding a nice quiet restaurant for dinner

on Sunday we got the ferry across the Bosphorous for a walk round Kadikoy

and then another ferry and back across the Galata Bridge to the Egyptian Bazaar and Yeni Cami mosque... where someone took my shoes while we were looking around inside, so that'll be another quick trip to the Bazaar for a replacement pair then

Hi Kilo! This is a nice ask for you, but also I meant to you this awhile ago, but I was too chicken to ask— what languages are typically used for signage on the inside of a U.S. airplane?

I was rewatching Lone Star S3E8 awhile ago and I noticed the "life vest under seat" sign was in English and French. Idk if that's typical of airplanes in general because I would've assumed the second language (if signage is typically bilingual) would be Spanish in the U.S. because they offer it as a second language in some schools. Anyway, that is my curious rambling airplane question. I hope it's not too weird 😅

Hi friend! I'm so sorry I didn't answer your question. I've been taking a bit of a break from social media and haven't been checking everything, but rest assured I am here to answer any and all related plane and non-plane asks! No question is too weird! It generally depends on the plane. In the United States our exit signage is written primarily in English with Spanish underneath in slightly smaller text. That is how it is on my airline at least. Regarding the scene in Lone Star, I am unsure if they actually filmed inside of an actual airplane, my initial assumption is they did not. What I'm guessing they did is build a set to look like the interior of a plane and then got airplane seats or other interior signage from a third party that sells them. What I think props/set design did was get seats that used to be installed on a plane that belonged originally to an airline that also used French. My guess would be a Canadian airline since Canada has bilingual language requirements. It seems less like an oversight and more like a quirk. All in all, it depends on the airline and the location where they fly. English is still used on many flights as a second language in other countries. For example, I flew Turkish Airlines and the signs were primarily written in Turkish, with English in smaller fonts. In the United States, it depends on the airline, but most emergency signs, like exit signs or life vest location signs are written in English and Spanish, since its one of the more common second languages. For in flight announcements, domestic flights are usually in English only, where as international announcements are usually in English and then whatever local language is most common to the destination. On my airline, there is usually one or more crew members who speak the language of the destination to translate some announcements, but usually the cockpit crew does not do so. I speak German, Ukrainian, and a little French so I'm pretty useless on most of the International destinations I travel to since the type of plane I fly doesn't fly to Europe. I'm sorry if that went a little more like a ramble there, as that tends to happen when people ask me questions about planes. I hope you're doing well and thanks again for bearing with me during my hiatus. As always, if you have any other airplane questions, feel free to send them my way! There is no question too silly or weird!

Kuwait airways worst experience ever

it was 30 June 2023 we had a flight to America from Islamabad to Kuwait on Kuwait airways the flight was on 4 in the morning we had a connected flight from Islamabad to Kuwait then New York we had to reach on 7:30 to Kuwait and the plane toke off at 8 in the morning it was 4 hours late they said the plane was roaming on top of the airport and could not land because of the bad whether the weather was bad i am not gonna lie but the flight of Turkish airlines flew in front of us so everyone started to realize that they were lying to us and there was one person in a wheel chair that got extremely mad and started to get mad at the airport staff then the plane arrived at 8 and before that they gave us sandwiches to calm down the passengers then we got to Kuwait and the flight that was going to take us from Kuwait to New York had left us and flew to New York except us they had to give us a transit flight of Turkish airlines then we had to go to Isntanbul then we stayed there for 4 hours and then we came to America I have been to America to two times and this was the worst experience yet I advise you to not go on Kuwait airlines.

Last Day in Marrakech

I had one last day in Marrakech before overnight flights to Istanbul and on to Amman Jordan.

So I basically wandered a bit. The streets in the souks were as crowded as ever. Some of them are packed. This is not helped by the motorbikes pushing through and especially small delivery trucks.

At the head end of the souks is the Koutoubia Mosque with its minaret. At 70 meters it's the tallest in Morocco. It's also the model for all others. Everyone we saw, large or small had the exact same design.

There is a government-run craft building in the same area. It has the same stuff as in the souks but a less intense atmosphere.

The building had some great examples of tile and wooden doors. I have long been amazed by the exquisite geometric work in the wooden doors and especially the tiles. Every element in thes panels is a separate tile, cut with amazing precision.

In the door, each element is a separate piece with beautiful joinery.

For lunch, I went to an upscale restaurant on a roof. I just had an appetizer of lobster and veg ravioli and this dessert with peaches.

The cell service for my T-Mobile account here is provided by Orange and their data service kept cutting out. Google can't provide a walking route from offline maps only and the Medina is a true maze. I located and saved the restaurant on Google Maps and worked my way through the maze to the location only to find out it was very, very wrong. I searched my email for the reservation, found the correct location, and worked my way back there, very close to where I started. Well, some extra walking was good for me.

Finally, I went back to the hotel, hung out a while, then gathered my bags and headed to the airport. There I found that the 9:45 flight was delayed to 10:30, then to 11:00 and 11:30. I had a 1-hour 20-minute connection in Istanbul, so clearly I wasn't going to make it. But there was no one there from Turkish Airlines. I asked in the Business Class lounge and the person there said they will take care of it in Istanbul. I could see that the next flight to Amman was about 6 hours later and figured I would be on that. In the meantime, some of the other passengers were in tears.

If you haven't been to the new Istanbul airport it is amazing. They are, along with Doha and Dubai, at the junction of Europe, Africa and Asia, and so true world hubs that operate 24 hours a day. I have been there mid-day and at 2 in the morning and they were busy with everything open both times.

Istanbul has a huge central core with hundreds of shops, coffee shops, restaurants, and even a hotel within the international terminal so you can sleep without going through immigration.

I did get the plane at Noon the next day and got to the hotel in Amman at about 4:30 PM. I did get short bits of sleep here and there along with way, but I didn't do much in Amman but a short walk around the neighborhood.

All you should know about your trip to Turkey

Turkey is a beautiful destination with a diverse landscape. It has a great combination of mountains, alluring plain, sunny beaches, and shiny deserts. The view of the sky full of hot air balloons is worth visiting. Talking about natural beauty, Turkey includes world-famous beautiful places like Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia Museum, and beautiful towns like  Istanbul and Antalya. 

During the long, hot summer, tourism is concentrated in Istanbul and along the coast, but even a beach holiday is easily combined with cultural sightseeing, as most of the popular resort towns are within day-trip distance to some of the country's most famous classical-era ruins. The country's most mesmerizing scenery is to be found in Asian Anatolia, where beautiful vistas are provided by the vertiginous Mediterranean coastline, Cappadocia's otherworldly 'fairy chimney' rock formations and wavy valleys, the alpine pastures of the Kaçkar Mountains, and golden beaches such as 18km-long Patara. Whether you settle down with a çay to enjoy the view across a mountain-ringed, Lake or explore the hilly areas on the southwest coast's many peninsulas, Turkey's landscape will leave a lasting impression.

Get your turkey visa online

If you are planning a trip to turkey then you must know how to get turkey visa online. You can get your turkey Evisa online after just 24 hours of applying. The minimum Processing time is 3 working days from the date of submission. You can obtain three-month-multiple entry e-Visas via the website turkeyvisa.co.uk and stay in Türkiye up to 90 days within 6 months starting from the first entry date.

 Also, you can obtain their 30-day single entry turkey tourist visa via turkeyvisa.co.uk provided that they have a valid Schengen or USA, UK, or Ireland visa or residence permit and that they travel to Türkiye with Turkish Airlines or Egypt Air.

Things to do in Turkey

There are many things to do in Turkey, from outdoor adventure to cultural enrichment Turkey offers activities to suit every temperament. Water fun includes diving, windsurfing, rafting, and canyoning in mountain gorges, kayaking over Kekova's sunken ruins, and traditional gület cruises on the Mediterranean and Aegean. Or take to the air with thrilling paragliding flights or a hot-air balloon ride over Cappadocia. For a fresh angle on beautiful Turkish scenery, trek to highland pastures or walk part of the Lycian Way trail. In town, take a culinary course, or sign up for a culinary or cultural walking tour.

 Best places to visit in turkey for families

Turkey is rich in historical places, diverse parks, magnificent markets, and high-end resorts. If you are looking for the perfect tourist destinations in Turkey for families, you may find all the best places to visit in turkey for families in the following article, where we provide you with information about several unique tourist destinations in Turkey. If you are struggling to get an online turkey visa from uk then you can obtain it via turkeyvisa.co.uk easily. Get Turkey visa online and set yourself ready to visit this beautiful destination with your family.

 if you have got your turkey visa and are all set to reach turkey but don't know the places to visit with your family. In this guide, you will know about all the best places to go in Turkey for families and what you can do there, so you can make your itinerary.

Take a look at the following list

Istanbul park 

When it comes to spending the most beautiful holiday with your family in Turkey, Istanbul parks will be your favorite destination, especially if you're planning to visit it in spring, when Istanbul residents used not miss out on the breathtaking beauty of these days. They leave their lavish complexes and offices and come here to Istanbul's most beautiful gardens to scatter through its green gardens, enjoy the fragrance of roses and wind, and enjoy seeing its mesmerizing colors. 

Istanbul Aquarium

Istanbul aquarium is located in Florya near the seaside, It is the largest water zoo in the Middle East. It is known to be ranked as one of the largest aquariums in Europe in size, area, and variety of marine life.

The aquarium contains approximately 7,000 cubic liters of water on an area of 22,000 square meters, within special ponds spread out of very large sizes that have large fish such as sharks and some other small ponds containing different types of fish and small and unique organisms

Istanbul Aquarium also offers several entertainment areas such as restaurants, cafes, and shops of souvenirs and toys. This is the perfect choice to spend a day with your family at such an amazing place.

Cappadocia

Cappadocia is included in a UNESCO World Heritage site list. It is the most famous tourist attraction. It is the best place in Turkey for families to spend their time in a unique environment. 

Cappadocia’s Turkish tourist village Goreme is one of the most important spots for activities for families in Turkey, mainly the balloon experience, with a stunning view of the seas, mazes, and caves. 

Antalya

Antalya is located in southern Turkey just between the Taurus Mountains and the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, combining the beauty of greenery and coasts., with dazzling views of the Mediterranean coast, about 518 km from Ankara and 729 km from Istanbul. Antalya offers a picturesque nature. Antalya also has other touristic spots such as Ataturk Park, an amusement park, Antalya Museum, and Water Museum. All these things make this place a perfect choice to visit here with family.

Ankara, Turkey

Friday, August 19, 2022 - HAPPY 11th BIRTHDAY to granddaughter Katelyn!!

Greetings from Ankara, Türkiye, on the continent of Asia,

We arrived late last night - later than necessary because we had a little luggage SNAFU. But before telling you about THAT, I will tell you about a small detail that was right before my eyes that I completely missed: Kepler was NOT on our last leg on our flight to Turkey.  Yep - I had all the documents right in my magic pink notebook that I take with me on EVERY trip.  I looked at the seat assignments and the times comparing Kepler’s paperwork with mine - BUT did I look at the damn flight numbers - I DID not!  So we checked into our Aegean Airlines flight and the woman at the desk - said - why is Kepler on a different flight?  WHAT!?!?!

Small heart attack for Damma - but the woman helping us said “ No problem.  I  can fix this.” And she did - she collected the tickets she had handed us - ripped them up and printed out new tickets.  We THANKED her profusely and moved on.  (Two other quick asides about Aegean Airlines…1.  Best leg room ever!!!   2.  We checked in online and checked “e-mail the boarding pass” but they never arrived.  When we got to the airport in Crete, I went to the Aegean Airlines Customer Service booth and told the attendant that we had not received out boarding passes but had indeed checked in online.  The service attendant said - did you request that they be e-mailed to you?  I nodded - and she said - “Yeah - that never works.  Just go right over there.”  Maybe that should be a pop up response when you check that box - right?!?)  Back to Kepler…

We left the desk feeling very relieved indeed, went to our gate - waited and waited some more and then flew 2 and 1/2 hours to Munich.

Not only was our flight pattern CRAZY - but when we arrived in Munich  after a 2 and 1/2 hour, we had to pick up our luggage and check in again - this time for an “international” flight outside of the EU.  So we did that - no problem and we still had to wait about 3 hours for our next 2 and 1/2 hour flight to Istanbul.  There we went through passport control and then another long wait for our flight to Ankara. Mark checked the boarding passes one more time looking for time and gate but suddenly noticed that Kepler was still NOT on the same flight.  OMG!!  To end the story, they people at Turkish Air fixed it AGAIN and we were happily on the same flight in the same row and I didn’t even mind siting in the middle between my two traveling companions.

We landed and headed to the baggage and followed the signage to our belt - but our luggage we not there.  After what felt like forever - we headed to the Lost Luggage office and after answering a few questions - the attendant said - Your luggage was international and would be in the international terminal - luggage #13.  And after another long walk - there is was.  BUT that would have been good to know before we spent lots time circling the first luggage belt with a pit in our stomach.  But, all is well that ends well - and as we walked out of the International Terminal - there was a man holding the OAT sign and our time of making travel decisions, driving a rental car, navigating and so much more - was officially over.  All these little problems were now on someone else. So happy.....

30 minutes later we were greeted by our guide, Salih, at the Ankara Hilton, given our room keys and breakfast times and location and we headed to our rooms and into bed. 20 hours had passed since we had awaken in Crete.  

Welcome to Ankara, Türkiya

Türkiya is 3 times the size of Michigan. We are relatively close when it comes to latitude:

Michigan needs to gain about 70 million more people to equal the population of Turkiye. Ankara was founded in 2000 BCE - so it has a deep and rich history. (OMG - So much to learn!!)

The next morning we collected Euros to put away until our return to Greece; dug out the Turkish Lira and left our room in disarray for our group meeting.  We were welcomed and then given a few minutes to return to our room before heading out.  My eyes were driving me crazy and suddenly I couldn’t find the money, or my hat or a few other things I wanted but it was time to leave - so I hung the sign on the door that said - stay out - but in a nice way.  I was so worried about what I had done with the money, but I knew it had to be that room.  It - frankly - threw me into a tizzy.  We met up with good friends, Daphne & Joe but I was trying to learn the new names and figure out what on earth I had done with the hats and money - and my ditz came out which you will see in a bit.

We boarded the bus and leisurely toured Ankara hearing a little bit about the city, the region and the history of Turkey as we drove to Museum of Anatolian Civilization.  On the way we passed  Kocatepe Mosque, the largest mosque in Ankara.

Shortly after passing the mosque and many embassies - including the US embassy - we arrived at the the museum and this museum was AMAZING.   It was small - but named the Best Museum in Europe of 1997 - which is a big freaking deal.  This award goes to a museum which contributes most directly to attracting audiences and satisfying its visitors with unique atmosphere, imaginative interpretation and presentation, a creative approach to education and social responsibility. The art and artifacts here were fabulous and  thousands of years old.  It was extraordinary.  Salih gave us tour of his “highlights” and then left us alone for about 30 minutes.  There were so many Incredible things including propaganda from ancient history. 

Check out just a few of the pics we took:

These artifacts are 5000 + years old. Phenomenal!!. And this was the tip of the iceberg. (Again - so much to learn!!)

The true purpose of the trip was to give us a basic understanding of the Hittites, a group of people that ruled the region for about 2,000 years - but were thought to be mythical until about 150 years ago, when the capital city - complete with aritfacts, writings and more was discovered by German archaeologists in the last 1800s. And what a find. They guys had ruled and faded away before the Minoan culture - making the Minoan just kids at the time line of humanity.

After that we all re-gathered and started climbing this hill to the castle from which the Apostle Paul wrote his letters to the Gallatin’s between 55 and 57 CE. 

Paul wrote the letter to the Galatians to counter the message of missionaries who visited Galatia after he left. These missionaries taught that Gentiles must follow parts of the Jewish Law in order to be saved. In particular, these missionaries taught that Christian men had to accept the Jewish rite of circumcision. Paul said Nay-Nay. I will say that that revelation caused many in our group to gasp - not so much the women - but you get where this is going. (You would not have wanted to have lunch with these guys - they couldn't stop talking about this...)

It was during our walk that we heard our first call to prayer. I enjoyed watching the faces of people who had never experienced this. It is very cool.

As we trudged up the hill, I suddenly realized that I didn’t have my daypack on my back.  OH NO!!  I remember exactly where I took it off to get a drink of water and I clearly had left it there - Kepler offered to run back but I thought it best to consult with Salih - which we clearly would not catch until we crested the hill.  WHAT A DITZ!!!

Salih made no big deal of it as he trudged down the hill back into the museum to retrieve my pack and come back up to the hill - I mean a BIG ASS hill - BTW!  I assured him I would be less trouble for the rest of the trip but he assured me it was NO trouble at all.  I suppose in the scheme of all these guides have to deal with - that was a big nothing burger - but I was certainly grateful. Salih nixed using Kepler’s young and willing legs to fetch his forgetful grandmother’s bag because he would not have the credentials to re-enter the museum.

From here we went into a small shop and up the stairs for a demonstration on marbling - a dying method that I had only recently explained to Mark and our daughter-in-law after seeing a table runner on her dining room table that had been dyed in this manner.  Anyway it was very interesting and some of our new travels friends had an opportunity actually do it.  

I would have loved to try it - but my eyes are not cooperating again. Surprisingly enough 2 of the women on this trip talked to me and had the same long trek to healing as I going through.  They assured me that it would get better - so I’m putting my faith in that.  Ramona’s husband, Bill, flashed two peace signs at me and  said “how many figures do I have up?” And I responded  “8” - he laughed and said - "you have EXACTLY what Ramona had.  You will be OK." I’m going with that - but GEEZ!!!

The afternoon was on our own and I opted to come back and re-organize our room.  Mark and Kepler opted to rest.  I found the hats - Kepler told me exactly where I had packed them - and yep - there they were.  Turns out Mark picked up and put away the money and I felt the ditz recede and calm, thoughtful decision making me return.

We had a lovely evening with our new friends and we turned in early.

I am writing this from our tour bus - where everyone has row of their own - should they wish.  Mark, Kepler and I all wish.  Salih is narrating intermittently and we are learning a great deal about this country.  Kepler seems to be enjoying himself and even said that he is surprised to be making friends with people so much older that himself - but he is.  He is also very proud to be an internalize traveler prior to this trip.  He has explained to many what a great trip planner his mom (our daughter) is and how much fun they have had in France, Italy and Mexico.  That’s our kid - FYI.

Everything is quite wonderful on a tour bus in Türkiye.

Stay tuned.

Day #04 THE WEDDING

The trip had been unbearable, I had only been able to sleep for an hour in the whole flight, in spite of that, I had the best view, looking out the window and seeing how beautiful Rome was, my eyes filled with tears, here I am fulfilling my dreams, it was just as it had always sounded, !!!! HERE I AM IN THE WORLD!

On the flight I had a guy from Valencia who spoke perfect English and helped me all the way to communicate with the flight attendants, with whom I drank wine when I deserted to the fact that I could sleep a little, on the right side of him was an old lady, who had been stopped in x-ray for carrying a huge refertaria, to which she replied that it was to make a quesillo on the birthday of her last grandson born in France, which told us all her adventures as a young girl traveling from country to country ….

Arriving in Turkey I was so scared, I didn't leave the boy I had met on the plane until I found a way to get wii-fi on my phone, everything seemed so fascinating at the airport, the stores, the culture, the people, the languages, the technology, I got a machine where you swiped your passport like a debit card and it generated a code to get an hour of internet, my next stop would be Jerusalem, my mother who had been a religious fanatic for years made such a big fuss about it, she crammed my phone with messages saying her daughter was going to the land of the lord,

"PRAISE BE TO THE LORD YOU HAVE BLESSED MY FAMILY"-

were my mother's words… which was the beginning of a disastrous day…

When I arrived to my transfer gate the airline man stopped me, I really did not understand much, since they were speaking Turkish, between my little English and the translator I could understand that they were asking me for a visa for Jerusalem, I tried to explain that I would only be there for transfer, which he did not understand immediately, I called Habib the old millionaire with whom I had been talking for months and who was consenting me in everything I asked for, I communicated and gave the phone to the resection man, if anyone could solve anything it would be him….

They told me that I should go directly to the airline to change my ticket for a direct flight to Dubai, I was lost, all the signs were in English or Turkish, I was scared because in 20 minutes I would be incommunicado, Ramon had spent the whole day awake worried about my whereabouts, just like I had not slept at all…. Maria was just waking up; when I got to the ticket office I asked an employee for help, with the help of the translator I explained my situation, I showed him all my papers and he still did not understand me, I called Habib again to talk to the airline man, when he hung up the call he told me: "You must go back to where you came from:

-You must go back where you came from, Dubai does not accept you, you must go back to caracas-.

My heart was in my mouth, I kept telling him no, and he kept repeating it to me through the translator, I was very desperate, Habib kept telling me to stay calm, that I should get my suitcase before I ended up stranded in Jerusalem, to ignore what they told me….

I had already been lost for an hour in the corridors of the airport, I could not find the exit, nor the baggage area and the security staff did not speak English… I lay down on a table to rest my feet and keep calm, I was about to cry when in the middle of the crisis my despair turned into anger…

I decided to check my networks to distract myself, when I entered I realized that Ramon had blocked me from everywhere, I got too angry, I wrote him how shameless he was, I had not touched my destiny and he had already blocked me from everywhere, what a little man he is….

Furious I claimed him to WhatsApp the only place from which I was not blocked, his explanation was the one that for months had tormented me in our relationship, which really had seemed wonderful, I always felt that Ramon really can be the ideal man for me … but that little detail day by day ended my patience, even to the point of giving me anxiety attacks … Andreína or better known as NINA ….

Nina was Ramon's capricious ex-girlfriend, who had him by the balls for years, Ramon and she had many years together when she decided to leave him, she told him she was going on Christmas vacation with her mother to the United States of America, who made life impossible for Ramon because she was not of his social class, nor of the same color of skin, Ramon was very much in love with her, until she threw him away like a dog, he had planned to ask for her hand when they returned and move together to Spain, his surprise was when the months passed and she never came back, sadder was when he realized that everything was planned to see that you were not his school documents … Eventually he asked her for an open relationship, that the best thing was to go out with others… this phrase was accompanied by a gringo on his right arm…And there, enter me in this story, she had months ignoring him, until she realized that Ramon had overcome her and capriciously reappeared….

The problem really in this whole situation is that all her bank accounts and client agenda were managed by her and Ramon's future was taken from the family relationship between his father who was engaged in shady business and his brother-in-law, friend Andres who was an egocentric with emotional unconsciousness towards women, they knew everything that was going on between Ramón and me, they shamelessly asked us to keep a low profile, to keep the little girl happy in her emotional bubble, they were those typical families that appeared to be in perfect family harmony when really behind the walls of their house there were full of murky secrets of homosexuality, drug trafficking and infidelities…

-Nina threw one of her tantrums again, love, please don't bother with me.

I had to swallow thickly as always, I knew I could not bother, nor complain, Ramon was one step away from receiving his plane ticket to the United States, his whole future was in that trip and I really had nothing to offer him…

I calmed down and ignored the whole situation, I had more important things to worry about, like not being deported back to Venezuela…

After almost crying to Maria, insulting Ramon and fighting 5 times with Habib by message, I managed to get out of trouble… Habib bought me a direct flight ticket to Dubai with another airline and I had called the previous airline to see what had happened with my visa, it had all been a misunderstanding of an incompetent employee with racial attitudes.

After four hours lost in one of the biggest airports on planet earth, I got the gate to claim my luggage, I looked for my suitcase, I was a little scared because they moved me to a Turkish police area, they x-rayed my bags, along with those of a group of people who were also looking for theirs….

I managed to get out unharmed after so much trouble. I arrived at the exit and I had to wait 2 more hours in the huge airport until the time of my Check in, I was very exhausted, I had not slept anything in more than 24 hours, I was hungry and my legs hurt from so much walking… I got a place in a power station where I put my phone to charge, Maria paid me with her card, internet for a day, because under all this trouble, I had been without communication and without battery, everyone was very worried about me…

I called Ramon to relax, he had a tired face as scary as mine, we were both exhausted and I was still very angry with him, I was fed up with having to endure the whims of a child daughter of daddy and mommy, who really had a peanut in her head and her biggest problem was to see with what rag to clean her lens to go to the park to take pictures, while Ramon worked like a slave for her and her family, I had always been understanding, but being in another continent my tolerance had been lowered to a minimum.

I was susceptible to tears in front of him, everything would be easier if he was by my side, in the middle of this international disaster, because more than lovers, we are friends!

I kept calm, checked my bags and took my flight, in which I couldn't sleep either, I finally arrived at my destination! HELLO DUBAI!

When I arrived I connected to the wii-fi, I communicated with Ramon and Maria, I was nervous, but Ramon was more nervous, I sent him all the emergency numbers I might need if I disappeared, Maria was calm because she had already known Habib for years, I took my suitcase and communicated with him, he was excited, he waited for me at the airport door with a huge bouquet of pink roses and hugged me very tight, he took my bags and opened the door of his Porsche. I was in the most modern city in Architecture on planet earth, on my way to who knows where in a Porsche, I felt like in a movie, I had always dreamed of being here, now they were even offering me to live and work here, each building was taller than the previous one, the lights were impressive and the cars were newer than the previous one…

Habib seemed like an angel fallen from heaven that came to open all the doors to success, I did not understand anything he spoke and we communicated through the translator, only one thing was impossible to hide his joy in his face which kept looking me up and down, he kept kissing my hand and lowering his head in reference, he did not even let me carry and touch anything … He ordered Iranian food to receive me, I had never eaten it, his way of preparing the table was very particular, he put a plastic bag on the table before serving the dishes, in the house there was not a single knife, his way of eating was very strange, he took everything with his hands and used instead of the knife, a spoon to divide the meat … Everything was very nice and he was very nice… but a little strange, in the middle of the meal he received a call and it was the voice of a man speaking in Arabic, he brought the phone close to my face and spoke to me in English to which I didn't even know what to say, he laughed and hung up the call…

Habib: -In a little while a man will call and say your name, you will answer yes- (she was very confused and didn't understand anything).

(I was very confused, I didn't understand anything)

me: - Yes to what?

I had already heard strange stories from Dubai where they kidnapped women and took their passports or kings who gave a lot of money to influencers for eating their feces?

Habib: -We have to get married by Islam, otherwise I won't be able to touch you-?

I was terrified as I was going to marry a man I had just met an hour ago, I got very nervous….

Maria had just got on her flight and Giovanna, our friend from Milan, was in the middle of a big party with her phone off…

Habib: -If you marry me you will be free…

(I felt much more panic to read those words)

Me: -Why do you say I will be free?

Habib said to forget it, I got completely hungry and I locked myself in the bathroom to pray to God that nothing bad would happen to me… I had nothing left to do but to ask Ramon for help… To which he answered:

-if I accepted I was going to renounce my rights in the country as a tourist and to travel I could only leave with his permission- (I felt even more terrified).

(I felt even more terrified)

I wrote to my mother who told me to accept that she was very happy for me… I didn't know what to do.

Habib was offering me his apartment to live alone, pay for English classes in an academy in Dubai, give me a car and after learning English, work in the extension of his company here in Dubai…in exchange for my freedom.

I took a bath, put on my pajamas and lay down next to him, as religion dictated, he didn't lay a finger on me, I hugged him and fell asleep on his bony chest, his skin had the same scent as my father's, which made me feel more uncomfortable than I already was, soon my thoughts went out, the 48 hours I had without sleep were noticed in less than 1 minute.

<h1>Turkish Airlines Customer Evaluations</h1>

Whilst the airport looks spectacular, TK needs to get more environment friendly in the way in which they move their passengers. Overall a good experience on board but an abysmal one on the bottom. Furthermore, using this file quantity, you may examine on the status of your visa utility on the Immigration Office web site. ✅ Trip Verified | Turkish Airlines cancelled the leg IST to MBA on my YYZ to MBA flight via IST. They had not flown this route IST to MBA since Mar 2021 and but in Mar 2022 they offered this flight and eventually cancelled it with out providing a reroute. However, the flights have been now $1.1K more expensive per particular person and we had been 4 so the cost was $4.4K dearer for us to fly to our destination and again.

The guidelines for COVID-19 testing, vaccinations, entry types and quarantine are altering constantly. Use the Timatic Widget and help your clients stay in command of their journey from planning to arrival. Fly Net Zero - Decarbonizing Aviation Fly Net Zero is the commitment of airways to attain net zero carbon by 2050, bringing air transport according to the Paris agreement to limit international warming to 1.5°C. Try to not journey at weekends and through public holidays.

"Fairly Simply, Shambolic Customer Support"

My flight number is TK0716, and my seat quantity was 55A. I tried to fill feedback kind but they replied and gave me a hyperlink to open however when i am selecting the link. The page that's opening is saying error 404. ✅ Trip Verified | Very roomy and cozy enterprise class cabin. One of one of the best business class experiences. I will be travelling from Hyderabad to Munich.

I, Shantanu gupta, along with my family and friends, used Turkish airline providers on 21st july2019 from Delhi to Prague & return on seventh Aug 2019. I contacted the link that he provided and the response was a standardized message asking me to name a sales workplace to resolve the issue. I apologize It’s appear our connection has disconnected.

I'm in business class so I expect slightly more. I fell asleep after take off and missed my meal and after I awakened I asked FA if I can have it and he mentioned ok however its not gonna be hot and I said so lengthy as its warm. The meals he gave me was in a paper and it appears prefer it got here from a trash bin.

When passengers started to complain, one attendant mentioned that the ac would begin when the engine begins to run. It’s been three days now and I am not getting any feedback by way of calls. I even have tried calling a quantity of occasions however there is not any response. I would appreciate an update on the standing of the same.

"Meals Seems Like From A Trash Bin"

Can anyone please let me know what is the status of my bag search. I even have all my garments , jewelries everything in the same bag. Kindly let me know the connecting flight at Istanbul on my approach to Frankfurt by Flight no TK717 alongwith flight no. TK 1591, in case of delay in landing of TK717 at Istanbul on May twelfth. I truly have to inform my host at Frankfurt accordingly.

We assist customers like you get their voice heard by offering the tools they want to resolve their issues.

I actually have all my clothes , jewelries every little thing in the identical bag.

My friend then directed me to the Chicago workplace.

Whilst the airport looks spectacular, TK needs to get extra efficient in the method in which they move their passengers.

When my wife got here from USA to India, they submitted all the baggage 23 kg and seven kg.

Timatic for COVID-19 Use the Timatic Widget and assist your customers keep in command of their journey from planning to arrival. No matter which method you select to access Timatic -online, API or integrated with your DCS - you get the most correct knowledge available on the market. Get accredited for IATA AGM & World Air Transport Summit IATA's 78th Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit will take place on June 2022 in Doha, Qatar. Join us in Doha and have entry to first hand news and specialized briefings on aviation's newest developments. Procure, promote, and valuate aircraft surplus parts optimally Find out how one can save 10-15% of material costs using MRO Smarthub to plan, procure, sell and valuate plane surplus components optimally.

Please choose from the dropdowns under for other contact pathways. I would like to pre-reserve our seats, so that we get enough leg area and are snug. However, your web site does not appear to allow me to guide the seats with leg area. When my spouse got here from USA to India, they submitted all the bags 23 kg and 7 kg. Feeling very disenchanted on this carelessness of Turkish line. I can not assist anybody with their baggage or journey plans.

That he will problem a separate ticket for Noah Ali to leave Kochi on January 1st and attain Miami on January 2nd. However, my thirteen 12 months old son is taken into account as an adult due to this fact is not going to be given the unaccompanied minor assist even when I pay for the service. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online assaults. The motion you simply carried out triggered the safety resolution.

<h1>Turkish Airways</h1>

I found out that the tickets for a similar date is on the market online. The response to that from the Chicago workers was “there are extra choices on-line, which we wouldn't have access to”. I will travelling to India from Budapest on twenty third Oct and I even have booke my tickets via MMT . However, they have not allowed 30 kgs free baggage allowance for the same. The identical was allowed to me before reserving the ticket however on the e ticket obtained by me the check in baggage of 30 kgs isn't included. Then, create a list of available flights by getting into your factors of departure and arrival, and your journey dates.

However, they haven't allowed 30 kgs free baggage allowance for a similar.

Kindly let me know if there’s any formality to be taken care of with regard as to if the bag is discovered or not.

Furthermore, utilizing this file quantity, you could examine on the status of your visa application on the Immigration Office web site.

Select your flight, make any extra selections and enter your data. I truly have misplaced my baggage i got here india delhi to dakar which was partly run bye indiago.and now 125 days has gone i didn't get any name from customer service. If you are not sure about your journey dates, fix the price of low-cost flight tickets you have found. Dowload our cell app freed from charge, and you ought to buy flight tickets at any time and simply manage all the steps of your journey from a single display screen. By keeping observe of the particular deals offered all 12 months long, you can buy low cost tickets, earn more BolPoints or reap the benefits of my other companies corresponding to seat and meal selection. My trip from Istanbul to Manila was horrible.

Charbel Melhem Germany 5th June 2022

In December, Erdoğan known as for the use of “Türkiye” to higher represent Turkish tradition and values, including demanding that “Made in Türkiye” be used as an alternative of “Made in Turkey” on exported merchandise. Turkish ministries started utilizing “Türkiye” in official paperwork. Top 9 locations in Türkiye for autumn vacation Türkiye has amazing locations for these who haven't been able to go on trip in summer time. Top 10 sites for tenting in Türkiye Türkiye provides picturesque camping sites for those in search of a visit into wilderness. Time-lapse photographs of the night sky A photographer from Türkiye shot riveting time-lapse photos of the night sky from eastern provinces. Istanbul’s emotion map revealed Maiden Tower is where the users of an app discovered probably the most romantic place in Istanbul.

Turkish Airlines Contact "/>

He has spent several hours attempting to vary my booking and advised me that he will call me back in 10 minutes. For the next 4 days, I kept on calling Markus and left messages for him. Fourth day, he known as me again and stated that since my trip entails a companion airline, they can't change the reservation and that I really have to go online to do it. Buying cheap flight tickets with Pegasus Airlines is really easy. Just enter the vacation spot you're travelling to at flypgs.com or on the cellular app to list out there flights, then choose the most affordable flight on the date that suits you.

Italy Creates Museum For Trafficked Historic Artifacts

I also observed from this long haul flight, after they serve meals NO FA within the cabin, you have to call them, no one is checking on passengers or offering water or drinks. Before touchdown the FA requested me how's my flight and I stated its not good they usually said “must be the meals - huh? Not Verified | Fly with Turkish Airlines at your personal danger. If there are issues that come up at any level throughout your experience with Turkish Airlines, please notice that their degree of customer support is amongst the worst on the planet. Quite simply, shambolic customer service, however it's attainable that you simply will not require any, so roll the dice should you so wish.

They told her that submit the extra money 15000Rs. I forgot my iPad in a flight from Berlin to Istanbul on 18th December 2019, I truly have been trying to contact the client care but could not. Can somebody please let me know whom and the way should I contact the involved team to get it again. When you use Timatic, you get info sourced from over 2,000 authorities and airline officials all over the world. Our team of specialists confirm conflicting reports and make updates solely when full accuracy may be confirmed. In addition, Timatic customers consistently report important reductions in non-compliance fines and time spent handling buyer complaints.

<h1>Turkish Airways Customer Care Quantity</h1>

As a seasoned traveller this was essentially the most troublesome state of affairs I had ever encountered. I politely told the Turkish Airline employees on the desk that there was no probability of that taking place. I defined to them very concisely what had happened they usually nonetheless very unhelpful. I confirmed them the e-mail confirmation and pointed out the place it clearly stated that every passenger was verify in and allotted a seat.

If you’ve benefitted from the recommendation, advocacy, or government contacts on this website, please think about supporting us.

Make your choice quicker by looking at one of the best costs on each days of that month on a single screen. Not Verified | Dhaka to New York via Istanbul. However, when flying out of Dhaka, the aircraft had an internal temperature of just about 35 Celsius.

I went on-line, but there was not possibility for me to change it. I referred to as him again and his response was to go to Miami and communicate to the sales staff. Since Miami was 7 hours’ drive from the place I stay; I tried to name every number I can find. None of them labored – even when I pressed on totally different choices it will come back and tell me that mail field is full . Turkish Airlines is the flag carrier of Turkey and headquartered in Istanbul. It operates scheduled services to 261 locations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, making it the fourth largest carrier in the world by variety of destinations.

Use Timatic As Part Of Your Small Business

Again at baggage counter our luggage bag received modified with another passenger .while changing & signing missing type it took 3 hr to find your consultant and most of my day was wasted. On the other hand, for the return flight to Delhi, we had opted for vegetarian food a minimal of 7 days earlier than departure. But the food served to us was non vegetarian; considered one of my friends had eaten up before advised by the cabin crew. So far I truly have created the next feedbacks in your web site, however I am still not near having a resolution.

We do not act on your behalf and we do not take control of your grievance. Instead, we have got down to make it as simple as potential so that you can get outcomes. Explain your concern and if you aren't getting it resolved you probably can escalate your case. We do NOT presently have a direct e-mail route for this company however we are engaged on it.

We might be seeking to fly with them once more, I would undoubtedly recommend them. Could you please confirm whether his checked in baggage allowance is 2 pcs of baggage with a most weight of 23 kgs every. Today, She has a flight from Delhi to USA when she submit the 7 kg baggage they told her that they cannot submits the 7kg bag. My daughter is doing travil with her.She is 3 yr old. She requested that she cannot carry this luggage with me.

Trip Rental Warning Words: Dont Guide If You See This!

I even ship a doctors letter displaying that my son suffers from a incapacity as requested by one of many customer support consultant. Elliott Advocacy is a nonprofit group that gives free advice and advocacy for consumers. If you need help with any downside, please contact us by way of this type. If you are a government official or an airline station supervisor, please contemplate joining the IATA Sourcing Network.

Top 10 sites for tenting in Türkiye Türkiye offers picturesque tenting sites for these looking for a trip into wilderness.

If your journey date is versatile, easily discover the cheapest flight ticket utilizing the calendar/graphical view.

We have been scheduled to travel from India to Turkey on 14 June 2020.

When you use Timatic, you get data sourced from over 2,000 authorities and airline officials everywhere in the world.

Airport Development Reference Manual Rely on sound guidance for creating airport infrastructure that balances capacity with demand and effectively meets user requirements while keeping up with evolving technology. You can course of the flight by filling within the following data. Resolver is a free, impartial problem decision service. We help shoppers like you get their voice heard by providing the instruments they need to resolve their points.

Charbel Melhem Germany 5th June 2022

When I wanted to examine in Turkish airline charged me $240 for the 3rd one. It was very annoying as a end result of to my subsequent seat who was a girl stated I had 3 baggage it was actually ridiculous. I complain and sent suggestions but they did not refund to me. I did not have that a lot in the airport this experience was actually so unhealthy and was like a nightmare.

<h1>Turkish Airways</h1>

I came upon that the tickets for a similar date is on the market online. The response to that from the Chicago employees was “there are extra choices on-line, which we do not have entry to”. I will travelling to India from Budapest on 23rd Oct and I even have booke my tickets by way of MMT . However, they haven't allowed 30 kgs free baggage allowance for the same. The identical was allowed to me earlier than reserving the ticket but on the e ticket received by me the check in baggage of 30 kgs isn't included. Then, create a list of accessible flights by coming into your factors of departure and arrival, and your travel dates.

I politely informed the Turkish Airline employees at the desk that there was no probability of that occurring.

However, they haven't allowed 30 kgs free baggage allowance for a similar.

Then, create a listing of available flights by getting into your factors of departure and arrival, and your journey dates.

Kindly let me know if there’s any formality to be taken care of with regard to whether the bag is found or not.

Furthermore, utilizing this file quantity, you may check on the standing of your visa utility on the Immigration Office website.

Feeling very dissatisfied on this carelessness of Turkish line.

Select your flight, make any extra selections and enter your data. I have lost my baggage i got here india delhi to dakar which was partly run bye indiago.and now one hundred twenty five days has gone i didn't get any name from customer service. If you are undecided about your travel dates, fix the price of cheap flight tickets you have discovered. Dowload our cellular app free of charge, and you ought to purchase flight tickets at any time and easily manage all the steps of your journey from a single display. By maintaining a tally of the special offers offered all yr long, you ought to purchase low-cost tickets, earn more BolPoints or benefit from my different companies such as seat and meal selection. My journey from Istanbul to Manila was horrible.

Charbel Melhem Germany Fifth June 2022

In December, Erdoğan known as for the use of “Türkiye” to higher symbolize Turkish tradition and values, together with demanding that “Made in Türkiye” be used instead of “Made in Turkey” on exported merchandise. Turkish ministries began utilizing “Türkiye” in official documents. Top 9 locations in Türkiye for autumn holiday Türkiye has amazing destinations for many who haven't been capable of go on trip in summer season. Top 10 sites for camping in Türkiye Türkiye offers picturesque camping sites for these looking for a visit into wilderness. Time-lapse photographs of the night sky A photographer from Türkiye shot riveting time-lapse photographs of the night time sky from jap provinces. Istanbul’s emotion map revealed Maiden Tower is where the users of an app found the most romantic place in Istanbul.

Turkish Airlines Contact "/>

He has spent several hours making an attempt to alter my booking and told me that he'll name me back in 10 minutes. For the following four days, I stored on calling Markus and left messages for him. Fourth day, he called me back and mentioned that since my journey entails a partner airline, they cannot change the reservation and that I have to go online to do it. Buying low cost flight tickets with Pegasus Airlines is actually simple. Just enter the destination you are travelling to at flypgs.com or on the cell app to list out there flights, then select the most value effective flight on the date that suits you.

Italy Creates Museum For Trafficked Historical Artifacts

I additionally noticed from this lengthy haul flight, after they serve meals NO FA within the cabin, you have to call them, nobody is checking on passengers or offering water or drinks. Before landing the FA requested me how's my flight and I mentioned its not good and so they mentioned “must be the food - huh? Not Verified | Fly with Turkish Airlines at your personal threat. If there are problems that come up at any point throughout your experience with Turkish Airlines, please notice that their degree of customer support is amongst the worst in the world. Quite merely, shambolic customer service, nevertheless it's potential that you just won't require any, so roll the cube if you so wish.

They told her that submit the additional cash 15000Rs. I forgot my iPad in a flight from Berlin to Istanbul on 18th December 2019, I even have been making an attempt to contact the customer care but couldn't. Can somebody please let me know whom and the way should I contact the concerned staff to get it again. When you employ Timatic, you get data sourced from over 2,000 government and airline officials all around the world. Our team of specialists verify conflicting stories and make updates only when full accuracy can be confirmed. In addition, Timatic users consistently report important reductions in non-compliance fines and time spent handling buyer complaints.

Charles Leclerc- I Gotta Feeling

*I told yall I might do it and I am... posting on this blog, but depending on feedback I may move it to my sideblog where I reblog my favorite fics from all kinds of fandoms*

Summary: you surprise Charles in Bahrain

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Ladies and Gentleman, thank you for flying with Turkish Airlines. The temperature on the ground here in Bahrain is around 23 degrees, and the local time is 10 o’clock. Thank you for flying with us, and we hope to see you back soon.”

You quickly packed up your essentials from the long plane ride you were about to hop off of. You were sure some people had given you looks with your huge Law text book open on your tray table with your Ipad literally mounted on the seat in front of you to do studying as you headed into what was sure to be a crazy weekend. 

You turned your phone on, opening your text thread with Pascale and Arthur who had been your accomplices on this journey. Charles knew how important your school was to you. Being in your last year for your second degree, you were busy between internships, applications for your third and final degree program, while still studying for your regular classes. 

During the offseason, you and Charles were able to spend a majority of your time together. Your school and apartment in Geneva was only a short flight to Maranello when Charles was training, and even closer to Monaco when he was at home. But when the season came around, it became harder for the two of you to see each other with the constant travel on his end. 

You had been making it work for over a year, but this year you hadn’t believed you could have made the season opener in Bahrain. He had been understanding, but you knew Charles was sad to have you miss this. Therefore, even after you had told him you wouldn’t be able to come, you had kept trying to see if your internship would let you have the two days off to be able to travel to the race. 

Finally you had gotten the green light, and after some scheming with his mom and brother, you were ready to surprise your driver at his first race. 

waiting in the pick up lane the text from Arthur read as you waited for your bags. You grabbed your small rolling bag, hustling out of the doors into the balmy Bahrain air. 

“Oi, oi!” Arthur laughed as he spotted you heading out with a Ferrari cap pulled low on your head. “Good to see you mon ami.”

“Hello!” You laughed and gave him a hug and double cheek kisses. “Where is your mother?”

“She stayed at the track so Charles would not get suspicious. We can head there after dropping off your things in his room,” Arthur explained as he got behind the wheel. The two of you chatted, breaking off for a bit while you ran your bag into Charles room that Arthur had snagged the key for. 

Shortly after you made it to the track, scanning into the paddock as you made your way to the Ferrari area. 

“Well, well. Look who it is!” An accented voice called from behind you, laughing as you whipped around to see Pierre. “I thought you weren’t able to come?” He asked as he slung his arms around your shoulders in a hug.

“I was able to talk with my internship to get the time off, so I wanted to come see him,” You grinned as Pierre joined you and Arthur to find Pascale who was watching the practice session in front of them.

“Amoureuse!” The blonde beamed as you approached her, opening her arms immediately as the two of you shared a tight hug. “I am so glad you came, mon garcon has been pouting all day missing you.” You laughed as the two of you approached the Ferrari garage, chatting about your flight and Pascale’s flowers she wanted to plant as Spring approached. 

“Ciao Mattia!” You greeted the team Principal as you, Pascale and Arthur headed to the area where the team was watching Carlos and Charles make their laps. The Italian man gave you a brief greeting before everyone focused back on the track. 

The group watched for another 15 minutes before the team started preparing for the guys to come back in. You could feel the excitement begin to flutter in your belly as the cars made their way into the garage. Carlos was the first to exit his car, smirking when he noticed you and literally getting a good seat to watch the show as Charles pulled in. 

With a nod from one of the mechanics, you approached the car after it rolled to a stop, stopping by the drivers seat as Charles focused on the opposite side of the car. 

“Can I help you with anything?” You asked sweetly, grinning as Charles jumped in his seat to turn to you. 

“Ange!” his voice came out slightly distorted from his helmet which he quickly removed, beginning to pull himself out of his car. “What are you doing here?!”

“I had to make it work,” you beamed as he swooped down as soon as his feet were on the ground to pepper kisses all over your face. “I had a good feeling.”

_________

a/n: maybe ill do a part two but I literally wrote this while I should be working

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

12 killed, dozens wounded in weekend shootings across U.S. (NBC News) At least 12 people were killed and dozens more were wounded over the weekend in gun violence and mass shootings in five states. The shootings in Minnesota, Ohio, New Jersey, Georgia and South Carolina come amid a yearlong rise in nationwide gun violence and record firearm sales. It isn’t clear why the number of shootings over the last year has risen so dramatically. Experts have said the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on mental and physical health, social services and more are likely to have played a significant role.

Southern Baptist decline continues, denomination has lost more than 2 million members since 2006 (Religion News Service) The nation’s largest Protestant denomination continues to get smaller. There were 14 million Southern Baptists in 2020, according to a new report released Thursday (May 20) by Lifeway Christian Resources, which compiles official denominational statistics. That number is down 435,632 members since 2019 and 2.3 million from 2006, when the Southern Baptist Convention reached 16.3 million members. The biggest decline in the report was seen in baptisms, a key measure for the evangelical denomination. In 2020, baptisms were down by about half, to 123,160, the lowest number since 1919. Southern Baptists, long known for denominational infighting, have seen several high-profile departures of leaders in the past year, including Bible teacher Beth Moore, ethicist Russell Moore, and a number of Black pastors.

NYC mayor: Public schools will be all in person this fall (AP) New York City schools will be all in person this fall with no remote options, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday. The roughly 1 million students who attend traditional public schools will be in their classrooms with some version of the coronavirus protocols that have been in place in the current academic year, including mask wearing and COVID-19 testing, de Blasio said. “It’s time. It’s really time to go full strength now,” he said. The mayor said parents would be invited to visit their children’s schools starting in June to get “reacclimated” to the idea of in-person school.

Mexican parents clean reopening schools where thieves took even toilet doors (Reuters) Wiping away dust from bookshelves and mopping grimy floors, teachers and parents across Mexico are sprucing up vandalised schools ahead of the nationwide reopening on June 7. Mexico has kept state schools shut since March 2020, when students and teachers abandoned them after the coronavirus pandemic triggered the first nationwide lockdown. Since then, between 40% to 50% of all Mexican schools have reported vandalism or theft, according to trade union officials. Alfonso Cepeda Salas, secretary general of the National Educational Workers Syndicate trade union, or SNTE, told newspaper Excelsior last week that power lines, computers, screens, and even doors to toilets have been stolen. "We come to support the school so that everything is clean for the return of children to classes," said Rosa Miron, one of several mothers cleaning a school in Mexico City.

Why you may see a NYPD motorcade in Sao Paulo's streets (AP) Stunned by the swirl of red lights and blaring sirens, confused pedestrians who spot a New York City Police Department motorcade screaming down the streets of Brazil's biggest city may need a second to get their bearings. Behind the spectacle is a group of Brazilian fans obsessed with one of the world's most recognizable police forces, whose hobby is refurbishing NYPD cars and motorcycles, inspired by nostalgia for cop movies and shows such as "Law & Order." "To tell you the truth, it creates some confusion sometimes," said Fabio Denzin, who owns not just a Ford Crown Victoria painted as a NYPD car, but also a van and motorcycle. "People even think that it is the real police from New York on patrol, as if they came to Brazil to help the local police."

EU calls for probe after plane diverted to arrest journalist (AP) Western leaders decried the diversion of a plane to Belarus in order to arrest an opposition journalist as an act of piracy and terrorism. The European Union and others on Monday demanded an investigation into the dramatic forced landing of the Ryanair jet, which was traveling between of the bloc’s two member nations. The airline said Belarusian flight controllers told the crew there was a bomb threat against the plane as it was crossing through the country’s airspace and ordered it to land in the capital of Minsk. A Belarusian MiG-29 fighter jet was scrambled to escort the plane. Raman Pratasevich, who ran a popular messaging app that played a key role in helping organize massive protests against Belarus’ authoritarian president, was on board and he and his Russian girlfriend were led off the plane shortly after landing. The plane, which began its journey in Athens, Greece, was eventually allowed to continue on to Vilnius, Lithuania. Western leaders forcefully condemned the move. A group of the chairs of the foreign affairs committees of several Western countries’ legislative bodies called it an act of piracy. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the plane’s diversion was “shocking,” while Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda called it a “state-sponsored terror act.” (Washington Post) European leaders on Monday agreed to impose sectoral sanctions on Belarus and to bar E.U. airlines from flying over the country’s airspace, dealing a potentially crushing blow to the economy. E.U. leaders asked the bloc’s foreign policy team to draw up a list of targeted economic sanctions to impose “without delay," and said that the country’s national airline would be barred from the European Union.

Turkey’s drones (Foreign Policy) Poland become the first NATO member to purchase Turkish drones, Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Saturday. The contract for 24 armed Bayraktar TB2 drones is due to be signed by Polish President Andrzej Duda when he travels to Turkey next week. The sale underlines Turkey’s status as the world’s fourth largest drone producer and comes after its unmanned aircraft were seen as crucial in securing victory for Azerbaijan in its war with Armenia last year.

India virus death toll passes 300,000 (AP) India crossed another grim milestone Monday of more than 300,000 people lost to the coronavirus as a devastating surge of infections appeared to be easing in big cities but was swamping the poorer countryside. India’s death toll is the third-highest reported in the world, accounting for 8.6% of the nearly 34.7 million coronavirus fatalities globally, though the true numbers are thought to be significantly greater. From the remote Himalayan villages in the north, through the vast humid central plains and to the sandy beaches in the south, the pandemic has swamped India’s underfunded health care system after spreading fast across the country.

Samoa’s first female leader locked out of her own swearing-in ceremony (Washington Post) The first woman elected prime minister of Samoa showed up for her swearing-in ceremony on Monday to find her opponents had locked the doors to prevent her from taking office. Fiame Naomi Mata’afa and her followers pitched a tent on the statehouse lawn, where she took the oath of office instead. The bizarre scenes capped six weeks of election turmoil that escalated into a constitutional crisis over the weekend as Mata’afa’s fierce rival refused to cede power. “This is an illegal takeover of government,” Mata’afa said Sunday of the efforts to keep her from office. “Because it’s a bloodless coup, people aren’t so concerned or disturbed by it.” “Samoa is a young democracy,” said Iati Iati from Victoria University of Wellington. “What you have then is a number of institutions whose power has not been accurately defined, so you have the head of state pushing the limits of his power, you’ve got the speaker coming in with his, you’ve got the courts asserting their power and you’ve got the prime minister saying he won’t listen to the courts.”

Regret (CJR) Ronen Bergman reports, for the New York Times, that some Israeli officials privately now regret the decision to bomb the building housing the AP’s offices last weekend. “In light of the international furor over the airstrike, some high-ranking officials in government and the military now call it a mistake, arguing that Israel needs the media to be open to hearing its version of events, and the bombing made that harder,” Bergman writes. “One official said that while the airstrike was justified militarily, the doubters had been right, and the harm done to Israel’s international standing outweighed any benefit from destroying the Hamas equipment” officials say was inside the building [and which everyone except the Israeli military denies was present].

Before Rage Flared, a Push to Make Israel’s Mixed Towns More Jewish (NYT) Years before the mixed Arab-Jewish city of Lod erupted in mob violence, a demographic shift had begun to take root: Hundreds of young Jews who support a religious, nationalist movement started to move into a mostly Arab neighborhood with the express aim of strengthening the Israeli city’s Jewish identity. A similar change was playing out in other mixed Arab-Jewish cities inside Israel, part of a loosely organized nationwide project known as Torah Nucleus. For decades, hard-line Israeli nationalists have sought to shift the demographics of the occupied West Bank by building Jewish settlements, undermining the prospect of a two-state solution to the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict. With West Bank settlement firmly entrenched—about 450,000 Jews now live among more than 2.6 million Palestinians—Torah Nucleus supporters see Israeli cities as a new horizon. Most of the world considers Jewish settlements in the occupied territories a violation of international law, but this was an attempt to create change within Israel’s recognized boundaries. And many cast it as the new Zionism.

For Gaza shop owners, building back could take years (Washington Post) Naji Dwaima’s family is known as “the watch family” in Gaza. On Sunday morning, he sat on a folding chair and stared at the spot where his watch store used to be. It was buried under 12 stories of rubble, destroyed by Israeli missiles. Gaza was already one of the poorest corners of the region. Before the coronavirus and airstrikes hit, an estimated 80 percent of the population relied on international aid, according to Oxfam International. Youth unemployment, estimated at 50 percent, was perhaps the highest in the world, the group said. More than 525 businesses were damaged or destroyed in the fighting, the Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor estimated, including at least 50 factories and hundreds of small businesses, the backbone of Gaza’s commercial life. Rebuilding those will take international aid and the willingness of owners to start over. Dwaima, 46, said he came to sit by his ruined shop in part because he didn’t know, after 26 years of 13-hour days, six days a week, how else to spend his time. “This is as much my home as my home,” he said. “All of my impressions, all of my dreams are attached to this place.”

Volcanic eruption, ensuing chaos kill at least 15 in Congo (AP) Torrents of lava poured into villages after dark in eastern Congo with little warning, leaving at least 15 people dead amid the chaos and destroying more than 500 homes, officials and survivors said Sunday. The eruption of Mount Nyiragongo on Saturday night sent about 5,000 people fleeing from the city of Goma across the nearby border into Rwanda, while another 25,000 others sought refuge to the northwest in Sake, the U.N. children’s agency said Sunday. Goma ultimately was largely spared the mass destruction caused by the volcano’s last eruption in 2002. Hundreds died then and more than 100,000 people were left homeless. But in outlying villages closer to the volcano, Sunday was marked by grief and uncertainty.

Pope to Vatican’s own media workers: Who reads your news? (AP) Pope Francis challenged the Vatican’s own media employees Monday to essentially justify their continued work, asking them how many people actually consume their news in a critique of the office that costs the Holy See more than all its embassies around the world combined. Francis appeared to use the occasion to lay down the gauntlet at a fraught financial time for the Holy See. Facing a major pension funding shortage and a projected 50 million euro ($61 million) deficit this year, Francis has ordered salary cuts from 3% to 10% for Vatican employees, both lay and religious. In his visit with media employees, he said their work was good, their offices nice and organized, but that there was a “danger” that their work doesn’t arrive where it is supposed to. He warned them against falling prey to a “lethal” functionality where they go through the motions but don’t actually achieve anything.