What a day! What a day! What a day! It's such a maddening day that I have to say it 3 times. I anticipated a tight security for flying to Tel Aviv, but when you were the only one being singled out, interrogated and performed a full body search in a separated room, and you were not allowed to bring any carry on except yourself, your wallet and your phone, it is not as an easy feeling as one may think. In the name of security, I did what needed to be done, I did not complain, I have at last arrived Tel Aviv safely.

At 7:45am, I left the apartment to SXF airport. I could not find the El Al counter when I got there, but my flight was actually by UP (a low-cost brand of El Al). I got to the counter, there was the first level of security interview by the airline stuff. I was welcomed by a girl (trainee) and a guy (her trainer), they explained to me that they would interview me together and would take longer because she was in training. I was happy to comply. But when it turned into a hour and a half of interrogation kind of interview, I had to say I started to worry. They asked me questions from why I picked the locations I visit, to how I paid for my trip, how do take a whole 3.5 weeks off from work, who is doing my works while I am gone, why I do not fly direct from Boston, and it jumped back and fore from other total unrelated stuff, like how do I travel to work in Boston, and how much education I need to do in order to do my work. I understood my route was a little unusual. I answered everything in full details and honestly, I even showed them my 51 page travel planning documents, she were really amazed, and the guy commented "of course, he is from Hong Kong! He would be interested in the details." What is that supposed to mean, I wonder what kind of reputation Hong Kong people have in other country.

The conversation just went on and on, I even had to login to my company email to show that I worked for the company, login to my work timesheet to show that I am on vacation. My flight was scheduled for 10:55am, but almost 10, I have not even checked-in yet. I was the last one standing there with them. The guy had left, since they actually worked for the airline, I guess they had other task to do prior to the flight departure. The girl (trainee) was reporting my status to his boss, the man in tailored suit. He did not seem to be satisfied, and ended up coming over to me, and asked me where I will be staying in Kathmandu, and he wanted me to show him the receipt. I showed. He asked a couple other things, and then he said "ok, you are not allowed to bring anything to the flight, other than your wallet and your phone. We will search your bag and we will search you as well." I was like, "I have a camera, lenses, and computer in my backpack, they will break. Can you at least wrap it up with bubble sheet or something." He said, "I will put it in a box." Stone faced.

And then I had 4 records I purchased in Berlin in a tote on my shoulder. I was almost in a begging tone: "but I have these records, do they need to be checked-in too?" At first, he just said, "Yes, I will put them in a box." But I said, "they are records, they will definitely break." I showed him. He went through them one by one. And he said, "you paid 15 euro for this!" I said, "It's David Bowie!" and then he smiled a little, "Ha.. Ziggy Stardust! OK, you can bring them with you."

Another woman checked me in, I had to bring my bags to the scanner, I still needed to go through the long lines at the German security, that was like 10:15am already. A couple minutes later, I found the Israeli security room, knocked, no one there. A couple minutes later, a guy came and told me to use the bathroom first if I need to and wait for him on the bunch. He told me to go inside, take all the rest of my belonging, money belt, wallet, phone, vinyls, and jacket. He did his scanning, while I was waiting outside on the bunch again. He came back out at 10:30am or so, he said, his boss will search me, but I still had to wait for another 10 mins. I thought, "Oh mine." Was it the same guy who smiled at my David Bowie record?

10 mins later still waiting, I saw the first guy who took my personal belonging, I asked him again whether I would miss my flight. He ensured me that even if the search delayed, I would be on the flight. Still no sign of the "boss." At last, it ended up that another guy who did not look like a boss came with him, and he would perform the search. I was in the room, did the pose he asked me to, the tree branch pose, it got a little tired after a while. They told me to take the shirt off, so I did, the whole thing, but they actually wanted the outer layer out. OK. He deep searched me, I mean deep tissue kind of deep! It felt weird to be searched like that, not felt violated but a little shameful in a way. I did not do anything wrong. I don't look like a terrorist, do I? I complied. DROP TO YOUR KNEES..., I thought I heard, but he actually asked me to drop my pants to my knees. He searched me, and he used this device to take some samples on my jeans. Tested. Nothing.

The search was completed. And he led me to the German passport control, I had not even passed that yet, can you imagine it was 2 mins to the flight departure? The flight was delayed a 15-20 mins I later found out. The German passport control went ok. At last, I was at the gate, you know how it felt when you were the student who did something bad and walked back to the classroom, people looked at you a little bit. I felt a little like that. I was in a middle seat way in the back of the flight, I had nothing but my wallet, phone and 4 records. Not sure how I should feel. I ate a sandwich and was wondering, shit, I did not check the money belt and the money when the guy gave me back the money belt, it was with my records under the chair in front of me right now, did I take it or leave it there? I did get it but did not count.

The frenzy was not over. I found my backpack, but my small carry on bag was nowhere to be found. The guy said it would be in a box, they came out on a different belt, I later noticed. I went over, couldn't find my name or the ticket number. I waited and waited. I checked my big backpack to see if the small carry on was stuff into it as well. What do I find? My computer and the camera lens were there unprotected in between my clothes. Everything was a mess, clothes cleaned, dirty, empty bags, upside down, it was a mess. The carry-on bag was not there even though some contents originally in the carry-on bag I found. My camera! My camera was apparently was still on the carry-on bag, with my toiletry and other stuff. An another hour and half later, I was filling out form at the lost and found. I was pretty beaten up at that point, like I had a dying dog at home, and I needed to go see him one last time. I think the girl saw me at the counter might be thinking. They said they will try to locate it and deliver to me. I did this before. Usually there should be no problem, but with this security level and the shape of the stuff in my backpack, I did not know what to believe. I almost left but I decided to walk back to the belt for oversize luggage and boxes to do one last check. I saw a box opened this time, a box with someone else's tag but I saw my toiletry bag in there. No tears, I was kind of dehydrated at that point, but I shouted inside. I got my stuff, quickly stuffed them into my backpack, and got the hell out of there. It was 6pm and dark out already. I later examined my money, camera, computer, lenses, everything was ok, for the exception of one tiny teeny thing, the receptor for my mouse. So, now I have a mouse and I cannot use.


I mean, I am not feeling angry at all at this point, I am glad I made it, and I have bumped into someone here already, what do I know? I think they did not mean to pick on me or anything like that. But perhaps my travel plan was a little out of the ordinary, and they wanted to put safety first. If this is what it takes to keep people safe, I do it. Though I must say I was quite taken by surprised by this experience. I have never experienced anything like that. Well, one thing I need to do for sure, I will go to the airport earlier next Sunday, just in case, there will be a high level of security check the way out as well.


Sorry post is a bit long and dreary today, and no photos other than the two above I took in Berlin in the morning. But I am looking forward to a beautiful start tomorrow again.