Goodbye Moscow

2: 13 a.m. June 2 (Saturday)
Moscow

I had my last night in Moscow.

The day was uneventful yesterday (Friday). The Congress approved a lot of resolutions. There was a lot to just remember. If you're interested you can visit the IFJ Web site (ifj.org) later. I'm sure the proceedings will be posted.

There was the election of the executive council. Unfortunately, nobody from Asia came out. In the afternoon, the reserve advisers were elected and from the region Iran and Sri Lanka were elected. Taiwan and the Philippines were elected as reserve advisers at large.

There was a closing reception where cultural dances and sogs from different countries were presented. After the reception, the Indonesian consul fetched Heru for a tour of the city. They invited me to join and I willingly went with them.

The story of my last night in Moscow will be in my future blog. I have to pack my things to prepare my trip to Norway via Munich later today. It's another journey into the unknown.

Abangan!


12:35 p.m. June 2 (Saturday)
SVO Airport, Moscow

I tried to wake up early to catch the Lithuanians and go with them to the aiport, but my friends left early. A taxi from the hotel would cost US$72 (1,800 something rubles) as expensive as having a bottle of Miller beer, a hot bath, a complimentary backrub, a blow job and an hour of sex, all i none in a clandestine house in downtown Moscow.

I saw a delegate from Nepal checking out at the reception counter. I asked him if he has a ride to the airport. He said a rich Nepali businessman in Moscow is picking him up in 15 minutes and if I want he can offer me a ride. I immediately accepted. It was actually what I wanted.

It took less than an hour to the airport. I had my last look at Moscow, wondering if I would be able to come back to this country. The weather is already cold now. On Wednesday it was 31 degrees, too hot for them, but today its already below 20.

I lined up for check-in and discovered that I overshoot my allotted 20 kg of luggage. I exceeded 10 kg and had to pay 3,500 rubles or 100 euro just for the 5 kg. There goes my savings.

I already suspected that I would overshoot the allotted weight because of the books and reading materials I carried from the IFJ Congress. But sometimes people have just to learn from experience. I learned it the hard way, or the expensive way.

I had a bottle of Coke and a cheese sandwich for lunch inside the airport and it cost me $9. I bought a pack of cigarette for 30 rubles.

It would be boarding time soon and I'm on my way to Munich where I will take a plane to Oslo. I still have to look for a hotel this weekend because my hosts from the Norwegian Foreign ministry and the other guests are flying to Bergen for the weekend. I'm supposed to go with them and had already my airline e-ticket, unfortunately my flight will be arriving in Oslo an hour after the scheduled flight to Bergen.

Anyways, I've survived Moscow. I will survive Oslo. As I've said, one has to learn from the experiences and decisions we do in life, may it be bad or good. What is important is not to forget to right the wrong and continue with the journey as the same person as before, knowing fully well that there will be many more challenges that we will encounter along the way.