Photos and Musings of Gobdol

Monday, November 14, 2005

Priority Handling?



























I wonder what the priority tag actually means to the baggage handler behind the scenes. Do they set it aside in the priority pile? Do they put it into the plane last so it comes out first?

I was pleasantly surprised when they placed a priority tag on my bag when I flew from Hong Kong to Chiang Mai. "Alright, it's my lucky day" Boy was I wrong.

Apparently, it did not mean much to the baggage handler at the Chiang Mai Airport. One by one, the tagless luggages came rolling out on the conveyor belt, each one seeming to mock me and my "Priority" handling. It felt like a cruel joke. My bag ended coming out last.

Actually, now I think about it, the baggage handlers probably did not speak English and could not understand the tag. Maybe what they should have is a more universal system to help the baggage handlers. And why is the priority tag red? If I couldn't read the langauge there, I would associate the color that's with stop, caution, or fragile, but not priority. I say it should be green light the traffic lights. That's a pretty universal color for go.

Well any ways here is me waiting for my priority handling bag ... and waiting ...

















While waiting I realized that all my traveling to Asia has slowly turned me Asian. You'll note that I am squating as I am waiting, that's a very Chinese thing to do. Not the western squat where your heels are off the ground. That gets tiring fast. The heel is on the ground in the Chinese squat. The Chinese squat is not for everyone, some people, like my wife, are not anatomically built to do the Chinese squat. (Not sure if it is a question of nature or nurture...)

Can you do the Chinese Squat?

3 Comments:

  • At December 06, 2005 1:24 PM, Blogger Johnny Chen said…

    herman! that chinese squat is hilarious!

    and as for the question of 'nature vs. nurture', i def. have to say nurture. or maybe traci and i are cousins..because i def. can't do the chinese squat.

    johnny

     
  • At December 07, 2005 8:20 AM, Blogger Herman said…

    Johnny, you see I have a theory that there are two kinds of people in the world. The haves and the have-nots. Those who have the squat and those who do not. Be thankful that you do not live in China, you may be ostricized for being in the latter category. :)

    Btw, your comment brought Traci much encouragement. (That there are good and smart people who can't Chinese squat.)

     
  • At February 13, 2006 7:51 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Try as I might, I can't do that squat. My ankles have never been able to bend those last few degrees necessary to make it work. Funny thing is, I've actually tried to increse that flexibility so I wouldn't be a squatting outcast :(

    I wonder if my half-Asian kids will be able to do it. Oh God, for their sake, please let it be.

    -Rob Hughes

     

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