Advertisement
Orange Suitcase
oh baby i never thought i would see you again....On the morning of 18th February I set off to Moldova full of hope and optimism. To get to Moldova from Manchester I have to fly from Heathrow airport. This is a real pain. Last time when I went I said overnight in London but this time I was trying something different. The plan was to get an early morning train to London and then take the tube to Paddington Station and then take the Heathrow Express to the Airport. Easy hey...
I sat on the train feeling pleased myself but that soon changed when an announcement came though that the train was not going to arrive until 11.10am. My flight was at 12.45am.
My Ticket said 10.40. So I was half and hour behind
Schedule. As the train crawled its way out of Manchester a thick fog came
Down and I was fearing the worst, that the train
would arrive too late in London for me to make my
connection to the Airport. I sat there in a state
of cold panic preying to God of travel for it to make it
arrive on time. After 3 hours and 15 minutes the
train arrived in London. We arrived at
Nice plane
On our to pick up my case 11.00 so I
was feeling a bit happier now. The carriage I was
in was at the far end of the platform, so I had
to walk 5 mins to get out the station then I walked
to the Metro station to catch a train to the
Paddington Station where I would then get a train to
the Airport.
Imagine my dismay as I reached the Metro
Station for a sign outside it to read THIS STATION IS
CLOSED TODAY FOR REPAIRS.
shit shit shit shit shit...I dashed back to the
Train Station, don’t forget I have a heavy
Suitcase with me... I re enter the station and head
downstairs to where the taxis are waiting.. Time is
against me now. I ask how much to the airport and
how long? ...
He tells me it will cost £60 and will take 1 hour to get there, this is no
good. Instead I get him to take me to Paddington
Station for the Airport train. The Taxi costs £8 and I gave him £10 and told him to keep the change he was a typical Cockney Taxi driver "Here mate the last people from Manchester I had
in the back of my cab was the Gallagher brothers" Really I replied pretending to be interested, he carried on "Yeah and last week I had Bob Geldof, he is a right miserable C**t".
I buy a return ticket for the Train (£27) and board it. I
Arrive at the Airport at 12.pm...My flight is at
12.45. I am now running towards terminal 2...but some
how I get lost and I am heading towards to
Terminal 3..shit shit..I have to head back and then I
find the right way. I make check in with seconds to go before it closes and she
assures me that suitcase will put on the Plane. I clear
security checks and passport control and look for
flight. Gate 8 last call. I am now running like a
mad man though the Airport to make my flight. I
make it to gate 8 just in the time. I get on the
plane and I am sweating like mad.
I take off my coat and Jumper and relaxed in a
surprisingly comfy leather suit..
I have made it.....Thank you god....The plane
starts to move and I looking out of the
window. There is my Fucking
We line up
The Ceremony begins bright orange Fucking suitcase
in a truck...shit shitshit shitshit shitshit
shitshit shitshit shitshit shit, I alert the cabin
crew who tell the pilot but he wont stop..
As I sat there waving bye bye to my suitcase which
hopefully I will see again I thought What’s next?
Is the plane going to crash???????????????????????
This how the most important week in my life started. Let me explain last May (2005) while traveling around Moldova with my friend Jeff, I met a beautiful girl Called Marina. We became friends and I told her that I would come back for her. Well the next time I met her was in Odessa (Ukraine) We then traveled to Yalta and sent a great week at the coast.
I had seriously fallen in love with her, and then we traveled around Romania together taking in Dracula's castle and many other places. Then we traveled around Russian together for 2 weeks taking Volvograd, Nitzy Norvograd, Vladimer, St Petersburg, and Moscow.
On the last day of our trip I popped the question and she said yes...Fantastic...
I returned back to Manchester with hope in my heart and feeling like I was 10 feet tall.
I came back
down to earth we it came to sorting out the documents for our wedding to take place in Moldova, first I had to get Certificate stating I was not married, so I had to take a trip to the town hall for this Certificate of (No Impediment) cost me £30 and I had to wait a month for it. The next document was Criminal records certificate, £10 for a police check, I had to wait a month for this also. Next was a Birth certificate was no problem and finally a Medical Certificate attesting the state of my health. I went to see my doc and explained to him what I needed and did some test on me and one week later I got the Certificate £10. When I had finally got the all the documents together I had to send them to Moldovan Embassy in London for them to be Legalized. I had to pay in postal orders the cost per Certificate to be legalized was £29 each. They would not legalize my Medical Certificate but they told me that I could get one done in Moldova.
So at Christmas I went over with my documents and we spent
most of the week at the Registration office and other various other offices. First we had to get them translated in to Moldovan and then I had we had to go Hospital for a Medical Test.
Finally we got the date 24th Feb 2006. Which is Romanian lovers' day called 'Dragobete' which we found later these just made things better.
On January 4th I started work at a new office in Chorlton, I one miner problem, my leave did not start until March. So on the first day I went to see the Business Manager (who I heard was ok) I explained to her about my up coming marriage in Moldova and ask for special leave.
I got no special leave but she let me take my holidays early, so all was fine.
Or so I thought, things did not go well at my new office and for number of reasons which I don’t want to go in to on here I ended up going of going off work sick with stress two days before I was due to fly out. Which give me time to go down to Harpurhey market to buy a new suitcase. Yes that Orange
suitcase..
So after my day from hell, I exited in the arrival hall of Chisinau Airport and waited for Marina to pick me up in a cab, I explained to her about my Suitcase (she found all so amusing)
As our taxi sped towards her flat I looked at my wife to be and I knew that everything was going been fine.
I arrived on a Saturday and our Wedding was on the following Friday, the following week was spent sorting for our reception, i picked out a really nice Restaurant, we paid for a party of 20 and it had live entertainment for free. Once that was done we went down to a theatre and tried on our wedding Suits, we were to be married in traditional Moldovan dress. This is was a great idea of Marina's just check out the pictures.
Everyday we phoned up the Airport asking the whereabouts of my suitcase; it took three days to arrive. We had to go the Airport to collect it. We could now watch the Videos I had especially to over for Marina to watch. She has missed on so many classic movies so I am trying to help
her catch up.
Friday 24th Feb.....It’s the big day...Marina's Mother and Cousin and husband and their son arrived early. I had a long hot soak in the bath (I don’t think I flooded her bathroom this time) I greet my new in-laws to be and we take taxi's to the Registration office. I am wearing my costume and people are looking at me funny, the hat is very tight on my head.
We meet her friend Virginia and we go upstairs, we have a champagne toast, while we are waiting for a wedding to finish. Then we get the call.
We are led into a fantastic room (much better than I expected) the Chief Register has an amazing hairdo.
We take our places and the Ceremony begins, I don’t understand a would of it, Marina nudges me a few times and I say "Da" then after 10 minutes or so we exchange rings and I give Marina a great big kiss and we are Man and wife. We then sign the book and it’s all over. We are led out the room but the Registers want photos with us because it is the first time that anyone has ever been
Welcome to Chisinau
A photo opotunity for all Tourists married anyone in Traditional Moldovan dress, I think there is probably a photo of our happy day on the on there Wall now. We have a team photo outside and I get interviewed by Radio Free Europe, I say a few words of how are I feel, and then we are back in a taxi to Marina's Flat. Marina has put on really lovely spread, just as well because we are staving.
At 6pm we go the Restaurant and get ready to greet our guests, at first no one seems to be turning up but slowly they start arriving. We still have our wedding costumes on the guests are amazed by our appearance, Marina's relations and friends are introduced to me but I can’t remember any of their names.
Finally when all the guests have be seated we take our place at the head of table, many toasts are made (with Marina Translating for me). We eat the first course and the band starts playing, I am lead to the dance floor by my lovely wife and soon everyone is up dancing, the many bottles of red wine and cognac are being drunk and everyone is having a great time.
I drink only wine (the next day I discover that it is low alcohol)
I remember dancing to one of my all time favorite songs "Hello" by Lionel Ritchie; I am smooching with Marina singing down her ear "I can see it in your eyes
I can see it in your smile
You're all I've ever wanted, (and) my arms are open wide
'Cause you know just what to say
And you know just what to do
And I want to tell you so much, I love you ..."
It was a fantastic day and night, a great wedding.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.156s; Tpl: 0.015s; cc: 9; qc: 62; dbt: 0.1052s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.3mb
Anna
non-member comment
Nice!
Your photos are nice, beautiful, great and unusual!