A NIGHT IN DUBAI - BUT WITH A DIFFERENCE

I know that i am different. This is why i usually do not get offended or desperate when things start taking a totally different turn.. My latest ten days Pakistan visit too brought me face to face quite too many interesting incidents, leading to so many ,of the beat sort of stories to be shared.

I stayed in Dubai for about 20 hours. It was an unplanned stay. Unplanned anything always mean thrill to me.  The thrill however sometimes  furthers by unexpectedly un-folding of new chapters that may end up like a horror movie. This was exactly what had happened on that particular day when i spent 20 hours at Dubai Airport.

It was the night between 14th and 15th December 2012.

Before starting the real story, i must explain a bit of some basic facts that would help understanding the whole issue.

1. My Pakistan passport was long finished. I had neither got that extended nor got a new one.
2. I have got a passport of the TURKISH REPUBLIC OF NORTHERN CYPRUS, which is an unrecognised country, recognised only by Turkey.
3. So far i had been travelling on my TRNC passport for going to Turkey.
4. This time i decided to use my TRNC passport for travelling beyond Turkey, although knowing that except Turkey this passport has not been accepted anywhere.
5. I did manage to get a visa from the Pakistan consulate in Istanbul, for visiting Pakistan. It was a big success for me. However it was a sort of unofficial visa, because Pakistan does not recognise TRNC Passport.
6. I was having a return ticket from Emirates from Istanbul/Dubai/Karachi and back.
7.While Checking in at the Emirates counter at istanbul for my flight from Istanbul to Karachi through Dubai, they had objected to my passport and had refused to board me on the plane, however as a last resort they had got a paper signed by me where i had accepted to be personally responsible for everything if things does not go the desired way (that is an another story)

Well i now return  back to the Dubai adventure.

I knew Emirates for its punctuality, however this time it had drastically shattered that image. The Karachi/Dubai flight took off from Karachi more than an hour late.
It was a nice and normal flight, with good service.

There was going to be more than 2 hours transit period for me at Dubai, in which i was supposed to catch my next connecting Emirates flight to Istanbul. But it was already late.

I had had to rush for my connecting flight. My baggage was already booked directly for Istanbul. But there was something which was out of my control. I simply do not know the logic of Emirates. As the plane landed and we got out of the it, they boarded the passengers in a bus ,  and the bus kept on running for around 20 minutes, to reach the entrance door of the main airport building. It was something like a Tour de Apron sort of free service run by Emirates. It reminded me of the hijacked planes which have usually been parked at the remote area of the airport. Perhaps my plane too was parked at some remote area of the airport, or as i have mentioned just earlier too , Emirates wanted to have a good view of the airport from the apron. . The same had had happened  on my way to Karachi, and the same was happening this time too.

Ultimately when i reached the airport building i did know that i would have to rush if i wanted to catch the connecting flight.
I did know that there was no sign mentioning TRANSIT PASSENGERS from the gate where the passengers land in to the point where they end up in a hall. From there when you turn left (i had learnt that) there are huge elevators, (marked TRANSFERS)which go to one particular place. I ultimately reached the destined point. Reaching that particular floor, you do not get a sign or arrow marking where the transit passengers should go. However i did know that i did have to reach a TRANSFER counter of EMIRATES. There were two Bengali clerks sitting there. I showed them my ticket and boarding card. One of them told me that i must run fast to catch the plane. But which way should i go ?

I asked a sweeper there, and he told me to go ahead. On that way there was a queue. Passengers were passing through the scanning machine one by one. I wasted a lot of time there. Then again there were no signs to lead me. I asked the security man there. He told me that i should go ahead , then turn right, from there take the escalators to reach my gate. I ran through the whole course. My gate was  was not too near. I literally ran. At last i reached the required gate.

There was an emigration officer at the boarding point. I showed him my passport and ticket. As expected, he asked me that which country's passport that was. so i told him the story. He called an another person, and they both tried to locate this country (TRNC) in their booklet. I do not know if they found this name in some list of unrecognised countries. But they decided to take photographs  of my passport. Once this process was finished i was showed the way to the Emirates staff, who simply refused to take me in. I was shocked. I was told that since my Karachi/Dubai flight had arrived late, so my baggage could not be collected by them. I was told that i would have to wait for the next flight. I was told that the next Istanbul bound flight would be the next morning at 10.50am. I was told to go to the Transfer Desk H.

But where was the TRANSFER DESK H ?. I simply did not know. When asked i was showed a way to go ahead. I  was told that i would have to go down. I went to the place directed, but there the excellators were going up. There was no way to go down.

I started feeling myself lost. There was no way to go. There were two other foreigners who too were trying to find the way out. I asked a sweeper to show me some way out. He told me that first i must go through the screening machines to re enter the hall from where i would be going to the Transfer Desk H. I had had to follow that way.

At last i succeeded in finding the Transfer Desk H. Interestingly it was the same desk where two bengali officials were sitting who had told me to run fast to catch the plane. When i reached back to them, one of them laughingly but in a very cunning voice asked me as to why i did not run fast to catch the plane. I felt hurt, but preferred to keep quite. I told him that i did go to the gate but i was told that they could not have collected my baggage and i would have to take the next flight the next morning. As i was explaining this to them, the other one in a very harshly tone blamed me that i had never reached the gate. I was shocked to hear such a blame. He said that the plane was still there waiting for ONE passenger. I felt myself totally confused and lost, as i was unable to figure out what was happening. There must have been something wrong somewhere.

What was wrong, did come to light within moments. The other fellow sitting next to him,told him that he was looking at a WRONG FLIGHT, and my aero plane had already left. Interestingly the guy who had blamed me of not going to the gate, never felt the need to apologise. It was my time to say some strong words to him, but i opted to remain cool.

I was told to go to the other part of the same section to an another staff member of Emirates. I was told that Emirates would arrange for my boarding and lodging, for my overnight stay in Dubai. But ofcourse , in my case things usually do not turn up the normal way. The filipino girl on the counter started questioning me about country of which passport i was carrying. As in previous cases, she called her senior, who reassessed my passport. However, within a few minutes they decided to give me a Hotel Coupon. I was told to go to the CUSTOMER SERVICE DESK. When asked about its location i was told to go down (or was it to go up?). Well, i found an elevator, boarded in it, but there was only one push button in it. I had had to go out where it took me to. Out there, i asked about the Customer Services Desk, i was told to go to the Arrivals section. Again the same question arose. Where was ARRIVALS?

Well to cut all this mind boggling hectic ups and downs,short, i managed to reach the Customers Services Desk. A polite gentleman there helped me there and explained that i would have to cross through the Emigration counter, then i will find a Bus No. 1 outside the main gate, which would take me directly to the hotel. He told me that i would be boarding the same bus the next morning to reach back the airport in time. Everything seemed  going to happen perfectly, as explained. But it was me. So nothing was going to happen the normal way.

Although surely knowing what was going to happen, but i took my turn in the queues before the emigration cabins. It took sometime to come in front of the guy sitting there. He took my passport in his hands, and literally checked it three times. Then he photographed me, and repeatedly asked me to keep my eyes wide open while being photographed. After he succeeded taking my photograph, he started asking me the same questions about my passport and nationality that i had been through so many times. In the end me he asked me to go to his officer, who was sitting in a distant room. I went there. The two officers sitting there investigated my passport and my identity, and then cancelled my Hotel Voucher. I was not allowed to go out in Dubai and to stay in the Hotel granted by the Emirates. A new adventure had just started.

I had had to find some way out.

So i went back to the same Customers service counter. I again explained the whole story to the guy sitting there. I told him that i wont mind spending my night at the airport. In fact, in my mind, i had prepared myself for an adventurous night at the Dubai Airport. However, the guy there phoned here and there and told me to stay at the Dubai International Airport Hotel, (inside the Airport building). He told me that i would be taking food voucher from the Emirates counter.

As usual he explained me how to get to the Hotel. But there were quite too many left and right turns, excellators etc in the plan, that in the end i found myself totally messed up. However, ultimately i succeeded in finding the hotel. (perhaps it would be easier to me if he had told me to go to floor no.5) It was on the 5th floor. of the building. When i reached the hotel, i realised why it became too difficult for me to find the hotel.

Actually, i was told to go to the DUBAİ INTERNATIONAL HOTEL, but on all leading signs on all the flours HOTEL was written, whereas i was trying to find out the Dubai International Hotel. Secondly when i ultimately reached the 5th floor, i could read the room numbers on the rooms by the corridors, then i read the boards of spa, massage salon etc etc on some rooms, but i was looking for the Dubai International Hotel. After crossing over 200 metres of the corridors, i ended up in front of the Reception desk of the Hotel. For the first time there i read the board mentioning Dubai International Hotel. I wondered what had stopped them hanging boards at least on the fifth floor mentioning that it was the Dubai International Hotel, But they had preferred to write only HOTEL, which might have been proper for all other passenger who must have been knowing that there was no other hotel in the building. Again i realised that they had never thought that one day a passenger named Ahmet Abdulaziz would turn up and go through all these problems.

I always wonder if such things happen to me only?

Interestingly the computer system of the hotel was not working. So i had had to wait there for sometime, but the filipino girl there was kind enough to get the entrance card filled by me. She gave me a card  for the room number 2018. I was happy , i had succeeded.in getting a room to spend my night in. For me it was a big success.

I put my bag in the room. It was a really luxurious room. But i was hungry. The next step thus was to go to the relevant Emirates counter and get the Food Voucher. I came out of the room, went to the Reception, and asked her as to where would i have to go for my Food Voucher. She told me ONE FLOOR DOWN. She showed me the way to the elevator. I entered it. The door closed. I had had to go to ONE FLOOR DOWN. According to my simple logic One floor down from flour 5th is 4th. But inside the elevator the situation was different. There was no push button for the 4th floor. The elevator was operating between 3rd and the 5th floor. There was no other way out for me but to get out at the third floor. It was the Duty Free shop area, and i had to find some stairs or elevators to reach the 4th floor. I asked a filipino girl on one of the counters. "How can i go to the 4th floor", i asked. " FIRST Floor?", she enquired. I told her that i wanted to go to the FOURTH floor. This time i showed her four fingers to support my enquiry. But again she could not come out with a reply. She again asked me "What do you want?". Hahahahahahahahahahaha. That was really a terrible moment for me, when i could not decide if it would be proper to weep or laugh. I asked in a softer tone to her,"WHAT FLOOR IS THIS?". and her reply to that really burst me into a laughter. Her reply was ," THIS IS DUTY FREE SHOP FLOOR SIR". I could not stop myself laughing. Looking that her manager approached me. I asked him if he could show me the way to go to the 4th floor. The guy fortunately or unfortunately was a full professional one. He told me that it was a duty free shop, and if i want to ask something i must go to the customers services counter. I literally became speechless.

I looked around, and found out that the 4th floor was the administrative wing, and perhaps that was the reason why passengers were not allowed to go there, etc etc etc. Well that consoled me. I realised that i had had to find my way out myself without anybody's help. I started roaming around the floor. It  did not take much time to find a desk of Emirates. There were some people in the queues. I asked a person who had just left the counter, if it was the counter to get the Food Counter. He replied affirmatively. Interestingly, the counter did not have any broad sign on it like FOOD COUPONS there, so that one could find it easily. There was a small  framed card put upright on the counter mentioning that it was a Food Coupon counter. Obviously with twenty or thirty passengers rushing in lines before the counter, nobody can read that small card on the counter , from inside that huge building called Dubai International Airport.. It was not just i who was facing such a difficulty. While i was in the line, there were quite a few new passengers who were finding the food counter by asking passenger like myself in the queu, to get the Food Voucher from that counter.May be Emirates wanted to discourage passengers from getting the food vouchers and buy their food themselves..MAY BE

When ultimately i reached the counter, i was told that a passenger could get only one Food coupon, irrespective of the period of the transit. The guy on the counter showed me the printed instructions on the card on the counter. I never wanted to argue. I took the coupon.

I came up to my room on the 5th floor. Took a nice bath. Opened the television and jumped into the lovely bed. When a short period lapsed in that position i realised that i had not eaten anything. Oh No. But i was too lazy to come out of the bed , change the clothes, walk down the corridor, take the elevator, select one of the restaurants, eat and return back. No, no and no. I was not going for that.

I preferred to enjoy the bed. I saw two bottles filled with water on the table with an electric kettle, tea cups and tea and coffee packets. That was all that i could get. It was complimentary. So i drank two full cups of coffee, while surfing the television.

I slept for a big part of the night. It was a wonderful night in Dubai.

The Call service gave me a ring in the morning. As to my routine, i changed my clothes, and got myself relieved off the hotel. It was time for a lovely breakfast. I used my Food coupon to enjoy a much needed nice breakfast. There was quite a few hours left for my flight. I roamed around the shops. It was nice to read faces of innumerable passengers from innumerable countires, young and old, male and female, sick and healthy, but all having the sole goal in mind..........TO FLY OUT OF DUBAI. I too was one of them with the same goal in mind. My night in Dubai had ended, but with a difference.

Just a very small note here.
I went to the toilet on the Duty Free Floor of the airport (the far end one) and for the first time in my life (i accept i am not a frequent flyer) i saw people queued up for toilet. I personally felt, keeping in mind the innumerable number of passengers using the Dubai airport, they must increase the numbers of toilets on that floor.

NOTE: My next flight from Dubai to Istanbul (agaın Emirates) also took off late from Dubai. What led to the events afterwards are the subject matter of an another blog story.

Bye