Last week I went to Costa Rica to teach a short course on agroforestry. Which was quite enjoyable. The problem is on the way there I managed to book a ticket to San Jose, California, not San Jose Costa Rica. And I didn't clue in until the plane had taken off from Chicago, and the pilot announced that our flight path would be over Nebraska and Wyoming. I just sank down into my seat and felt about 2 feet tall. I think I may have cursed out loud. This is made much worse for me by the fact that all the way back to grade 5 I knew there was a San Jose Costa Rica and a San Jose California. I used to dominate, (dominate I tell you), our grade 5 geography quizzes. Which we had every week because our teacher back then also liked geography. Me and my best friend knew every country and every capital.
So sitting on a plane going to California was the worst possible torment for me. Some kind of bad karma perhaps. Maybe for so recklessly dominating grade 5 geography quizzes.
4 comments:
Bob, you're my new hero. Simply for the humanness of your mistake after all your time spent traveling. :)
Way to go small pint! About time someone chopped you down to size. Too bad it had to be yourself. You don't get the gold ring either. Number of years ago a Yank ( that's right, I am English!) was flying from London to Los Angeles aboard Air New Zealand. Now he must habe been sleep deprived and his final destination was Oakland. When the NZ plan landed in LA they announced there was continuing service to Auckland. When New Zealanders say the word Auckland it sounds to "normal" humans like Oakland. So, the guy ended up getting back on the plane after a quick in-flight lounge visit. After several hours of flying over the Pacific he pretty much guessed he wasn't in Kansas or California. He arrived 12 hours later in New Zealand. His story got optioned for a movie. You up for that Bob?
oh, man. That's classic. I'm guess that even if you saw "San Jose CA" you might be tempted to think "San Jose, Central America"...
You have always excelled at giving people belly laughs, Bob.
I am extremely pleased that I do not travel as much as you do, because I know I would eventually do something even less excusable.
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