Spring Air Japan

I just bought plane ticket for my mom and her friend from Hiroshima to Tokyo: Narita. Then I realized my google-translate-fu wasn't good enough (or literally my Japanese simply sucks).

I purchased extra checked-in baggage for two they won't probably need (3000 JPY each). When I tried to revise the order (somehow I managed to put my credit card credentials without a hitch in the first place for the order; my Japanese is pretty good for shopping in general :D ), I stumbled upon: * 支払済みの製品はキャンセルできません Good grief!

6000 JPY wasn't that much (that's pretty much more that one month of food for me though); one that hurts more is my own stupidity and carelessness. Though I suppose this was intended (the only confusing part to me on the site is only the baggage allowance): the UI design of the web, non-refundable additional feature (I ordered 2 weeks in advance if that matters, you can add features but not remove them from your order).

All in all I was just stupid (and I still really am).

Leatherman Skeletool

I had Leatherman Sketelool from March this year. I remember clearly when I used it to reshape the heel part of my friend's shoes which he said was hurting him quite so much in its first actual use.

And today I lost it.

I managed to smuggle it last week from Hiroshima Airport (Mihara, Japan) to Hazrat Shahjalal Airport (ZIA, Dhaka, Bangladesh) with no hitch as I put it on checked-in luggage. I've did this in several occasions with my more trusty Surge,

Last night, I tried something different from Dhaka to Bangkok (transit before coming back to Japan). Rather than stashing it on my checked-in luggage, I kept it on my carry-on baggage as my baggage doesn't even exceed 5 kg.

Things happened.

In Hazrat Shahjalal Airport, you will need a specific sticker for your checked-in luggage; as I already checked through the ticket counter by the time I knew this; I was too lazy to get it and just proceeded to take it as carry-on baggage.

Still I managed to get it through in Hazrat Shahjalal Airport and board Bangkok Airways.

I landed on Suvarnabhumi (BKK, Bangkok, Thailand) and they did extensive check on my baggage looking form something knife-like. I tried to buy some time but they eventually found the tool (I was claiming it as pliers though) and confiscated it. They must have had some feeling of achievement to be able to fish a solid metal :D

I (more likely) wouldn't lose the tool if I just put it on checked-in baggage. But from this I learned several things:
  • some airport care less, some care more: Suvarnabhumi require you to strip even your belt, shoes, and watch, that is not the case with Hazrat Shahjalal,
  • those guards are dedicated to their job even at 1 AM; they are willing to fish through your smelly and dirty clothes,
  • they were looking for solid metal thing, by solid I meant SOLID; it will appear as dark blue or black in the scanner,
  • they used divide-and-conquer approach to find specific item from a suspicious baggage,
  • they know how things look like--they weren't not really interested in my multimeter and umbrella and kept focusing in finding the tool.
I could go to arrival lobby rather than transit lobby to complicate things a bit, but they can always check even if I put the tool in my checked-in luggage if they have enough spare time, dedication, curiosity, and motivation.

Kudos to airport safety crews who worked hard to make every flight safe.


you've served me faithfully smally. but another skeletool is no-no for me atm.

Also, I never really love you anyway, Skeletool (the pliers suck and multitools are overpriced in Japan). But anyway, quite a (an expensive) lesson I've learned today.

I was clearly disappointed

Recently I was staying in a hotel in Dhaka, Bangladesh on a study trip, and by second night there I had the chance to eat in its restaurant (allegedly serving Thai and Chinese menu),.

First I've browsed around and asked my trip advisor, finding out that tipping isn't really necessary in Bangladeshi restaurants.

By the time I got to the place (I was also staying in the hotel it's attached to), I ordered simple fried rice and coffee. The waiter asked me about my nationality, purpose of visit, occupation, college (probably because  I definitely look like a student) in interrogative and rather offensive tone. This is already very unpleasant to me.

After I finished my meal; I simply paid the bill (the waiter--he--didn't hand me the bill before taking my money; I had to do as he ordered me to).

After that he was nagging, required me to give him tip (which I think wasn't really necessary). I had to settle on 40 BHT (after first refusing then bargaining for 10 BHT which he refused), after that I talked to him that he needs to brush up his English not to sound offensive to customers. He actually mistook "offensive" with "friendship" (how?!) then proceed with saying that he wasn't being friendly with anyone from my nationality. What?!

I badly wanted to express my frustration right in the place, but that's definitely uncalled for; instead I just walked out.

He should definitely learn to show actual Bengali hospitality (which people in village I visited showed us how beautiful it is).