Day 2 - December 02, 2008

We head to our departing gate and try to get situated.  As Rey is using the WC (water closet ~ educated by Rey), I was given a brochure for the SPA that they have in the airport!!! BINGO! I was stoked.  How awesome to get a french pedicure in Paris??? I couldn't wait to tell Rey the news.  We had joked earlier that day through chatting on Facebook.  We actually discussed leaving the airport and finding a salon.  I didn't realize it would be that cold.  But, at the same time, I figured we would mainly be in a taxi and a salon and not needing to be in the cold for very long.  In hind sight, there is no way I would have been able to handle the cold.  I could have busted out the Japanese motif and worn socks with my flip-flops, but I definitely would have been stopped.  Speaking of flip-flops, I will have to tell you later the story that goes with those.  Anyways, Rey returns and I tell him about my exciting discovery of the SPA.  We decided that I will get a french pedicure and he will get a manicure and pedicure.  It is a bit pricey, but hey, we are in Paris for Pete's sake.  So, we continue our journey and there we meet Edward and Harry.  Edward worked on Rey and Harry worked on me.  The SPA was very nice and luxurious.  Our chairs had leg and back massagers.  I was pretty embarrassed by my feet, it had been a good 3 weeks since my last pedicure.  Harry worked on my feet for at least an hour and a half.  He was a perfectionist/artist.  Rey and I were able to sit facing each other, where I was able to give him glances every now and then.  I did start to laugh when Harry placed the mask on and busted out a machine to remove my calluses.   I looked over at Rey who was making fun of the smoke debris coming off my feet and into the air.  Rey started to make jack hammer motions.  I told you, my feet were bad and in major need of a pedicure.  Rey's esthetician, Edward, was a tad on the odd side.  He had a terrible habit of staring.  Once you caught him in a stare, you would think he would look away or look down, but no, he just stared.  Then, once you acknowledged the stare, you would think he would smile or just acknowledge you, but no, he just stared.  He did this to Rey and I.  I thought it was my magic lashes (nickname that Rey has given my lashes) at first, but no he just stared.  Either way, Rey and I were able to put the staring past us and we ended up befriending Edward.  We actually ate lunch with him, while he was on his lunch break.  It turns out he is very nice and even though we befriended him, the staring continued.  Anyways, Rey got his email and we said we would befriend him on Facebook.

Oh!!! I forgot to mentioned that during our pedicures, I met Roger the 3rd musketeer on our journey.  Roger is really good friends with Rey from the San Jose area, Milipitas to be exact.  He actually arrived in Paris at 6 am that morning and ventured out into the city. He said it really was cold and he was glad he had brought several layers with him.  He looked at my flip-flops and told me that I would have been miserable.  Roger is very sweet and easy going.  He had good energy and was excited to finally meet the person who I would be traveling with for the next couple of weeks.  It is weird to have been thinking about this trip for months and then it was actually happening. (notice that I only said thinking ~ Roger and Rey, thank goodness, did all the planning and scheduling~ if I had to do it, we would still be in LA : >)    At this time, we still had several hours to kill in the airport before we boarded our flight to South Africa.  In the airport, they had little internet stations, which you could purchase internet time.  I purchased an hour checked my email and my Facebook account.  It was weird to see my last log in and how it said I was packing for Africa.    I was also able to chat with Alger, my cousin.  The only weird thing about the internet station was the keyboard.  The keyboard letters were not in the same order as our keyboard.  It also had several more symbol keys.  I guess you need that when you are typing in french.  It did take me a bit longer to type, but I was able to adapt pretty quickly.  Rey and Roger were able to update their blog.  

Eventually, it was finally time to start walking to our gate.  Yeah!!! We are heading to South Africa.  As we are lining up to board the plane, this is where I notice the stare at my flip-flops.  Usually people would start at my face and then work their way down to my feet, where the gaze stayed for several seconds.  At first, I thought that person had a foot fettish and loved my magnificent french manicure.  But, I don't think 7 people (count continues once we land in South Africa) could have a foot fettish.  Then, I thought that I was just tired and imagining it.  Then, Rey picked up on the glances and commented on it.  Well, all I can say is at least I had a nice french manicure.  

On the flight from Paris to Johanessburg, I sat next to Rey, who had a window seat.  Roger was two rows behind us in a window seat.  I must tell you that Air France had pretty cramped seats.  I remember when I flew to the Philippines that I was able to lean over my table and sleep.  On Air France, I didn't have room to do this.  At least, I could lean on Rey, but he had mentioned that I should move and find a seat by the aisle, since we did have another ten and a half hours flight.  I didn't act quickly enough and lost my opportunity.  The man on my right was fairly large and didn't seem to be the type that would be okay if a complete stranger in flip-flops leaned on him as she slept.  I am notorious for sleeping while seating, so I was able to manage.  I ended up watching Wall-E and  Ghost Town, which were both good.  I didn't fall asleep in either one of them.  I also ventured into the game choice and played Solitaire, where I would fall asleep from time to time.  Rey mentioned that I was doing the bob where I would drop my head down and my hair would go flying.  He also said I didn't wake up and would just pop back up and bob every now and then.  During our flight I noticed that my neighbor on my right had been ordering scotch on the rocks pretty frequently.  I don't know about you, but when I drink (rarely that i do ; >)  I start to sweat.  Well, so did my neighbor.  So, just imagine after sweating and being in an air tight cabin with really no air flow except for the recycled air being cycled through the cabin, odors start to permeate.  Along with the odors, sounds of deep throat snoring which penetrated through my earphones (i don't know why, but this kind of sounds like a porno or a naughty novel) kept me clearly leaning towards Rey the rest of the flight.  I was able to take my cat naps here and there, but finally we arrived in Johanessburg.