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Confessions
of an Indiegirl:
Getting on Board
by Bari Koral |
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For the traveling rock-star-in-training there is always the flying/checking
baggage/security nightmare that most "civilians" don't have to think
about.
First of all, running around an airport with all sorts of strange
equipment and fancy boxes I look like I could be harboring a bomb.
I look VERY suspicious going through security, and seem to alert
the entire airport as to my existence. I'm always happy and pleasant
to deal with though (very important touch for a hassle free check
in).
It's always the same. The guy in front of you has maybe one laptop
and a pair of keys. Meanwhile, I have stretched the limits of carry-on
to immense proportions. I'm completely weighed down by the time
I get to security. I put down my guitar, my rain coat, empty my
pockets (cell phone, charger, wallet, keys, various lipsticks, a
dozen picks, guitar strings, bottle of Echinacea (yes this all fits
into my pockets). I then proceed to put down my tour book and my
loop machine case which is stuffed to the brim with extra essentials.
Then I take off my rings, my shoes, etc. This may sound like quite
a lengthy process though a traveling rock star in training quickly
gets used to this. Of course every eyebrow gets raised as my loop
machine and my guitar full of electronics goes through the machine.
It usually goes from alarm to "What kind of music do you play" and
"Should I know you?" conversation. Finally, I'm dismissed and immediately
onto the next barrier, planning all along which arm I should throw
the guitar over when I board as to not raise any "you can't bring
that thing on board" flags.
After flashing the stewardess the happiest smile (so she will concentrate
on the smile and overlook the fact that my guitar and sampler does
not comply with FAA in-flight size specs) I'm finally on board,
free, for the moment.
I recently sat next to 2 pudgy teens, who I'd say were both about
12. Twin boy and girl perhaps. It seemed we all took out a book
at the same time. To my horror, I realized we were all reading the
same thing! HARRY POTTER!
How embarrassing. I have fancied with the idea of bringing my still
unfinished-paperback-version of Ulysses along, just as a
decoy in case I ever need to feign a more enlighten reading list.
Although I'm an avid reader and have read many great classics and
my share of non-fiction, I've recently digressed and have been reading
more, uh, a softer sort of literature. Recently my boyfriend and
I were lying in bed and both brought out our respective books. He,
a 1,000 page autobiography of Henry Kissinger, me, uh, my 200 page
paper back Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl.
Well, really! Which book do YOU think would be more fun to talk
about?
Anyway, back to the flight. I have my routine flying in the air.
First, I always lean over from my isle seat from time to time to
look out the window and just check that we are still flying horizontally.
Once this is confirmed, I dig in to my requested veggie meal (which
means that I'm usually served first because I am a "special" case).
After eating I put on my eye mask, apply extra moisturizer, put
in my ear plugs, and start on my first glass of water. I usually
drink one glass of water per hour of flight (that is what they tell
a stewardess to do for healthy looking skin). It's good that I'm
in the isle cause I'm a regular when it comes to the airplane bathroom.
This brings me to my next routine; Exercise. Now, this can be very
difficult on an airplane. But I trot up and back to the bathroom
so often that by the end I feel like I've must have walked a few
city blocks. Also, at least one of these times I'll make sure to
ease drop on the flight crew and check the airplane for any particularly
cute, male passengers.
So, basically, I'm very busy on an airplane.
I used to be afraid to fly. Very afraid. I used to sit shaking in
my seat before take off whimpering as to why I couldn't have just
settled into a normal job that didn't involve flying all the time.
Like a perfume counter lady person. That wouldn't have involved
this much flying, now would it? It is a little curious to hate traveling
so much and to have a job which forces you to constantly be 25,000
feet up in the air. I wonder why I didn't think this all through
before I started singing songs.
One particular day though changed my entire approach to flying.
I was at the gate in the Dallas airport waiting to board a flight
to Seattle and the airport was suddenly shut down due to bad whether.
They told us we'd likely be sitting there for at least 4 hours.
I had my guitar and the flight crew noticed and egged me on to play
a few songs. I obliged, and the pilot himself took a bunch of copies
of my latest record and walked around the terminal and wound up
selling quite a few!! He was thrilled. "You won't believe what I'll
be able to do for you" he said. "Today, your playing Terminal C,
but next week, we're bumping you up to Terminal A baby!"
This was very amusing. I was suddenly an "insider" and was even
invited to survey the flight plan. The pilot and I then trekked
around the entire terminal searching for Dallas' best representation
of a chocolate chip cookie. By the time we returned to the gate,
it was time to leave. In playing some songs I gained some new fans
in the stewardess, and voilà, they bumped me to first class!
During the flight the pilot came out to visit me a few times (shouldn't
he be flying the plane I wondered). The stewardess kept bringing
out wine and made us ice cream sundaes.
To this day the pilot and I have remained good friends. He routinely
calls me from the cockpit before take off "just getting ready to
take off to South America and thought I'd check in on my lil' rock
star down in NYC". He sent me a photograph of himself holding open
a crocodile's mouth from his hometown in Louisiana. He also wrote
me an E-mail about turbulence and how the air ripples are just that,
ripples, almost like a boat that travels on the water. If a boat
hits little waves it's not going to sink now is it?
I printed out that E-mail and brought it on board once and passengers
were passing it back and forth. And ever since then I realized that
flying is an adventure, and a gift really. Who wants to drive all
the way to Washington state? And there is ALWAYS the ice cream sundae
potential. So now, I just settle into my carry-on routine, break
out Harry Potter, and sit back and enjoy the ride. Till next time!
bari
Previous article: Confessions of an
Indiegirl: Off To Spain
Previous article: Confessions of an
Indiegirl: Tornado Alley |
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_________________________________
To find out more about Bari Koral visit:
http://www.barikoral.com/ |
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_________________________________
Bari Koral is an international touring and recording artist. When
she's not traveling she divides her time between NYC and Woodstock,
NY. |
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