This time on the way out, I had time for a cup of coffee so sat down and decided to see if wireless worked downstairs as well. I have never seen anyone with a laptop open in the cafe before. So I sat down and fired up the computer and sure enough there was internet. I settled down to read the blogs I missed during the week. After a few minutes I noticed two other laptops open, so I must have started a fashion.
Not only that but an open computer seems to be an invitation to talk. Just as I am writing this (upstairs) the old guy next door with a smart phone proudly shows me his dog photos. He hasn't managed to change the language from German to Russian, so it takes a long time to find them. Not sure why I look like a "doggy" person, but what the hell, they were nice photos. Not sure about the dogs though.
Downstairs, an American man in his late 30s asked if he could borrow my wireless connection. Having plenty of time and the connection being free, it seemed only reasonable to agree. He logged onto a website called Hot Russian Women and tried to log on to find a message from the woman with whom he had been corresponding for a year. She wasn't on line. He had just arrived from Las Vegas, not a word of Russian, never been to Eastern Europe before and no hotel in Yalta to greet him. The girl didn't know he was definitely coming. He insisted it was not a website for mail-order brides. I guess he wanted an adventure. Where do these naive men come from? I guess he will get an adventure but maybe not the one he expected. I showed him copydude's Soviet women FAQs and he promised to read them.
I forgot about the banning of liquids on flights to Britain and bought a bottle of good Georgian wine to bring back. I suppose I might have got away with it. But I stuffed it in a plastic bag in the middle of my clothes in the suitcase at the last minute. Now I am dreading what will await me at the other end. Probably a dripping suitcase with all my whites turned red. I used to have a big Russian dictionary stained bright red, for the same reason.
Airport wireless really is a good thing. One of my Kosovo colleagues spotted me on Skype and we managed to sort out my next mission.
Now I just have time to get on the plane.
tags: wireless, airport, kiev, mailorder brides
Update: my bottle of wine survived intact. My bottle of ordinary water went through the security check without a comment, so no one really cared.
