Help in the Holy Month

I know that I thought it won't be a smooth journey coming back to the US, but I was delightfully mistaken. There weren't as many glitches as presumed. I should be forgiven for thinking so as before we left, I called Korean Air to find out that Rassyid and I won't be sitting together for our THIRTEEN hour flight from Seoul to Washington. Next, I wasn't able to check us in for our flight to Pittsburgh. And when we arrived at KLIA, they couldn't print out Rassyid's boarding pass to DC supposedly because, and I quote, "Because his name has Bin and Abdul. They will want to do a checkup at Seoul."

But I tried to be optimistic. There will be ways around all these. Because at the end of the day, we HAVE to find ways around it.

After arriving at Incheon, the first thing we did was getting Rassyid his boarding pass to DC. Alhamdulillah, they didn't ask to do any checks on his background and above that, we GOT to sit together! We were ecstatic. We then went to find the prayer room and prayed, and thanked God for all his help. Unfortunately, our problems began again when I still couldn't check us in using the online check in feature at US Airways's website for our flight to Pittsburgh.

Once touched down in DC, I was thinking, this is it, immigration. But again, everything went smoothly than expected! The immigration officer was super nice. There was no "Is Malaysia on 'the list'?" thing that we went through last year. It was super quick.

After re-checking our bags bound for Pittsburgh, we went to get our boarding passes. On my e-ticket, it says we will be taking US Airways, but at the airport everyone (yes, all of FOUR people I asked), pointed me toward United Airlines. I thought, maybe that's why I couldn't check in through US Airways's website. But at United's self check-in kiosk, I faced the same problem. I don't want for us to repeat the same thing that happened while checking in for Delta from Pittsburgh to NY, where they couldn't find our name, or a seat for us, or anything for the matter. But no, we were very lucky as it didn't take long for them to help print out our boarding passes.

After that, we went to find the 'prayer room', which was actually an open space in Dulles where Muslims pray. We got to join in the Zuhur jamaah just in time. That was a nice experience.

On our way to security check, I foresaw 'the cubicle', and minutes wasted for them to tap my head only to find nothing. Yet, again, everything went not as expected and they simply let me through! Even though it was flashing orange on the security level - indicating High Risk. How trusting they are of me now.

The only major problem, after 26 hours of travel, was that our luggage didn't arrive with us at Pittsburgh. Apparently they were left behind at Dulles. However, it was not just us, four others on the same flight had our problem too. We left with our report, and took a Super Shuttle home.

Lailee was there, fatter than ever, and the three of us waited for our luggage which arrived at 11 pm. Not bad.

All I can say is, thank God for surah al-Inshirah. Words of God I wet my lips with the whole 28 hours. If there're still doubt over the power of this surah to lessen any worries, I have proofs that it works (even though I've always believed so).

-C-