Wednesday, May 21, 2008

DEPARTURE FOR A 'LUXURIOUS' BIRTHDAY NEAR THE SLUMS !!!

I am now at aircraft to take off (from Dubai) to Dhaka and we are boarding in half an hour.
One looking at us me and Luiz a Emirates Pilot wouldn't even believe the crazy running chicken days we had !!
A couple of days ago Luiz Ogg and Marcelo Taborda came to help me clearing the storage room and packed 5 huge suitcases !! We had no electricity in the mezzanine floor so you can imagine ! It toke us 3 hours !
Marcelo helped me distributing also leaflets around Sheikh Zayed Road to recruit new customers for the garage sale !!
Luiz thought it was such easy task but he's got frightened and petrified when I opened the storage room and specially because was so full he didn't know where to start !
Later on he drove again all way across the city to drop these suitcases in the briefing to pilots to carry on our behalf to Dhaka !!!
We scheduled to have Marcelo to pick me up from my house today with 100 kgs !! 50 over weight !
We had this huge massive piano dismantled, donated by Matt Patton , a brand new computer donated by Louis Webb and clothing donated by Raihana, toiletries and tennis balls donated by Marcelo Taborda and toys, shoes and clothes donated by Dubai residents !
Was not easy task have all these huge boxes to fit two trolleys to go through scanning machines...
Forgot to mention Marcelo was pulled out for a Karachi flight last night and didn't get home untill 5 AM and yet he drove to airport at 10 AM and helped all way untill check-in even wrapping the fragile boxes we had and kindly payed for it 30 dhs !
Check in nightmare we had 50 extra kilos , Luiz had to rush to the embassy to collect his visa and passport and to the Emirates Office to pick up Manikan Laptop !!
Marcelo had to convince and talk to ground staff to get excess bagage waved , staff resisted off course as they got policies to follow !
Marcelo spoke with Supervisor Airport Manager culminating talking with Senior Vice-President !!
Meanwhile Luiz arrived with 58 kgs ... 28 extra ...
Most amazing thing happened Senior Vice President granted us to take the 78 extra kilos. Marcello patient and persuasive skills had payed off almost 45 minutes later !!
I was speechless , ground staff left us speechless by such generosity waved ! They mentioned this has never happened before ...
Marcelo had to rush as he had 23 minutes to get to Aviation Medication Center to get a vaccination boost !
And we had to use some abilities with cabin bags in the aircrafts , full of toiletries so you can imagine the weigh ;
This has been an insight behind the scenes of The Dhaka Project ..has been with good will gestures of priceless volunteers like Marcelo that The Dhaka Project is where it is .
Que coracao de oiro este rapaz tem ! ( What a golden heart this guy has ! )
Me and Luiz look forward to reach Dhaka but not to the work it will take to get this nearly 200 kgs out !
Luis and Marcelo were really beyhond any thanks words !!!

Maria

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