My "Pretty Woman" Moment

This happened a long time ago, but it still makes me smile just thinking about it, so I thought I'd share the story. It's not one of those life-changing, or heart-breaking stories, but more like one of those stories where you - at the time of the incident- really want to lift both arms in the air and go: 

"VICTORRYY!!!  I WIN! "

So here it goes..

Over half a year ago, while still working in Dublin, I got the opportunity to attend a "Google Think" event in Norway. And, for some reason the plane tickets were obnoxiously expensive, and the airlines with more reasonable prices did not fly out on the date that I needed to travel...but, hey, I had to go. I used the company card and remember that the trip from Dublin to Oslo (a 2-hour flight) was at 660,- USD *shaking my head over the price*. 

Anyhow- Day of departure- I look at my ticket and see that I have a window seat. I find my seat (or so I thought it was), and sit down. The area where my seat was at was called "Economy plus". Apparently, when I booked my ticket, there were no more "normal" economy class tickets left, which explains the price. Anyway....I looked around me, and was very aware of the fact that I was the youngest one in that particular area. I was also the only"colored" person (am I a colored person according to politicians?- Or are Asians a category by itself?..I kinda get confused by that term..."colored")..whatever,,,the point is that everyone else around me were caucasians in their 40s and up, and I was the only Asian chick there,,, that's what I noticed. If you've ever flown with SAS before, you know what I mean. I was also the only one wearing pink pants, by the way, but hey that's how I roll =P ...felt a bit out of place, but didn't really think more of it.

As I was looking out  of my window, a suit-wearing-man in his late  40s (I think) interrupted my train of thought, and said (in English)- with a very strong Norwegian accent- "Excuse me.....excuse me, I think you're in my seat"

                                 It's OK to suggest that someone is in your seat.  

But, the way he said it kinda indicated that I was in the completely wrong area of the plane in general...as if I wasn't supposed to be there. It also sounded like what he really wanted to say was: "Excuse me, young lady, I don't think you're supposed to be here. Go play somewhere else, this is a place for adults". I instantly got embarassed..it was like I was being yelled at---maybe it was the pink pants that ticked him off? (=P) I was already feeling out of place, so I of course assumed that he was right. That I was probably supposed to sit somewhere else. I looked at my ticket, and of course, he was right. So, I replied to him:" Snakker du norsk?" Which means, "do you speak Norwegian?" Of course I knew that he spoke Norwegian, given his strong accent. But, I wanted to reply in Norwegian to make him aware that I was Norwegian...however Asian I may look,lol, I too have a Norwegian passport, so in that sense, I'm Norwegian. The man replied in Norwegian, and repeated that I was in his seat. I looked at my ticket again to double check, and said: "Åh, beklager! Ja, dette er visst ditt sete" (google-translate it if you must =P)

So, I grabbed my bag, squeezed my self out of the economy plus area that supposedly has more space than the normal economy-class area..and,when I cross checked my seat number, I was pleasantly surprised to see that my seat was in front of the man who had just confronted me. Even better,  the seat was conveniently placed in an area that SAS calls "Business Class". As I squeezed myself out of this man's seat, and he got ready to squeeze himself into his seat, I looked at him, apologized again, and -as casually as I could- said: oh, there's my seat. I walked passed him, and placed my bag in the business class area. The infamous curtain that divides economy plus from business class started from my row, and seemed to seperate my area from the man's area even more ...I looked at the little white piece of fabric on my seat that said "business class".

                         *arms in the air* VICTORYYY!!...I WIN! *victory dance in my head*

I very often think about where I am, and the company that I work for, and almost feel like I'm not supposed to be here. That it happened too quick, too easy, and that at the time when Google recruited me, there must have been a shortage of Norwegian speaking people, or something. But, even though I often feel out of place and that I'm not supposed to be where I am, I don't like it when people assume the same thing. So, when situations like these arise, and you get to prove them wrong...it just feels soo good =)

Have a nice weekend guys! And, remember that just because someone is wearing pink pants, doesn't mean that they're not supposed to be in fancy places, lol.