Outbound - Layover in Istanbul

Arriving at Istanbul airport, I went through the security check and entered the transit area. Overwhelmed by a huge shopping mall with luxurious shops, I tried to find my flight to Hong Kong on the display board. It already showed a 45-minute delay, and a gate had not yet been assigned... In the meantime, I called Lenny using WhatsApp video call and shared my updates with him. Distances are getting smaller thanks to the internet, but it's nice to have a connection to home. I downloaded the airport's app, which indicated that my flight's gate was A5. So, I started walking in that direction and sat down there. After some waiting time (I landed around 10 pm local time, and my flight was scheduled for 1:35 am), the gate opened, and everyone waited for boarding. Boarding started with a delay, and we got on the plane. After sitting in the plane for what felt like forever and hearing many incomprehensible announcements, it eventually became clear that something was wrong. Airline staff and people in high-visibility vests frequently walked through the plane, and it turned out that a passenger needed to go to the hospital. Finally, after a three-hour delay, we finally took off, and the plane started moving. It was slightly older than the first one but decent and spacious. However, after sitting for three hours, my back started to feel uncomfortable... And so began the long-haul flight to Hong Kong!