It’s 5:15 pm on Wed. I got on a bus for Heathrow airport at this time on Monday, and have been in transit ever since, with only a few snatched hours of sleep. The computer says it is 6:15 am in the UK, my head feels as if it is filling up with cement, and all I want to do is sleep. I’m trying to stay awake for dinner and for a couple of hours afterwards so I can adjust to time here. I think I’ll make it to dinner.
The flight here was not the nightmare of boredom that I imagined it would be. How does one fill up 22 hours on a plane? The answer for Qantas is – a marathon of eating! Barely had I squeezed myself into the allotted space when a cheerful flight attendant was there passing out menus – yes, in economy no less! Along the bottom of the page was a timeline of the trip’s eating opportunities – 4 main meals and almost endless snacks. It did indeed pass the time. However, it all became rather irksome when, in the darkness of the night, as you felt yourself finally slipping toward blissful oblivion, you were jerked back every half hour or so with offers of a glass of water or a piece of fruit.
But between the constant eating, a little light conversation, several movies (I recommend Australia’s Shine and also enjoyed In Bruges) and even a few snatches of sleep, the time did pass, and quite soon we were disembarking in Bangkok, the refueling point, for a wander round the airport. Unbeknownst to us, the airport had recently been barricaded due to some demonstrations, with the result that our flight crew for the next leg was over an hour late. This meant that we arrived late in Sydney and I missed my connection to Canberra. I was shepherded, along with hundreds of others who had also missed their connections, to a special Qantas Domestic transfers ‘pen’ which had far too few people at the other end processing us. As a result I missed several other possible connections, arriving in Canberra to find that lots of people new my name, thanks to the couple who had come and waited in vain for me for about an hour and a half. Sadly, in the chaos of leaving Oxford I had neglected to get any information concerning where I was going and who was picking me up – no address, no telephone numbers. I was able to find out some info online however. In the end a number of limo chauffeurs became involved in my plight (Canberra airport is very small) and one of them rescued me, driving me to the university for free!
I can’t believe I’m actually in Australia! Gradually it’s sinking in though – seeing flocks of raucous parrots and watching a cockatoo in a tree outside my window (don’t these things always live in cages?) helps. All the trees are very different. And there is something here called a ‘sun’ that has a companion called ‘warmth’ – that is very different from Oxford. Mind you…by their standards it is cool here at the moment…but I am still enjoying it immensely. I’m finishing this now at 8:00 pm, having been revived by dinner, and am noting that dusk is only now settling in. Another discovery here – a Cadbury’s chockie bar – coconut and cherry covered thickly in dark (70%) chocolate. Mmmm…
On that note – I am going for a wee walk to see if I can relax a little and get back into tired mode again. Tomorrow is full tilt conference – the people I’ve met so far are lovely and I’m looking forward to meeting more from outside Australia in the next two days of Expo that highlight the movements in PNG, Fiji, Vanuatu and NZ.
The flight here was not the nightmare of boredom that I imagined it would be. How does one fill up 22 hours on a plane? The answer for Qantas is – a marathon of eating! Barely had I squeezed myself into the allotted space when a cheerful flight attendant was there passing out menus – yes, in economy no less! Along the bottom of the page was a timeline of the trip’s eating opportunities – 4 main meals and almost endless snacks. It did indeed pass the time. However, it all became rather irksome when, in the darkness of the night, as you felt yourself finally slipping toward blissful oblivion, you were jerked back every half hour or so with offers of a glass of water or a piece of fruit.
But between the constant eating, a little light conversation, several movies (I recommend Australia’s Shine and also enjoyed In Bruges) and even a few snatches of sleep, the time did pass, and quite soon we were disembarking in Bangkok, the refueling point, for a wander round the airport. Unbeknownst to us, the airport had recently been barricaded due to some demonstrations, with the result that our flight crew for the next leg was over an hour late. This meant that we arrived late in Sydney and I missed my connection to Canberra. I was shepherded, along with hundreds of others who had also missed their connections, to a special Qantas Domestic transfers ‘pen’ which had far too few people at the other end processing us. As a result I missed several other possible connections, arriving in Canberra to find that lots of people new my name, thanks to the couple who had come and waited in vain for me for about an hour and a half. Sadly, in the chaos of leaving Oxford I had neglected to get any information concerning where I was going and who was picking me up – no address, no telephone numbers. I was able to find out some info online however. In the end a number of limo chauffeurs became involved in my plight (Canberra airport is very small) and one of them rescued me, driving me to the university for free!
I can’t believe I’m actually in Australia! Gradually it’s sinking in though – seeing flocks of raucous parrots and watching a cockatoo in a tree outside my window (don’t these things always live in cages?) helps. All the trees are very different. And there is something here called a ‘sun’ that has a companion called ‘warmth’ – that is very different from Oxford. Mind you…by their standards it is cool here at the moment…but I am still enjoying it immensely. I’m finishing this now at 8:00 pm, having been revived by dinner, and am noting that dusk is only now settling in. Another discovery here – a Cadbury’s chockie bar – coconut and cherry covered thickly in dark (70%) chocolate. Mmmm…
On that note – I am going for a wee walk to see if I can relax a little and get back into tired mode again. Tomorrow is full tilt conference – the people I’ve met so far are lovely and I’m looking forward to meeting more from outside Australia in the next two days of Expo that highlight the movements in PNG, Fiji, Vanuatu and NZ.
Photos in order (can't figure out how to put captions with them at the moment):
Luxury accommodations - already trashed minutes after I arrive! :)
ANU campus across the street from my dorm.
Parrot of some sort.
2 comments:
Had you been just one day later passing through Bankok airport...
Little did you realize for what the "some demonstrations" referred to in "I made it!" were intended!
J
— excerpt below taken from breakingNEWS.ie
26/11/2008 - 06:37:47
Thailand's main international airport cancelled all flights today as protesters thronged the complex in an effort to bring down the government.
Thousands of tourists, were stranded by the invasion....
The airport takeover was one of the boldest gambles yet by the People's Alliance for Democracy in its four-month campaign to topple prime minister Somchai Wongsawat, whom it accuses of being the puppet of a disgraced fugitive predecessor, billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra.
Exhausted travellers were sleeping everywhere – on their suitcases, luggage trolleys, security conveyer belts and behind vacated check-in counters.....
The alliance vowed to bring its campaign to a final showdown this week and violence has increased, including streets clashes between supporters and opponents of the government that included the first open use of firearms by the anti-government protesters.
Missing you already, but so glad you're there safely. Spoke to Howard this morning (UK time) who gave me a little update on your arrival and who sounded really excited about everyone arriving. We're praying for you. Take care, S x
PS. not sure why I'm called questions?!
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