| Dinsdag 16 juli 2002 - 9.11 Over minder dan 24 uur : take off... Spannende dag dus. Packing, and running to the store a million time for millions of little things I'm rather nervous for tomorrow... 24h on a plane, on my own, it's a long time. The luggage I'll be taking on the plane will probably be : my shoes - so they don't make the other luggage weigh too much, and book and stuff. Even though a friend told me that they know how to entertain you on a plane. AND...! To add to the excitement of the day, Sjareltje has decided to go missing today. I came down this morning, and he wasn't there. Still isn't. I hope he finds his way back real soon. The idea of leaving without him being back doesn't really sound that fun... |
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| Woensdag, 17 juli 2002 5.00 am : wekker And still, only just in time at the airport. At the check-in the lady keeps tapping on her computer : she can`t find my ETA (=electronic travel approvement/visum). The people at the travel agency had assured me that it would automatically show on the computer at the airport... NOT ! Bit stressy, give the lady all the documents I have, and... aaaah there is the ETA Now...where is my dad? Parking the car, but I`m already supposed to be boarding ... aaaah there is my dad. No time for long goodbye`s, a hug and a kiss and I`m off. On the plane to Vienna I sit next to a kid. Kids get toys from the airlines, adults don`t, but I got to play anyway! I tried really really hard not to, but I won anyway. In Vienna I stroll through transit, I have all the time in the world - about an hour - call my mom for a proper goodbye, and decide to go to the gate. The man asks for my ETA, I`m really proud that I now know what it is and show it to him. He starts reading, and then...starts frowning... "I`m sorry but your name is spelled wrong on this ETA, you will have to get a new one over there." Ok, nothing to be done about it. The lady making the new ETA says : do you know it costs 30 EURO ? What does she think I will say? Oh, never mind then? New ETA, new plane, new kid. And then a long and boring flight. I must have seen like 6 movies, including The Lion King part II. What can I say, I was desperate. The only "exciting" thing left about the flight was the stop in Kuala Lumpur, whereout of pure boredom, I visited the tandas twice. No typo there, tandas is Malysian for toilet. How many of you can say they peed in Malysia, twice ! |
| Donderdag 18 juli 2002 flying - vliegen - volare - ... Then finally : Melbourne airport ! No trouble with the ETA this time. Other trouble : the luggage caroussel. The big suitcase I brought is my brother`s, and yes I have a vague idea of what it looks like, but about 25 suitcases that come along seem to fit that vague image... took me a while to find mine. When me myself and my luggage are finally fully screened, I proceed to the exit, my eyes looking for a sweet girl with a ponytail. My eyes don`t find a thing, but then my ears do, right next to me : Els ? aaaah... there`s Chloe! No ponytail, but a cap. My eyes could have been looking for a long time. On the way to the car she tells me how she lost driving to the airport, in the carpark... she cant find the car. A problem resolved after only a little search though. Home at Chloe`s, dinner, and then drive to the sky high with a beautiful view on he lights of the city. It is there that I have my first cinema experience. Even though Chloe and I really came just for the view, steamy windows tell us others came with other plans. I`ve never seen steamy windows before other than at the movies. A pub, a drink, and on the way home I have my second cinema experience : a real 7 eleven ! Yep, untill then only saw it at the movies, now I`ve been shopping there. |
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