See, I'm heading home to Kuching today after being away for a year. Time really seems to fly by! Even just yesterday when we were going out I kept thinking I had to go back to work for my afternoon shift and then realising that I've completed my last day and my contract has ended! Yay!!!! No more full time work - hello to another year of locum and part time work.
Anyways, I had to admit I wasn't particularly excited to leave Melbourne yesterday because...
1) MerlinFan was not coming with me
2) It was sad leaving Damon (my kitty, btw) behind (although I knew he was left in very capable hands!) even just for two weeks because he got so big so fast in 4 weeks and imagine how huge he would be in another 2 weeks! <sob>
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| Damon on my bedside table this morning |
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| Bye-bye Damon! |
Anyways, packing was horrendous last night. I had dumped my stuff into my suitcase thinking I had nothing to pack, so I'd leave the rest of my belongings till right before I leave, and as usual, things that I always thought I'd left in the same spot miraculously grew legs and walked off. Yes, I was really annoyed and tossing stuff into my bag and so not helping that the cabin luggage I was using was Damon's favourite luggage so he kept sitting on it and inside it while I was trying to pack... @_@
Got into the airport on time, and check in was really quick but as usual, I got stopped by the Friendly Neighbourhood Airport Officer wanting a "random" check of my bags for explosives and a frisk. Erm... I DOUBT these checks are random! There must be some criteria they're looking for, or else why is it that EVERY time we fly, either me or MerlinFan gets stopped? I am NOT kidding... EVERY time, even when we're travelling with family, one of the pair of us gets stopped. Do I look that shady? Do I have a sign on my head that says "I'm a terrorist?" I sure wasn't anything like the pink Pussay Patrol T-shirts the Inbetweeners wore to the airport!
ANYway, pass that ridiculousness, I went into the terminal and waited for a couple of hours. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity (which was ok as I was updating my brekkie blog!) they finally called us in for boarding.
And now, another of my biggest pet peeves. Why in the world does the airport bother "inviting" people from the back of the plane to board first when they just accept everyone at once? Yeah... the flight wasn't particularly that full, but people were so "kin-teo" and waiting in front of the counter. And of course, once they "invited" rows 49-60, 3/4 of the people rushed forwards. I joined the line halfway as most of the people weren't moving (assuming they were rows 48 and under), and let a couple of women (who looked like mother and daughter) in the line ahead of me, thinking they should go first if they were in rows 49-60 and were there queueing before me.
Once I get in line, I see the mother's ticket and realise that they weren't in row 49-60! They were in f#*@ing row 37!!! WTF! The nerve. And what was even more appalling is that the airlines lady checking the tickets checked them and just let them through with everyone else. Hello? Are you deaf??? Did you not hear your own airline announce rows 49-60? Or do you just not give a f#@*? It's bloody annoying I tell ya! They might as well say to everyone "Please cut the queue. Please do!" Honestly, the best thing I've seen was at Changi Airport, for the Emirates and SIA flights - the airport staff told the people off when they came before their row numbers were called (i.e. actually gave them stern looks and asked them "is this row 49-60? Your ticket is seat number xxx" ROFL!), and asked them to wait in the corner (where everyone can stare at them and know they were queue-cutters). Phai-seh, phai-seh, phai-seh... that's more what I'm talking about! If not they will never learn their lesson!
Anyways, of course, all the air stewardesses were stationed at the back of the plane when people were boarding, and of course, naturally, the mother and daughter queue-cutters held everyone up for ages lifting and shoving their bags into the overhead compartment and then realising it was too big and the compartment couldn't shut... @_@ FYI, that's why we wait our turns before entering the plane, mate... so we don't hold up the rest of the plane!!!
At first it didn't look like a full flight. I had a window seat so I was praying no one sat next to me... but damn! A couple sat beside and me another of my pet peeves... the guy immediately claimed the arm rest as his! And of course kept bumping into my elbow but I was adamant not to move cos hey, you're in MY space, man!!! Come on... why don't u take your girlfriend's arm rest??? I would love to invent new plane seats with electrified arm rests... and each passenger has a button to press to activate a jolt of electric to their half of the armrest as a "friendly reminder" when the passenger besides them decides to invade their space! Ahahaha... >:D
Anyhoo, thank goodness there were no screaming babies and kids tonight. However, when the lights went off, they were off for a grand total of maybe 30 seconds before the overhead lights on the left side of the plane (my side) flickered back on again. WTF. Turns out the lights were faulty and they couldn't get it to go off. Right.
The guy in front of me was making such a kerfuffle about the whole thing. Wanting to change seats to the dark side, wanting a window, wanting to be upgraded... hey dude, it won't be fair - the airline can't upgrade a third of the plane. I thought the air stewardess handled it pretty well with a pleasant, benevolent smile on her face, although it did look a bit strained in the end. LOL. They were nice about it, they gave us eye covers and ear plugs, and asked the people at the window like me if I wanted to move elsewhere. I was really tired after the whole day of being out and about and packing (without arvo siesta) so I didn't really care - I snoozed away like the dead...
