my journey thus far
My journey to Australia went mostly smoothly and uneventfully. I managed to get many 1 to 2 hours naps on the various flights (Luleå to Stockholm, Stockholm to Helsinki, Helsinki to Hong Kong, and Hong Kong to Sydney) such that it added up to almost a reasonable amount of sleep. However, I have also proved that even with sleeping on a plane by the time one is 20 hours into a 30 hour journey one's brain isn't, quite, functioning properly.
When I landed in Hong Kong the flight attendant announced that those passengers with tight connections would be met as we disembarked. I wasn't certain if mine counted as a tight connection or not, but I still checked with the people waiting at the gate with signs, and, sure enough, one of the signs had my name on it. She collected me and the other passenger transferring to the same flight and escorted us to the counter where we got our boarding passes (since our flights were booked through FinAir we were only able to obtain boarding passes in advance for the part of the trip where the flights were actually operated by that airlines, and this final leg was operated by CathyPacific, so it was necessary to do one last check in once we got that far). She then guided us to the entrance of security, and told us which gate to go to once we cleared it.
As I went through security I unstrapped my pillow and two cashmere sweaters (which were inside of the pillow case) from the outside of my backpack, took my computer and toilteries out of the pack, went through, and put the computer back into the pack on the other side, picked up my winter coat (I managed to complete the last of the hand-finishing details while on the flights), and started off with my fellow passenger. As we turned the corner a security guy hollered out to us "did you forget your coat?" She looked confused, and we both checked our arms--we were both carrying coats, he shrugged, returned to his post, and we set of to our gate, which was about as far from security as was possible in that section of airport. Once I got there I refilled my water containers (which I had, of course, emptied before going through security), and then started to do some yoga. Then I looked at my pack, realized that there was no pillow strapped to the outside of it, and realized that when he asked about my "coat" what he meant was the pillow! Damn! They were just starting to board then, and I asked at the gate if it was possible to get it before we departed. He called, and they did have it, but we were too far away to get it to me before the plane needed to depart, so instead he gave me the airport lost and found number to call later. (I need to do that tomorrow after I get back from the embassy.)
I was a little upset, because I like having the pillow and sweaters on the flight--they make it much more comfortable. However, I was holding it together nicely, and managing to remain calm, accepting, and ready to go with the flow. Until I got half way down the ramp to the plane and was met with a table of security guys who insisted that I empty my water containers because they exceed 100 ml (of course they do--100 ml of water is not enough to keep someone alive on a flight of that length!). As I told them, I have flown on countless of flights where the routine is A) empty water containers B) pass through security C) refill water containers, and it has always been good, and they were always happy with me. They insisted that it was Australian aviation rules that require that I go without water. This was my breaking point--no longer calm, rational, or reasonable I burst into tears and was quite angry with them. Most embarrassing, but I am not likely to ever see them again, and even if I do I won't recognize them (though they might me, a grown lady crying because they took away her water might just be memorable enough to trigger recognition). The nice flight crew did give me two bottles of water when everyone else only got one, but that didn't fill even one of my two camelback reservoirs half way. Even though I accepted glasses of water at every opportunity, I still ran out of that supply before I reached Sydney, and I slept for most of my time on that flight! I really need to make time to write an eloquent letter to the Australian Aviation commission explaining that their water rule is unacceptable, and why I think so. If anyone has any journal articles on the importance of hydration that I can cite please let me know.
I landed in Sydney around 20:30, and got to the youth hostel around 22:10, where I checked in and picked up the SIM card I had pre-ordered. I followed their instructions to activate the SIM on line, and as I finished the last step the screen flashed a warning message saying that it could take a while before it is truly activated, and that they would send me a text message when it was done. By the time I did that, my yoga, and my situps and other abs exercises (which I normally do before getting out of bed in the morning, but since I hadn't slept in a bed they hadn't yet been done for the day) it was after 23:00, and I opted to go straight to sleep, rather than setting up my computer (I used one the hostel provided to activate the SIM, and did not check any other web pages whilst doing so).
Around 02:00 I woke for a middle of the night toilet run, and when I returned to bed realized that I was sort of awake, and I was also very aware that my Swedish SIM had not given me a usable connection since Helsinki, but insisted in both Hong Kong and Sydney that it could do only emergency calls. Feeling the need to check in and let archinonlive know that I had made it there safe and sound I got up, found a table to set up my computer and bought an hour's worth of internet. Due to the time change this was a very good time to catch him at home, so we had a nice visit until my hour ran out, then I went back to bed and sort of dozed till 04:45, when I woke up, did my abs, had a shower, and was at the train station (next door) just as my train was pulling into the platform. I had a pleasant visit with the lady sitting next to me (who was on her way to pick up her grand children for a visit--she said that she would much rather ride the train for four hours than to drive for three), until the conductor pointed that while we had been booked to sit next to one another, there was no one booked for the seat behind us, so I moved, lay down, and the deepest sleep since leaving Luleå. Only a couple of hours, but it sure felt good.
Once I arrived in Canberra vikingrose picked me up and took me home to her place. We have had much fun cooking good food, working on projects, cleaning her house, visiting the local market to get fresh produce, and attending the SCA monthly potluck event. Any of these things would be worth a post in their own right, if I were not sleepy, and I didn't have to get up in the morning for my appointment at the Embassy to turn in my visa applithe fact that the ground here is dark. In Luleå when the sun is down for long enough that the sky gets dark there is also snow on the ground, reflecting the city lights, the moon, and anything else which casts any light at all.
cation.
One last comment before I sleep: It gets DARK here! It isn't just the contrast between leaving a place where the sun sort of sets for about an hour for one where it sets before 18:00, it is also
Ok, one further comment: I miss houses with heat and insulation! I want that visa mostly because it lets me live with archinonlive, but the fact that it also lets me live in a place where indoors is warm and outdoors is cold is a huge bonus! (It was necessary to layer one of her wool dresses over my underdress and under my bliaut for the revel tonight.)
When I landed in Hong Kong the flight attendant announced that those passengers with tight connections would be met as we disembarked. I wasn't certain if mine counted as a tight connection or not, but I still checked with the people waiting at the gate with signs, and, sure enough, one of the signs had my name on it. She collected me and the other passenger transferring to the same flight and escorted us to the counter where we got our boarding passes (since our flights were booked through FinAir we were only able to obtain boarding passes in advance for the part of the trip where the flights were actually operated by that airlines, and this final leg was operated by CathyPacific, so it was necessary to do one last check in once we got that far). She then guided us to the entrance of security, and told us which gate to go to once we cleared it.
As I went through security I unstrapped my pillow and two cashmere sweaters (which were inside of the pillow case) from the outside of my backpack, took my computer and toilteries out of the pack, went through, and put the computer back into the pack on the other side, picked up my winter coat (I managed to complete the last of the hand-finishing details while on the flights), and started off with my fellow passenger. As we turned the corner a security guy hollered out to us "did you forget your coat?" She looked confused, and we both checked our arms--we were both carrying coats, he shrugged, returned to his post, and we set of to our gate, which was about as far from security as was possible in that section of airport. Once I got there I refilled my water containers (which I had, of course, emptied before going through security), and then started to do some yoga. Then I looked at my pack, realized that there was no pillow strapped to the outside of it, and realized that when he asked about my "coat" what he meant was the pillow! Damn! They were just starting to board then, and I asked at the gate if it was possible to get it before we departed. He called, and they did have it, but we were too far away to get it to me before the plane needed to depart, so instead he gave me the airport lost and found number to call later. (I need to do that tomorrow after I get back from the embassy.)
I was a little upset, because I like having the pillow and sweaters on the flight--they make it much more comfortable. However, I was holding it together nicely, and managing to remain calm, accepting, and ready to go with the flow. Until I got half way down the ramp to the plane and was met with a table of security guys who insisted that I empty my water containers because they exceed 100 ml (of course they do--100 ml of water is not enough to keep someone alive on a flight of that length!). As I told them, I have flown on countless of flights where the routine is A) empty water containers B) pass through security C) refill water containers, and it has always been good, and they were always happy with me. They insisted that it was Australian aviation rules that require that I go without water. This was my breaking point--no longer calm, rational, or reasonable I burst into tears and was quite angry with them. Most embarrassing, but I am not likely to ever see them again, and even if I do I won't recognize them (though they might me, a grown lady crying because they took away her water might just be memorable enough to trigger recognition). The nice flight crew did give me two bottles of water when everyone else only got one, but that didn't fill even one of my two camelback reservoirs half way. Even though I accepted glasses of water at every opportunity, I still ran out of that supply before I reached Sydney, and I slept for most of my time on that flight! I really need to make time to write an eloquent letter to the Australian Aviation commission explaining that their water rule is unacceptable, and why I think so. If anyone has any journal articles on the importance of hydration that I can cite please let me know.
I landed in Sydney around 20:30, and got to the youth hostel around 22:10, where I checked in and picked up the SIM card I had pre-ordered. I followed their instructions to activate the SIM on line, and as I finished the last step the screen flashed a warning message saying that it could take a while before it is truly activated, and that they would send me a text message when it was done. By the time I did that, my yoga, and my situps and other abs exercises (which I normally do before getting out of bed in the morning, but since I hadn't slept in a bed they hadn't yet been done for the day) it was after 23:00, and I opted to go straight to sleep, rather than setting up my computer (I used one the hostel provided to activate the SIM, and did not check any other web pages whilst doing so).
Around 02:00 I woke for a middle of the night toilet run, and when I returned to bed realized that I was sort of awake, and I was also very aware that my Swedish SIM had not given me a usable connection since Helsinki, but insisted in both Hong Kong and Sydney that it could do only emergency calls. Feeling the need to check in and let archinonlive know that I had made it there safe and sound I got up, found a table to set up my computer and bought an hour's worth of internet. Due to the time change this was a very good time to catch him at home, so we had a nice visit until my hour ran out, then I went back to bed and sort of dozed till 04:45, when I woke up, did my abs, had a shower, and was at the train station (next door) just as my train was pulling into the platform. I had a pleasant visit with the lady sitting next to me (who was on her way to pick up her grand children for a visit--she said that she would much rather ride the train for four hours than to drive for three), until the conductor pointed that while we had been booked to sit next to one another, there was no one booked for the seat behind us, so I moved, lay down, and the deepest sleep since leaving Luleå. Only a couple of hours, but it sure felt good.
Once I arrived in Canberra vikingrose picked me up and took me home to her place. We have had much fun cooking good food, working on projects, cleaning her house, visiting the local market to get fresh produce, and attending the SCA monthly potluck event. Any of these things would be worth a post in their own right, if I were not sleepy, and I didn't have to get up in the morning for my appointment at the Embassy to turn in my visa applithe fact that the ground here is dark. In Luleå when the sun is down for long enough that the sky gets dark there is also snow on the ground, reflecting the city lights, the moon, and anything else which casts any light at all.
cation.
One last comment before I sleep: It gets DARK here! It isn't just the contrast between leaving a place where the sun sort of sets for about an hour for one where it sets before 18:00, it is also
Ok, one further comment: I miss houses with heat and insulation! I want that visa mostly because it lets me live with archinonlive, but the fact that it also lets me live in a place where indoors is warm and outdoors is cold is a huge bonus! (It was necessary to layer one of her wool dresses over my underdress and under my bliaut for the revel tonight.)