Jan 31
This was the start of a beautiful day. Valerie was already up when John came out of the bedroom. Val made him a cup of tea and while he was drinking it, he saw Alan start to leave with the dogs for their morning walk on the beach. He waved to Alan to wait and joined them and quickly got on his warm sweatshirt and jacket. Alan had come back in and loaned John a pair of boots and a warm hat.
They walked down to the beach. The dogs met their friends and played. Well, just watch the video to see...
After they came back, it was time to get dressed for going out. Although John had said he wanted to take them all out for dinner, Valerie said definitely not today.
Les called to say he was nearly there and Valerie went out to see her brother. When they came in Val said, "Les has brought a friend." At first John thought the person with him was a womanfriend of Les. He got up to say, "Hi, I'm John" when she said something and John suddenly realized she was his cousin, Susan. What a thrill to see her! The two had spent a lot of time playing together when they were children. It was soooo good to see her.
They sat down with a drink. Les has such a great personality it is always fun wherever he is. They laughed and chatted. Val said they were just waiting for four more before they left for lunch.
A car arrived and Val said it was Carol, another of his Mum's cousins and someone who visited John and his parents more than forty years when John was just a child. She was with her husband, Dick. John was so happy to see them both and was amazed at how young Carol looked. But there was another man who definitely looked familiar but John couldn't place him. He said, "John, you don't know me. My name is Je.. Je... Joh..." Suddenly John realized... it was another of his cousins... John! John had lived on the same street in London when they were little and John from Canada was 'over the moon' to see him and his wife, Sandra. He last saw his cousin in 1969 when John was first starting university. And they had always had fun when they were together.
The group, including Alan, Sandra, Jack, Amy and Jack's friend Darrell were all going to go out to lunch and they piled into a number of cars. They went to Tabletable Restaurant. Everyone had preordered their dinners and because it was a surprise Val had picked for John. She had picked chicken goujons for an appetizer, a roast beef dinner for the main and profiteroles with cream for dessert. He also had a glass of red wine.
It was simply the most amazing as well as fun time. It reminded John strongly of what his family life had been like before emigrating to Canada. The wit was bouncing around the table and John felt as happy as he has been in a long, long time. He felt so at home, within his wonderful family (his Mum's side). He felt wrapped up in the embrace of such wonderful people. It was almost as if his Mum and Dad were there again and he was sad when it was time to say goodbye. It turned out to be Valerie and Les' treat.
Family is something that you simply cannot replace with anything else and John realized yet again how lucky a person he really is.
TRB
Sunday, January 31, 2010
A Canterbury Tale
Jan 30
This was be a day to see a town that is famous for being the seat of the worldwide Church of England, Canterbury. The Archbishop of Canterbury, whose seat is Canterbury Cathedral, is the head of the entire Anglican Church created by King Henry VIII in order to divorce his queen, Katherin of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn. The town is also named in one of the most famous of medieval literature, the Canterbury Tales.
Val cooked John a couple of eggs in the shell along with toast before they went, although she did not have anything to eat herself. She said John should drink more and John took the opportunity to say that Valerie should eat more.
It was a bright sunny but very cool day. Val and John took the bus to Canterbury. They sat on the top of the doubledecker and got some great views of the Kentish countryside, going through a number of small villages, past sweeping vistas of gently rolling country, and typical English country houses.
When they arrived, Canterbury was bustling. There were loads of people, although they walked as people do on Saturday mornings - with smiles and at leisure. The architecture was beautiful and even the newer buildings blended in quite nicely with the old. John took a number of shots of some of the more interesting buildings. He also walked over the oldest bridge in England and saw the ducking stool (a replica, obviously) for the medieval punishment of wrongdoers. They did a little shopping: Val wanted to get something for Amy and John wanted an electrical plug adapter so he didn't keep using Alan's. He is so grateful for the kindness and generosity shown by Alan and Sandra. And Val showed John a wonderful chocolate shop where John was offered three samples of chocolates (a full sized chocolate each time) and ended up buying three packages of scrumptious sweets, two to share with Val and Sandra.
As they were getting chilly by now they stopped into a coffee shop to get a couple of flat whites (coffees). John also bought an orange and lemon muffin but Val declined to eat even part of it. So, John, of course, gobbled it down.
Then, they were off to see the cathedral. Val insisted on paying their admission and it wasn't cheap. She also bought John a book about the cathedral itself. It was so worth it. The cathedral is stunning inside and it has so many small chapels and crypts as well as resting places of some very famous people such as the Black Prince, who fought for England in the Hundred Years' War against France, St. Anselm, and at least one English King and Queen.
Of course, the cathedral is most famous for a dark event in British hisory. Thomas Becket, the archbishop of Canterbury in 1170, was murdered at the altar on December 29 by knights of King Henry II. He had fought for the rights of priests to be exempt from the king's law. Becket was later proclaimed a saint by the Roman Catholic church. The tip of one of the knight's swords that broke off during the murder is still kept in the cathedral and the altar is called the Altar of the Sword's Point.
After looking around they noticed that the choir was about to practice so they sat down and listened to the all male choir (boys and men) sing. The sound seemed to fill the vast space especially as the voices of the young boys soared in the highest soprano.
They left, having had a moving experience and went back to the bus area. It was going to be quite a while until the next bus so they went to another coffee shop close by and got hot chocolate drinks before going back to the stop and catching the bus back. The sun was starting to sink and the cool day was getting colder on the walk back from the bus stop.
Once back in the warm welcoming house, Sandra had prepared a steak pie for dinner and John was hungry enough to wolf his down. He was filled with a warm feeling as he settled into bed and a deep sleep.
TRB
This was be a day to see a town that is famous for being the seat of the worldwide Church of England, Canterbury. The Archbishop of Canterbury, whose seat is Canterbury Cathedral, is the head of the entire Anglican Church created by King Henry VIII in order to divorce his queen, Katherin of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn. The town is also named in one of the most famous of medieval literature, the Canterbury Tales.
Val cooked John a couple of eggs in the shell along with toast before they went, although she did not have anything to eat herself. She said John should drink more and John took the opportunity to say that Valerie should eat more.
It was a bright sunny but very cool day. Val and John took the bus to Canterbury. They sat on the top of the doubledecker and got some great views of the Kentish countryside, going through a number of small villages, past sweeping vistas of gently rolling country, and typical English country houses.
When they arrived, Canterbury was bustling. There were loads of people, although they walked as people do on Saturday mornings - with smiles and at leisure. The architecture was beautiful and even the newer buildings blended in quite nicely with the old. John took a number of shots of some of the more interesting buildings. He also walked over the oldest bridge in England and saw the ducking stool (a replica, obviously) for the medieval punishment of wrongdoers. They did a little shopping: Val wanted to get something for Amy and John wanted an electrical plug adapter so he didn't keep using Alan's. He is so grateful for the kindness and generosity shown by Alan and Sandra. And Val showed John a wonderful chocolate shop where John was offered three samples of chocolates (a full sized chocolate each time) and ended up buying three packages of scrumptious sweets, two to share with Val and Sandra.
As they were getting chilly by now they stopped into a coffee shop to get a couple of flat whites (coffees). John also bought an orange and lemon muffin but Val declined to eat even part of it. So, John, of course, gobbled it down.
Then, they were off to see the cathedral. Val insisted on paying their admission and it wasn't cheap. She also bought John a book about the cathedral itself. It was so worth it. The cathedral is stunning inside and it has so many small chapels and crypts as well as resting places of some very famous people such as the Black Prince, who fought for England in the Hundred Years' War against France, St. Anselm, and at least one English King and Queen.
Of course, the cathedral is most famous for a dark event in British hisory. Thomas Becket, the archbishop of Canterbury in 1170, was murdered at the altar on December 29 by knights of King Henry II. He had fought for the rights of priests to be exempt from the king's law. Becket was later proclaimed a saint by the Roman Catholic church. The tip of one of the knight's swords that broke off during the murder is still kept in the cathedral and the altar is called the Altar of the Sword's Point.
After looking around they noticed that the choir was about to practice so they sat down and listened to the all male choir (boys and men) sing. The sound seemed to fill the vast space especially as the voices of the young boys soared in the highest soprano.
They left, having had a moving experience and went back to the bus area. It was going to be quite a while until the next bus so they went to another coffee shop close by and got hot chocolate drinks before going back to the stop and catching the bus back. The sun was starting to sink and the cool day was getting colder on the walk back from the bus stop.
Once back in the warm welcoming house, Sandra had prepared a steak pie for dinner and John was hungry enough to wolf his down. He was filled with a warm feeling as he settled into bed and a deep sleep.
TRB
Saturday, January 30, 2010
A day of rest.
Jan 29
This was a day of welcome rest for John. He just hung out and chilled with Valerie and talked of old times. Meanwhile I did some work on the blog: uploading videos and writing about the day before. No end to the work I have to do!
It was a wonderful day because John realized just how tired he had become. He sat on the couch and watched some nature television including a program on how they take care of the animals in the Metro Toronto Zoo. During the program, John felt soo comfortable and relaxxxx__zzzzzz.
He woke up long after the program had gone off. That was how relaxed he was.
Alan and Jack had gone off to work but when they came home, it was time to get ready for dinner out! Alan wanted to treat everyone to a dinner at an Indian restaurant in Herne Bay. However, Jack had plans with Sam so it was Alan, Sandra, Amy, Val, and John who got in the car to go.
They drove in and it was amazingly good. John had a couple of dishes that he cannot remember, ate someone else's rice by accident, and enjoyed a local beer. However, it wasn't just the food but the company that made the evening so special. Alan has a gift for telling jokes and recounting stories while Sandra can keep up line by line. It can make for hilaious repartee. John asked mt to underline that it was a very fun and memorable evening.
When they got home, John was ready to crash again.
TRB
This was a day of welcome rest for John. He just hung out and chilled with Valerie and talked of old times. Meanwhile I did some work on the blog: uploading videos and writing about the day before. No end to the work I have to do!
It was a wonderful day because John realized just how tired he had become. He sat on the couch and watched some nature television including a program on how they take care of the animals in the Metro Toronto Zoo. During the program, John felt soo comfortable and relaxxxx__zzzzzz.
He woke up long after the program had gone off. That was how relaxed he was.
Alan and Jack had gone off to work but when they came home, it was time to get ready for dinner out! Alan wanted to treat everyone to a dinner at an Indian restaurant in Herne Bay. However, Jack had plans with Sam so it was Alan, Sandra, Amy, Val, and John who got in the car to go.
They drove in and it was amazingly good. John had a couple of dishes that he cannot remember, ate someone else's rice by accident, and enjoyed a local beer. However, it wasn't just the food but the company that made the evening so special. Alan has a gift for telling jokes and recounting stories while Sandra can keep up line by line. It can make for hilaious repartee. John asked mt to underline that it was a very fun and memorable evening.
When they got home, John was ready to crash again.
TRB
Friday, January 29, 2010
Planes
Jan 28
John woke up several times in the night. He knew that his body was adjusting to the new time zone. The house is situated on a lovely little street that is very quiet and provides John with a welcome break from the hectic pace he has been setting himself since starting off on this long odyssey.
The day started with a walk with the dogs down by the ocean and along paths between thickets of brambles. John and Alan had a great walk. It was cool and windy but the three dogs loved it. They also met many of their friends, also being walked by their owners. Rufus and Lara by their sheer size scare new people and other dogs even though they are gentle giants.
Alan asked John if he would like to go out and see the Spitfire and Hurricane Museum at Manston. John knew this was one of the most important bases from which the British sent their brave young men up in Spitfires and Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain in 1940. He was thrilled to go. Spitfires have been a passion of his for many decades.
The former base is now an airport called Kent International Airport. Anyway, they walked into the free museum and saw the two restored aircraft along with many, many artifacts of the time, including an old air force fire engine. John and Alan both put a donation in the box to help keep the museum going.
After leaving there, the two went to the local flying club. It was called TG Aviaiton and was a very modern facility. John got to speak to a pilot who had just completed a flight over southeast England to keep his licence current. Alan asked if they could see the planes in the hangar and after checking for security reasons, they were allowed to go out with a young pilot/mechanic. It was great for John to talk aviation with someone who knew the way things are in Britain. He found that, although there are minor differences, most of the regulations are exactly the same. One tiny point that John found interesting was in the way that planes identify themselves to the tower. In Canada a plane that is say, C-GBJU (will always leave out the C for Canada and talk to the tower using the last three letters, such as Bravo Juliet Uniform) while in Britain a plane that is say, G-XBJU (will always use the G for Great Britain and the last two letters (ie. they will use Golf Juliet Uniform).
Next it was over to Reculver to see the ruins of an ancient Roman fort on which had been built a church that is now in ruins itself. Reculver Church is now on the edge of a clff and is a spectacular sight though John knew the videocamera could not capture it well. All that is left are the twin towers. They also had a beer and some quintessential British pub snacks called pork scratchings.
Again the day ended with a wonderful meal that Alan cooked. It was seafood fettucine (aka tagliatelle). John was exhautsed after his day and retired early.
TRB
John woke up several times in the night. He knew that his body was adjusting to the new time zone. The house is situated on a lovely little street that is very quiet and provides John with a welcome break from the hectic pace he has been setting himself since starting off on this long odyssey.
The day started with a walk with the dogs down by the ocean and along paths between thickets of brambles. John and Alan had a great walk. It was cool and windy but the three dogs loved it. They also met many of their friends, also being walked by their owners. Rufus and Lara by their sheer size scare new people and other dogs even though they are gentle giants.
Alan asked John if he would like to go out and see the Spitfire and Hurricane Museum at Manston. John knew this was one of the most important bases from which the British sent their brave young men up in Spitfires and Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain in 1940. He was thrilled to go. Spitfires have been a passion of his for many decades.
The former base is now an airport called Kent International Airport. Anyway, they walked into the free museum and saw the two restored aircraft along with many, many artifacts of the time, including an old air force fire engine. John and Alan both put a donation in the box to help keep the museum going.
After leaving there, the two went to the local flying club. It was called TG Aviaiton and was a very modern facility. John got to speak to a pilot who had just completed a flight over southeast England to keep his licence current. Alan asked if they could see the planes in the hangar and after checking for security reasons, they were allowed to go out with a young pilot/mechanic. It was great for John to talk aviation with someone who knew the way things are in Britain. He found that, although there are minor differences, most of the regulations are exactly the same. One tiny point that John found interesting was in the way that planes identify themselves to the tower. In Canada a plane that is say, C-GBJU (will always leave out the C for Canada and talk to the tower using the last three letters, such as Bravo Juliet Uniform) while in Britain a plane that is say, G-XBJU (will always use the G for Great Britain and the last two letters (ie. they will use Golf Juliet Uniform).
Next it was over to Reculver to see the ruins of an ancient Roman fort on which had been built a church that is now in ruins itself. Reculver Church is now on the edge of a clff and is a spectacular sight though John knew the videocamera could not capture it well. All that is left are the twin towers. They also had a beer and some quintessential British pub snacks called pork scratchings.
Again the day ended with a wonderful meal that Alan cooked. It was seafood fettucine (aka tagliatelle). John was exhautsed after his day and retired early.
TRB
Thursday, January 28, 2010
First Day in England
Jan 27
John woke several times in the night, probably due to his schedule being a little off kilter as a result of the long flight and the six-hour time difference. However, his being able to lie down on the plane greatly eased his usual discomfort from long flights.
The Comfort Hotel was good and very reasonable. His travel agent had gotten him a good deal at 49 pounds which was really great. Their posted rates started at 129 pounds.
John got up and had a traditional English breakfast: scrambled eggs, back bacon, fried tomatoes, mushrooms, and hash browns. Ok, well the hash browns were not really tradtional. He also had tea, orange juice, yogurt and pineapple. A little after 8 am the phone rang and it was Valerie calling from Les' home. She had stayed with Les and they would be coming to pick John up about 11am. He brushed his teeth and packed for the next leg of his trip. He thought he would have a little lie down.
He suddenly awoke from his snooze at 10:30. So he put on his clothes once more and went to the reception and paid his bill, happy to be ready ahead of time. He put on his iPod and was about to start listening when he saw a Mercedes Benz drive up and saw Valerie get out. After a hello hug with Val, and a good handshake with Les, he put his stuff in the 'boot' and they set off. Valerie wanted John to sit in the front so he did. The three had a great conversation on the 90 minute drive to Val's home and Les said that was making super excellent time. Les had just come out of hospital after having pneumonia so it was really good of him to make the drive.
The house in Kent has a name relating to its origins rather than a street number and indeed all the houses but one have names instead of numbers. That is sooo English! It is a lovely house in whch Val lives with Sandra, Alan, Amy and Jack. It is an old house that has been totally removated inside and out and decorated with real panache. The colours, styles and themes of the decor all work well with each other. John also got to meet Rufus and Lara (two huge Irish wolfhounds) and Charlie (a sweet female Staffordshire terrier) along with their three cats, Pebbles, Abby, and TC (for top cat) two of whom came by for a pat. Pebbles is very shy.
Val and John talked for a while and Val showed John the room he will be staying in. It is her room and John protested, not wanting her to be put out of her own bed. But Valerie insisted that she could sleep in Amy's room, so John acceded with real appreciation. Shortly after, Alan came home with groceries. John had not met Alan or Jack before (because Alan was not yet on the scene so long ago and Jack because he hadn't been born yet). Alan is a fine cook and he had been out to get groceries to make supper - an Oriental dish of duck breast, rice and wokked veggies in a delicious homemade sweet and sour sauce. John, Alan, Sandra and Val had a very interesting talk and they found not only that they had a lot in common but that they all had the same sense of humour. Alan and Sandra are very successful businesspeople, running a taxi enterprise with some 85 employees. Amy works as a paralegal and Jack works with Alan.
Alan then cooked supper with no help from John, Val, and Sandra who stood in the kitchen talking. Jack's girlfriend, Samantha, came over and dinner was set for seven places. The meal itself was absolutely scrumptious, cooked to perfection. John was so full at the end that he had to turn down dessert, a first for him.
After dinner, John and Alan took the dogs for a walk along a footpath near the sea, before heading down close to the beach itself slightly before 9pm and in the dark. The particular smell of the ocean here reminded John of the seaside of his childhood. The salt spray, the seaweed, whatever it was, took John back to the happy times he had spent at the seaside with his Mum and Dad and he took a second to think of them. The wind was cold but the hat loaned to John made him quite warm.
The dogs ran and ran and obviously had a great time. Alan takes them out twice a day. As they returned it started to rain and Amy and Sandra came out to wipe the dogs' muddy paws.
The it was time for a little TV before turning in. John felt so much at home he easily drifted off to sleep.
TRB
John woke several times in the night, probably due to his schedule being a little off kilter as a result of the long flight and the six-hour time difference. However, his being able to lie down on the plane greatly eased his usual discomfort from long flights.
The Comfort Hotel was good and very reasonable. His travel agent had gotten him a good deal at 49 pounds which was really great. Their posted rates started at 129 pounds.
John got up and had a traditional English breakfast: scrambled eggs, back bacon, fried tomatoes, mushrooms, and hash browns. Ok, well the hash browns were not really tradtional. He also had tea, orange juice, yogurt and pineapple. A little after 8 am the phone rang and it was Valerie calling from Les' home. She had stayed with Les and they would be coming to pick John up about 11am. He brushed his teeth and packed for the next leg of his trip. He thought he would have a little lie down.
He suddenly awoke from his snooze at 10:30. So he put on his clothes once more and went to the reception and paid his bill, happy to be ready ahead of time. He put on his iPod and was about to start listening when he saw a Mercedes Benz drive up and saw Valerie get out. After a hello hug with Val, and a good handshake with Les, he put his stuff in the 'boot' and they set off. Valerie wanted John to sit in the front so he did. The three had a great conversation on the 90 minute drive to Val's home and Les said that was making super excellent time. Les had just come out of hospital after having pneumonia so it was really good of him to make the drive.
The house in Kent has a name relating to its origins rather than a street number and indeed all the houses but one have names instead of numbers. That is sooo English! It is a lovely house in whch Val lives with Sandra, Alan, Amy and Jack. It is an old house that has been totally removated inside and out and decorated with real panache. The colours, styles and themes of the decor all work well with each other. John also got to meet Rufus and Lara (two huge Irish wolfhounds) and Charlie (a sweet female Staffordshire terrier) along with their three cats, Pebbles, Abby, and TC (for top cat) two of whom came by for a pat. Pebbles is very shy.
Val and John talked for a while and Val showed John the room he will be staying in. It is her room and John protested, not wanting her to be put out of her own bed. But Valerie insisted that she could sleep in Amy's room, so John acceded with real appreciation. Shortly after, Alan came home with groceries. John had not met Alan or Jack before (because Alan was not yet on the scene so long ago and Jack because he hadn't been born yet). Alan is a fine cook and he had been out to get groceries to make supper - an Oriental dish of duck breast, rice and wokked veggies in a delicious homemade sweet and sour sauce. John, Alan, Sandra and Val had a very interesting talk and they found not only that they had a lot in common but that they all had the same sense of humour. Alan and Sandra are very successful businesspeople, running a taxi enterprise with some 85 employees. Amy works as a paralegal and Jack works with Alan.
Alan then cooked supper with no help from John, Val, and Sandra who stood in the kitchen talking. Jack's girlfriend, Samantha, came over and dinner was set for seven places. The meal itself was absolutely scrumptious, cooked to perfection. John was so full at the end that he had to turn down dessert, a first for him.
After dinner, John and Alan took the dogs for a walk along a footpath near the sea, before heading down close to the beach itself slightly before 9pm and in the dark. The particular smell of the ocean here reminded John of the seaside of his childhood. The salt spray, the seaweed, whatever it was, took John back to the happy times he had spent at the seaside with his Mum and Dad and he took a second to think of them. The wind was cold but the hat loaned to John made him quite warm.
The dogs ran and ran and obviously had a great time. Alan takes them out twice a day. As they returned it started to rain and Amy and Sandra came out to wipe the dogs' muddy paws.
The it was time for a little TV before turning in. John felt so much at home he easily drifted off to sleep.
TRB
Singapore to London
Jan 26 Enroute
John and I are sitting in gate B7, waiting to board Singapore Airlines flight 318 to London. There is supposed to be wireless access here but John's computer cannot find it. One might have to go upstairs to the first class waiting area, perhaps. Anyway, we have some time to wait so we decided this might be a good time to write the content for the next post.
John is not looking forward to the long flight but he picked an aisle seat in a back row in hopes that if the plane is not full he might be able to stretch out a bit. It is a gamble because the row is close to the toilets. In the flight from Melbourne either he or his fellow passenger could have had a whole row but it would have been impolite to accept over the other and so both turned it down. However, John noted that the last rows are the ones they do not fill up until the end.
The day itself is typical. Sunny with clouds, hot and very humid. John was pleased when he checked out because he had eaten breakfast each morning at the hotel and it turned out to be included. So $100 Cdn a night in a 5-star hotel with breakfast is a pretty good deal.
Unlike what he had been told taxis were not cheap. They weren't expensive either - just not dirt cheap as in some third world countries. John had to take a taxi to the airport rather than the shuttle because the shuttle could only take him at 8:15 and that was wayyy too early for a 1:00pm flight.
As it was being at the airport three hours early was too soon anyway. The airport is so efficient that you check in very quickly. John went through passport control with no problem and was able to check out the malls in all three terminals by using the Skytrain between them. Terminal 3 is definitely the best one as it is the newest. If you don't look around when you arrive the other terminals can seem sort of dull. But if you look closer there are many, many shops from Ferrari and Dolce & Gabbana, to public post offices, restaurants, bookstores, childrens' stores and so on.
One of the most interesting things is that security is at the gate. There is no central hub through which everyone must go. This little change makes security clearance much, much more comfortable. John had accidentally taken a bottle of water from the hotel to drink at the airport but had forgotten to drink it. When it was discovered by the scan he was given the choice to drink all or part of it before proceeding to the seating area. After having a short drink John proceeded on and was met by three police officers who checked his passport again. That seems to sum up the way many things operate in Singapore. Tourists are seen as honoured, valued customers but underlying that is a tight security regime.
Well, it is close to the time to board so Jhn is putting the laptop away for the flight and picking me up again. Talk to you later from the UK.
TRB
On flight SG 318 currently at 39,000 feet southeast of Ashkhabad in Turkmenistan (north of Iran) after overflying Afghanistan between Kandahar and Kabul. John sent his wishes for safety to the Canadian troops below.
The Airbus A380 is an amazing plane. It is so new and the features make it a joy in which to fly. Of course, Singapore Airways gives more knee room than John is used to. Not only that but they give economy passengers more room as well.
This is the BEST flight John has ever taken and he has been flying since 1960! One reason is that his flight has come at a real down time for the airline. Nobody it seems is going to London today. His strategy of asking for a seat near the back was unecessary. There must be only 20 passngers in his section of the plane that can hold 120 people. The only downer is a baby that cries incessantly. The baby went to sleep for a while but has cried the rest of the time and the flight has been airborne for seven and a half hours.
John has a row all to himself and can lay down aytime he wants. He even had a fairly comfortable sleep. The service has been phenomenal. He was served two drinks of a good Cabernet Sauvignon before lunch (steak with mashed potatoes au gratin), beer with supper (John chose the Thai fried rice over the bangers and mash. He has been offered drinks on at least five other occasions. Since there are so few other passengers there is never a line up at the washroom!
We are in the main cabin of this double decker plane but the ceiling is curved just like it was any other wide body jet. The plane is also extremely quiet. There is a jet engine sound so low you can hear the hiss of the air flowing over the wings. The individual lights are very focused to avoid disturbing other passengers. The entertainment is superb - John watched a movie called The Informer with Matt Damon, then slept, then watched two episodes of Two and a Half Men followed by two documentaries (one on Cleopatra and another on penguins and other life in and near Antarctica). It reminded John of his ecperience in Christchurch at the International Antarctic Centre.
John has been reflective of late as his trip is starting to wind down. What does it mean and what has he learned. There are so many different cultures from the Maori to the Australian aborigines, to the Chinese, Malays, Indians. and those of us from a Western tradition. The street of Harmony with all the different religions is good but it doesn't take religion but rather goodwill. Each culture is worthy to live in peace with its neighbours. There is intolerance but it can be overcome by good faith and good karma. We are all indigenous to our beautiful Mother Earth, our Gaia.
TRB
John and I are sitting in gate B7, waiting to board Singapore Airlines flight 318 to London. There is supposed to be wireless access here but John's computer cannot find it. One might have to go upstairs to the first class waiting area, perhaps. Anyway, we have some time to wait so we decided this might be a good time to write the content for the next post.
John is not looking forward to the long flight but he picked an aisle seat in a back row in hopes that if the plane is not full he might be able to stretch out a bit. It is a gamble because the row is close to the toilets. In the flight from Melbourne either he or his fellow passenger could have had a whole row but it would have been impolite to accept over the other and so both turned it down. However, John noted that the last rows are the ones they do not fill up until the end.
The day itself is typical. Sunny with clouds, hot and very humid. John was pleased when he checked out because he had eaten breakfast each morning at the hotel and it turned out to be included. So $100 Cdn a night in a 5-star hotel with breakfast is a pretty good deal.
Unlike what he had been told taxis were not cheap. They weren't expensive either - just not dirt cheap as in some third world countries. John had to take a taxi to the airport rather than the shuttle because the shuttle could only take him at 8:15 and that was wayyy too early for a 1:00pm flight.
As it was being at the airport three hours early was too soon anyway. The airport is so efficient that you check in very quickly. John went through passport control with no problem and was able to check out the malls in all three terminals by using the Skytrain between them. Terminal 3 is definitely the best one as it is the newest. If you don't look around when you arrive the other terminals can seem sort of dull. But if you look closer there are many, many shops from Ferrari and Dolce & Gabbana, to public post offices, restaurants, bookstores, childrens' stores and so on.
One of the most interesting things is that security is at the gate. There is no central hub through which everyone must go. This little change makes security clearance much, much more comfortable. John had accidentally taken a bottle of water from the hotel to drink at the airport but had forgotten to drink it. When it was discovered by the scan he was given the choice to drink all or part of it before proceeding to the seating area. After having a short drink John proceeded on and was met by three police officers who checked his passport again. That seems to sum up the way many things operate in Singapore. Tourists are seen as honoured, valued customers but underlying that is a tight security regime.
Well, it is close to the time to board so Jhn is putting the laptop away for the flight and picking me up again. Talk to you later from the UK.
TRB
On flight SG 318 currently at 39,000 feet southeast of Ashkhabad in Turkmenistan (north of Iran) after overflying Afghanistan between Kandahar and Kabul. John sent his wishes for safety to the Canadian troops below.
The Airbus A380 is an amazing plane. It is so new and the features make it a joy in which to fly. Of course, Singapore Airways gives more knee room than John is used to. Not only that but they give economy passengers more room as well.
This is the BEST flight John has ever taken and he has been flying since 1960! One reason is that his flight has come at a real down time for the airline. Nobody it seems is going to London today. His strategy of asking for a seat near the back was unecessary. There must be only 20 passngers in his section of the plane that can hold 120 people. The only downer is a baby that cries incessantly. The baby went to sleep for a while but has cried the rest of the time and the flight has been airborne for seven and a half hours.
John has a row all to himself and can lay down aytime he wants. He even had a fairly comfortable sleep. The service has been phenomenal. He was served two drinks of a good Cabernet Sauvignon before lunch (steak with mashed potatoes au gratin), beer with supper (John chose the Thai fried rice over the bangers and mash. He has been offered drinks on at least five other occasions. Since there are so few other passengers there is never a line up at the washroom!
We are in the main cabin of this double decker plane but the ceiling is curved just like it was any other wide body jet. The plane is also extremely quiet. There is a jet engine sound so low you can hear the hiss of the air flowing over the wings. The individual lights are very focused to avoid disturbing other passengers. The entertainment is superb - John watched a movie called The Informer with Matt Damon, then slept, then watched two episodes of Two and a Half Men followed by two documentaries (one on Cleopatra and another on penguins and other life in and near Antarctica). It reminded John of his ecperience in Christchurch at the International Antarctic Centre.
John has been reflective of late as his trip is starting to wind down. What does it mean and what has he learned. There are so many different cultures from the Maori to the Australian aborigines, to the Chinese, Malays, Indians. and those of us from a Western tradition. The street of Harmony with all the different religions is good but it doesn't take religion but rather goodwill. Each culture is worthy to live in peace with its neighbours. There is intolerance but it can be overcome by good faith and good karma. We are all indigenous to our beautiful Mother Earth, our Gaia.
TRB
Monday, January 25, 2010
Culminating Day in Singapore
John woke early to make sure he was ready for his 8am departure on a full day trip to Malacca (spelled Melaka in Malay) in Malaysia. He checked to ensure he had his passport and Singapore Departure Card and went down to breakfast.
The bus arrived about 8:02 and John thought, "This is funny. They're late!" He has gotten so used to the level of service that something like this, that would not raise an eyebrow anywhere else, crossed his mind.
The trip down to the coordination centre where all the buses that pick people up from hotels converge and distribute their passengers. John was shown to a small coach where he was asked to fill out a Singapore Arrival Card and a Malaysian Arrival Card. He also had to show the driver his passport and his Singapore Departure Crad that he got on first arriving in Singapore.
Apparently very few people take this all day trip. It IS a lot of driving and the time reasonably short in Malacca so it is not particularly popular. Their driver was a man of few words. So, the passengers, all 10 of them, introduced themselves. There was a family from Fremantle, Australia (near Perth) with two boys, one in school (year 9) and one in university. There was a woman from Italy or Bulgaria travelling on a British passport. She is a tour guide at home in Rome. Go figure! There was a couple from West Virginia, close to Ohio and Pennsylvania, and knew about Ontario. There was a painfully shy young Chinese woman and a woman from the Phillipines. The group were all friendly and they talked all the way to the border (about 23 km since Singapore is so small). They all got out of the bus at Singapore Immigration.
Like New Zealand and Australia, you have to go through security and Immigration to leave the country. They take away your Departure Card (which says there is the death penalty for having 15 g of heroin) and off you go. You have to rejoin your bus that has moved through.
Everybody has to do it alone. The Aussie woman had some trouble. Their dog had bitten her passport and the officials were suspicious. But they relented. Next was an extraordinary trip in the bus between barricades and barbed wire to the Malaysian entry point. The two countries used to be one, but are not now the best of friends. Once more you have to get off the bus and go through Malaysian Customs and Immigration. John had no trouble but again they questioned the Aussie woman.
On getting back to the bus, they met their guide, a Malaysian man, who told them about Johore Bahru, the city on the Malaysian side of the border. He told them that the Sultan had just died and he was wearing the obligatory black armband for the month of official mourning. He also said they had a long drive ahead of them on a very good divided highway for a third world nation. It was some 240km away.
But first they were to see a pewter factory. The town was very third world - industrial, not very clean, with small, obviously unregulated shops and tiny factories. The guide told them about pewter and how it is made. They looked at people making molds of lids for containers meant to hold Chinese tea. They also saw the people polishing the containers. They wear gloves so that they can polish the pewter to a high sheen. John thought the gloves looked suspiciously like dangerous asbestos but he wasn't sure. They were then taken to the 'store' to 'see' the products - available for purchase, of course, at factory prices - made in the factory.
They then set off onto the highway. On both sides of the highway for mile upon mile upon mile they could see Oil Palm trees, the ones they use to make Palm Oil and Palm Kernel Oil used in all sorts of products like soaps, oils, waxes, even for food. Don't believe me? Look at the ingredient list of any packaged baked goods. The guide said that the government had converted their millions of rubber trees to oil palms because the rubber market had decreased so much due to artificial rubber.
They also got glimpses of small houses and occasional villages. They looked desperately poor to John but the guide said that the average income was $2,500 Malaysian ringgits a month and so only 4% of the popualtion was in dire poverty. The ringgit is today worth about 31 cents Canadian. So, John figures the average Malaysian earns about $800 Cdn a month.
The drive continued and the guide talked in a monotone for a very long time about the history of the area - the Malays, the Chinese, the Indians, the English, the Dutch, the Portuguese. He reeled off dates when this happened or that and why. What sultan did this or that. John normally loves this sort of stuff, but with the gentle rocking of the bus, the soothing monotone, and a short sleep the night before, he nodded off for a few minutes. Eventually, the guide said sit back and relax and enjoy the scenery.
John wondered why do they tell people to sit back; he was never sitting forward. And why relax; he was not on the edge of his seat due to the commentary. Anyway, John enjoyed the gentle swaying and looked outside from time to time. Eventually as they neared Malacca, the guide pointed out that there were other trees, too. John saw rubber trees that had been tapped for their latex. The other trees were the teak trees that the road company that owns the road (it is a toll highway) has planted to sell for timnber in a number of years.
Thye passed an area where there were lots of swifts, small fast flying insect-eating birds. The driver had to drive slowly to avoid hitting them. It was as if they didn't understand about traffic.
Then they arrived in Malacca and were taken to the Hotel Equatorial for lunch. It was sumptuous. It was one of the best buffets John has seen ever. They scrimped on nothing. John ate well, both first course and incredible desserts. He also splurged by buying a coke to go with it. It was $5 Singapore. John gave three $2 bills just to get some Malaysian change to take home.
After lunch, they boarded the bus and were taken around the town. Eventually the guide asked then to diembark to see a temple for Buddhists, Taoists, and Confucians and explained about the gods and how these three can all happily coexist. He told them that the street was called Harmony because it had Christian churches, Hindu temples, Buddhist temples, and Muslim mosques.
They were then given 50 minutes to walk the old streets. The guide said to guard your passport because there was no getting back into Singapore without it and they had had some people pickpocketed in the past in the area. John wandered around with the Aussie guy and their two sons. John didn't want to go shopping anyway so they sat down near the riverbank. Suddenly, the younger son, yelled out that there was a crock in the water. John grabbed his camera and got some good footage - not of a crocodile - but rather a large monitor lizard. It was the highlight of the day. They met the bus and the guide and were taken to another part of the toen close by. There was a choice. Sit in the bus or walk up the hill to see the place where Saint Francis Xavier is buried. Once again, most people did the activity though the Aussie woman and the Bulgarian/Italian stayed on the bus. It was quite steep but very cool. John had never seen a Saint's burial place before.
They met up with the rest of the group and headed for the bus. It was time for the two hour ride back. The group had a good discussion about all sorts of things. John was very impressed by the two sons. The one in university has his head and heart in the right place. No rightwinger there. He is taking film studies. The younger son oozed talent. He is in year 9 at school but didn't look more than 13. He could easily keep up with the adult conversation and had amazing social skills. It turns out he can cook better than his parents from watching cooking shows on TV. The boys both do their own laundry and cleaning. And they are really happy kids. What an awesome family!
Soon, it was time to go through the customs and immigration process in reverse. Just as long and tedious. But then they were through and headed back to town. For the first time ever John was the first one delivered to his hotel. He said his farewells to all the others and wished them well, his trip to Singapore over.
John has asked me to remind you that he will not have Internet access for a few days but to hang in there. More posts and videos will come when he can get connected again.
TRB
The bus arrived about 8:02 and John thought, "This is funny. They're late!" He has gotten so used to the level of service that something like this, that would not raise an eyebrow anywhere else, crossed his mind.
The trip down to the coordination centre where all the buses that pick people up from hotels converge and distribute their passengers. John was shown to a small coach where he was asked to fill out a Singapore Arrival Card and a Malaysian Arrival Card. He also had to show the driver his passport and his Singapore Departure Crad that he got on first arriving in Singapore.
Apparently very few people take this all day trip. It IS a lot of driving and the time reasonably short in Malacca so it is not particularly popular. Their driver was a man of few words. So, the passengers, all 10 of them, introduced themselves. There was a family from Fremantle, Australia (near Perth) with two boys, one in school (year 9) and one in university. There was a woman from Italy or Bulgaria travelling on a British passport. She is a tour guide at home in Rome. Go figure! There was a couple from West Virginia, close to Ohio and Pennsylvania, and knew about Ontario. There was a painfully shy young Chinese woman and a woman from the Phillipines. The group were all friendly and they talked all the way to the border (about 23 km since Singapore is so small). They all got out of the bus at Singapore Immigration.
Like New Zealand and Australia, you have to go through security and Immigration to leave the country. They take away your Departure Card (which says there is the death penalty for having 15 g of heroin) and off you go. You have to rejoin your bus that has moved through.
Everybody has to do it alone. The Aussie woman had some trouble. Their dog had bitten her passport and the officials were suspicious. But they relented. Next was an extraordinary trip in the bus between barricades and barbed wire to the Malaysian entry point. The two countries used to be one, but are not now the best of friends. Once more you have to get off the bus and go through Malaysian Customs and Immigration. John had no trouble but again they questioned the Aussie woman.
On getting back to the bus, they met their guide, a Malaysian man, who told them about Johore Bahru, the city on the Malaysian side of the border. He told them that the Sultan had just died and he was wearing the obligatory black armband for the month of official mourning. He also said they had a long drive ahead of them on a very good divided highway for a third world nation. It was some 240km away.
But first they were to see a pewter factory. The town was very third world - industrial, not very clean, with small, obviously unregulated shops and tiny factories. The guide told them about pewter and how it is made. They looked at people making molds of lids for containers meant to hold Chinese tea. They also saw the people polishing the containers. They wear gloves so that they can polish the pewter to a high sheen. John thought the gloves looked suspiciously like dangerous asbestos but he wasn't sure. They were then taken to the 'store' to 'see' the products - available for purchase, of course, at factory prices - made in the factory.
They then set off onto the highway. On both sides of the highway for mile upon mile upon mile they could see Oil Palm trees, the ones they use to make Palm Oil and Palm Kernel Oil used in all sorts of products like soaps, oils, waxes, even for food. Don't believe me? Look at the ingredient list of any packaged baked goods. The guide said that the government had converted their millions of rubber trees to oil palms because the rubber market had decreased so much due to artificial rubber.
They also got glimpses of small houses and occasional villages. They looked desperately poor to John but the guide said that the average income was $2,500 Malaysian ringgits a month and so only 4% of the popualtion was in dire poverty. The ringgit is today worth about 31 cents Canadian. So, John figures the average Malaysian earns about $800 Cdn a month.
The drive continued and the guide talked in a monotone for a very long time about the history of the area - the Malays, the Chinese, the Indians, the English, the Dutch, the Portuguese. He reeled off dates when this happened or that and why. What sultan did this or that. John normally loves this sort of stuff, but with the gentle rocking of the bus, the soothing monotone, and a short sleep the night before, he nodded off for a few minutes. Eventually, the guide said sit back and relax and enjoy the scenery.
John wondered why do they tell people to sit back; he was never sitting forward. And why relax; he was not on the edge of his seat due to the commentary. Anyway, John enjoyed the gentle swaying and looked outside from time to time. Eventually as they neared Malacca, the guide pointed out that there were other trees, too. John saw rubber trees that had been tapped for their latex. The other trees were the teak trees that the road company that owns the road (it is a toll highway) has planted to sell for timnber in a number of years.
Thye passed an area where there were lots of swifts, small fast flying insect-eating birds. The driver had to drive slowly to avoid hitting them. It was as if they didn't understand about traffic.
Then they arrived in Malacca and were taken to the Hotel Equatorial for lunch. It was sumptuous. It was one of the best buffets John has seen ever. They scrimped on nothing. John ate well, both first course and incredible desserts. He also splurged by buying a coke to go with it. It was $5 Singapore. John gave three $2 bills just to get some Malaysian change to take home.
After lunch, they boarded the bus and were taken around the town. Eventually the guide asked then to diembark to see a temple for Buddhists, Taoists, and Confucians and explained about the gods and how these three can all happily coexist. He told them that the street was called Harmony because it had Christian churches, Hindu temples, Buddhist temples, and Muslim mosques.
They were then given 50 minutes to walk the old streets. The guide said to guard your passport because there was no getting back into Singapore without it and they had had some people pickpocketed in the past in the area. John wandered around with the Aussie guy and their two sons. John didn't want to go shopping anyway so they sat down near the riverbank. Suddenly, the younger son, yelled out that there was a crock in the water. John grabbed his camera and got some good footage - not of a crocodile - but rather a large monitor lizard. It was the highlight of the day. They met the bus and the guide and were taken to another part of the toen close by. There was a choice. Sit in the bus or walk up the hill to see the place where Saint Francis Xavier is buried. Once again, most people did the activity though the Aussie woman and the Bulgarian/Italian stayed on the bus. It was quite steep but very cool. John had never seen a Saint's burial place before.
They met up with the rest of the group and headed for the bus. It was time for the two hour ride back. The group had a good discussion about all sorts of things. John was very impressed by the two sons. The one in university has his head and heart in the right place. No rightwinger there. He is taking film studies. The younger son oozed talent. He is in year 9 at school but didn't look more than 13. He could easily keep up with the adult conversation and had amazing social skills. It turns out he can cook better than his parents from watching cooking shows on TV. The boys both do their own laundry and cleaning. And they are really happy kids. What an awesome family!
Soon, it was time to go through the customs and immigration process in reverse. Just as long and tedious. But then they were through and headed back to town. For the first time ever John was the first one delivered to his hotel. He said his farewells to all the others and wished them well, his trip to Singapore over.
John has asked me to remind you that he will not have Internet access for a few days but to hang in there. More posts and videos will come when he can get connected again.
TRB
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
