12:02pm (Melbourne time)
It will be Monday, December 18 for a long time this
year.
I am waiting at the Melbourne Airport to board the first of several airplanes which will bring me home to Canada. I was insanely nervous on the way here and I jabbered on like an idiot to Robert in the coffeeshop we stopped in before my flight, but now that I'm here, inside the airport, at the right gate, I am oddly relaxed. Well, let's not say relaxed, I'm still completely keyed up and writing way too fast, but at least that lump in my throat went away.
Steve, Aileen and Robert all hugged me when I left them at the immigration gates. That was comforting as physical contact of any kind will be after weeks without it. I can't wait to hug my family. They said the stuff you're supposed to say when someone's leaving and I wanted to say all the stuff the leaving person says, but my mouth was dumb with nerves. I'm glad now that I wrote it all down in a letter and left it for them on my (odd word) bedside drawers back at the house. Robert and I have been curiously out of touch for the past couple weeks. I thought I'd feel bad about that, but I didn't. We said a lot of silly things and acted nervous and giddy with each other after Steve and Aileen left us alone as people do when they think others need privacy.
Definitive statements: I am glad I came here. I am glad I did it by myself this time. I will be back. Next time I'll not be travelling alone.
I forgot to get gum, but I just looked in what's left of my halloween candy care package from Amy from the trip here and found a Dubble Bubble and some caramels that should do me til I get to L.A. where money makes sense.
I am going to think positively and recognize my growth. I only want to cry when I think about home (either of them). I hope my Australian family knows how much I'll miss them. I'm sorry I didn't say it more often and more specifically. (I am not obligated to say that Robert.) I have good friends here.
I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to Angela and Alex as they were out when I left and I was napping when they left. No matter, I can only handle so many goodbyes in one night. I surely would have cried if I had to do any at the house. That's what letters are good for.
Angela and Alex went to the zoo with me today (or yesterday technically). It was an adventure getting there as we didn't know its exact location. Several directions from tram drivers later, we finally found our way. It was one of those days when the animals can think of nothing better to do but sleep in the shade to avoid the intense heat (it was 37). Consequently, there's not much to see (except the platypus who was very active in his little pool) and it gets exhausting walking around in the sun (except in the dark cool wombat cave). Not to mention the fact that the map was hard to follow and there weren't enough accessible sprinklers. But I got a free pass to the zoo from that tour company I booked with and it was definitely worth free. It wasn't totally terrible. We did spend some time in the butterfly room. It occurred to me there that the moths that I despise are just ugly butterflies. Maybe I won't freak out so much next time they touch me. (Yeah right.) Mr. Jelly wouldn't be afraid of moths. (Well, maybe sometimes.)
I haven't had nearly enough sleep, but I'm feeling energized for some reason. A good 8 hour flight to Kuala Lampur should cure me of that. 12:31am
12:32pm
Our boarding has been delayed "at least 15 minutes" due to a "problem in the cockpit". What the hell does that mean?
12:45am
A woman is bringing a box of Australian cherries to Malaysia. She sets it down several feet from the counter which she approaches to make sure she's in the right place. I'm starving. I'd eat cherries if I had them.
1:02am
It has been announced that those mysterious creatures known as the engineers have "located the problem in the cockpit" and are waiting for a part to fix the problem. We will have more information in 20 minutes time. I am getting tired now. They are making it a safe plane for everyone's daughters and sons.
1:31am
The engineers have their parts. It'll take them an hour to fix it. I'm going to stay stubbornly glued to this spot. But I might listen to music.
1:41am
I am practicing sitting up straight. If I could just stop thinking this travelling stuff would be a lot easier.
3:34am
I am wiping my runny nose in the end of my long skirt as suggested, Robert. I am crying in a corner of the tunnel that leads to a plane that is still broken where a nice lady let me sit out of sight of other passengers who are better at this than I am and don't need to have private mental breakdowns. I want to stop crying, but can't. I've missed my flight to L.A. already which means I may miss all of them and will have to take unanticipated alternate flights to get me where I need to go. Which is scary and I've turned to jelly and want someone to take care of me. I just want to go home. The lady who put me here, whose job it is presently to make delayed travellers happy, understands why I'm crying. She talked to me, atttempting reassurance, and she touched my arm lightly in a comforting way that might make some difference if I could stop the sobs. How perfectly cliche: a couple stray teardrops just fell on my book, smearing the words, providing evidence of the breakdown. I am not going to call this weakness. I am going to call it 3:44 in the morning and six weeks away from home and not enough sleep and muscles that ache and now more time between me and home and my family and my boy.
Lover I am lost here away from you. I will not find my way until you are leading me by the hand again.
I don't want to leave my home for a long time once I get there.
I am beginning to feel better. I will feel even better when the airplane is made safe and we are on our way. I will feel better and better with every airport. By the time Saskatoon's cute airport comes into view I should be deliriously ecstatic. Wow, I could use some of that now. 3:54am
4:51am
There are benefits to mental breakdowns. Everyone's really nice to you when they think you're going crazy. And they let you board the plane first. Before the disabled and people with children even.
10:22am(Kuala Lampur time)
Strangely (luckily) enough, the flight leaving to Los Angeles from here was delayed just long enough for me to catch it. It appears as though I will get home at the expected time after all. Provided there are no further delays of course. Again, I'd knock wood if I could find any. Oh wait, Shaughn's present is made of wood. Knock, knock.
I didn't write at all on the plane ride here for two main reasons: 1) I realize that writing = thinking which often = crying and 2) I was too lazy to get my bag from the overhead compartment.
I've seen the Malaysia Airlines safety video four times now. I slept through the take off. I got to a point after my healthy breakdown where I realized nothing could be done from the air and that I'd get home eventually. Then I kind of chilled out. This time KLIA doesn't even scare me. It's cuz I'm figuring things out for myself and I recognize the layout of the building now.
I've been putting very tiny braids in my hair whenever my brain feels too busy or my hands feel too idle. I will ask Shaughn to count them when I get home.
I didn't get a chance to thank that nameless friendly airport employee in Melbourne. I'll send some good vibes her way and hope she gets them.
I had a choice of five or six movies I've really been wanting to see on the way here. I chose the one I didn't think I'd ever see, "Autumn in New York" because I figured I could never bring myself to pay to see it and here it was for free. Well, unless you count the thousands of dollars I paid to take these planes.
Flight MH92 is boarding. I feel closer to home. 10:36am
11:57am
This plane has been delayed and delayed, but now we're finally boarding. I met a girl in the waiting area who is studying pharmacy in India. I told her about Shaughn and his plans and she wondered how he came to hear of Aurveyda since it's not exactly well known in the west. I asked her about the sexual politics of the country and then we talked about the weather. She is another in the pattern I've gotten myself into lately; random people I meet in casual ways that may teach me something, but will not become life long friends. In fact, I will likely never see them again. Most of the time, I don't even learn their names.
Amy's xmas present was leaking sparkles after my cabin luggage was handled more roughly than I would've preferred by a flight attendant. I was resourceful though and wrapped it in the plastic bag they give you thin blankets in and tied it with the twistie thing from my headphones.
I've got Spin Doctors in my head which is never bad. 12:07pm
7:50am (KL time) 8:51am (Tokoyo time)
I'm in Japan. That's pretty cool. Maybe some other day I'll come here and actually leave the airport. Probably not any time in the relatively near future.
I've decided that my furry little travelling companion should have a name. His face says James to me, so it shall be.
I met some Canadians on the plane. I realized I hadn't seen a Canadian since November 3.
People go to Australia every day. Some of them are from Calgary. It's not so far away.
I'm glad Malaysia Airlines has such an impressive entertainment system. Watching movies passes a lot of time. On the way here I saw "Bring It On" (and thought of Amy and Shanda, I'll leave the reason to your imagination) and "The Kid" (and thought of Maggie, obviously). On the way to L.A. I think I'll re-watch "X-men" and "What Lies Beneath".
I managed the descent into Tokoyo without chewing gum and can still hear Chris Gaines out of both ears when my headphones decide to work equally. I only have to go up and down thrice more and I hope my ears continue to behave so nicely.
I've taken to having bizarre conversations with myself inside my head that remind me of a letter Shaughn sent me from Europe. I think I'll read that letter right now. 8:04 or 9:04am (depending on whether you're asking the Malaysians or the Japanese)
11:54am (L.A. time)
Still in the air. I'm waiting through crap film clips (hehe) for "What Lies Beneath" to start again. Plane seats really don't encourage good posture which they really should cuz I'm trying but my back is killing me. For some reason they are only giving me Indian meals on this flight which I didn't request, but they're all vegetarian anyway. I think I like Indian food better on the ground, my stomach has trouble with it in the air. The Albertan lady sitting beside me has proved to be a great comfort. It's nice to talk to someone without an accent (yes yes, Australians, I mean nothing I recognize as an accent). She reminds me of Aunty Jan. I'm going to fill out a U.S. Customs form now.
3:36pm (L.A. time)
Not so scary, this LA airport. Even when you're late and frantic. I did it the right way this time having my mental breakdown on the first flight and getting it out of my system. I haven't wanted to cry in hours. The 2 hour 46 minute flight I'm presently waiting for is going to be no problem compared to the ones I just got off. And then I will be so close to home. I've officially allowed myself to get excited. I wonder how cold it is in Vancouver. I gotta clean up.
4:55pm (LA and Vancouver time cuz they're the same)
Air Canada is so much different than Malaysian Airlines in such obvious ways that I won't bother discussing them here.
When I was boarding this plane wearing a halter top, an ever-so-helpful Vancouverite let me know I'd be cold when I got there. (The pilot just informed us that the current temperature in Vancouver is +4. Please.) I told him I'd left Australia in 37 degree heat and will arrive in a 40 below Saskatoon winter. He said it was a good thing I bought my jean jacket.
Well, I've got seven and a half more pages to fill up in this book before I get home. Maybe I'll leave some of the room for later reflection or something. Or I could crap on for several pages, but I think that's likely to grow quite uninteresting after a while.
I'm listening to Disney songs on one of the plane's radio channels. Disney songs are good for scary situations (right Amy, Shaughn, Riki and Shavonne??) and I'd be taking advantage of that if I was at all scared on this flight. I'm getting pretty good at this. 5:06pm
5:12pm
There's snow on those mountains down there.
10:27pm (Saskatoon time)
Finally, the time of home. I am on a plane an hour and a half away from home. There is snow streaking past the lights of the wing that I can see from my aisle seat. Pretty pointless this aisle seat, at nighttime. I'm not used to it being so dark at only 8:30pm (Vancouver time). Through a series of stupid delays and random encounters with idiotic people, I made it on the flight with the help of many friendly airport workers with literally not a moment to spare. They held the plane for me.
My bags have been lost somewhere and I didn't locate them in time. So I made a declaration of their delay and a snotty customs guy asked me exactly what kind of Christmas presents are in my bags. Before that, whilst waiting to make said declaration, an annoying man from Seattle nearly caused me and the rest of the people in line behind him, to go mad with frustration. Seems almost everyone's bags from L.A. were mysteriously misplaced and a long line of people were late for their flights and standing there waiting to make claims. It took the toofriendlyforhisowngood aiport worker at least 15 minutes to explain to this guy that he had to take his bags with him according to Canada Customs. It wasn't hard to understand. I bounced around to demonstrate my frustration and people behind me were less subtle. I don't think the guy even realized he was unecessarily holding up a bunch of tired pissed off travellers.
But I got past that and customs and found out I hadn't missed the plane after all, at which time I rushed to the gate only to find that that plane was going to Edmonton. Once I got the correct gate number, I ran there (which is kind of hard to do when carrying a dijeridoo). Then the nice lady said she just took me off the list and good thing I got there when I did and she walked me to the plane where a guy that drives the connecty tunnelly thing said, "It's a lot colder where you're going you know." But running from one end of the Vancouver airport to another is sweaty work, I'll put on a coat in Saskatoon.
There is a city below us, I wonder which one.
I like 7up on planes. It calms me.
I wanted to clean up a bit before I got home, but there's only one bathroom on this small plane and I wouldn't want to be keeping people with more pressing functions waiting whilst I brushed my teeth. Someone should teach that lesson to the idiot from Seattle.
There is a girl with a new born baby in the seat beside me. In the Melbourne airport, Robert and I agreed that we would never take children on airplanes until they were old enough to understand the pressure in their heads. Cuz, I mean, I'm 20 and I can't stop whining about it. This baby has been sleeping since take off though. It is curiously relaxed. I wish I was curiously relaxed instead of curiously spastic. (I told you Shaughn, that I wasn't going to be able to sit still. I hope my fidgeting doesn't disturb the baby.)
On my customs declaration form, they asked if I was going to be visiting a farm in the next 14 days. I wanted to find out why they asked, but didn't. They are worried, I suppose, that I might have bizarre Australian organisms living in my hair that would make the livestock less Canadian. (What? Shut up. Was that really necessary to write?) No, but I have five and a half more pages to fill up and only 49 minutes in which to do it. (I thought we decided that would be unecessary and boring.) Oh, you're right. Ok, I'll shut up. (That's better.)
They gave me honey roasted sesame sticks. I can think of few things more putrid right now. (I thought I told you...) Yes, alright alright, shutting up. 10:59pm
11:00pm
Nobody has all the answers. Some people have most of them and most people don't have any. But if you ask them in the right order, you get something resembling truth.
oz = can
to australian tour diary
to tour diary
back to main
