An early start to catch the bus to the airport, and as usual whenever I know I have to get up early, I slept badly.
I’m not too concerned though as my sleep wake cycles are going to be completely up the boohai over the next couple of days anyway. I had to look up the spelling of ‘boohai’ just then, there are alternative versions eg booay. I expect this phrase is on the way out, I don’t think any of my children would know it? I’ve just finished another Georgette Heyer book, this time one of her interwar murder mysteries. There are many phrases in there that I remember my parents generation using that I haven’t heard for years. It seems a shame but that’s just the way language evolves I suppose, to be replaced with newer terms that somehow always seem less appealing to me. That is a sign of age too, I realise.
I took the bus because my luggage is now split into two so would be much more cumbersome on the train, even though they are more frequent and faster.
I claimed the tax back on some of my recent eligible purchases at the airport which was less arduous than I expected so that I was all checked in and in the lounge way earlier than I usually aim for. Much more like Simon’s usual timetable.
The flight was 12 hours and to be thrifty I flew premium economy, because it was a daytime flight. I regretted it though, because for some reason it was a plague cabin, everyone was coughing and sneezing and sniffing throughout. There was a boy in the seat across the aisle from me who had a fruity cough that seemed to get worse during the flight. His mother kept popping back from business class to check on him. It would have made sleep impossible even if the seats had been more comfortable. It didn’t stop him watching movies so I don’t think he was too ill. In any event, I suspect I’ll get sick when I get home.
I watched a few movies on the little jumpy screen, nothing too special effects heavy or deep, just a rom com and a couple of kids movies. I highly recommend the Bobs Burgers Movie.
I booked a transit hotel in Singapore as my layover was 12 hours, it was expensive but I’m glad I did it because a good sleep and a shower was greatly needed. I spent an hour at the pool but unfortunately it rained the whole time, and it wasn’t even that warm. (My life is so hard!)
An overnight flight to Auckland, luckily my upgrade came through so I’ll be up the pointy end. Yay.
The better airports around the world all have the same luxury shops. I’ve never understood the allure of lux shopping. Why get a Prada handbag when you can get one for a tenth of the price that does exactly the same job? Same goes for jewellery, perfume, and clothing. The advertising for all these items have famous movie stars in them. There’s one currently for Chanel No 5 that has a very cute young actor in it, plus Margot Robbie. They are showing ads all around the airport, little mini films of the two of them just being young and gorgeous and living a jet set lifestyle. I guess it’s working because it reminded me I had a bottle of Chanel No 5 which was a gift many years ago. I had to stop myself from going into one of the duty free stores and trying it. My strength of will has beaten the corporate strategy this time but I know who I’d put my money on long term.
I just bumped into someone I knew as I walked to the gate. What are the chances? I used to enjoy stats at school, I even contemplated being an actuary for about five minutes. In which case I would be much better able to tell you what the likelihood was. But who listens to actuaries, apart from insurance companies? Not sorry I gave that career path a swerve.