From the Plane

Well, here we are. Far too many feet above sea level for my liking. We are currently somewhere over India. Bay of Bengal, apparently. Row 49 is obviously the “special” row as we have had some interesting experiences. They ran out of gin. Poor Phil. They ran out of white wine. Poor Terri. So far they still have red wine. Lucky me. When lunch came we had a choice of turkey and mashed potato.  The beef and pasta had run out. I did suggest that a choice of one was not really a choice.

So if we are looking for a person to fulfil the role of “Idiot of the Day” I think it might be me. Whether it is making virtue out of inclination or not, I think I am in the market for a new iPod. I think mine might just be on the bed in the hotel in Kuala Lumpur. I had been wanting to upgrade for some time, but this was probably not the way.

And now we are some hours (4:15) into a 13+ hour flight from KL to Heathrow and I am without iPod. Without novel, as I finished mine about 2 hours into the flight. Thanks to Terri I have something to read. But how about watching the endless movies and mindless television, you might ask? Well, Dear Reader, well you may ask. Currently Row 49 has no connection to the inflight television/lights/call bell etc. As compensation they are giving us vouchers for 100 RM each. This is 100 Ringats. So currently Terri is poring over the inflight shopping brochure, deciding what it is that we might purchase with the vouchers, and making sure that we get our Ringats worth. Thanks Terri.

Looking awfully like we might come home with some extra Sarongs and various other bits and pieces.

So far the tour has been fun. We stopped traffic in Adelaide Airport with a resounding version of Matilda “Zing”, complete with the Altos clippetty clopping, right outside the Tie Rack. Thence onwards to KL, where we had a great night, never actually entering Malaysia. Technically, at least. We never cleared customs so we have no stamp in our passports to say we were there. We spent the night in a rather chilly but excellent Airside Hotel in Terminal Wherever. They even have a jungle thingy where you can go on a Tropical Boardwalk without ever leaving the Terminal. Reminds me of that Tom Hanks movie, The Terminal, or that rather odd Stephen Sondheim musical about the kid who got lost and lived in a shopping mall. Note to self, though, NEVER travel straight through to the UK again. Do the stopover and travel only in the daylight.

Hmmmm. If this is the case, why have they turned all the lights off? Apparently it is 3:45pm where we came from and maybe a bit before 8:00am where we are going. How come they expect us to sleep?

We are currently over Bhopal. I have just explained its significance to The Young Ones. On that note, I realised last night that, while I may not be the oldest on tour (just), I have been in the Choir longer than any other Tourer. Showing my age, my persistence, resilience or possibly by resistance to change? What is the difference between persistence and stubbornness, except the value we place on it?

Tonight we land in Heathrow and head straight for Cambridge. Or more accurately, this afternoon we land in Heathrow... Except if it is dark, which it will be at 4:30pm, it is night time to me.

We were given the MOST extraordinary gift at Adelaide Airport. We were each presented with the Choir Tour Handbook. It is magnificent. In glowing colour, fully bound A5 we have a book that tells us all we need to know. In addition to comprehensive information about who is responsible for what (where I am described as Image Consultant) through to who is sleeping with whom (rooming arrangements), we also have wonderful stories about the places we are visiting and useful Italian phrases, including “Please look after my penguin”.

Treasures: so far there have been a few identified on Tour. Anna, of course. Or AhhhNahh as I have taken to calling her, who has maintained her extraordinary calm. Alice, or Aliche Lucia as I will name her, who is making a sport out of herding cats (trebles).  Jenny. Revd Jenny, who is just so fabulous.  Larrisa our stewardess, who is arranging the compensation. And Joshua. Josh van Konkelenberg. How can he not get a Dutch/Euro passport with a name like that? I’ve had the pleasure of dinner and breakfast with Josh –Delifrance Le Sunrise needs to be seen to be believed.  Last night’s beef ball soup from a joint called NӦӦӦDLES was also interesting. We are so very blessed to have Josh with us. What a talent, and what a nice man. Thanks for coming, Josh.

Well, now we are just over five hours from London. Please hurry, time. Terri, Phil and I are resorting to playing Fish. This is what happens when you drink the plane out of white wine, red wine, gin, lemonade, guava juice... And when there is not television, video, gaming in the onboard console, and you have *failed* to load games to the computer, as you *always* play online... But again, I would recommend the long haul during the day. Caspian Sea, Afghanistan and Baghdad in the distance. All spectacular countryside from my window seat. Not that you, Dear Reader, will get to see this, as I have yet to remove the camera from its case.  Now there is just cloud.

Alana is so over it that she has begged Bella to be allowed to do Princess Word Searches with Miss Sophie, aged six. And Wee Alice, aged 4, has apparently spent two hours meeting the needs of Sampson the Cat, our Mascot, and his trusty assistants, Humphrey and Arthur, the Church Mice. 

4 hours and 20 minutes to go. Yay. And soon they will feed us again. Here’s hoping the Asian option is available to the tenants of Row 59 this time.

OOPS – nearly forgot the best thing that happened in KL. I had a massage at 7am, which was glorious and set me up for this long leg.

Time passes. And now we are within an hour of London.  More on landing!