MUPPET: [mah-pet] origin, British slang derived from an association with Jim Henson's 'muppet' puppets. e.g. Kermit the frog or Miss Piggy. noun, refers to an idiotic or silly person in a highly affectionate and loving way. You got on the wrong plane, you muppet. OR. Leave that fit spanish man alone havent you scared him enough, you muppet?
ABROAD: [uh-brawd] noun, a foreign land or lands, e.g. the Isle of White (not to be confused with 'a broad' - gangsta term for a lady type person). adverb, description of presence in a country/continent outside of the land of origin. Hannah will soon be famous at home and abroad :)

Disclaimer: in no way shape or form am I implying that I am THE Kermit the frog let alone Miss Piggy...any references made to the 'muppet' term should be accepted fully under the 'adorable idiot' definition. I, Hannah, being the adorable idiot :)

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UK to Auz leg...

...I've summarised the flight already but I felt some points needed further explanation.

Dad and Ralph dropped me at the airport, checked in the mother of all travelling bags and bought me dinner as the butterflies started to kick in...kick being the operative word! I have never felt so nervous - not skydiving, not stand up, not meeting Boss Ladies family, not ever....so knowing this and offering words of wisdom like 'off you go then' and 'bye' my Dad and brother steered me into customs and waved me on. Thankfully passport checked my wonderful friend Bellars called to check in with Ugly Monkey and I. We had a nice political chat before gate 35 beckoned...all aboard totally fine with a million texts from friends and family (thank you everyone it really made me feel better!)...packed flight though and I was in economy...sigh I haven't perfected the fluttery eye lashes to get me upgraded yet but I have like another 7 flights on this trip....I can totally work on it, at least I had a window seat to look out on all the snow still blanketing quite a lot of Heathrow! This flight was to Bangkok for a 1 hour lay over - I don't know how long it was but I know I saw 2 films, ate a turkey dinner and a bizarre breakfast thing, saw the sunset, saw the sunrise and had a nap and woke up with my neighbour - the tiniest Thai lady that I have ever seen dribbling on me...real nice. I gestured to her husband who eventually pulled her off me. Maybe its like when a bird poos on your head...maybe a Thai lady dribbling on you is lucky??? I'm gonna say it is! It cushions the yuckiness of it all...nice lady though...dribbling aside!

We landed in Bangkok in the afternoon of the 27th I think and it was HOT! Like really hot...and the airport was HUGE! We must have driven the plane around for like 20 minutes before he got parked (coincidentally I named the plane Steve) - Steve parked at gate E11 which doesn't sound to bad as we had to get off for 1 hour and then get back on at E11 the upper deck. One assumes you just go upstairs....nope. Why would it be that easy? Customs was the other end of the E terminal...a short few miles away...they had those flat escalators to get us there but we still had to run...a few miles there, then up some stairs, the quickest pee of my life and then a few miles back to upper E11....phew intense times. To be honest it probably helped that they took my tiny scissors away at customs...less weight you know and I got a frisking...I think I was kind of asking for it....I didn't exactly go through with arms up and then pretend to be an aeroplane like a friend of mine once did (best story!) but I probably looked kinda shifty on account of my full bladder and thus jittery nature!

Right back on the flight for the last leg...Bangkok to Sydney - quick triple check that I am on the right flight. Last time I came to Auz at the 2nd leg stage I got on the wrong plane which took me to Melbourne and having called my mum to explain why I would be delayed I also explained that I would get a cab from Melbourne to Sydney cos 'they are like well close on the globe'....muppet! Anyway right plane this time! (Celebration dance!) Glass of wine and a new travel buddy Matt who amazingly had just done the tour of Cambodia that I will be doing in a few weeks so he talked for the next few hours before I gave into sleep. That was short lived as we hit the worst case of turbulence that I have ever experienced it went on for about 6 hours through the night and though I was sure Steve could handle it I don't profess to know how a big steel plane manages to stay in the air and so part of me was curious about plummeting to my death. Does my insurance cover that?

We did eventually land safely in Sydney though at 6.10am on the 28th December and I got through passport control and customs only to turn back and endeavour to get back on my plane. Remember I have been up for about 44.75 hours now...with no coffee so I'm not sure which part of my rational brain thought I could just walk back on the plane but I tried nonetheless! You see I left my Squeezey Love cushion on the plane...that cushion was the sole reason I coped in economy class - it made me comfortable, it was like my head was sleeping on a cloud...so hello Sydney but RIP Squeezy Love cushion I'll miss you x

26 - 28 December 2010
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1 comment:

  1. GroverJanuary 4, 2011 at 3:25 AM

    Oh no! Squeezy Love! That helped us through scary Jonathon Creeks and sad Charmeds! RIP Squeezy Love x
    PS Like the name Steve for the plane ;)

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