The Last Day
Back in the air over the Pacific en route to LAX. Not only am I in the enviable position I
found myself in last time, but I even have an almost private cabin. Out of 19 seats, there are only four of us –
one in each of the four columns of seats and spread out across the five
rows. The service, as expected, is
fantastic – the ratio of cabin crew to customers in our cabin is almost 1:1.
I think it would be a lie to say that it is hard to believe
this trip is over. This might sound
silly, but it didn’t really feel much like a trip at all. While I can’t claim jetsetter status, I have
(as previously written) been very fortunate in the last five years;
opportunities have presented themselves and I just have gone from there. Instead, the last month has just felt pretty
normal. I’m here, I’m there, I’m meeting
new people, and every so often I find myself in a tin can hurtling through the
sky. Please realize that I do not intend to trivialize the experiences by being
blasé, but at the same time a month back in Sydney really just involved picking
up where I left off. And since I have no
outstanding obligations back stateside at the moment, it really wasn’t a
massive deal to pick up and leave for a month.
With skype and email it wasn’t as if I was out of touch with what was
going on either.
As you likely figured out last time I was on a plane for a long, long time, I find a bit of solace in writing. So, indulge me as I fill some of the remaining eleven hours with a lot of words. I’ve built a playlist on the entertainment systems with Macklemore (The Heist), Maroon Five (Overexposed) and Mumford & Sons (Babel), clearly I was in the ‘M’ section of artists, and am settled in to write while I digest lunch (I will talk about that in a bit) and then maybe try to get some sleep.
The first thing I will tackle is the horror that is flying west to east across the International Dateline… While I have (and had) no problem going LAX-SYD, the reverse is always a slightly different issue, highlighted by the meal I just finished. In Sydney it is now just after noon. When I boarded the plane this morning it was just 9:00AM, breakfast time as it were. However, it was mid-afternoon in LA, and already 7:00PM in Atlanta (admittedly I shouldn’t say ‘already’, as it is actually the day before…). The main meal on the flight is served just after takeoff (a rather silly notion, personally), and while I do appreciate the attempt to get us all on west coast time, it is hard on the stomach (and mind) to devour a five course meal (complete with wine pairings), which would be best described as a hearty dinner (you can call it ‘lunch’ all you want, Delta, but we all know it is dinner), at breakfast time, not too long after waking up. I’m not complaining, just saying I would have loved a big breakfast to go with the mimosa (which they seem to give regardless of what time of day it is) when I boarded. I think the expression which is currently in vogue (complete with requisite hashtag, of course) would be #firstworldproblems. Then again #YOLO.
So, I have whinged about the food (not really, the food was fantastic)* – what next?
I think I brought this up on my last flight, but it is worth mentioning again – sitting up the front of the plane is fantastic and I am very glad that I have this opportunity… BUT, it is a really isolating experience. One thing that I enjoy about trips like this is the chance to meet interesting people and learn about their travels – I have met some really fantastic people and had great conversations with people on planes. While they say proximity breeds contempt (I think people say that, maybe?), you can also learn a lot crammed next to someone, sharing the experience of improbably hurtling through the sky, sharing an armrest with someone. So, I’d love a good conversation about now.
Before and during dinner I watched Admission, the Tina Fey movie that came out recently – it was okay, funny at times, but not as good as I would have hoped with Tina Fey…
Okay, I have mused on the now three hours of flying – now to the meat of the matter – what did I get up to since I last posted? Since I can’t jump online and figure out what I last wrote about, I’ll just recap my last day and hope that I had updated you of what I had done before that.
I woke up at a reasonable hour on Tuesday and set to packing (okay, doing other things punctuated by short spurts of packing). I had breakfast and chased down some things I need to take care of before leaving.
Around 2:00 I left the house and took the train to Central for a meeting in Albion Street (yes, they really say “in,” not “on” – I think I had told y’all that last year) in Surry Hills. I was a bit early and a bit hungry, so I popped into a bagel shop (something I had never seen in Sydney before) which turns out just opened a few weeks ago. I got a “sourdough” bagel (which, to me, was just a plain bagel) and was actually quite impressed. I still had a bit of time, so I wandered around the neighborhood a bit, popping down (and I do mean down – it is 9 meters below street level) to Frog Hollow Reserve (one of the many places John had showed me last year while we were doing documentation for work), which was one of Sydney’s worst slums when demolished in the 1920s.
I wandered back down Albion to the meeting, which went really well. When I left it was beginning to rain, so I headed through the park in front of Central Station and into the main concourse, where I sat for a bit as the sky opened up – quite a show of lightening and rain from the concourse looking out the open side of the station along the platforms.
As things began to clear, I headed out the George Street side of the station and down along Railway Square to the Devonshire Concourse to have one more time at the bookstore. After wandering for a while I turned up George Street into the city, heading toward Town Hall before meeting Amanda and Candice for dinner. I went down into the station concourse with the intended destination of Woolies (to buy lots and lots of Tim Tams to bring back for people). However, when I made it to the northern end, near where the entrance to the store is, I heard a band, so continued on to where the station meets the passage for the QVB and Galeries Victoria.
The scene I came across was something unexpected – a 25 or so piece concert band playing a concert in the middle of peak hour traffic in the heart of Town Hall Station. The band turned out to be the “NSW Railroad Band,” a group I can only presume is comprised of state rail employees. When I arrived they were playing a compilation of ABBA (or possibly the soundtrack of Mama Mia). They covered pop tunes and other older hits, and quite a consistent crowd succeeded in blocking up the passageway (come on, common sense says stand to the side if you are going to watch!).
I was in no rush, so I watched for fifteen minutes or so before going to get my Tim Tams. I left the store and headed up to Hyde Park via Park Street to meet Amanda at Museum Station at 6:00 to head to dinner. Candice ended up meeting us at the station and we walked down from the park to Stanley Street (those of you that know my time in Sydney know where this is going). Before dinner we stopped in at the Lord Roberts for a drink on the roof terrace. Sushi on Stanley was phenomenal as ever, and after we caught our respective trains back to home. Kylie got home after 10:00 (she had netball championships – which her team won!) and we all hung out a bit before heading to bed - Charlie the cat said her goodbye too!
This morning I was up at 6:50 to say bye to Candice and then went back to bed before waking up for real to leave for the airport at 8:00 (Kylie took me on her way to work)… And now, here I am, at 1:20 in the arvo, or 11:20PM yesterday in Atlanta, or 8:20 in the evening in LA. We are somewhere near Suva (I have no idea where that is or what country it belongs to, but that’s what the map tells me…). I don’t think I will sleep just yet, but will do a bit of reading first. I’m sure this isn’t the last you will hear from me on this journey.
 |
| Ticket to ride - though in reality I made the journey in 11A - I wanted the window and I was the sole person in the cabin on that half of the plane, so it really didn't matter where I sat. |
As you likely figured out last time I was on a plane for a long, long time, I find a bit of solace in writing. So, indulge me as I fill some of the remaining eleven hours with a lot of words. I’ve built a playlist on the entertainment systems with Macklemore (The Heist), Maroon Five (Overexposed) and Mumford & Sons (Babel), clearly I was in the ‘M’ section of artists, and am settled in to write while I digest lunch (I will talk about that in a bit) and then maybe try to get some sleep.
The first thing I will tackle is the horror that is flying west to east across the International Dateline… While I have (and had) no problem going LAX-SYD, the reverse is always a slightly different issue, highlighted by the meal I just finished. In Sydney it is now just after noon. When I boarded the plane this morning it was just 9:00AM, breakfast time as it were. However, it was mid-afternoon in LA, and already 7:00PM in Atlanta (admittedly I shouldn’t say ‘already’, as it is actually the day before…). The main meal on the flight is served just after takeoff (a rather silly notion, personally), and while I do appreciate the attempt to get us all on west coast time, it is hard on the stomach (and mind) to devour a five course meal (complete with wine pairings), which would be best described as a hearty dinner (you can call it ‘lunch’ all you want, Delta, but we all know it is dinner), at breakfast time, not too long after waking up. I’m not complaining, just saying I would have loved a big breakfast to go with the mimosa (which they seem to give regardless of what time of day it is) when I boarded. I think the expression which is currently in vogue (complete with requisite hashtag, of course) would be #firstworldproblems. Then again #YOLO.
So, I have whinged about the food (not really, the food was fantastic)* – what next?
I think I brought this up on my last flight, but it is worth mentioning again – sitting up the front of the plane is fantastic and I am very glad that I have this opportunity… BUT, it is a really isolating experience. One thing that I enjoy about trips like this is the chance to meet interesting people and learn about their travels – I have met some really fantastic people and had great conversations with people on planes. While they say proximity breeds contempt (I think people say that, maybe?), you can also learn a lot crammed next to someone, sharing the experience of improbably hurtling through the sky, sharing an armrest with someone. So, I’d love a good conversation about now.
Before and during dinner I watched Admission, the Tina Fey movie that came out recently – it was okay, funny at times, but not as good as I would have hoped with Tina Fey…
Okay, I have mused on the now three hours of flying – now to the meat of the matter – what did I get up to since I last posted? Since I can’t jump online and figure out what I last wrote about, I’ll just recap my last day and hope that I had updated you of what I had done before that.
I woke up at a reasonable hour on Tuesday and set to packing (okay, doing other things punctuated by short spurts of packing). I had breakfast and chased down some things I need to take care of before leaving.
Around 2:00 I left the house and took the train to Central for a meeting in Albion Street (yes, they really say “in,” not “on” – I think I had told y’all that last year) in Surry Hills. I was a bit early and a bit hungry, so I popped into a bagel shop (something I had never seen in Sydney before) which turns out just opened a few weeks ago. I got a “sourdough” bagel (which, to me, was just a plain bagel) and was actually quite impressed. I still had a bit of time, so I wandered around the neighborhood a bit, popping down (and I do mean down – it is 9 meters below street level) to Frog Hollow Reserve (one of the many places John had showed me last year while we were doing documentation for work), which was one of Sydney’s worst slums when demolished in the 1920s.
I wandered back down Albion to the meeting, which went really well. When I left it was beginning to rain, so I headed through the park in front of Central Station and into the main concourse, where I sat for a bit as the sky opened up – quite a show of lightening and rain from the concourse looking out the open side of the station along the platforms.
As things began to clear, I headed out the George Street side of the station and down along Railway Square to the Devonshire Concourse to have one more time at the bookstore. After wandering for a while I turned up George Street into the city, heading toward Town Hall before meeting Amanda and Candice for dinner. I went down into the station concourse with the intended destination of Woolies (to buy lots and lots of Tim Tams to bring back for people). However, when I made it to the northern end, near where the entrance to the store is, I heard a band, so continued on to where the station meets the passage for the QVB and Galeries Victoria.
The scene I came across was something unexpected – a 25 or so piece concert band playing a concert in the middle of peak hour traffic in the heart of Town Hall Station. The band turned out to be the “NSW Railroad Band,” a group I can only presume is comprised of state rail employees. When I arrived they were playing a compilation of ABBA (or possibly the soundtrack of Mama Mia). They covered pop tunes and other older hits, and quite a consistent crowd succeeded in blocking up the passageway (come on, common sense says stand to the side if you are going to watch!).
I was in no rush, so I watched for fifteen minutes or so before going to get my Tim Tams. I left the store and headed up to Hyde Park via Park Street to meet Amanda at Museum Station at 6:00 to head to dinner. Candice ended up meeting us at the station and we walked down from the park to Stanley Street (those of you that know my time in Sydney know where this is going). Before dinner we stopped in at the Lord Roberts for a drink on the roof terrace. Sushi on Stanley was phenomenal as ever, and after we caught our respective trains back to home. Kylie got home after 10:00 (she had netball championships – which her team won!) and we all hung out a bit before heading to bed - Charlie the cat said her goodbye too!
This morning I was up at 6:50 to say bye to Candice and then went back to bed before waking up for real to leave for the airport at 8:00 (Kylie took me on her way to work)… And now, here I am, at 1:20 in the arvo, or 11:20PM yesterday in Atlanta, or 8:20 in the evening in LA. We are somewhere near Suva (I have no idea where that is or what country it belongs to, but that’s what the map tells me…). I don’t think I will sleep just yet, but will do a bit of reading first. I’m sure this isn’t the last you will hear from me on this journey.
*and you ask, “Michael, what did you have?” Well, let me tell you!
Pre-meal: Heated assorted nuts to go with my wine selection of the evening (errr, morning) – a 2010 Pietra Santa Pinot Noir from Cienega Valley, CA (with “lavish strawberry compote, pomegranate and red raspberry flavors and a satin-y texture that makes it delicious for sipping” – I find tasting notes quite entertaining and [beyond overly pretentious], quite overstated… but I’m no somalier) – selected because I had chosen the lamb for dinner (lunch? – see, my subconscious can’t sort it out), so a red seemed appropriate (though now reading the pairing recommendations I apparently got the WRONG red for lamb as my choice was “a great partner for mushroom, poultry and salmon dishes, as well as mild cheeses and cured meats.” I clearly was supposed to get the 2005 El Coto de Imaz Rioja Reserva from Spain [really?!??, “Spain” isn’t a tiny place – can we be more specific?] with “classic… pairing [of] lamb”).
First Course: smoked salmon and grilled shrimp with caper relish and creamy cocktail sauce AND Thai coconut soup (which was spicy and delicious)
Second Course: mixed green salad with cucumbers, olives, tomatoes and feta cheese (a sizeable portion) (and I am embarrassed and distressed that in my mind, as I wrote that, I said “toe-mah-toes” – Australia, what have you done to me?)
Main Course: roasted rack of lamb with parmesan polenta (so-so), green beans and carrots
Dessert: I was admittedly very full, so I just went with some vanilla ice cream with crushed walnuts, some chocolate sauce and fresh cream (so full, in fact, that I didn’t get the port that was so delicious last time, and I am still a bit bummed about this)
After the meal was over I had a pot of tea – because why not?
And a few views from taking off - the city (well, suburbs south of Botany Bay) and the cliffs along the coast:
.jpg)
Pre-meal: Heated assorted nuts to go with my wine selection of the evening (errr, morning) – a 2010 Pietra Santa Pinot Noir from Cienega Valley, CA (with “lavish strawberry compote, pomegranate and red raspberry flavors and a satin-y texture that makes it delicious for sipping” – I find tasting notes quite entertaining and [beyond overly pretentious], quite overstated… but I’m no somalier) – selected because I had chosen the lamb for dinner (lunch? – see, my subconscious can’t sort it out), so a red seemed appropriate (though now reading the pairing recommendations I apparently got the WRONG red for lamb as my choice was “a great partner for mushroom, poultry and salmon dishes, as well as mild cheeses and cured meats.” I clearly was supposed to get the 2005 El Coto de Imaz Rioja Reserva from Spain [really?!??, “Spain” isn’t a tiny place – can we be more specific?] with “classic… pairing [of] lamb”).
First Course: smoked salmon and grilled shrimp with caper relish and creamy cocktail sauce AND Thai coconut soup (which was spicy and delicious)
Second Course: mixed green salad with cucumbers, olives, tomatoes and feta cheese (a sizeable portion) (and I am embarrassed and distressed that in my mind, as I wrote that, I said “toe-mah-toes” – Australia, what have you done to me?)
Main Course: roasted rack of lamb with parmesan polenta (so-so), green beans and carrots
Dessert: I was admittedly very full, so I just went with some vanilla ice cream with crushed walnuts, some chocolate sauce and fresh cream (so full, in fact, that I didn’t get the port that was so delicious last time, and I am still a bit bummed about this)
After the meal was over I had a pot of tea – because why not?
And a few views from taking off - the city (well, suburbs south of Botany Bay) and the cliffs along the coast:
.jpg)
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