Flying to Oz by Winged Monkey
I am sorry for the lack of recent posts. I am even more sorry that I have not yet responded to everyone took the time to wish me a happy birthday last week. The desire to write has been obscured by the ill health of my Nanna and the preparations for shifting my flesh 10,500 miles to Australia.
Unfortunately I am not flying to Oz by winged monkey, but with the tepid assistance of British Airways. I may trust BA to get me safely over the Himalayas, but I have substantial doubt whether they will deliver both me and my suitcase to the same airport at the same time.
The prospect of a 22-hour flight tightens my flesh and knots my muscles. Whilst I have no fear of flying, the dread of being carried off a plane on a stretcher again still clings to me. There is no escaping this horror. It has to be confronted. I have to fly. My bag is packed. I have selected my two books for the journey – Sinclair and Lichtenstien’s Rodinsky's Room and Bruce Chatwin’s The Songlines. There is nothing left to do now but finish typing this, shower, shave and lock up.
Unfortunately I am not flying to Oz by winged monkey, but with the tepid assistance of British Airways. I may trust BA to get me safely over the Himalayas, but I have substantial doubt whether they will deliver both me and my suitcase to the same airport at the same time.
The prospect of a 22-hour flight tightens my flesh and knots my muscles. Whilst I have no fear of flying, the dread of being carried off a plane on a stretcher again still clings to me. There is no escaping this horror. It has to be confronted. I have to fly. My bag is packed. I have selected my two books for the journey – Sinclair and Lichtenstien’s Rodinsky's Room and Bruce Chatwin’s The Songlines. There is nothing left to do now but finish typing this, shower, shave and lock up.
Labels: Australia, Flying, Iain Sinclair, Oz
posted by David at 6:05 PM
18 Comments:
God speed, David
Didn't realize you had a birthday last week! Cheers to you.
Follow the Yellow Brick Road my friend.
I sent you all the words I wanted to tell you.
Be good!
M
I did not know it was your birthday. Happy belated. And good luck and God Speed on your journey. I would not want to be carreid off of a plane on a stretcher either....
Very Happy Belated Birthday, David.
I was wondering what happened to you, surmising you were already in Australia.
I don't know why, but I feel sad you are leaving England and going to Australia.
I do not envy the long flight. And the part about the stretcher, oh gosh, I hope that part is quick and fleeting for you. I cannot imagine what would be so urgent for you to fly in such conditions. Egads, how terrible.
I hope Surreal Girl is going with you, whatever your reason is to be going to Australia.
Safe flight, David and God be with you and your Nanna.
Safe journey.
Puss
Via con Dios (Go with God), David. I, too, am a terrible flyer. Once, on American Airlines, the stewardeses (no stewards back then)begged me not to throw up because it always caused a chain reaction. I didn't, and they rewarded me with a bottle of wine when I deboarded (is that a word?).
Janelle
Happy birthday, David! And have a wonderful trip. Being carried off the plane on a stretcher is not so bad - they could dump you out the food service hatch in back, 8 meters to the tarmac. You said you're flying BA? Hmmmm... don't let them take you near the service hatch. ;-)
Ah, the worst thing about BA is the vegetarian meals.. A polystyrene bread roll, and a saccarin-stuffed cheesecake, and if you're luck, a fake rubber clump of pasta, with nondescript-sauce on it.
I actually like BA when compared to Continental or Southwestern. At least the seats don't make your ass ache after just 20 minutes!
I hate flying. 22 hours sounds hell, I hope you survived it ok.
xx
If you are on the mid north coast of NSW (Port Macquarie) lets know... will make you welcome but have no contacts at all at all... its a beautiful spot thats all.... say hello to all those you come accross.... Rex Gillroy is my favourite...
belated happy birthday to a fellow aquarian!!
this comment is a week late, but i hope your flight was okay and you are okay. best wishes, david.
I hope you are still alive. March is a really nice time of the year as its starting to cool down a biut...I read Songlines some years back...is an unusual book... enjoy your time here...
re planes I get paniky if on a plane for more than 2 hrs...but then I have no passport so no worries about long trips at any time in the near future...
What an interesting blog. Hope the suitcase arrived in Oz with you.
Eeek, I haven't checked in for awhile. I was thinking your foot/leg injury put off this trip. I am hoping this means you are well on the mend, physically in any case.
PVs for you and your Nanna. The timing is not good, is it? I hope she may be in good health and know you care for her.
And of course, Happy Birthday! and many happy returns, belatedly. You seem in agony about your trip, so I'm thinking it's not a case of mid-life crisis, and anyway, I don't think you're old enough for that! I hope your celebration was wonderful. I look forward to at least a partial description, sure to be delicious.
You must have transferred residences by now--please let us know how you are.
What, they don't have internet in Australia? (my best Jewish mother in law impression). You don't write, you don't email, you don't let us know how you are... ;-)
Looking forward to an update when you get to it... I'm glad you've been too busy not too, I hope you're enjoying it all. xx
Hee Hee hee.
You be flying, so be me.
You'll take one plane,
Me takes four,
Me gonna need a stretcher just to reach me front door.
Seriously and without Dr. Seuss rhymes, Make the best of things and fer gods sake take along some light reading like Les Miserables or sumpin that will re-aquaint you with the criminal element.
Thanks fer all the wonderful words and support. Me done never really been far away.
STOMPIN ON YA
Happy Birthday :-)
VH – Thank you.
FilmNoir23 – We all have our dirty little secrets.
Milla – As ever, thank you. Your words were very much appreciated.
Z – Given my decrepitude, I tend to keep quiet about birthdays when they come around
GM – Thank you. I had good reasons for Australia, otherwise I would never have put myself through the insanity of the flights.
Puss – I am not sure you would consider it safe given my latest post, but thank you for the thought.
Janelle – You got wine? Not fair!
MTM – You are right, BA can be one of the great crapshoots of travel right up there at 37,000 feet with Aeroflot and Ryanair.
Chandira – At least with the vegetarian on BA you get it early. It is about the only good thing you can say for it apart from the fact that however bad it is, it is nowhere near the excrement they serve up under the promise of ‘oriental pork stir fry’.
As for your JMIL, connection to the Net has been difficult on the road in Australia and I have now realised I have not got all the snail mail addresses I need to letters and postcards.
Middle Child – Strangely enough I did make it up to Port Macquarie, but only before I got your comment. The strangeness and casual beauty of Australia is has been a revelation to me.
V1970 – Thank you.
Modroom – It did. BTW, ‘interesting’ is a compliment I always like.
Nina – I promise no mid-life crisis in this blog for several years at least
Anna-Lys – Thank you.
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