Friday, January 10, 2003

The Left Foot
Alas, the new year started even more badly then the old one ended. When we tried to check in at MAS, it was discovered that the dates of our flights and accommodation were out of synch. with the dates of our Chinese visas. Major stuff-up by travel agent. The guy found a supervisor and although she was very sympathetic, there was nothing she could do. Her exact words: "If I let you get on that plane you will not like what the Chinese will do to you when you get off". It was a public holiday and no hope of acquiring an emergency visa. Also, our visas for Malaysia had expired on 31st. I was stunned, shocked and so disappointed. I couldn't believe what was happening. Within two hours we were on a plane heading for Melbourne, feeling like we were being deported. We were in the last two seats, not together, and surrounded by Poms with streaming colds and hacking coughs just to add to our miseries.

Since then I have been battling with the travel agent for compensation, gradually moving up the hierarchy. Red tape, red tape!

There have been some consolations. however:
Steve Waugh's innings last Friday afternoon;
dinner at Saigon Rose with Grumpy Girl and Petite Soeur that night;
Right Foot reunited with his banjo and his shed;
and the big, blue sky after months of overcast weather.

Still, it was an ignominious end to our travels and I am still longing to see Shanghai before it is finally ruined by commercial development.

On Monday it is back to Lilydale for me, though many of my thoughts will be with colleagues in Kuching on their first day of semester. Good luck to them all.
The Left Foot
New Year's Eve in Kuala Lumpar and we went with several trillion others to see the fireworks at the Petronas Towers. After minding our spot for an hour and a half, Right Foot discovered at a quarter to twelve that his pocket had been picked. People had been warning us for months about the possibility of this but now it had finally happened. Right Foot was anxious to return to the hotel to cancel his cards, etc. so off we dashed, seeing only a couple of fireworks as we headed for the railway station. RF was on the phone for an hour and a half ringing banks in three countries, trying to arrange emergency cash and cards. We finally tumbled into bed, setting the alarm for 6 o'clock, in view of our early flight to Shanghai, city of my dreams.