The madness begins

Of course by madness I was referring to the anticipated whirlwind of the next four days in Hong Kong.  It turned out to be madness of a different sort as soon as I arrived at the Qantas check-in counter at Perth Airport only to find that the flight had been delayed by 2.5 hours and I'd miss my connecting flight in Singapore.  I was f-u-r-i-o-u-s.  Not least because it was the start of a 4 hour wait at Perth Airport.  

Oh and in that bizarre way the universe has of compounding one's agitation, an incident alarm had been triggered inside the airport terminal at that very moment too.  That meant nobody could enter the restricted area so the queues just built and built and built.  I think I had a visible storm cloud thundering away above my head by the time I got through to the Departure lounge.  Kudos to the fellow who tried to make small talk and invite me for a coffee.  Sorry for the death stare.

Perth Airport is really very boring.  At least I got a cup of tea using my $25 'please don't be mad at us' voucher from Qantas and used the time wisely to draft a letter to the Qantas CEO.... Dear Mr Joyce...

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11:40am – Qantas finally gets its act together and the plane takes off for Singapore.  It doesn’t take me long to notice that my seat’s audio system is not functioning.  Sigh.  Something else to put into my letter to my mate Alan.

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My transit time in Singapore is a mad rush as I try to locate the correct transit desk and join another queue to get a boarding pass for my connecting Cathay flight.  Some more text messages to my mum begging her not to wait for me at the airport in Hong Kong.  My dad insists on waiting for me apparently – not good.  He’s had an even longer day than me and faces a 4 hour wait in the Arrivals Hall from the time his own flight arrives in Hong Kong.

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10:45pm – Finally clear immigration and collect my suitcase.  My beautiful father has waited at Chek Lap Kok for hours to meet me so I don’t have to arrive in an unfamiliar place alone and make my own way to the hotel.  I’m lost for words.

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Midnight – After surviving a Formula One driving taxi driver from the airport to Tseung Kwan O, we arrive at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.  I do my usual and try to extract my own suitcase from the back of the taxi, not realising that the hotel staff have beaten me to it.  Oh yeah, we’re in Asia – there’s service here I forgot!! 

Tired, we shuffle up to our respective rooms.  My key card doesn’t work.  I knock, but my roomie can’t hear.  I stand outside in the corridor in despair for a few minutes until finally my auntie opens the door.   Oh beautiful room and nice glorious soft bed.  AaaaaahJ