Safely arrived - check.

I'm a day late, but I am happy to report I arrived safely. The journey from Birmingham to Dubai was very pleasant and I watched both Last Christmas and Yesterday during the eight hour flight. I was lucky enough to have a row of three seats to myself and so I was able to lie down and snooze. I didn't fall into a deep sleep, but the power naps seemed to help the time pass quickly.

The journey from Dubai however wasn't quite so pleasant. It all started very badly when I realised too late that I had lost Tall's watch. I had had it made smaller so I could wear it so was wearing it when I came to security. I was told to take it off and put it in the tray, which I did and then in the rush created by the person on security I thought I had picked it up and put it in my back pack. It was only later that I realised I hadn't. As Tall would have said, there's no point crying over spilt milk, so I have taken it on the chin, but it is strange not having the weight around my wrist.

That was followed by a flight that was delayed by practically the last person on the plane who almost instantly informed the steward he had left his jacket in the airport. Ground staff were called, but no jacket was evident, he spoke to them himself and then after that he went back to his seat, grabbed his bag and left the plane. This caused the staff to have to do a security check, all the overhead lockers had to be checked in case he had left a bomb behind. It took so long that the man had time to get his jacket and return to the flight! Personally I would have been tempted to shut the doors and refuse him boarding. 

The long thirteen hours flight wasn't nice, not helped by the fact I had a seat on the last row before the galley. The constant chatter from two particular members of the crew could be heard over the sound from the film I was trying to watch, spoiling it. The space behind my seat was used for the second half of the journey as a place for people to stretch their legs, something I did myself so I do understand, but their chatter became annoying. The person in front had their seat reclined from the moment the take off was completed until we came to land, I had to eat at a very strange angle, his seat angled over the tray. The final straw was the fact that as the last seat I was constantly ignored by staff, their eyes on the prize of getting back to the galley I was left without drinks and with my food tray uncollected. In the end I had to go to the galley and ask for drinks and return my own rubbish. I just hope the flight back is less eventful!

Tomorrow I'm off to the Gold Coast, and I will fill you all in on my adventures when I get back. I'll leave you all with a photograph of Freddo's Australian cousin, though he is here too.