The year of no Valentine’s

Scotland said goodbye in its usual way – with rain. Actually, snow, then rain. Though love, that one.

While sitting on the bus to the airport I finally felt it. Until today I have been very relaxed and perhaps even somewhat careless about the journey, and now I finally had a moment of ‘oh gods it’s happening frigging hell what am I doingaargh adrenaline heart beating it’s fine everything is going to be just fine.’ Well, it didn’t last long, and now it’s too late anyway. Alea iacta est.

I open the cute little notebook I got from Suzi and take first notes from the journey. This was a great idea and a perfect gift, and I decided I will be carrying it always in my pocket. Thank you!

Dubai. So far so good. Didn’t lose my passport yet. On the plane Charlie managed to fall asleep several times while watching Roger the Rabbit – adorable, how she does it in this *sudden shake when woken*: ‘who me? I didn’t sleep at all!’ way.

First observation: the air is different in Dubai. It’s not fully transparent, the day is clear, but it looks like there was a delicate mist in the air which makes everything further than 200 metres away look faded and blurry. I assume it has to do with the sand, or maybe it’s a morning thing.

Second observation: it’s morning, 7am. It’s 19 degrees. Warm Lands, here I come!

Third observation: everything is so modern, clean and rich here! The airport is huge and looks like several segments of a weird enormous mecha-earthworm emerging from the ground. Each segment has a waterfall and each idea like a shopping centre.

But it’s time to change flights – need to say bye to Charlie for now, because we have different connecting flights. Next stop: Singapore. I only walked out from the plane for half an hour to allow time for cleaning, didn’t move away from the gate, and yet they had to scan my luggage and checked my passport for times! I’m looking forward to visiting the police state on my way back.

Now sleep. To avoid jetlag, I was planning to stay awake for most of the flight and only go to sleep in the last 10 hours, so when I land at 8am local time I would be all fresh and chirpy. Plans get modified in the future, the new version is: sleep as much as you can whenever you can because you never know when some damned brat will start wailing to the heavens and make you wish you had tranquilizer darts. The howling! I learned that there is something worse than a crying baby on an airplane – a very happy and enthusiastic baby desperate for its mom’s attention. Right in front of me. On an intercontinental 8 hour long flight. Once again I’m left wishing that airplanes had special zones for those ugly noisy sausages, either soundproofed or clearly marked: Warning! Sound pollution, enter at own risk’. In the end I managed a couple naps, but it looks like I will spend my first day in Oz wishing it was already bedtime…

Meanwhile, due to time differences, this year’s Valentine’s day is cancelled. I left at 8pm on the 13th, spent 24 hours on the plane and arrived at 8am on the 15th. The little I had left of the 14th I spent on the connecting flight, unable to sleep and listening to the wailing of human larvae. I’m just bursting with love.

Anyway, landed now, met Charlie’s mom and sister, checked in the hotel and now off to the beach! Photos to follow.