I got a semi reasonable sleep on the plane. My impressions of British Airways however is that they actively penalise their World Traveller (aka economy) passengers – with an inferior entertainment system and service. I have flown back into Australia quite a few times and I have never seen anyone actually spray the cabin with passengers in it – was kind of odd. But they did do a good job of explaining why our customs laws are so tough – which was good. Having said all that – I didn’t have anyone sitting next to me so it wasn’t too bad.
The flight touched down at Sydney Airport a little before schedule. My seat in row 34 had a fairly good view just behind the wing which allowed me to see just how much extension and flexibility there is in the wing of the 747 is.
I actually made it through Immigration and Quarantine very quickly, despite having to take out my shoes to have any soil on them washed off because I visited rural areas in both Vietnam and Cambodia.
When I got home I quickly ripped through all of the mail that had stacked up, grabbed a shower and then went straight to bed. I really needed to catch up on some sleep over the next couple of days. It is amazing how sleeping in your own bed really improves your sleep. I slept for a good 6 hours. I think I will sleep well again tonight as well.
I spent the afternoon some TV that I missed while I was overseas. One episode of Australian Story put me in a very contemplative mood in particular – entitled From My Father’s Fridge. Basically it was about the discovery made by a unemployed medical scientist in the 1980s in the area of stem cell research – and how that was crucial 20 years later in saving his own daughters life. It actually made me cry in two parts:
ROBERT TINDLE – FATHER: I have no religious persuasion whatsoever, but I will freely admit that the emotional side of me succumbs to praying. The corridors of oncology wards at midnight can be devastating places. Devastating and… devastating and lonely places, and there… there were several occasions when I freely admit that the tears flowed.
At which point he broke down and cried on screen. His daughter Danielle actually survived – and is currently in remission from her cancer – but she told a story which really showed what she went through.
DANIELLE TINDLE: And I can actually remember my dad asking one of the doctors… he asked, when I died, how would I die? And they started explaining how each of my organs would shut down and fail, and I was in the room, you know, I was lying there on the bed, hearing all this, how I was going to die, the process in which I was going to die. I mean, that’s so… that’s so confronting. How do you deal with that? What do you do with that?
I don’t know how I would have managed with what she went through – very brave indeed. Shows how good some of the stories on Australian Story are though. If you haven’t watched – check it out.
I really need to get some washing done. No clothes left in the house and back to work tomorrow. Not really looking forward to it. If only I could manage a few more days off – particularly with a quick trip to Melbourne to contend with. Hmm.
