........which is a good job really as I am about to lose one as I take the long flight over the Pacific from LA to Hong Kong and cross the International Dateline. The flight marathon started early this morning (Sunday), finally leaving the Caribbean. From Puerto Rico, on to Miami, then to LA, and I am now in the lounge waiting to board the next leg.
The lady I was next to on the American Airlines flight from Miami to LA was interesting. She had dark hair, was stick thin and she was togged out in a Chanel jacket, Versace handbag, and whilst I couldn't take a look at any more labels without appearing too rude, they certainly looked a bit smarter than my Primark/Asda ensemble.... I thought she was Chinese as I had great difficulty understanding her, but I slowly came to realise that it was the exaggerated pout of her top lip that was causing the problem...... not sure why she didn't have the bottom lip done at the same time, but I guess the full on Donald Duck look really is so last year. Then I realised the eyes weren't Asian either, just surgery by the look of them, good though, I couldn't see the scars.... She was also sporting an impressively large and perfect pair of bangers for such a small framed person....
From the little I could understand from her odd accent, she is the girlfriend of someone who has something to do with the Attorney General and they had been to some conference and stayed in the Ritz Carlton. She lives in a hotel in Beverly Hills as her boyfriend had suggested she gave up her condo.... Sounds a bit "Pretty Woman" to me - only in LA......
Don't quite know why it worked out like this but I have a really long wait in LA between flights. As is usual when I am here, it's really cold and raining, so I hung about at the arrivals bit for a while in the hope of seeing Posh, Becks or Simon Cowell, but no luck so gave up and am now chomping my way through the free food and fizz in the oneworld lounge.
Finally I board and settle in for the fifteen and a half hour flight over the top of the world to Hong Kong. It was surprisingly comfortable (thanks Cathay Pacific, highly recommended), and the fact that I watched only one film (Wall Street 2 - disappointing) and one BBC documentary (one hour), ate very little dinner, breakfast and apart from the glass of champagne on boarding, only half a glass of wine tells you that I must have slept quite a lot.....
The connection in Hong Kong was unfortunately quite tight so no time for shopping, pity really as my camera is on its last legs, and I actually had an excuse to spend money. I like Hong Kong airport, it's like Westfield on steroids.....
I finally, safely and uneventfully, and on Tuesday lunchtime, land in Bangkok and check into my favourite little boutique hotel (for that read clean, handy and cheap.....), The Great Residence, near the airport, including a good distant view of the runway, together with the airport sounds, ready to jet off again for pastures re visited, Koh Samui. It sports the latest hotel fashion, a full on wet room (for that read a tiny room with a loo, basin and a shower with no walls so everything including the loo roll gets soaked when you have a shower.....). But I must like it, I have stayed here at least four times and more to come, now if only they had a loyalty card.....
It is good to be back in Asia, and to recognise the sights and smells of the place - the sights of smiling people who really seem to mean it as opposed to the often insincere "have a good day" in the US, and the smells, that memorable combination of incense and sewers.... plus ca change! And of course, it is always good to be back in whywhy country.
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