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All’s well that ends well.

On By cjx07sterIn Australia, Music, TravelLeave a comment

It was actually a fine day, a simple plan. Fly back home. Yes Sydney is far across the ocean, far down under the globe., but really less than 20 hours flight from Dallas. Just have to make it to Dallas OK. This was the mantra from the night before. Who would know what would happen in Reagan to delay the flight – and miss the connection.

As it was, the DC flight was on time and departed smoothly. Not much to eat on the flight – but hey, only a few hours to Dallas. How many was it again – coudn’t remember, didn’t really care, an extra hour of time zone should help anyway, since the Sydney flight was late, late into the evening.

Not long before landing, the weather changed and apparently a storm cell had moved over Dallas. Things must’ve got a bit chaotic at the destination airport, since the airline elected to shift the landing to Austin and wait out the storm front on the ground.

So there we sat, on the tarmac, a totally packed plane – hour after hour. About every 30 minutes or so, we were reassured that it would be soon we would take off and most assuredly i would make my connection. Occasionally we were given permission to end our flight in Austin if we thought would be better. Most people needed to connect in DFW, so we all pretty much sat there.

Not much talk, no one really spoke, didn’t make new friends, at least not in our row. Thinking back that short delay dragged on for over 6 hours and as it happened, 6 hours sitting on a seat next to 2 other people, in hindsight, interesting. I guess we keep thinking it will be over soon and we will be off this plane in less than an hour.

No sleep either, no entertainment, no wifi. What a great time I had though in Boston, and it was so nice to see my son in DC and then the wilds of West Virginia for a few days, the haunting town of Wheeling and the criss and cross of the ohio river. At Cape Ann I saw the Brahms Piano Concerto. Such focus from the pianist to get every chord and run, with the orchestra enjoying the ride. Sweet sounds of the flute and clarinet and a bit of boof from the timpani. At Plymouth I saw the Mayflower, at least a replica, and enjoyed some great lobster with work colleagues. So nice to re-establish friendships from the past and even recent past. Will I ever be back., always the wonder when living down under. Time flies when reflecting on the good things. Did anyone notice me smiling, laughing to myself about the joys of travel, even if waiting on the tarmac is part of it. Wherever we look or reflect we see things overlap with our experience, enhance it, create it, embellish it and shape it.

Still no one spoke much and no one complained. The flight attendants were fine and the passengers were not stressed. It was like a magic boomerang. A storm came., we diverted, a magic boomerang was thrown, we sat there waiting for it to come back and us take off and end the whole diversion, as though it didn’t happen really.

In the end the hours of waiting round in Dallas didn’t eventuate – and most of them were spent waiting in a kind of plane limbo out at Austin – perfect skies – perfect weather, not even a hint of what might have been happening in Dallas just north of there.

Having run to the gate in Dallas to make the connection, no time to eat, no time to shop, no time to think. I made the flight. Sat in my seat and thought – ok – well only another 17 hours and I’ll be back home. All’s well that ends well.

Camel fence

On By cjx07sterIn Dreaming, Simple Stories, TravelLeave a comment

  
I collapsed upon the floor in the tent.

My car , a prado wrecked outside the flaps.

My host offered me coffee from a golden pot and some dates to eat. I was shaking from the shock of course and shivering from the mental flight.

‘What’s your problem mate ?’

‘I think it’s a case of the camel and the needle’ big bloody camel just came onto the car. Lucky I rolled it actually. The car that is. Otherwise it would’ve come straight through the windscreen. Just like a kangaroo.  Of course you can’t really build a fence to keep the Kangaroos off the road. But I see you have a pretty decent fence here.  So what’s with the camel?’

‘Inshallah someone will keep the gate closed next time.’

‘Well like I said, the car is a wreck out there in the heat and dust., had some water sat least and it didn’t get chucked out., but I hit that palm tree pretty hard. It all happened so fast.   The brakes, the camel, the rolling flight through the air, thinking… This is going to be bad… And then hittin the palm half way up and bouncing off that with dust and burning all around.’

‘You kill the camel ?’

‘Must’ve grazed it at least’

‘Maybe it hopped back over that camel proof fence you got out there.’

‘You got a bit of a graze there though mate. How’s the head ?’

‘Think I hit it on the roll.’

‘Hope the camel’s ok though. It’s got a much longer neck- and a heavier head really.’

‘Sure – / – you sure it was a camel ? I mean – there is a fence – no gate / camels can’t jump – and they usually don’t survive entanglement with a prado — you get my meaning?.’

‘You must be dreaming’

Martini Dry – Abu Dhabi 

On By cjx07sterIn Control, Innovation, news, TravelLeave a comment

people turn up for brunch by the beach around the courtyard fountain – not all at once – but gradually the place is shiny with tourists and locals – who must realise this might be the better brunch in town today. 

Today is a Friday – a holy day in the Muslim week – which we all probably do our best to hold too. Malls are open. Ferrari world is open. The blue mosque too. But people in the courtyard have maybe seen it all before.

I haven’t yet I’m tired from the tumultuous week at ADIPEC and maybe jet lag too quietly dulling out the brainwaves in the sunny afternoon.

So many people at that show. Cars people security parking badges delegate or exhibitor or visitor. Still with 100,000 people expected over the last 4 days, it had been all rather well organised. 

The paper, too techies for some maybe had to be written. Presented in minimalist form in a 20 minute slot. Of course there is a whole calendar of work starting May with the abstract last chance. How easy to write an abstract with keywords, but work and bits trashed searching through the argument and all the while looking for how to explain in only 6k words or less. 

Anyway that’s just the beginning. There will no doubt be a return visit next year with another idea extending the thoughts of others with another new insight.

But not today – too hard – too bright and the population too shiny under the Abu Dhabi sun reflections of the shiny buildings in the courtyard pool beside.

The Fisherperson

On By cjx07sterIn TravelLeave a comment

  
Mostly little bream get caught on days like this. Days when it’s down from the 55c in August and getting on to only 36c. Bright like a star the sun shines down through the salty haze of the gulf. 

The fishermen are covered head to toe with woollen balaclavas and jeans as a kind of heat shield for the morning.  

The prawn bait is cut and skewered onto small hooks on a side line up from the large sinker. Shallow ripple water stretches out as far as you can see – sometimes through to the lights of Bahrain on the other side. The rod whips over head and the cast reaches out about 40 meters. It’s heavy enough to provide some tension on the line but ok for a little bream to nibble around and take the bait.

But it’s not all about the fisherman or woman since generally only the women wear black but then everything else so bright it may not actually be black.

No there is the reflection and static nature of time. The scene could have been shot for 10minutes with almost no change. Waiting for the fish to bite. 

I couldn’t wait – a shore kitten skittish on the rocks took this opportunity to jump up on the Seawall and snaffle the hits of shrimp left lying around.  He saw me and scampered off to the cooler shade of the wall.