A Long Day!
Will dropped me off at the airport at 11.15 pm on the 30th June. My flight left at 2.30 am on the 1st July. I was hoping to be upgraded...it has happened before .....but it was not to be. I wore a smart jacket for nothing!I was sat in 49K....which is a window seat right at the back of the plane.....you are statistically more likely to survive an Isis missile attack whilst flying over Iraq if seated at the back....in my head anyway!49K is one of the few paired seats at the back, most of the others being in 3's and 4's. I always like a window seat and almost up until the last minute I thought that no one was going to be in the seat next to me but in the end a chap came along and sat next to me.We left on time and headed off towards Singapore. Soon after we were up and the stewards had been released from their seats, the head steward came along holding a piece of paper, He glanced up at the row number and looked at me,"Mr Coulson?"I shook my head.He looked at the man next to me."Mr Coulson?".....For it was he. "Welcome back Mr Coulson, How is everything?" Mr Coulson must have been a 'frequent flyer' to get this personal welcome.Mr Coulson was not happy. He was disappointed that he did not have a window seat. He had changed his flight from Friday to today but they had not been able to give him his seat preferences.There was nothing the steward could do but would he like a drink?Mr Coulson did not want a drink. The steward left and Mr Coulson covered himself with his blanket and went to sleep.I watched the film "Rio 2"....there was nothing to look at out of the window....Australia was just black.We were given a sandwich, cake and a drink. Mr Coulson just slept.I was having trouble keeping my eyes open. I have never found it easy to sleep on a plane but this time I nodded off.I don't know how long I slept it cannot have been more than 30 minutes but when I woke up I felt quite ill. I felt cold but I was sweating. I felt light headed and was sure I was going to be sick.Mr Coulson was still asleep. I unfastened my seatbelt, stood on my chair and leapt over him into the aisle.I was seated very close to the loo but it was occupied. I stood outside waiting. All the stewards were on a break and seated chatting in the galley at the back. One of them looked up."Are you alright, Sir?""Actually, I feel quite ill," I said. "Can I sit down?" Standing up I felt much worse. I was worried that it was something to do with my blood pressure...not that it was high but that it had gone too low.I pulled down one of the fold up seats that the stewards sit on during take off and landing and sat down. She brought me some water and then a cool wet towel to wipe my head. She asked me lots of questions and took notes....sometimes I couldn't answer for awhile as I was fighting the urge to be sick or simply that my head was taking a while to process the question.I had a little heartburn so I was given an antacid tablet. She pulled down the seat opposite and I put my feet up.The head steward came along. He wanted to know if I had felt like this before on flights. I hadn't.I suddenly started to feel a bit better. The stewardess said that my colour was coming back. The loo was free so I nipped in. When I came out there was another man sitting where I had been...only he looked really bad and the stewards were frantically getting an oxygen tank ready."Blimey, another one!" I said to the nice stewardess. She just rolled her eyes. I went back to my seat. I couldn't leap back into my seat so I had to wake Mr Coulson. He was very good about it and went straight back to sleep.I watched the film "Frozen then nodded off again.I woke feeling ill again but this time stayed where I was and just took deep breaths until the nausea went away. It did not bode well for the rest of the journey and I was worried that it was going to keep recurring for the rest of the journey.Dawn broke over Java and I was having breakfast over Borneo. Mr Coulson slept on.
Dawn over Java Island at light near Singapore
We arrived at Changi Airport in Singapore 7 hours and 20 minutes after leaving Brisbane. It was just after 8.00 in the morning and was already 28 degrees outside. The stopover was to refuel. Everyone had to leave the plane and take their belongings with them. The nice stewardess asked me how I was as I passed. I said I felt fine now.I walked off the plane and immediately got in the queue for the departure gate. All hand luggage was x-rayed again. I wondered about taking my blood pressure tablet or not but in the end took it as normal and hoped I would not feel ill again. I was determined to stay awake for the rest of the flight now anyway. We were in Singapore just over an hour before heading off again to Dubai.
Approaching Singapore Just what it says on the sign.
There's an awful lot of ships in Singapore!
Mr Coulson was back in 49J. He got another special welcome and was given a 'fast track' card for Dubai. We got chatting. He was going all the way to Manchester too. He was an Emirates Platinum member...hence the special welcome."You probably heard me moaning about not getting a window seat," he said.I thought about giving up mine for a few seconds and then thought .....nah! It was light all the way to the UK now....lots to see....Platinum? Pah!He asked what I did......I nearly said 'Teacher' but remembered at the last minute that I was a 'Carer' now.He was a Consultant and had been making the trip three times a year for the last ten years.....no wonder he was platinum!We headed off over Malaysia.I watched 'Nebraska' and then 'August, Osage County' two contenders for best film at the Oscars earlier in the year.The steward came with lunch...."I'm sorry we only have chicken left....is that ok?"I nodded and took it.Mr Coulson said emphatically " I want fish!"He got it.....a little later....but they brought him the fish dish....on the lid it had the words 'crew meal'.The power of platinum!I looked down as we passed over India....it was very brown.We arrived in Dubai at 12.10 pm 6 and a half hours after leaving Singapore. It was 40 degrees outside.Mr Coulson showed me his collection of 'fast track' cards......he didn't give me one.....well, only fair because I had kept my window seat!Again all hand luggage had to be x-rayed....Mr Coulson went in the fast track line....He'd said to me that no one ever looks at the card so anyone could get in that line....he gestured for me to get in that line behind him.....but I declined, shaking my head....today could be the day that they ask for the cards....this was the Middle East......you get your hand chopped off for stealing....Allah knows what they would do for 'fast-tracking' without the proper piece of cardboard. I suspected it might be being something like being dragged behind a racing camel. I think I made the right choice.I was in Dubai airport for about 2 hours before finally boarding the last plane to Manchester.
Dubai Airport View A big plane gives birth to a little one!