Still in the Air...me that is... October 27, 1998 (and more)

Why have I not written? Well you people laugh at me but I have actually been travelling MORE than usual! I dare not bore you with the details but I do have a new toy and so I have attached a picture of my journeys.

In very organized form I have been (in the past three weeks) to:

Seoul
San Francisco
Hong Kong
Seoul
Hong Kong
Singapore
Perth
Singapore

And then, there was San Francisco. Verl-a-roni's Treat! I hustled myself out there to visit Jackie Michaels, her beau, and children. You forget how simply beautiful that city can be!

It was simply refreshing to be able to buy chewing gum and dirty movies at any local 7-11. Oh, and the deodorant, so many kinds, yea!

I put flowers in my hair and ran unrestrained at Berkley. (Until they told me to CUT IT OUT!). I even saw real angels over the bay! OK, OK, it was the Blue Angels performing but didn't that sound more melodious?

Jackie is doing well. We threw on her Nana CD and hit back a few 'Mudslides.' We just enjoyed the time together. The picture is blurred because Jackie insisted that we hurl down Lombard Street at breakneck speed, Oh well, enjoy!

I arrived back in Hong Kong after the 14 1/2-hour flight only to find that my boss had immediately booked me on another 4-hour flight to Seoul. I must have been very very bad in a previous life.

I arrived in Seoul with my immense butt, shaped exactly like seat 47D, but that is what you get for booking Economy at the last minute. The hotel politely informed me that there was no room unless I wanted to sleep in a 'tradition Korean room'. Well I guess that it is traditional for the Koreans to heat up a piece of Linoleum, and throw a comforter on the floor. There I lay, sweating and swearing, feeling like a piece of bacon, trying to sleep. It's official. I hate Korea and I left with out looking back!

Upon my re-arrival in HK, there was a teensy-weensy Chinese woman waiting for me with my name on a sign. I had had a HUGE fight with a travel agency in Hong Kong earlier that week (and even LONGER story) but they were rewarding me with an apology and a free limo ride into town (usually about $50USD trip).

I (slyly and smoothly) made my way over to the luggage carousel where this large German from the plane, Andreas, was waiting for his luggage. I invited him to share my free car, as we would have the experience to travel over the longest suspension bridge in the world (I had never done this! (The 'traveled on the bridge' part, not the 'ask a stranger home' part.)

He accepted, our Mercedes limo arrived and feeling very Lady-Di-ish, I climbed into the back with this remarkable beauty and took off for Hong Kong Island. We talked about Mountain Biking and Windsurfing. Well, he talked, and I listened, with simulated interest.

...I was a perfect host and dropped this gorgeous creature to his hotel. He voiced honest disappointment that I would not be in HK for the weekend (trust me, one call to my travel agent, and I could have had it ALL)...but I have an invitation to visit Munich.

I got to my (I thought) hotel and AGAIN I did not have a reservation. Visions of sleeping on the floor again (Korea) left me annoyed beyond belief, so I told them that I wanted a room and I did NOT care about the price. Well, Precious, got checked into the Grand Hyatt next door, to this freshly renovated room with the most astonishing harbor and city views. I curled up in my tub and relaxed in extravagant opulence.

Oh dear...this has been getting too long, My tea is all-cold and you are out of biscuits. I will finish the story about going down under next week!

Verl-A-Roni