Frankly, I was rather steeped in the hustle bustle of everyday life that despite the obvious monotony and tedium, I find little motivation and no energy to do anything different, even if it's a holiday away from the children!! I kept procrastinating to make a firm decision.. Deep down I know I love to go, but things like hefty additional expenses, the children, what am I going to do there whilst Victor is at work, and so on kept pulling me back. In the end, I told myself, "Let's go meet Sreya!", and announced my intention to both Victor and Sreya. Only then did I seal my decision.
Victor left for Sydney on a Sunday night, actually Monday early morning technically. Before he left, he left me very specific instructions, "When you reach Sydney airport, go and buy a SIM card, then you can text me to inform me that you've reached. Take a cab to the hotel. I'll ask the reception to get ready a room key for you." Hmmm.. when he gave such explicit words of what to do, it began to make me nervous and worried. It was like he had expected me to get lost and not reached the hotel as expected.. Over the days, his initial instructions began to modify, "Wait for me at the hotel lobby..". The most reassuring one so far was, "Maybe I can come to pick you from the airport?" Hahaa.. that would be the best scenario but not wanting to be at a loss in case that did not happen, I asked Uncle Google how to get out of Sydney airport. Apparently there is a train that goes from the airport to within walking distance of the hotel, and this mode of transport costs only half of what a cab would cost. Maybe I would just take the train, I told Victor.
I was to leave for the airport on a Thursday morning. Pa and Ma had already agreed to take over all duties from that day onwards. Although I had planned to sleep early the night before, that of course did not happen and I was packing my luggage until the wee hours of the morning, and only crawled into bed before 4am. "Gotta wake up by 5am and get the girls ready for school!" It was strange how tedious and tough a simple everyday task seemed to me..
Woke up on time and got the girls ready for school--checked.
Completed my tasks of packing and locking up of my luggage---checked.
Changed and dialed for a cab to go airport--checked.
About 8am, I checked in at the airport and before long, I was walking around the airport in my lightest ever bag and attire!!
No hiccups, I boarded the plane and headed for Sydney. Sitting at an aisle seat in the centre column of a 3-seats block, two lovely old but energetic Australian ladies were sitting in my row. They looked like seasoned travellers, and indeed they were!! This pair of sisters were returning to Sydney after their vacation alone in Europe. I wish I will be able to travel in a similar manner with Jiun too.. Of the two full meals they served during the 7 hours 40 minutes flight, I only took the first, then tried to remain well and happy for the remaining of the flight.. ie not to feel dizzy or nauseous or throw up. Well, I barely made it. I did not throw up!!
Our flight arrived slightly before scheduled time but the wait to clear customs at the Sydney airport was rather long. Even with our biometric Singapore passport, I could not clear the customs any faster because the camera could not recognize my face from the passport photo! Lesson learnt: wear my contact lens for faster customs clearance with my biometric passport!!
Half expecting to see Victor waiting for me at the arrival hall, I was NOT disappointed!! (^_^) He came!! Although I was the one who spotted him. He took the train to the airport after he returned from office, and he said it was easy! (^_-) Well, we did together what he had instructed me to to.. Bought my SIM card, put it into my phone, then made our way to the hotel!! Easy peasy, I'm sure I could do the same without him.. and got onto the same train to make my way to the hotel! However after we came out of the station near the hotel, I was quite lost.. Sky was dark and I wouldn't have know which way to go!!??
From Singapore airport, I had travelled too light. I thought a thin cardigan would suffice on the plane and even after I reached Sydney. Well, I was so wrong!!! It was so cold that I was thankful that the walk from train station to hotel was a rather short one.. it was ten over degrees celsius that night, i think.
Victor left for Sydney on a Sunday night, actually Monday early morning technically. Before he left, he left me very specific instructions, "When you reach Sydney airport, go and buy a SIM card, then you can text me to inform me that you've reached. Take a cab to the hotel. I'll ask the reception to get ready a room key for you." Hmmm.. when he gave such explicit words of what to do, it began to make me nervous and worried. It was like he had expected me to get lost and not reached the hotel as expected.. Over the days, his initial instructions began to modify, "Wait for me at the hotel lobby..". The most reassuring one so far was, "Maybe I can come to pick you from the airport?" Hahaa.. that would be the best scenario but not wanting to be at a loss in case that did not happen, I asked Uncle Google how to get out of Sydney airport. Apparently there is a train that goes from the airport to within walking distance of the hotel, and this mode of transport costs only half of what a cab would cost. Maybe I would just take the train, I told Victor.
I was to leave for the airport on a Thursday morning. Pa and Ma had already agreed to take over all duties from that day onwards. Although I had planned to sleep early the night before, that of course did not happen and I was packing my luggage until the wee hours of the morning, and only crawled into bed before 4am. "Gotta wake up by 5am and get the girls ready for school!" It was strange how tedious and tough a simple everyday task seemed to me..
Woke up on time and got the girls ready for school--checked.
Completed my tasks of packing and locking up of my luggage---checked.
Changed and dialed for a cab to go airport--checked.
About 8am, I checked in at the airport and before long, I was walking around the airport in my lightest ever bag and attire!!
No hiccups, I boarded the plane and headed for Sydney. Sitting at an aisle seat in the centre column of a 3-seats block, two lovely old but energetic Australian ladies were sitting in my row. They looked like seasoned travellers, and indeed they were!! This pair of sisters were returning to Sydney after their vacation alone in Europe. I wish I will be able to travel in a similar manner with Jiun too.. Of the two full meals they served during the 7 hours 40 minutes flight, I only took the first, then tried to remain well and happy for the remaining of the flight.. ie not to feel dizzy or nauseous or throw up. Well, I barely made it. I did not throw up!!
Our flight arrived slightly before scheduled time but the wait to clear customs at the Sydney airport was rather long. Even with our biometric Singapore passport, I could not clear the customs any faster because the camera could not recognize my face from the passport photo! Lesson learnt: wear my contact lens for faster customs clearance with my biometric passport!!
Half expecting to see Victor waiting for me at the arrival hall, I was NOT disappointed!! (^_^) He came!! Although I was the one who spotted him. He took the train to the airport after he returned from office, and he said it was easy! (^_-) Well, we did together what he had instructed me to to.. Bought my SIM card, put it into my phone, then made our way to the hotel!! Easy peasy, I'm sure I could do the same without him.. and got onto the same train to make my way to the hotel! However after we came out of the station near the hotel, I was quite lost.. Sky was dark and I wouldn't have know which way to go!!??
From Singapore airport, I had travelled too light. I thought a thin cardigan would suffice on the plane and even after I reached Sydney. Well, I was so wrong!!! It was so cold that I was thankful that the walk from train station to hotel was a rather short one.. it was ten over degrees celsius that night, i think.
Sydney is almost a dead city at night; there are only people in restaurants and bars. Hardly anyone is one the streets, especially on a cold night I guess. After leaving my luggage in the hotel and taking a thicker and my only jacket out, we roamed the streets in search for dinner!!
This everything-platter dinner had us both very full, surprisingly!
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