Another veritable nightmare of travel courtesy of British Airways.
Long story short: we only made it as far as Madrid. Have to stay in an airport hotel and fly on to Mallorca 7am tomorrow morning.
B.A. Obviously stands for bloody awful.
Another veritable nightmare of travel courtesy of British Airways.
Long story short: we only made it as far as Madrid. Have to stay in an airport hotel and fly on to Mallorca 7am tomorrow morning.
B.A. Obviously stands for bloody awful.
In the BA Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 5. ✈️
Absolutely demolished some delicious Beef and Guinness pie, followed by amazing ginger cake and washed down with champagne. Even if my flight is cancelled again, I’ve had a lovely lunch.
Well. After three flight cancellations yesterday evening, I’m still in London.
At least I got to sleep in my own bed last night, unlike many visitors who had to go and find a hotel bed in London at short notice. We’ve been booked onto a 3pm flight from Heathrow this afternoon, when we can try all over again.
Weather happens, cancellations happen. But the British Airways lack of information, support and even basic manners rubbed salt into the wounds of every passenger stuck in the airport. Their ground staff give the attitude of people doing the job as some kind of favour to passengers. On their terms, when they feel like it.
Hopefully I’ll be in Mallorca this evening. But I can’t even guarantee that. In the interim, there’s the BA Lounge at Heathrow to enjoy, and I plan to enjoy their hospitality to the max.
It’s the very least they can do, all things considered.
📸 Pre-flight IPA at London City Airport ✈️
I just spotted the Apple WWDC 2024 announcement and quickly opened my calendar to put the keynote in, so I can watch along live.
This geek has to know immediately how Apple are introducing new bells and whistles to all my favourite apps. But horror of horrors, I’m not going to be able to watch live!
A quick look at my calendar shows me I’m actually going to be in the middle of Sitges Pride, so I think sitting in front of a tech keynote is going to be the last thing on my mind. I’ll just catch up with the announcements the following morning (when I eventually get back to my hotel room 🤣) and take it from there.
If only Tim Cook had reached out to the European gays, we’d have let him know to reschedule and avoid this sacred time in our diaries…
After patting myself on the back for getting a good night’s sleep each night this week, I found myself wide awake at 5am this morning.
I’ve stayed in bed with coffee, watched the sun rise over London, and done some research for our upcoming weekend in Tallinn, Estonia. It’s been on my travel wish list for some time, so I’m thrilled we’ve finally booked it.
I’m looking forward to exploring another European capital, visiting some of its many museum and (inevitably) spending time in some of its many saunas. There’s far too much to be seen and done in just 48hrs, so I’ll have to be choosy.
Though it looks like Lennusadam has made it to the top of the list already!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day from Fife, Scotland.
I’ve managed to conjure up some Guinness to mark the occasion.
Good morning from a very wet and cold Edinburgh.
I’m on the train heading out to Dunfermline to stay with my mum for the weekend and catch up with my sister and her family.
Enjoyed a really nice evening with a fellow psychologist in Edinburgh last night. The Guinness was epic, though I’m feeling it this morning! 🤣
Good evening from a very damp and cold Edinburgh.
Time for some liquid refreshment.
I’ve had a much better day today
Had a very productive morning in the office and an even better afternoon working from home.
Just back from the gym and now it’s time to pack for tomorrow’s trip to Edinburgh.
📸 Visual proof of just how exhausted I am this evening.
Still made it to the gym though, and managed 45mins on the elliptical. Whiled away the time by watching YouTube videos about life in Tokyo and doing some travel planning for later this year.
Heading into the office after yet another weekend that felt just too short.
Thankfully, this is a three day week for me and then I’m off to Scotland to see family.
Better get cracking on my todo list then!
An unusual week, this one. I started it in a hospital and I’m finishing it on the sofa. Feeling fine now and looking forward to the week ahead.
After Monday’s hospital tests, which all went to plan, I’m now waiting on my next appointment with the consultant to get some answers and a plan of action.
I’m not sure how much was physical and how much was psychological, but it took me a few days to feel like my normal self. I probably should have anticipated the next day would be tough, but Fatigue kept me from getting as much exercise as I’d have liked, and I ‘treated’ myself to a few cheat meals. As a result, I’ve regained some of the weight I lost last month. No matter. I’ll get back on the saddle this week and get back on track.
Again, for a week that started in the hospital, it turned into quite a social few days! We had a friend visiting from Singapore this week, so I ended up spending a few evenings with him, eating pizza and catching up. I also hasd a house-warming party and drinks at a friend’s place.
Yesterday, we went to The Other Art Fair in Shoreditch and fell in love with several pieces. No impulse purchases were made, though we did keep several business cards from artists we chatted with. Really lovely people, with fantastic talents on display. It was such a pleasant experience, we both left with smiles on our faces.
Add to this a dinner with my husband to celebrate our 11th anniversary (since our civil partnership - we’re over 20yrs together) and I was really looking forward to a very quiet Sunday. Mission accomplished! I’ve been doing some planning, some readying and I even re-watched Dune on Netflix. But mostly, relaxing,
2024 is going to be a year of travel, that’s for sure. With last month’s visit to Japan already under my belt, this week saw me book a weekend in Vienna with my husband, a weekend in Malaga with my best friend and start planning a week in Bangkok - again, with the hubby.
I loved my first, very short visit to Bangkok and I’ve been keen to get back for years now. Vienna and Malaga have been on my list for a few years now. And we’ve also got a week for Sitges Pride in June and a return to Japan in November. My travel journal will be full by Christmas! And it all starts with a trip to Edinburgh this coming week - a mix of business and catching up with family.
Work was most definitely a mixed bag. While I had some disappointments on the new business front (you can’t win ‘em all!), I also got some cracking feedback from a client and managed to have an incredibly productive couple of days in the office to finish off the week. I also got to finally announce a new podcast project that I’m really excited about.
And that was the week that was.
📸 A mid-afternoon treat: some delicious mini KitKats from last month’s visit to Japan.
Memories of last month’s trip to Japan and my visit to the Miyagi Zao Fox Village.
After a couple of weeks off due to my visit to Japan, I’m back into the weekly habit of posting an update of the week that was.
The main update here is my return from Japan. It always feels like a wrench to leave Tokyo, but this was somewhat lessened due to my excellent journey home. Though it was far from efficient.
I flew with Malaysia airlines from Tokyo to Kuala Lumpur and then from Kuala Lumpur to London. With a six hour layover in the middle. Both flights were an absolute delight and I can wholeheartedly recommend Malaysia airlines for any long-haul travel. Just like they mention in their impressive onboard safety video, they bring Malaysian hospitality to life.
I have a few of short-haul trips in the schedule in the coming months: Edinburgh, Dublin, Sitges and Mallorca. I’m also looking at visiting Malaga for the first time. And then, hopefully, we’ll be back in Japan come November - for my first ever visit to Hokkaido. Exciting!
Not that it’s my main focus in life, I now weigh less than I did before my visit to Japan! This is despite all the food and drink and lack of gym visits. I can only put it down to all the walking I did and the healthy nature of a lot of Japanese cuisine.
Today is all about preparing for tomorrow’s hospital visit. I can’t say I’m looking forward to it, but my focus is 100% on getting some results (which should be immediately after, once I’m fully conscious again) and have a plan of action.
I went to see Dune 2 yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s arguably better than its predecessor and I barely noticed its impressive 2hrs 47mins runtime. The special effects were incredible, the score absorbing and the story compelling. If you enjoyed the first one, this will definitely impress.
I’ve been re-watching Battlestar Galactica from the start - again! It was initially reserved for sessions on the elliptical trainer in our gym, but I actually ended up watching six episodes on my flights back from Tokyo. I’m now on season two and, while there are a few rocky episodes and evidence of cheaper set design, it’s still an impressive piece of TV drama.
I also finished Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and really enjoyed it. As I noted when I posted about it, it reminded me of one of my favourite books of all time, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay which is the biggest compliment I can give it.
Finally, given recent news of how Wordpress is abusing the content creating by its users, I’ve started over with a personal long form blog and will be shutting down my Wordpress sites in the coming week. I’ll also be posting my longer posts over there, but linking back to them here on MacPsy.ch. I find Ghost to be a much better solution for those kinds of posts, where Micro.blog is perfect for sharing quick thoughts and cross-posting to other platforms.
And that was the week that was…
Awake since 5am.
No, not jet lag. At least, not mine.
Husband arrived back from Japan yesterday afternoon and has been wide awake since 3am. Whereas I would read or mindlessly scroll, he’s been up doing laundry and housework.
I’m exhausted just listening to it.
Just when I think I’ve got this jet lag beat once and for all, around comes 4pm.
And my body and brain immediately go into standby mode. I’m just grateful it’s Friday and I could have a fairly quiet afternoon.
Back in the office for the first time since Japan.
And I’m not going to lie, I could feel better. I slept from 9pm until 6am this morning, so it’s not a lack of sleep. It’s a lack of Tokyo!
Oooof. Battling the jet lag this afternoon.
After several very productive hours - unpacking my suitcase, two loads of laundry, a shower and shave, and a trip to get some groceries - I’ve hit the wall. And not even the prospect of season two of Battlestar Galactica can keep me awake.
I need a nap to keep going, but I also need to set an alarm. Otherwise, I’m going to sleep until sunrise tomorrow.
Landed at Heathrow after a wonderful flight from KL.
I slept most of the way, except when I was eating delicious food and chatting with the cabin crew. Though I do wonder why so many of my fellow passengers think it’s okay to be so rude and dismissive to the crew. Blows my mind.
And now… a 25mins wait for a train into London. Because god forbid there would be public transport available from when the first flights arrive in the morning.
Mission: stay awake until Canary Wharf!
Given I was worried how I was going to spend my layover here in Kuala Lumpur Airport, I’m amazed how quickly the time has gone by.
Once I was clear on what terminal I needed to be in (the same one I landed in - yay!), I headed to the Malaysian Airlines lounge and did some work admin (primarily, sorting out my work expenses for this month), cleared by work email inbox, and enjoyed some nice champagne and cheese. I’m two days ahead of my self-imposed deadline on the expenses, which is always nice.
I also pulled together a deck of slides for a webinar I’m facilitating on Thursday. I’ve been meditating and reflecting on the topic for weeks, and once I sat down and opened my laptop, it all sort of spilled out of my brain and onto the screen. In the nicest possible way.
I then took advantage of the pristine facilities and had a rather lovely shower. It felt great to freshen up, especially after spending seven hours on a plan from Tokyo. As I was preparing to leave the lounge to go exploring, I spotted a doorway I’d somehow missed on the way into the lounge. It was an entire sit-down restaurant!
Never one to pass up a free meal, I was escorted to a table and offered a menu. I skipped starters and desert and opted for the mushroom risotto. It was delicious. Completely superfluous to requirements, but delicious all the same.
So now I have just a couple of hours left before I’ll be in the sky again. This time for a 15 hour flight to London. I’m hoping for smooth skies and several hours of sleep. Between now and then, I’ll be downloading shows onto my iPad Mini, sampling more of this delicious champagne (before Sober March starts), and just being super grateful for the opportunity to take a holiday like this. I can imagine time might have crawled without access to this lounge.
Just landed in KL…
And I have to gush about my flight with Malaysian Airlines. I don’t think I’ve had a friendlier or more attentive crew on any flight. They were incredible. Add to that some delicious food plentiful champagne and a comfy seat and I was all set. The seven hour flight from Tokyo really flew by.
I’m going to gloss over the vile man behind me, whose body odour wafted in behind him as he boarded and whose snoring was audible over my Bose noise-cancelling headphones. That’s all out of the airline’s control, obviously. It was a genuine pleasure to fly with Malaysian and I’m looking forward to my next flight with them.
In less than six hours!
About to board the first of two long-ass flights today.
First, Tokyo Narita to Kuala Lumpur. Then a six-hour layover, followed by KL to London Heathrow. And while I can’t wait to enjoy some of the famous Malaysian Airlines hospitality, all I want to do as soon as I board is get some sleep. Last night brought little to no sleep, so I’m a bit destroyed this morning.
Still, I made it out to Narita single-handed, navigated check-in and security and found my way to the JAL lounge for some breakfast. So I can’t be that bad. And yes, I had the famous JAL beef curry for breakfast. I’m wild like that!
The morning after our last big night out in Tokyo and…I’m dying 🤕
But it was such fun, I’d do it all over again. Except I can’t. Tomorrow’s flight to Kuala Lumpur is at 10am so I have to get the first Narita Express train. At 5:55am.