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reddragdivaJust getting used to a US keyboard again ... I'm writing this
offline at ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
meridian_sun's place. LJ and email updates will
be intermittent at best. If you're in Melbourne and you're not certain
we have your phone number, fill in the poll and/or
email me at fun at velvet dot net.
After doing our finest headless chook impersonations, redcountess and I got on the tube to Heathrow for our
much-delayed proper honeymoon. arkady came to see us off.
I will be missing her terribly.
We had no time for a Last Proper British Pint For Three Weeks. But I bought a camera, a Casio EX-S20. It's about the size of a credit card and 1cm thick. Two megapixels and no optical zoom, but that's fine for this size and weight. OH MY GOD THIS THING IS COOL. After I told her what I'd spent, Liz declared her firm resolve to get a Palm Tungsten T. At which point I inherit the TRG Pro. I've married a gadgeteer.
(The process of buying the camera reminded me why I normally don't leave the house with the credit card. Switch is bad enough; Visa is just fatally easy.)
Qantas' food is edible and the drinks are free even in cattle class. The beer is Australian piss lager, each variety of which is worse than the others. I've been spoilt. I tolerated the VB as it was cold enough. But it's something to consume, not enjoy.
I can sleep on planes, and in fact find it difficult not to. Liz can't. So we arrived at Singapore (the gadget shop nearest gate C13 is rubbish, so no Palm for Liz) and later Melbourne with me in fine shape and Liz in frazzled collapse. One of the stewardesses did come up to Liz in Singapore Airport and compliment her on her freshly-redyed hair, though. (g*th.)
Jo fetched us from the airport at stupid o'clock this morning. Paying $19.50 for three coffees, a couple of muffins and a bottle of water brought economic realities home to me. John Howard's economic miracle (public services run like Tories, but highest taxes in Australian history) has raised prices what seems like about twenty percent since I was last here. Whereas I'd previously have placed Melbourne's parity purchasing power relative to London at $1.50 for £1, after popping down the shops just now I'm thinking it's closer to the actual exchange rate. You'll be buying me drinks, okay.
Six hours here and I'm already talkin' out my nose. It's a beautiful spring-like autumn's day. My breathing is holding out, though I'm coughing a lot. We are staying at Jo's unbelievably gorgeous house in Reservoir, a short walk from the train station. Unprepossessing outside, but the inside is like it's in Perth. Liz says this is what she wants in London. Liz is snoozing.
Jo has her old copies of Party Fears. And a scanner. And a CD burner.
Later I will be popping into town to cash rather more traveller's cheques than I'd been hoping, get a couple of UK-to-Australia power adapters, pick up the hire car and buy a prepaid SIM.
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(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-07 08:22 pm (UTC)One thing you could easily do - especially if you have several hours to wait for a connecting flight - is to step into the city and shop around. Look for a shop called Mustafas, downtown.
I don't think brits or aussies need prearranged visas to get into singapore .. you'd just have to step up to immigration and ask them to let you out (ask your travel agent though, next time you transit through there).
And you expected airport coffee shops to sell anything other than overpriced rubbish?
AUD 19.50 comes to around, let me see, 25 singapore dollars. Which is about what it'd cost you if you bought that at Changi, at least at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf coffee shops in terminals 1 and 2 - there is a starbucks just outside immigration and that's a bit cheaper, though not by too much.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-07 08:27 pm (UTC)BTW, Yay, you're here!
(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-10 05:05 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-10 02:24 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-07 08:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-07 08:31 pm (UTC)A little bit here, a little bit there.
Aside from housing and petrol prices. Food seems relitively stable.
Though bread seems to have skyrocketed.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-07 08:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-08 12:46 am (UTC)I'm not sure if we'll make it to Golgotha tonight (hint: I'm still at work and expect to be for some time) but I'd be impressed if either of you did either, it being a long time since your last proper sleep (well, for Liz at least).
I have big chunks of flexible time free this weekend. Saturday afternoon from 1-5pm I'll be at the Bazaar, if you're in the neighbourhood I can show you around all nine square metres of my stall. Saturday night is Angelica's drinks at Polly and that's about it. Give me a call and we can meet up (assuming you've got a spare spot in your itinerary).
(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-09 03:13 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-08 01:24 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-08 01:35 am (UTC)I am rather sad - I have set the digital time on my watch to Melbourne time. Hee!
Give Liz a hug from me; I miss her too! Tell her Spike and S are doing well and send their love (Spike is on my shoulder as I write this, and S is snuggled up asleep on my lap).
I love you so very much dear heart. :-*
(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-09 03:30 am (UTC);-*
(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-08 01:46 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-08 03:23 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-08 03:57 am (UTC)*arg*
say hi to flozza if ya see him!
xxx
and get you aussie accent back dammit!
(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-12 05:34 am (UTC)And I shall be sure to get mine back so as to be a good example to you.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-08 10:59 am (UTC)