Reporting to you live from Hong Kong!!

Well, after the long flight, i come to rest in this cosy little transit lounge at Hong Kong International Airport. With very comfy red and gold fabric seats. And they were comfy!! Well anyway, I pull my laptop out and fire her up. Check out the available wireless networks. Much to my delight, there are about 5 open networks which flash up. HOWEVER. Much to my disbelief and disgust, they all want circa $40 for one hour of access!!! I didn't even bother to check whether that was US or Australian dollars. Its was still a blatant ripoff. And they're was no way.

But then, as if by chance, I see these Samsung E-Lounge Terminals. Computers set up that any Average Joe can type on. For added convenience, the keys are in English as well as Chinese (THANKYOU!!!) And it seems to offer unrestricted access to the internet. And very quick too!! So a Blogging I went.

The flight from Melbourne to Hong Kong?? Interesting. Boarded plane through business class, eyes light up. :) Friendly QANTAS flight attendant looks over my boarding pass and tell me to keep walking. The three rows of 2 seats turns into three rows with two seats on either side and four seats in the centre. Hopes for a comfortable flight are dashed.

Find my row. Number 55 (Blog Interrupted by Announcement at Hong Kong on PA - What in Gods Name is she SAYING!!! Voice repeats message (Well it's possibly the same message) In English but in a voice that has a slight Irish Accent. Blog Continues......)

Row 55, Seat B, Seat B is an Aisle Seat. The advantage is there is plenty of leg room for the right leg, not so generous for the left. But nowhere to rest my head, accept for the Head Rest. (Remembers to ask for a Window Seat on Aeroflot) The man to my left in Seat A is a Chinese gentleman who looked like he fit the bill of the bad guys on the old skool Chinese Martial Arts movies. Not sinister looking at all. Much to my surprise, he was not talkative. The most I got out of him all flight was a nod. No words, A nod. Anyway, I went to put my Overheaad luggage in the locker marked 55. Like it was going to fit in there!!! It clearly wasn't. I checked out 56. Plenty of real estate, In she goes.

Watched Sin City. Jessica Alba!!! Oh my god!! How nice!! Storyline?? There was one. But a lot of killing happening and for no apparent reason. Bruce Willis? Gets shot more in one scene than he does in all of the Die Hard Movies put together, and lives. What a machine!! What a blatant suspension of disbelief. I can't watch the end, the movie has lost me at the end of the third subplot, when the Orange guy appears, I turn it off.

House of Flying Daggers. Predominantly Chinese Martial Arts Film. Combin elements of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero, add in some brilliant cinematography and the same old love scenes, and you have it. Very enjoyable. The Martial Arts scenes are sensational. And quite a few of them too although we normally always crave more. Worth seeing if you can get a copy.

By the time I finished watching both, it was about 2:30am Hong Kong time. 4 1/2 to 5 hours to go. There were no other movies worth watching. Both the news features weren't working. The music was Shithouse, well by my standards. Somehow, the remaining time passed, I watched the sunrise. I couldn't have the continental breakfast I was so desperately favouring over the Hot Breakfast which was given to me. They ran out apparently. There seemd to be no general rule of distributing the meals, except for, serve Matt last. And the Nodding gentleman sitting next to me in Seat A. In fact, anyone in the 50's that was A, B, C or D got shafted. For Supper and Breakfast. So theres a handy hint for the aspiring traveller. If you're hungry, get as close to the front of the plane as you can. Otherwise you will miss out on the continental breakfast. The Hot Breakfast didn't take my fancy. The Scrambled eggs didn't look like scrambled eggs, therefore they weren't eaten. The bacon, didn't take like bacon, but it was the most edible thing, and I was hungry. The sausage (i hope thats what it was) tasted not like what a sausage, or anthing like a sausage should taste, so the sample piece was eaten, (with much reluctance, the rest, sent packing.

I got to watch the sunrise today. It was beautiful what I saw. About 4 square centimetres of it. :) :)

On descent, got to see water, and fishing boats, both of which got closer than was comfortable. When the water disappeared and the tarmac of HK International appeared, i was most relieved.

Part One of the Journey Complete...

To be continued.........



LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!

Matt.