Day 1- Singapore Airport

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It is finally here. After many years of waiting and planning, we are finally off, to Europe. I woke up early, for the last time in my bed for 25 days. I ate my last bowl of weetbix for 25 days and organized the final things that I needed to pack. We were to drive to Uncle Freds and Auntie Babaras to leave Nanas car, which was with us, then Mum would drive us the rest of the way to the airport, which is only 5 minutes. We said goodbye to Tim and Shadow, leaving them on the veranda as we drove off to the airport. When we arrived, we found the Singapore Airlines queue and joined it, but then after 20 or so minutes we realised that because we had printed our tickets already online we could skip most of the queue and join the express line to have our bags checked in. There were no problems with the check in, but Dad thought that there would have been because my passport photo is 3 years old almost exactly, so I look really really young in that photo. We made it thought the X-ray machine into the domestic departures at Adelaide Airport, and purchased some power adaptors for the foreign sockets. Then, after a look throught the bookstore, we waved goodbye to Mum and walked through customs without incident (although I swear that Dad was trying to make us appear on one of those Border Security shows). We made it through to the International gates. I connected the netbook to the wirless network at the airport and said goodbye to anyone who would listen before boarding the plane.

As far as plane trips go, this one was not the best or the worst. As always, we found the inflight entertaiment amusing. I managed to find episodes of Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, The Simpsons and Top Gear, as well as a collection of animated short films that included Walace and Gromit. Before landing I also watched the film 'How to Train you Dragon'. I enjoyed it. The food was an egg and bacon pie and chicken and vegies, which is some of the nicest areoplane food that I have had in a while. Dad says he can't remember what he watched, so I will assume that he didn't enjoy it. As always, he was making jokes left right and centre, especially when he didn't hear the captain speaking correctly, so he thought that there may be bums in the sky.

We landed in Singapore Airport, after a long 7 hour flight, realising that we were not even halfway there yet. Despite being in the city of Singapore before, I was still at a loss to the complex automated systems that are there. To an onlooker, I must have looked really stupid when I was trying to get a drink from the drinking fountain or trying to get the taps to work in the toilet. Dad probably didn't quite so much because he was smart and let me figure it out first.

We walked around the airport for a while, and I remembered where I had been when I came and left Singapore on the exchange trip. We looked in several camera shops and other electronic stores but Dad was amazed to what was available in Singapore that isn't back home. After a couple of trips on the Skytrain, we settled down and watched the 'Worlds Largest 103 inch TV' which I found strange because I thought that all 103 inch TVS were 103 inch. Dad stayed there for a while watching the National Geographic channel, while I went to a free internet browsing station to say hello to people back home. I stayed there for at least an hour and a half, while dad walked around to different places. When he came back we went off to find dinner. Upstairs, we found a Burget King and some Singapore food, so, armed with 8 dollars in spare change from the Singapore Exchange Trip, we found dinner and satisfied our hunger.

I write this before we board our plane to London. Dad and I have had a discussion about what we want to do when we get there. Right now, Dad is off to read his book, and I am going to go and find internet acess so that I can post this (the free internet computers wont let me put in usbs or anything).

And I can safely say to everyone who wrote in my farewell card yesterday, I AM NOT DEAD.... yet.....

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Photos

Adelaide to Singapore 1
Dad testing out the inflight entertainment system

Adelaide to Singapore 2
Who knows what goes on in that mind of his

Adelaide to Singapore 3
The Singapore Airlines Inflight Entertainment System lets you watch Movies, TV shows play games and listen to the latest music

Adelaide to Singapore 4
On the flight together coming in to land

Singapore Airport 1
In one of the many gardens inside Singapore Airport

Singapore Airport 2
Dad is in the garden too!

Singapore Airport 3
The Skytrain that links the 4 terminals at Singapore Airport. There are 6 of these trains all interconnected

Singapore Airport 4
Inside the Skytrain

Singapore Airport 5
Telling people back home that i am ALL OK from a free internet booth in Singapore Airport

Comments

[Tori]

Cool
You look a lot taller when Tabitha's not next to you... rare =] Nice to know ur safe over there + don't die =] hahahaha

[Jenny]

Hey Kids, There's Big Ben....
Great blog, Ben. And the photos help tell the story. I didn't know you could do that, but why would I doubt your adeptness with technology? Tonight, Tim and I are watching National Lampoons European Vacation - means so much more while you're there - perhaps you should watch it again!