At the airport again
Right, I’m here again. So what happened? Well, yesterday a woman from the Open University with whom I’m in contact for a story phoned me. A work contact calling on a Saturday morning isn’t always good news. But this time, it was.
She said that she’s is in charge of this conference next week in London – something to do with genetic manipulation and development - and one of the South African delegates had cancelled at the last minute. They had a flight booking, a hotel booking all set. All they needed was somebody who could jump on a plane without needing a visa. I’m flattered to say that they thought of me – not to mention glad to get a three-day all expenses paid trip back home.
So here I am, about to board a BA flight to Heathrow. CNN business travella! Breakfast meeting in Cape Town, lunch meeting in New York. That sort of thing. BA 58 – just in case more planes fall out of the sky and anybody out there wants to know whether or not I was on it. What was it this morning? A UK army transport in Afghanistan? But I digress.
The hand luggage restrictions don’t seem to apply on inbound flights to the UK. I’m bringing ALL my luggage into the cabin. Not that it’s much. I must be a contender for the Guinness book of records – if it were a question of checking in the biggest luggage item I reckon it’d be my laptop bag…
I’ll be in London until Wednesday night, when I’ll go back here only to do an about-turn and fly out to Jo-burg and on to Maputo, Mozambique, for a conference on education. Back in Cape Town properly on Saturday next week.
I’m a little worried about getting issue number four together in time for my deadline on Wednesday the week after. But the conferences should give me access to some key people and I’ll be able to polish off a fair bit of the news pages at airports and flights. Thank god for wi-fi! At least that’s the plan.
A tiny baby is complaining behind me in the departure lounge – I hope I’m not next to it on the flight. It would be just my luck… I wonder if there is ANY way for me to slip some of the sedatives I bought for myself into its formula. But it’s too small to be on formula. And there must be a law against injecting strange women with tranquilizer to shut up their children or everybody would be doing it.
She said that she’s is in charge of this conference next week in London – something to do with genetic manipulation and development - and one of the South African delegates had cancelled at the last minute. They had a flight booking, a hotel booking all set. All they needed was somebody who could jump on a plane without needing a visa. I’m flattered to say that they thought of me – not to mention glad to get a three-day all expenses paid trip back home.
So here I am, about to board a BA flight to Heathrow. CNN business travella! Breakfast meeting in Cape Town, lunch meeting in New York. That sort of thing. BA 58 – just in case more planes fall out of the sky and anybody out there wants to know whether or not I was on it. What was it this morning? A UK army transport in Afghanistan? But I digress.
The hand luggage restrictions don’t seem to apply on inbound flights to the UK. I’m bringing ALL my luggage into the cabin. Not that it’s much. I must be a contender for the Guinness book of records – if it were a question of checking in the biggest luggage item I reckon it’d be my laptop bag…
I’ll be in London until Wednesday night, when I’ll go back here only to do an about-turn and fly out to Jo-burg and on to Maputo, Mozambique, for a conference on education. Back in Cape Town properly on Saturday next week.
I’m a little worried about getting issue number four together in time for my deadline on Wednesday the week after. But the conferences should give me access to some key people and I’ll be able to polish off a fair bit of the news pages at airports and flights. Thank god for wi-fi! At least that’s the plan.
A tiny baby is complaining behind me in the departure lounge – I hope I’m not next to it on the flight. It would be just my luck… I wonder if there is ANY way for me to slip some of the sedatives I bought for myself into its formula. But it’s too small to be on formula. And there must be a law against injecting strange women with tranquilizer to shut up their children or everybody would be doing it.
posted by Linda at 18:44
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