Y'd think...

One thing that perplexed me all the way around Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore was the search for a cold drink.

We first learnt that one should ask for 'mineral water', which means bottled drinking water, not the carbonated (and often flavoured) variety we get here. Okay, I can do that.

We learnt to ask for a "Sprite", not lemonade, because no-one seemed to know what that was.

My parents found you couldn't get "Diet Coke", but if you ask for "Coke Lite" you might do better.

But what were the chances that whatever liquid you get would be cold?

... Yep.

Sometimes you'd get your room temperature softdrink with a glass of ice, but water was usually just plain room temperature. To the point it was a surprise when the bottle of liquid arrived with tiny beads of condensation. Ahhhhh!

It was hot. It was steamy. You'd think that cold drinks would be just that, but the chance?

... Approximately Not Much At All

Don't you hate it when your Mother is right?

I work in a church.

I've been doing that for 12 months now.

As a result I had some annual leave ready to be taken, so I took three weeks off, 15 days of which were spent overseas.

I needed the rest of those days because the house is a mess and I needed to see if there was still a desk in my office under about 3 months worth of study books, commentaries, miscellaneous paperwork and puppet prop creation paraphernalia.

There is. I can see parts of it now.

The extra days are also useful for the de-jet-lag-ation. I didn't think there would be anything much when you've come back from the equivalent of Western Australia (Malaysia and Singapore are only 2 hours behind). Maybe its just the whole deciding to watch movies on the plane thing, or maybe I just acclimatised really well to the sleeping in an extra two hours every day thing while we were away.

My mother has commented since I've been working in the church that you just can't take holidays at home when you work in the church, because people know you're there. You have to go away.

However, in my innocence I thought that I would be able to quietly slip home and get a whole lot of stuff done before anyone had realised that I was actually back in town.

But...

My partner in crime in the church knew we were getting back early this week, and she's been telling everyone that we'd be back, and organising meetings for this week. Grrrr.

I went to one of the meetings, and organised name tags for another thing, but was a bit cranky about it.

The chance that I'm going to do anything else until next week?

... APPROXIMATELY NONE!!!

So where's my buffet breakfast?

Glad to be home and to have been in my own bed last night. Slept for 10 hours before needing to get up, and then I had the luxury of dozing for a few more hours.

But I was very confused to finally get up and shower and head into the dining room to have breakfast and find that there was no-one to make my roti cani, cook me pancakes or do my eggs just the way I like them.

Similarly, there was no choice of fruit sliced and ready; nor cooked noodles and beef curry; no hash browns or bacon or baked beans; no juice, or choice of cereals.

What sort of hotel is this?

Sadly, there is no-one to vacuum or clean the bathroom or make the bed. No porter to carry my groceries into the house. No laundry just around the corner who will bring me back clean and dry clothes (and even iron them if need be!).

The chance that I could afford to pay all these people?

... sadly, approximately none! *big sigh*

Coming Home

Well, the difference between Brisbane and Singapore airports is that the internet kiosks here are FREE! (okay, there are a few other significant differences too, but I only have 11 minutes left...


Great time away and I will blog more detail later. Used my blogging time to keep a journal, so I can recreate moments for myself, my family, and any interested bloggy buddies.

Didn't spend too much money, but really enjoyed what I spent.

So think of me tonight, winging my way homeward, which is a whole lot better than if I either:
a) lived in Europe
b) was travelling in Europe

We have met quite a few refugees from the UK wandering around Singapore, making the most of their extended holidays. However, I'm very glad that the number of whole days left before I'm back in my own bed are...

Approximately None. (Enjoying holiday, but will be glad to slow down a tad)

The $2 Post

Well, I haven't had time to post because I've had heaps of Easter Services to organise, and we're heading on our family jaunt at 00.50 tomorrow morning.

However, we're now sitting at gate 79 and there is an internet kiosk just next door, so I borrowed $2 in change from my perfect sister-in-law and am madly typing for the 20 minutes that I can spend here before the clock runs out.

It is amazing how a busy life can suddenly clear up when you're work is finished (with the second service this morning), you've packed, and you're in the car, so you can't finish all the heaps of housework that has been building up for a month or so while I've been crazy-busy because I am not at home to do it!

Our new minister has arrived in town, and by the time I get back, he'll be in full swing (great timing, hey?) - which means I can get back to closer to quarter time and maybe vacuum from time to time.

I'm hoping we've remembered everything, because it's terribly distracting to be finishing puppet costumes for the Easter puppet play (which went down really well) and making certain that the huge whoppin' cross fits in my Beloved's trailer for transport to the little town just down the road.

The dramatic entrance worked. The singing worked. The streamers were duly waved by all but the most staid of our congregants. We welcomed the visitors and talked with them. I got home, finished packing, ate the last of the eggs in the fridge for lunch, packed up the LBD to go to my Nan's for his holiday, put our ports in Mum and Dad's car and headed down here. We met up with Giggles, and her parents and now have a couple of hours to kill. It's so strange to have hours to kill. All I forgot was to take the last of the milk to Nan. It will possibly be off by the time we get back.

And how much time do I have left at this computer?

... approximately none!