There has been a blogging gap of 2 weeks, but don’t worry, all is not lost. I have been over to the Far East meeting up with 2 of our local agents in Malaysia and Indonesia.

I had wanted to blog as I went along, but for some reason couldnt access WordPress, and so I did the next best thing and hand wrote the notes instead. So, I will still write them in the present tense so that you can enjoy the journey with me….

For those of you that don’t know me personally, here is a bit of background information. I am a single mum in her mid forties, with a full time job and a dog! This combination ensures that I am always running about, never quite finishing one job off before starting the next and living alongside a set of permanent butterflies resident in my stomach. I am never quite fully ‘in the moment’ – always worrying about the list of jobs I need to do tomorrow, or by the end of the week. This also has the added effect of never appreciating the work that I actually do complete. This is also the reason that I seem to be (more and more) forgetful or absent minded these days. Its because I am never thinking about the job in hand. For example on my way to the airport I was feeling quite good about how organised I had been in the run up to my 2 week trip away. Sorting Sammi out at home, enlisting various friends, neighbours and family members to be surrogate parents, agony aunts, and food providers. Making sure lists had been handed out to all and sundry with telephone numbers, college times, details of whereabouts in the world I would be at any one time, dog ‘letting out’ duties for when sammi was at college all day, etc etc etc.

Oh how clever I was, all organised and all under control. I had even pre-booked the carpark for a cheaper deal. As I approached the barrier I realised I needed my credit card for entry so I rummaged around in my purse, found the card, dutifully inserted it and hey presto, the barrier opened. With a queue behind me (I know even at 5.30 in the morning!!) I put the card on my knee and proceeded to trawl the carpark looking for a) an empty spot, and b) somewhere easily recognisable for when I return to play hunt the car in 2 weeks time. This dutifully done (Red 10) I lugged my case from the boot, collected my laptop and handbag and proceeded to the free bus stop to wait for the ‘every ten minutes (yeah right!)’ bus to arrive to take me to the appropriate terminal.

All well so far….

I found the check in desk without too much hassle and took my turn in the queue. I arrived at the desk, presented my passport and wrestled my suitcase onto the belt. ‘can I take the card you made the booking with please ma’am’ and it was those 12 words that sent me into a state of panic. The card HAD been on my knee as I parked the car, and I know now that i didn’t remember doing anything else with it.  They wouldn’t let me leave my case (security risk of course!), so there was nothing for it but to get myself and my luggage (complete with dodgy broken wheel from the last time I flew) back to the carpark. Apparently there is no quicker way than getting the bus back (I had to ask in case someone pitied me and offered to drive me over there in one of those cute little airport buggies with the flashing lights – but to no avail). The bus driver did a double take. I had to sheepishly explain what had happened, but you know, he was lovely. Told me he would wait whilst I jumped off, and retrieved the card. As I go to my spot (red 10) there on the floor, on the gravel, outside my door was the offending article! I think I was just lucky that it was still so early in the morning that it was still sat there awaiting my return. Anyway, back on the bus I jumped and like Groundhog Day relived the past hour of my life!

Alas this was not the only mishap I had before even getting to the airport lounge. I have to admit that I was feeling a little smug, after all, karma was on my side, I found the card, the checking in lady had swapped my seat….all was well. Well until I hit the X Rays. There isn’t a choice anymore, you HAVE to go through the bodyscanner. Its not that I don’t appreciate the risk factors involved, but to be quite honest, I felt a little violated. I don’t want some random stranger to be looking at the outline of my body – I mean I spend quite a sizeable chunk of my free time wandering around the Trafford Centre, buying clothes to disguise it!!

Anyway as I said, there was no choice, but in the flustering few minutes after the scan, I collected my belongings from the x-ray tray, trying to collect everything before the next tray comes clattering down the ramp, I managed to drop my boarding pass through the rails into the bottom of the counter. I don’t think I was flavour of the month as they stopped the machine and had to spend a good 5 minutes poking with anything they could find that was long thin and pointy before miraculously, someone managed to fish it out.

You’ll be happy to know that that was the extent of my travelling woes, and believe me, on previous trips, things haven’t gone that well!!

I will update again on Thursday with details of my time in Penang.