So on this note I have been interested to read recent articles that cleaning products have for some while been upping their ante on the fragrance front. Apparently we have been a little too blase about the standard lemon or pine household fragrances of old for far too long, and so the supermarket shelves bulge and groan with an enormous array of products such as washing up liquids that all more or less do the same job, but now we have a choice of winter spices, pomegranate & passionflower, tea tree & peppermint, green tea, apple blossom - in fact you could almost name any aroma and find it on the aisle ready to brighten your mood AND your dishes.

The happier you are – the cleaner your house (so goes the theory) and so manufacturers vie for our attention with the biggest brightest fragranced products enticing you to pop into your shopping trolley.

I have to admit to never buying a product without taking the top off (off the product, not off me!!) and smelling it first. The fragrance rather than the brand name usually has the sway factor for me, but I have yet to find the aroma that would really lift my mood whilst washing the pots. I am, however the eternal optimist, and so my quest continues to find that elusive smell that will elevate my mood so much that I will dance around the house every night duster in hand, smile on my face .

PS..If you find it before me, please let me know

And to finish off here is a little poem, penned by my own fair hand, that kind of sums up my cleaning regime!

Time for dusting, mopping and sweeping

Wiping and swiping, completely spring cleaning,

Cupboards are wiped and the kitchen is gleaming

then the alarm clock goes off – Oh no, I’m just dreaming!

We all need as many extra tips as we can get and so I have been researching if and how everyday fragrances can help to boost weight loss.

The average human nose recognises over 10,000 scents, and so you would think that at least some of those might aid appetite suppression….well I have good news for you, there are a few oils that will.

According to researchers in Osaka University Japan, rats exposed to the scent of grapefruit oil for 15 minute intervals, 3 times a week had reduced appetites and also lost weight.

The Smell & Taste Institute in Chicago studied a  group of 3,000 overweight people, giving half of them scents of either banana, green apple or peppermint to smell whenever they had a craving coming on, and overall, they lost around 5lb a month more than the non-sniffing group.

Other studies have used cinnamon, vanilla and fruits with varying results. Peppermint oil has been proven to improve awareness and alertness, and if sniffed throughout a workout, reduces perceived fatigue, resulting in greater stamina and a better gym performance.

Aromatherapy has the enhanced benefit of tricking the body into feeling fuller with less food. This is also seen in the newly discovered Christmas Dinner Syndrome. This is the theory that surrounding yourself in food scents suppresses your appetite significantly. This is borne out by the fact that the chef/cook who has spent all day in the kitchen preparing the Christmas meal (or dinner party fayre), sits down to eat, only to realise that they are no longer hungry – the cravings have disappeared (personally I’m not sure whether that’s just because you are tasting everything as you go along – or is that just me ).

So there you have it, I will be frantically sniffing a concoction of banana, apple & grapefruit oils for the rest of the week to see whether it makes a difference, and failing that I shall be treating myself to a new set of plates – blue is a supposed natural appetite suppressant! ;P

Let me know if you have tried any of the above or if you have any extra information as to whether it works.

Apparently the Boswellia papyifera tree species is under threat and the frankincense forests in general are in decline. The old trees are dying continuously and germination of the new saplings is notoriously difficult. Although the resin is obtained from cutting the bark, this in itself is not the whole reason for the decline – although constant tapping does affect the number of seeds a tree can produce. The bark and any new seedlings are favoured by marauding goats and the tree also finds itself under attack from the long horn beetle. The locals have realised that the land yields more profit when used for other purposes such as housing construction and agriculture, and therefore some dedication to the cultivation of the frankincense resin has been lost.

Each tree can produce around 3kg of resin per year, and research suggests that after tapping for 5 years, the tree should be rested for a similar period in order for it to recover.

Frankincense is collected by creating an incision into the tree bark. A sticky white sap is then produced intended by the plant to seal the wound in the same way our bodies would respond to a cut by creating a scab. The first flow from the tree is the most revered and has a yellow colour. As the tree continues to attempt to seal its wound, the resin gum becoms darker and darker. Collectors wait until the sap has hardened, and then chip off the reddish glass like masses.

Frankincense has a long and spiritual history. It is mentioned in the Bible many times as a result of being used in temple worship. Israelite law governed what could and couldnt be burned in the temple. Frankincense was one of the oils and resins that were deemed worthy enough to be included. Scholars have estimated that the temple in Jerusalem would have used in excess of 700 pounds of frankincense a year. The Boswellia trees do not pour out the resin gum freely and as a result it was an expensive commodity that only the wealthy could afford.

Incense making, like perfume making was an art and a science. The knowledge of how to make the incense was passed down from one generation to the next, and there was a lot of mystery surrounding its make up. For this reason the exact ingredients used in the ancient sacred incenses are unknown - although the ingredients allowed in the incense were laid down by law, the exact proportions were only known by Artisans. The oldest known temple recipe contained just 4 ingredients as follows….

Stacte (most probably Myrrh, but could also have been Balsam)

Onycha (musk)

Galbanum

Frankincense

In olden times, frankincense was seen as a spiritual medicine – being burned to create a connection between life on earth and the spiritual realm. It was a healing herb for many conditions such as anxiety, depression, arthritis, the healing of infected wounds and also as a sedative. In fact, it was used to intoxicate criminals and put them into a state of relaxation before their execution. Frankincense was the ancient equivalent of Prozac, creating clarity of the mind and a long term relaxing calming state.

The Egyptians were also no strangers to frankincense, using it in temples, medicines and cosmetology.  It was used in the embalming process of turning a Pharoah into a mummy and also left in the sarcophagus to ease the way from one realm to the next. Kohl was created by the egyptians by using the burnt ash from frankincense along with other fragrant substances and using this mix to dress up their eyes, making themselves feel more attractive.

As stated earlier, frankincense was used to calm a troubled mind, and maybe in the last minute run up to Christmas day I might borrow a little essential oil from the lab which can be used as a bath additive for a truly relaxing festive soak…..if it works, you’ll be the first to know

Our final note for Christmas and the New Year is a poem I found a couple of years ago that I would like to share with you…

Seek out a forgotten friend
Share some treasure
Give a soft answer
Encourage youth
Keep a promise
Find the time
Listen
Apologise if you were wrong
Be gentle
Laugh a little
Laugh a little more
Express your gratitude
Welcome a stranger
Gladden the heart of a child
Take pleasure in the beauty
and wonder of the earth
Speak your love
Speak it again
Speak it still once again

All the best for the New Year from all at Carvansons.

There are a couple of major trends that we are predicting for 2012. One of these is a return to nature – old english hedgerow fragrances such as clover, wood sorrel, columbine, mallow, cowslips etc. The other is a nod toward the heavens. We are entering the Age of Aquarius and there has been a definite upsurge in all things cosmic – although that may have something to do with Brian Cox and his enthusiasm for the quantum universe.  The end of the Mayan calendar in December 2012 has also caused a bit of a stir, inspiring films, songs and all sorts of mass hysteria.

There has even been a rose that has been flown off to a space based plant research centre to check the effects of zero gravity on essential oils and volatile plant compounds produced by living flowers. The end result turned out to be of much greater interest than first thought. Researchers had expected a slight shift in the scent of the rose but discovered that the rose had in fact produced an entirely different scent that was definitely not like anything previously smelled on Earth. This discovery of the SpaceRose has opened up a whole new dimension for the extraction of flavours and fragrances and further uses are hotly anticipated.

With all this in mind we have created a collection under the the heading ASTROSCENTUAL. Our inspiration for this collection has been taken from the clouds of cosmic dust that scatter the skies at night refracting light and matter, forever shifting shape and sparkling its way through the cosmos. There is an element of the unknown within these meteoric formations that appeals to our inquisitive nature.

If you wish to request a collection tin for your products for this trend or indeed any other direction, then please get in touch with either myself or Helen at our offices in Bury.

Then its find a taxi, check it has seatbelts, get in, pay the fare and then as we set off we realise too late that the seatbelts are for show only and don’t actually work! So its a free white knuckle ride to the hotel, zipping from lane to lane, squeezing into impossibly tiny gaps with frequent braking participating in a couple of very close incidents along the way!

We arrive at the hotel at 9pm, so its a quick bite to eat in the hotel cafe and up to my room for 10pm. Oh good, free wifi – oh no – no signal at all!!!! Cant even get a strong enough mobile signal to ring home and check all is well….the joys of travelling.

Anyway its just a 1 night thing….I’m awake at 5.40am so I might as well get up as we are checking out at half 7…I feel like a proper business traveller!  No re-packing required….I only opened the suitcase lid!!

The mud flow is still going strong some 5 years after I last came to this area. It stems from an underground volcano that erupted in May 2006, and at its peak it was spewing mud out at a rate of 180,000 m³ of mud per day! The mud has a rotten egg aroma caused by the release of hydrogen sulphide, and as it continues to flow it is creating an unstable surrounding area as it begins to collapse in on itself. Geologists have predicted that Lusi as it is known in Indonesia, will probably flow for 25-30 years yet.

It has blocked one of the 2 main routes linking Surabaya and Malang (tonights destination), so the longer route will take almost 2 hours instead of an hour as it used to do (and in fact the journey was nearer 3 hours in the end!). The government keep building the retaining wall higher and higher to contain the liquid mudflow and the locals are very worried that the higher the wall, the weaker it gets and that at some point  the dam will burst free and swallow up more of the surrounding areas – villages and road links.

Our meetings in Surabaya included meeting up with an old friend and customer Mr Ah Lung….a lovely man and his wife who always lend us their driver and car when we are in town..he had recently visited the UK for the first time last month and so we spent an hour at lunch going through his photographs….many of them in my nearest city of Manchester, that I haven’t even visited myself!

Throughout Indonesia, there are many differing preferences for fragrances in general. Jasmine is always a safe bet, but some areas prefer it to be heavy and some prefer it to be a background note instead. Sweet candy like fragrances always go down well here  and light florals such as rose too. Grapefruit and sharp lime notes are deemed too sour, and cherry is too medicinal. Fresh, clean citrusy aromas tend to be found in most products.

As we make our way back to Jakarta for my last night in Indonesia, I am looking forward to a hot bath and a mojito before the long flight back to the UK. I hope you enjoyed my adventures here as much as I did

 I have been here once before in 2007, and i felt that it was a very spiritual place – I couldn’t really put my finger on why….. I hope that my second visit leaves the same impression.

Its night time when I arrive, and one thing I hadn’t noticed before was the shape of the moon. When we have part moons in the UK , we get a crescent shape, but the moon here is lit from the underside making it look like a large Cheshire cat smile in the sky.

As you can imagine its very warm here even at 9pm but guess what, they even have hoodies here in Bali! They are all hanging around the airport asking if you need any help with your bags. I arrive at my hotel and am given a beautiful free garland of flowers and a glass of fruit nectar! The flowers smell divine  – a combination of fragrant Jasmine blossoms and small red rose buds, and the aroma hangs around for 3 days (much longer than the delicious drink!)

The following day I am collected from my hotel by our local agent for Bali, Mr Benny and our Indonesian agent Andy for today’s visits. I notice that a lot of the trees and the roadside statues have checked cloths around them. I ask the reason for this and am told that they denote cosmic duality – the concept of good versus evil. The Balinese see the world in terms of opposites, night and day, good and bad, mountain and sea. One cannot exist without the other. The cloth is known as Poleng and is the perfect representation of this view – the squares are of equal size, perfect black and perfect white. Grey squares contain both black and white strands to show that you cannot have one without the other.

Most of the statues are also shaded by ornate parasols which are seen as symbols of protection for obvious reasons.

There seems to be an awful lot of activity around the temples and this is because there are many public cremations to be held today. In Denpasar alone there are a total of 40 bodies waiting to be cremated. It is a day of great ceremony –  all the villagers help to build the funeral pyres, even the children help to thread the flower garlands that will decorate the cemeteries  and the bodies. Cremations are an important and elaborate event in Bali, but because of the monetary cost, most people can’t afford to have their departed cremated straight away. Families therefore, often wait months for the public cremation so that the villagers can pool resources and have a ceremonious send off. I think the fact that everyone is involved whether you have anyone to cremate or not brings the village together as a whole and also de-mystifies the process of death….here it is always a celebration of life rather than a sad occasion. I like the idea of death being so much a normal part of life.

Our main business here in Bali is fragrance for Incense. The whole island has a fragrant aroma, with incense being burned on every street corner, in every home and every temple. It is burnt as an offering to the Gods. No-one knows exactly where the Gods might be at any given time, but the Balinese believe that smoke from the incense will find its way to the Gods, assuring that the relevant prayers and offerings will be delivered.

As I leave Bali on my way up to Jakarta, I spy a wooden lizard in one of the craft stalls at the airport. The lizard now adorns my lounge wall and is known to everyone as Mr Benny!

Next stop Surabaya and Jakarta…..

The dogs for example….there isn’t the same affiliation to dogs here. The dogs travel in packs of around 6 or so, and perilously make their way through life. It struck me that they are a bit like teenagers, sticking together, snarling at anyone that tries to help, going their own way….or is that just Tonge Moor?

The attitude to cows is another major issue. Cows are sacred animals and are treated as such. So even if the cows are wandering across a busy highway, you have to just slow down and manoeuvre your way around them. It’s very strange to see them in the city instead of in fields grazing.

The radio songs are interspersed with uplifting messages or messages to help the citizens become more caring toward one another. For example – “When you park your car, please ensure that you park within the painted lines, otherwise you will spoil someone elses day and risk them getting upset and angry that they cant use the space next to you.” Another one is not to raise your voice in public” or ”help someone lift their shopping into their car.” Its quite nice actually to be reminded and I think it’s something we could well try and take onboard – go on - try and make a difference to someone today!

This message is also borne out by slogan t-shirts.

Not quite the same as the ones we have back home….these have statements on them instead. Make peace / keep calm / have a smile / work hard / give way / love one another  etc….It’s just a nice touch.

We went to visit Dr Tan today, one of our customers in KL. He is a lovely man and insists on making us Chinese tea. This is a very ceremonious process. The small terracotta bowl and lid with holes in it comes out, thimble size terracotta cups that sit on top, the cups have to be warmed first with boiled water. A selection of tea is put into the small teapot, brewed for a specific length of time (depends on the type of tea leaf used), poured, offered and repeated as the 3 mouthfuls of tea liquor are consumed. We discuss business; he has a lucrative contract on the go with the Middle East and shows us some of the luxury soaps that will be offered to the Arabs…they have actual gold flecks in them – real gold! Anyway, after business we discuss the Chinese prophecies of what December 21^st 2012 holds, but i’ll save all that for a later blog next year instead –  a very pleasant afternoon meeting all in all.

On the way back to the hotel, we pass the Carlsberg factory again, and sure enough, there are the workers outside in the shade with glasses of amber nectar!

Well, its check out time -  Goodbye to Malaysia and your happy smiling people. I hope to see you again soon.

Bali next……

So I arrive at the hotel in KL, The Gardens Mid Valley. I stay here each time I come now, I like the familiarity when you are so far away from home…..the bellboy recognises me ‘Ahhhh Miss Julie, you visit us again’ (he remembers me because the first time I stayed we had a long conversation about the English Premier League – he supports United and I support the mighty Wanderers!) I get the same room each time, I don’t even need to request it, they just check my record from last time….same again, its the familiarity that keeps you sane.

Unfortunately even though I have been in Malaysia since the weekend, for some reason my business card isn’t accepted - just what you need after a long tiring day. Anyway they know i’ve stayed there before and are quite happy for me to check in and for me to ring the UK to sort it out and the following morning the card goes through without a hitch.

I am picked up at 9am the following day to try and avoid the worst of the city traffic, and so it gives me plenty of time to get ready. On the way to our first appointment with a large cosmetics company, we pass the local Carlsberg factory. And do you know what??….the adverts are spot on……….Every Friday the workers are given free beer (as much as they want) after they finish their shifts…..now thats what i call keeping your employees happy!!! If I decide to change jobs at any point then it might be worth sending a CV off to Carlsberg just for the perks!!

I also learn about the largest flower in Malaysia. The subject comes up because we are listening to the local radio station (you spend rather a lot of time in the car travelling from one meeting to another), that plays a mix of 80’s and current UK pop music, so you can hum along to Kylie and Jason one minute and then be shimmying along to Rhianna the next. Anyway, inbetween the eclectic music there is a quiz that asks the name of this large flower…unfortunately he gets the answer wrong and thats the end of his chance to win 1000 ringgits, however Nat and Wong knew it, and then begin to tell me about it. It only grows in 2 places in Malaysia and even then, it is very secretive. It grows deep in the jungle and you have to trek a couple of days to catch a glimpse of it. It only flowers once a year and so if you do see it, it is considered very lucky indeed. Natalie has indeed forayed into the jungle for a peek and although she did find the plant, it wasn’t in flower at the time.

It is called the Borneo Rafflesia, and it turns out that it is not only Malaysia’s largest flower but the world’s largest! I found the following information on the internet, and hope you enjoy reading about it.

 In the year 1818, Sir Stamford Raffles was posted as Governor to Bencoolen in Sumatra which was then, the administrative centre for the British East India Company for Western Sumatra. Raffles’s interest in natural sciences was insatiable.

A respected and popular member of the Royal Society in London, Raffles arranged and persuaded a fellow society member – Dr.Joseph Arnold to accompany him on an expedition into the interiors of Sumatra. It was on one of these expeditions that they stumbled on a discovery which was to puzzle botanists for a long time. Unfortunately, Dr Arnold died because of jungle fever before presenting the report to the society.

Habitat

Rafflesia are endemic to Southeast Asia, and of the recorded 17 known species, the Rafflesia flowers have been found only in Indonesia – Sumatra and Java, Malaysia, including Borneo island and south Thailand. Rafflesias have small, brownish, scale like leaves and fleshy, foul-smelling flowers of various sizes from a few inches to a meter big in diameter. Rafflesia is classified as a parasite, which means it just takes the nutrient out of its host.

The Rafflesia can be found in tropical rainforests where the climate is continuously warm and humid, with very high humidity. The Rafflesia is rare and fairly hard to locate. It is especially difficult to see in bloom; the buds take up to 10 months to develop and the blossom lasts for just a few days and how many of these strange plants that survive in primary rainforest is still unknown.

Characteristic

The buds that form before blooming are the size of a cabbage. The large fleshy flower is the flower’s sexual organ. There is a deep well in the centre of the flower containing a central raised disc that supports many vertical spines. The sexual organs are located beneath the rim of the disk, and male and female flowers are separate.

The reddish brown colors of the petals sprinkled with white freckles, exudes the most unpleasant stench, similar to rotting flesh or carrion. Some people believe that the stench attracts flies and insects which help disperse the seeds.  In order for the seed to germinate, it was found that the vine of the host plant must be damaged in some way so that the filaments of the seed may infiltrate successfully. The damage to the host vines could be made by trampling hoofs of large animals. The seeds would then adhere to the passing animals’ hoofs and are transported to other places where they can find host plants to attach to.

So the next time you are out and about in the countryside having a stroll, take a minute out to have a good smell….then thank your lucky stars that the British weather is too wet and cold for the fetid Rafflesia.

So, thats all for my blog today, dont forget to check back for the rest of my Eastern adventures…….

Durian fruit is the Eastern version of Marmite – known as the King of Fruits, you either love it or hate it. Some people regard the durian as fragrant; others find the aroma overpowering and offensive. The smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust, and has been described variously as almonds, rotten onions, turpentine and gym socks.Most shopping malls refuse to stock it at all, as the fruit odour is so pungent that you begin to smell it a good 5 minutes before you even see it! Animals can detect the smell of the Durian up to half a mile away.

The Rokok are the local cigarettes, and even for a confirmed non-smoker as myself, the intense flavoursome mix of cinnamon, cloves, dark chocolate and smoky woods has a pleasurable aroma. You dont even need to get too close to the actual smoke vapour as the whole atmosphere is pervaded.

I have been watching Nothing to Declare in readiness for my trip – a ‘behind the scenes’ show of customs in Australia, and as I walked through the green lane, I could see people lined up with open suitcases and rows of packet foods ready to be confiscated. You’d have to be mad to try and smuggle anything into the country here and to be fair, they do give you fair warning on the plane – our captain told us as we landed that any drug trafficking automatically receives the death penalty! Well, that was enough to persuade me that the free peanuts I hadn’t eaten could stay on the airplane and so I fished them out of the pocket of my handbag and left them firmly on the seat tray!

I slept really well, the bed is very hard, just fine for my back! Woke up to the sound of rain lashing against the window, and sure enough a storm was rolling in….but its hard to feel hard done to – I can just make out the vague shape of a mountain range across the sea vista…..the sound of the sea crashing onto the beach below my window is a sound to savour no matter how wet and wild the weather outside.

I think its time to don a loaned sou’wester and go for a wild n windy walk!

I saw a lizard! I swear it was one of the komodo types, properly swaggering in the distance, but the moment I tried to find it amongst the rocks it completely disappeared! (when I mentioned it to Wong later, he thought i had been very brave to try and find it, brave warrior woman that i am!)

Tonight was a litte surreal, we started off with a trip to the Hard Rock cafe for our evening meal – which was fine in its own way, quiet though, and they sat us underneath Noel Gallaghers guitar, I mean come on, I’ve only just left Manchester – at least give me an American…. but hey ho, they did make an amazing Mojito

The evening ended with Nat n I waltzing on the dance floor to Pitbull, leaving poor Wong holding his head in his hands in complete despair!! Well – you only live once…..

Dont forget to stay tuned next week for my further adventures down in Kuala Lumpur.

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.