Well yesterday was a surreal kind of day. I left Taipei at about 2pm in the pouring rain with winds howling and storms all around. It may have been a very bad idea to watch Cast Away the night before. Although I did get some great survival tips from Tom Hanks. I actually had a really bad feeling about the flight yesterday, just a sense of unease not helped by the dozens of life insurace company agents at Taipei airport. In the end it was OK, just a bit bumpy, and we did have to go the long way round to avoid the storms.
Aiports are very weird places I've realised. I mean why are they all full of such highend shops? Do people really buy Prada and Gucci on a two hour stop over? Actually no they don't as all of the shops at TPE were completely empty, the only queues were for Burger King. Another thing about these luxury brands is how they are all going off product. The weirdest being Mont Blanc (a pen manufacturer) making hand bags, I mean really? Then there is Dunhill. they used to make fags and lighters, now they make suits. What is going on here? Affluenza I think it's called. Actually that is much in evidence in the booze shops too. For example who pays AU$ 250 for Johnny Walker Blue Whisky? To me JW will always be the cheapo stuff dad used to get for christmas from people at work.
Aiports are very weird places I've realised. I mean why are they all full of such highend shops? Do people really buy Prada and Gucci on a two hour stop over? Actually no they don't as all of the shops at TPE were completely empty, the only queues were for Burger King. Another thing about these luxury brands is how they are all going off product. The weirdest being Mont Blanc (a pen manufacturer) making hand bags, I mean really? Then there is Dunhill. they used to make fags and lighters, now they make suits. What is going on here? Affluenza I think it's called. Actually that is much in evidence in the booze shops too. For example who pays AU$ 250 for Johnny Walker Blue Whisky? To me JW will always be the cheapo stuff dad used to get for christmas from people at work.
The rest of yesterday was surreal as I spent the night at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at Changi Airport. Beautiful but a weird experience to be on holiday in a deserted airport, especially one with Michael Jackson performing in the departure hall. Also odd to see 747s taxing outside the bathroom window. The food was great though with a buffet with all these little desserts to have. Needless to say the diet starts when I get back. I also wonder why an airport hotel would have the National Geographic channel on it's cable as every time I turn it on it's showing Air Crash Investigation. Why do I watch these things?
So now i am waiting for the last flight to Perth and watching all the Indian travellers tying up bags and boxes with string.
I hope they realise it's one piece of hand luggage only.
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