24 Jun 2017 – Qatar Airways
Wed: tkx Mette for dropping by to say hi&bye. Had a simple outdoors, lunch enjoying one pretty yellow rose and the berry blooms+the cherry tree which none of these I will get to taste. Mette leaves for Spain tomorrow and I for SIN, safe travels to us both. #6 had a Bday party@his daycare while May & I had dinner@Bicks.
Thu: bright and early to catch the first tram (0519hrs) into town for the Xpress train to the airport. Thought that there would be enough time to grab a hot-dog but turned out that the plane was leaving 0830hrs instead of 0930hrs…
Full 6+hrs flight on EconomyC from OSL-DOH sitting between 2dads and across the aisles from 2moms each with 3kids, making it a total of 6kids ranging from infant-6yrs!! Thank goodness for 3movies (ComingThru’The Rye, Hidden Figures&I DanielBlake, not that I will remember any of them!) and good ear-plugs 🙂
Arr on schedule into DOH and am sure glad that I upgraded to BusinessC from DOH-SIN. This is the first time I have treated myself to this luxury and after OSL-DOH, it was most welcome. All my travels so far are on budget or the lowest possible fares, thus lousy flight-times and long layovers, this time 10+hrs…
@The BusinessC Lounge in DOH airport- good supper of chicken, seafood, beef-stew and tabbouleh. What a nice surprise to bump into CheaKok whom I have not seen for over a decade, had a delightful chat with him. Of course working in Qatar with company-paid travel expenses, he is travelling to SIN on the 2010hrs flight while the SIN flight I am on departs 0240hrs. No worries, in no rush and after a long hot shower and snooze in the quiet-area, was feeling tired, but blessed and contented.
Another full 7+hrs flight, even in BusinessC from DOH-SIN with the comforts of a BusinessC passenger. Definitely can easily get used to this but unlikely that I will pay S$484 to upgrade again!
Fri: TGIF – arr into SIN T3 20mins later than scheduled after 14+hrs OSL-DOH-SIN flight and 10+hrs layover@DOH. Took me less than 5mins thru’ passport control even though the thumb-print is not always successful on the auto-scan.
#36Bus (less than S$1) back to my pad in this nice not so hot cloudy weather. Always enjoy seeing the colourful bougainvilleas on the ECP. And this time even a couple taking their wedding pix at the ECParkway. Welcome back to my birthplace.
Can any man or woman choose duties? No more that they can choose their birthplace, or their father or mother – George Eliot
Sat: Happy Birthdays to nephews John (Chun) in KL, Clement in SIN and student from HI/ USA, Huang.
Bus to Les&Ivy but taking a different route changing@Parkview. Time for pix while waiting for #7bus.
Beautiful blooms on this short walk from the bus-stop for a crab dinner with good wines to compliment the foods. Tkx to Les&Ivy for dinner and to MeiPin for the ride back to the East.