Desert sand

We have taken a southerly route to the Middle East this time, across Europe down what was the Yugoslavian coastline before cutting across the Med to Egypt, the photo above is the view as we crossed the Egyptian coast. The desert comes down to the sea but it is still clear enough to get a reasonable photograph. A short while later the sand in the atmosphere meant that the ground was no longer visible. It may sound obvious but sand gets everywhere in the desert, it does not just lie around it blows about and gets into every gap and makes washing cars a daily task or one you just don't bother with at all.

Transition

I love being at home and after all this time I am OK with being away, I do however have difficulty with the transitory state between the two. Its Sunday morning and I am at Heathrow airport having just boarded my flight to the Middle East, its a short trip I will be back home in two and a half days. My Saturday was fine but in the early evening I had to pack a bag and arrange a taxi for 0330 Sunday morning, this meant my head was slowly getting into away mode. This combined with the fact that the meeting I am attending is an important one on the future progress of the company meant that I was not as relaxed as I might have been. I am missing my youngest sons football and the family Sunday which is always depressing, travelling  at weekends is always worse. Once I get to the airport at the other end I will have fully transitioned to "away mode" and all will be fine again. When I get back on Tuesday its just for one night and I am away in Poland for two nights before getting back home about 11PM on Friday night to start the weekend.

The Japanese toilet seat

The Japanese have a very different and unique attitude to the toilet seat and I will try to describe it without too much vulgar reference; they have managed to automate it!

When you sit down it will automatically start some water running into the bowl, I don’t know why it does this but it does. Having finished your business you then have a selection of buttons which will control the speed direction and most importantly temperature of the water, I doubt you want ice cold water sprayed onto your rear unexpectedly.  

Lost in translation

a well know rehydrating drink from Japan

Airport Piano’s

A number of airports have recently installed pianos for the public to play. I am in transit in Amsterdam at the moment and have 4 hours to kill and have just been captivated by a passenger who sat down and played one beautifully. I have to say it has totally uplifted me. I wish she could have stayed longer. Equally I am sure played badly they can have the opposite effect but this was outstanding.     

Lost in Translation

I saw this in a supermarket over Christmas, its actually Dog Food but the packaging does not say what sort of Adult they have mixed with the Chicken.

and so it begins again

So January 5th and the year has started again, its a Sunday evening and I am in an Airport, I love Airports and aircraft but I hate overcrowded departure lounges with masses of humanity looking for seats and waiting for flights. one thing I really dislike is airports that publish the gate numbers late to keep this mass of humanity together in the hope they will spend money in the shops, just let me know where the gate is and let me get to the peace and quite away from the departure lounge........ I tried guessing where the gate would be this time last year and went to the wrong place missing my flight as a result so here I sit in some branded coffee shop which the cup tells me is Starbucks although the coffee tastes no different than McDonalds or Café Nero.