by Yasmin Allen-Robbins on Monday, February 28, 2011 at 2:30 pm
Good afternoon,
I am sitting here in my sister's sunny living room having my first cup of coffee and enjoying the nothingness in the air. Getting back yesterday Sunday Feb. 27th. from Ipswich to Brisbane - Queensland, to Sydney to Home in Newcastle - New South Wales, was nearly as bad as getting into Ipswich last Monday (I have an attention-grabbing story about Ipswich to tell you next)
I got picked up early enough to sit and say farewell over a cup of coffee at the airport cafe only the flight taking off for Brisbane was delayed - then a few more times. So I found a perfect seat in the waiting terminal to people watch, I pulled out my laptop and wrote a few paragraphs that could have been said in one sentence... now you knew that. My view was uninstructed and mollifying as I watched planes taxi in and people disembarking with a spring in their step while walking down the outside stairs of the plane across the tarmac to the open terminal. My plane it seemed was popular with many families with children, they were making the best of the delays by spreading themselves all around the floor, mothers were playing with their little ones and some were playing with their hand held toys, older children were making quick friendships with others and immediately I saw they began to play together. I smiled inwardly as this amusing scene unfolded in front of me. I guess the teacher in me hasn't left.
As you all know I enjoy recoiling to the corner of the window seat to leisurely watch the earth go by and find potholes in the clouds, but this time my seat was changed for whatever reason to between 2 very, very Big people one snored and the other graciously tried to make himself smaller by crushing himself into the skin of the plane and every few minutes I'd hear an exorbitant sigh of disgust as he looked at his watch.
My next adventure began in Sydney where I took the rickety rail to Central, from there I would normally take the train home, but the rail lines were doing their maintenance so in that case they transport by coach buses. Now I needed to find the location of the buses. Since I am not a man who doesn't ask for directions LOL, I approached an attendant who graciously pointed me to the correct exit, I tell you this because a group of men were trying to find the same bus but wouldn't ask...Dah! They heard me and followed, I walked fast hoping I'd loose them as they cheated and got directions on my skirt ... I found the the buses with bright colored signs saying" Yasmin this is your bus," actually I thought it said that - but to others it read, "blah, blah, blah... Stops with Hamilton and Newcastle."
Mulling around was a huge crowd all wanting to go to Newcastle.Instead of the staunch riders of the week who always looked subdue riding in as well as out was a crowd of travelers who may have come into Sydney just for the day to shop or visit, I could tell the whir of excitement was winding down the longer we waited. The inviting and comfortable buses finally opened it's doors, I just stood back as the people mobbed the steps to get on, they were re-energized and heaved their way in rudely not wanting to miss out on a seat. I just waited and got on the next bus, where again the crowd showed the same anxiousness, but this time a burly attendant barked out instructions putting some order back into the passengers. I found my way near to the back to sit in my usual spot beside the window. An elderly gentleman sat beside me, he seemed to be pleased to have someone he could chat with, but more so he enjoyed reminiscing about his "Old Sydney" and I listened with curiosity as he told me about familiar landmarks along what was to be a long few hours journey.
The ride over the narrow roads of Sydney and the smooth two lane highway was quicker than the milk run stops of the train, but tormenting on my head and torture on my cramped legs. The buzz of whispers were drowned out by a drunk woman who with my luck of the day, sat or I should say slithered in the isle seat across from me while continually arguing with her boyfriend at the top of her lungs. The murmur of the bus every now and then was raised as parents were beginning to feel the stress of the ride. I was pleased to have escaped most of this hubbub by looking out the massive windows to the beauty of landscape and to feel like a voyeur as I watched the passengers in the passing cars below.
Can you imagine what should have been an harmonious 6 hour trip took 11 hours of commotion. By now I only wanted to put my head down somewhere and finish the day out quietly in the comfort of my sister's tranquil home.
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