Live Life. Life is Short. Life is an Adventure.

Diary: 20^th April 2007

My recent forgetfulness of leaving my nice expensive iRiver iFP799 1GB MP3 player ($183) and my Sony Noise Canceling Headphones ($150) on a plane flight to San Juan has caused me to considering buying a iPod 80GB.

I was impressed by a demonstration on the plane to Grenada of an Australian that was showing me photos on her iPod. Something I’ve wanted to be able to more easily do when presenting my photos. For now my research will determine if I can put my own MP3 songs already ripped from my original CD’s (now in storage in another country), and what I can do to interface with under Linux.

Quote from the TV show Numb3rs

Diary: 19^th April 2007

I’ve learned some travel tips from my recent Grenada Experience, some new, some old, some forgotten.

1. Always triple check the country visa requirements, regardless of whether previously a visa was not required for the country.
2. Always have passport photos (me being a dick, I had some, and removed them from my gear before I left).
3. Always have an Australian Flag. I always carry one with me for all travel now for quite some time, I’ve just never got a chance to use it, but you should always be prepared.
4. Have a spare flag if you are going to a sporting event. I ended up giving mine to some supportive locals of the Australian team. It was the least I could do.
5. Make sure you buy your liquids and gels in less then 3oz containers (like sunscreen, deodorant, shampoo etc).
6. Local taxi drivers will always rip you off now matter where you are.

I’m sure there are more I’ve forgotten to remember at this time, but I’ve got a placeholder to add more.

Diary: 20^th April 2007

Today I for filled a dream, to learn to fly. I took my first lesson behind the wheel of a plane.

On Wednesday, fellow friend George told me he had booked an introductory flying lesson at Heritage Flight Academy, flying out of MacArthur Airport on Long Island. Combining the dream, and the opportunity to be available I booked a lesson myself.

This worked to our advantage as we managed with our instructor Rick, and a Cessna 172 Skyhawk to get two flights together. First with George at the wheel, and me the opportunity to watch, listen and take photos of a lovely day. We flew out and landed at East Hampton Airport. I then got my opportunity at the wheel on the flight back to MacArthur.

This is not the first time at the wheel. Once in 1994 I got the chance to go flying with a friend in Hobart, and a chance to hold the wheel.

Flying is not easy. It’s actually rather hard. You are always constantly correcting your direction and elevation. Still I only hope my present E3 Visa is not a limiting factor in me being able to get my Private Pilot license.

I’ve got plenty of photos from the flight, I just left the card in my camera, and I left my camera in New York, so I’ll need to upload them next weekend.

Diary: 18^th April 2007

I’ve arrived home from my whirlwind tour of Grenada and The Cricket World Cup. I managed to survive the Visa debacle, rather hot weather (min 26C/80F), the taxi rout, the foreign ATM’s, the non working hotel toilet, and the locals in their own pace in the world.

It was quite nice to walk along the beach in the surf, play a little beach cricket, meet some fellow Australians as well as other cricket followers. I managed some short stressless, laptop, email free time, no where near enough, but again as with my recent few days in Orlando/Cape Canaveral/Daytona Beach I realised their just isn’t much joy in traveling yourself. I would have given anything to have a friend to share it with.

I got to see two games. First New Zealand winners over South Africa, a rather slow and ultimately boring game. The second Australia winners over Sri Lanka. Again not an overly exciting game in regards to what it could have been if Australia had played any where near the tempo of all there other games.

I made a number of good new friends, people that I can now visit in other countries, as well as the plan to get a tour of Sri Lanka one day when the Australian’s are playing there, and the English Premier Football League next season where I’ll be a new fan of Middlesbrough and Australian Mark Schwarzer.

I’ve have continued with my goal “Life is short. Life Live. Life is an adventure”.

Here I am with new friends at the St Georges National Stadium in Grenada before start of play. More photos to come soon!

Diary: Sunday 15^th April 2007

Today is my third trip to the airport. I finally have my passport as well as the visa that has caused so much pain. Of course it wasn’t easy. Taxi to airport, get throught security to immigration desk (that’s rather trival), wait 20 minutes to be told the person I need to see it not here and should be back in 30 minutes. I try to get more information on it it will be 30 minutes, or they don’t know but no joy. Returning after 30 minutes, then I wait another 25 minutes before I’m attended do. Then of course a taxi back to hotel. It’s been an experience not to remember when I really needed a stress free trip.

Diary: 13^th April 2007

Still have a few moments before my connecting flight from San Juan to Grenada. Here is the contents of the letter necessary from Barbados High Commission to gain entry. Read more history here.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

Please be advised that passengers travelling into the CARICOM Single Domestic Space comprising; Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Commonwealther od Dominica, Grenada, Republic of Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines and the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, should not be denied boarding in the absence of the Caricom Special Visa (CSV). Airlines may record the biographical data from the passengers’ passports for their information/records. The CSV will be issued on arrival at the port of entry.

This letter serves to facilitate the boarding of passengers who in extenuating circumstances could not acquire the Caricom Special Visa.

I certainly didn’t see this one coming, and I’m not the only person caught out.

Diary: 13^th April 2007

Location: American Airlines Admirals Club, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Cost: $50

My life has been most stressful of late. My “dream” job has been far from expectations, I’ve been working crazy hours, and now I’m flying 17hrs a week back and forth from East to West. Combined with issues still with Banks, Credit Cards, and now Insurance Companies, a well as a number of people problems, I need some good luck to come my way.

Today was the start of a few days break in Grenada and to also attend some World Cup Cricket. I am half way there, but I have dodged disaster, possible delay, and mishaps.

Let’ start. Taxi doesn’t arrive at booked time. A phone call and 10 mins later off to airport. As I’m about to leave I realise that I’d not printed out one of the important things I need for my holiday, my tickets to the cricket. Have ticket, passport, hotel. Man I feel like an idiot. Have to do that before tomorrow’s game.

Get to airport, not after taxi misses entry to Terminal A in Newark, banks up a pile of traffic while he reverses backwards in a lane, then crosses 3 lanes of traffic to take right exit.

Electronic checkin didn’t work, had my ticket been on to San Juan, but I have two flights, so I had to line up the old fashion way. Get to checkin counter, it’s now after 6:30am, for a 8:05am flight and the attendant asks “Where is my visa”. What the!

The pursing hour until flight ticketing closure at 7:30am is an hour I would not like to have to enjure again. Apparently, visa requirements for Grenada and Carribean is only temporary until May 15th. Not only that, after getting some more intel, the embassay states no visa is required for countries including Australia.

I’m not the first person to have turned up at the airport recently with this problem, so the only chance is my passport faxed off to embassay, and hopefully a letter allowing me to enter the country and obtain this “temporary” visa at port of entry.

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting. I find out after an update that two other people are also stuck with the same problem. Being obviously cricket fans, I start a conversation. One has come all the way from Brunei, and the other London. To further complicate things, they had specifically contacted embassay and were told no visa required. In addition another traveller known to them, a New Zealander had just flown from London to Carribean with no visa. What the!

With the real possibility I’m going to miss my flight, my travel agency Peak Travel useless as they are on the East Coast, hours from opening, I’m seeking details for rapid visa processing in New York today.

It’s 7:30, the flight checkin is now closed as our faxed letters of entry arrive. We are ticketed, lucky me I only have carry-on, the other 2 with checked bags. A rush through security (other 2 with the treaded SSSS special screening profiling, to the gate to hear final boarding call. On plane. Amazing. I’ve had a close shave like this also on my last international flight to Canada.

BTW, plane left almost an hour late due to electrical difficulties in a cargo area. That could have so easily been a problem, lucky my connection is 4 1/2 hrs.

So, after arriving in San Juan I pay up to get into Admiral’s Club. At least hoping I can print my Cricket Tickets. Initially waiting for computers, kids playing games!, then I get on, slow as hell, in fact Gmail states it’s having problems, do you want to use the HTML view. Finally get right email, there is no paper in the printer, go downstairs, get paper, then the printer won’t print. Of course it’s flashing Spanish error messages. Back downstairs again to ask for help.

An assistant comes up, determines it’s a printer jam, as well as paper needed in the manual feeder. 10 mins later, still broken. I ask is this the only printer, no there is actually another in an adjacent cubicle (printer was hidden from view). Guess what, it’s not working. By now the guy is looking at this printer, so I go to dis-assemble this still not working printer. Find additional paper jam, correct, get my stuff printed, like 6 times. Seems turning off power doesn’t cancel print jobs.

Ok, a little happier now. Sit down, get a drink, think about food, realise I’ve got a packet of biscuits that I opened on the plane. Wait. Did I, no surely I’m not that stupid. Yes I am, I left them on the plane in the seat pocket, along with my noise cancelling headphones and my MP3 player and stuff (At least $350 US worth). Holly crap.

Out to the AA counter, stake my problem, find out the plane has already left to next destination, only chance is that it may be at baggage claim. So I have to head to that, going out from security (so I’ll have to clear security again).

Of course, no success, I have to log a paper claim so I’m not expected to see them again.

I’m of course as stressed as I’ve been lately, I’m sure this has contributed to my lack of sanity at times today. Still I’m alive, breathing, have my money and the hope and prospect of some days without my laptop.

Diary: 14^th April 2007

A full 24 hours after arriving in Grenada, the visa issue is still not over. I’m so, so annoyed with my travel agent (ex travel agent now). We were unable to enter the country easily.

Have only limited time at present, but had to wait, then apply, then the visa could not be issued the same day, and it required a photo. We (as in all 3 of us from Newark) had to leave our passports, get photos today, and return to the airport, only to be told our visa’s would be issued later, so we have to go back to the airport again to get out passports.

Now to make things worse, the visa is only for the World Cup Period, it only applies to a number of countries, it’s just a rout for money. There were Australians on the plane that did not have visa’s. I was sitting beside one of them, yet the got thought immigration. Go Figure.

Still, I’m here, it’s darn hot, the game today was boring, hoping for a better game on Monday.

Diary: 8^th April 2007

It’s been many years since I’ve taken any sunset photos on a plane. Here is one from last week I liked.

From a billboard at Newark Airport. From the website www.forbetterlife.org. For a greater list of quotes, checkout out there Billboards section.

Diary: 12^th April, 2007

Tomorrow I’m off to Grenada, for the Cricket World Cup. I’ll be seeing two games, first New Zealand v South Africa, and then Australia v Sri Lanka. Presently these are top 4 teams in the competition, Australia clear favorites to retrain the title as the best team in the world. It will be great to support my home team. In the past few weeks I would have met or heard about a dozen Indians (sounds a little funny), a dozen people that support India, that have been trying to change or cancel tickets as their team didn’t even make it to the second round.

The only issue is the weather, with the forecast for showers the next 5 days, it could be the only dampener on my short whirlwind holiday.

Still, I’m going to the West Indies to support Australia, see some cricket, get some rays, drink a little and have a clear de-stressing time without work or laptop. Oh my, what am I going to do with myself.

www.underconsideration.com/speakup

Confucious (EA desk)