China Part 2: Electric Boogaloo

We're back in China!
Not back home yet, we're waiting in Shanghai after a brief but eventful trip back to the fatherland. While in Australia, we:

• Met my new niece (her name seems to be Lillian but she doesn't talk much)
• Caught up with parents, grandparents, and uncles, aunts, and cousin on one side (at various occasions including lunching, dinnering and possibly some more)
• Caught up with parents, in-laws and nieces on the other side (cause we were kind of staying in their house, it seems rude not to talk to them)

Incidentally, a slight interruption for all of those people who don't think that I'm suitably lovable and cuddly, my second youngest niece Keiralli has taken quite the shine to Unc' Dave and likes to spend time with and talk to him at every opportunity. Anyway...

• Caught up with friends for dinner (mmmmm, nice pizza)
• Had some decent sleep in, then caught up with friends for dinner and drinks (mmmmm Bavarian, shame on you if you didn't come, it was awesome :)
• Went to work (blergh!), had a few meetings, solved some problems, went home and had a nap
• Had more dinner and drinks, then took the dinner on the road (was also awesome, so good to catch up with people)
• Even more breakfast, more catchup with family featuring new niece Lilly (the Lillian thing just isn't going to stick, sorry Melissa and James)
• Dinner with alternate family
• Up early then on the plane

So all in all, it's been quite a visit to Aus. It was fantastic to catch up with all the people, we missed out on seeing some but I guess that's what happens with such a short visit. Hopefully we'll see everyone (that means YOU!) over in our spare bedroom cause we're not back to Aus until probably mid next year at the earliest. The first China milestone of the trip back is now over, time to knuckle down, learn some more Mandarin and see some more China.

The flight here isn't nearly as bad as the flight back. Coming here we left in the morning and then arrive about midnight in Beijing, but for some reason it's better for me than leaving in the evening and arriving at the crack of dawn. I'm pretty bad at sleeping on the plane so a day flight seems to suit me better.

Of course our flight from Canberra was delayed (about 45 minutes), this time because of a baggage loader malfunction. Our flight from Sydney was delayed because the plane arrived late (also 45 minutes) then our baggage was delayed coming to the carousel and I was delayed getting through security. The x-ray machine decided to break down as my bags were inside it. So my bags go in and instantly the x-ray guy is freaking out, the other people start grabbing bags and running around. Of course three different people grabbed my three items and all started heading in different directions, each going to another x-ray machine to use. The problem is that they're all separated by big walls so they weren't going to be able to find me again as soon as they disappeared. Not helpful or comforting! We finally got them pointed in the same direction, then as soon as the bags were scanned again they all just disappeared somewhere. Oh well, I guess it adds some drama!

However all the bags and sundries were recovered, and now we're just sitting using the free Shanghai airport internet (take note Sydney!) and waiting for our next flight. Hopefully we won't be delayed like last time.

Also, thanks Nick and Angela for letting us stay in your house and use your wonderful kitchen and generally put you out for about 4 days.

See you soon peoples!

SPECIAL EDITION - Dave has gone HOME!

Being back in Australia, it's kind of like we never left. It's a little weird. I know that we've only been gone for 6 weeks, and we could have just been on a long holiday but because we've done so much in that time I somehow expected that something would be different.

One thing that's different is that my sister and her husband had a baby. Lillian Elizabeth Alsopp (or something :) is still only 3 weeks old and very small. Also very prone to crying so she pretty much stayed wrapped up in the stroller/crib. I don't think she really cried the whole time we saw her which is nice, but she's been keeping them up through the whole night. Maybe it settles down a little soon, no idea.

When we were in Canberra we caught up with pretty much everyone, parents, grandparents, some uncles, aunts and cousins, (obviously) nieces and some friends as well. I hadn't seen them for a while and many of them seem to have had some children since I last saw them which is also a little weird. They're still pretty much the same as before though, at least on the surface!

We're in Sydney now, partly to do some work and also partly to catch up with people while we get the chance. I don't think we'll be back in Aus until mid next year at the earliest so it's nice to see people when we can (thanks Angela and Nick for letting us stay at your house!!!)

We're having a pretty whirlwind trip this time, not too much time to mess about. We were going to try and go for a dive this morning but conditions haven't been great so we elected to not worry about it. I'm definitely missing that part of Sydney life! Also being able to cross the road without someone trying to run me down, being able to talk to people in the shops and some food I've been missing (Oporto's and pizza, check).

So drinks tonight in the city, meetings tomorrow and BBQ tomorrow night, then back to Canberra on Friday for a last glimpse of the families, then we're on the plane at 6:45 Saturday morning and back to Beijing.

Time flies, but does it get frequent flier points like we do?

Traveling...

It's a long way to Australia!! We left at 11am on Thursday and arrived at jane's parents place at 12:30 on Friday. Part of the problem is having to change planes in Shanghai and again in Sydney.
We got a cab organised by TW who took us to terminal 3 but our itinerary said terminal 2. So he called someone and we called the office who checked with the travel lady and they all said terminal 3 was right. So we got out, went in, found information and were informed we needed to be at terminal 2. Then the office called and apologised for not actually checking when we asked where we should go, and that we needed to be at terminal 2. Mmmmmmm, thanks a bunch. So fighting through the crowds of people who always try to get in elevators, trains etc. before letting anyone off we made our way to the other terminal. When checking in we ran into two American girls who were flabbergasted that Aus is 14 hours away from china as well as the US. Some people really have no idea about geography.
Upon our arrival in Sydney we discovered that the customs and baggage handling staff were both on strike but they were nice enough to let us know they "regret the delays we were experiencing". Not enough to actually not strike though.
Having slept for somewhere between 5 and 11 minutes on the flight, I was not quite ready to deal with this but we managed to get out having only lost about 45 minutes. We then travelled to the other terminal on a bus which took us all the way around the airport (past an airbus a380) that seemed to be stretching, but we made our flight :)

Then another flight to Canberra and I slept the whole way!! Totally exhausted but we made it back.