From the Land Down Under

I'll be honest, it was a bit of an experience getting here. I could make the story quite long, but will inform you of just a few of the things I learned...

1. Overweight luggage is NOT fun.
2. Trying to lighten weight of overweight luggage in middle of Filipino airport is even more NOT fun...I was rummaging through frantically searching for heavy things I could wear - traded my chucks for hiking boots, wore a couple jackets, put books in my carryon (BAD idea)...
3. Delayed flights are not always a bad thing...I would have missed my flight due to aforementioned rummaging had it not been for the divine intervention of a 1.5 hour delay (they even gave us free lunch...that's right CSC followers...one more opportunity to eat Jollibee...mmm.)
4. The Cebu Airport is NOT joking when they say 7 kilos total weight for your carryon. Due to checked baggage excess (I dropped the weight down from a $200 charge to a $116 charge), I loaded my carryon bag with a couple books. BAD idea. They weigh this too and won't let you through if it is over. Who else does this? I've not seen it before. They've never had a problem with my carryon bag and my "purse" which is actually quite heavy.
5. Prayer works. As I continued to get more desperate (I didn't want to start chucking things into the trash, but didn't know what else to do!), the workers were starting to feel more and more sorry for me. First off we don't speak the same language. Secondly, I probably looked a bit frazzled as I realized I would either have to throw things away or somehow call my family to come all the way back to airport and pick some things up. After offering the weigher guy - the only thing standing between me and the plane - some pesos to "please just let me through" another guy walked up, they discussed, and finally just let me go through. Me with my carryon luggage totaling 21 kilos...yes that's 3 times the approved limit weight, thank you very much.
6. Free lunches are blessings after nervewracking events.
7. Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs is a funny funny man.
8. Skyping with family in Hong Kong airport can aid easing any lasting nerves.
9. Briskly walking laps around terminals at HK airport is easy due to it's size...but note it will draw many strange looks from other travelers as you pass them for the 5th time.
10. Free carts to sit your carryon luggage on and push around the airport are crucial to a pleasant layover experience. I am appalled at my previous stupidity in denying myself the luxury of this great feature.
11. Going through overweight luggage experience can easily make one oversensitive to luggage. Man in elevator at HK airport said, "It's too big!" when I stepped on. I went instantly hot and said, "I'm sorry, what was that?" to which he replied, "The airport. It's too big!" Ha, I guess not everyone was noticing the piles of jackets on the cart.
12. Keeping track of sleeping pills even throughout luggage rummaging is key. I had not, so when it came to "lights off" time on the plane, I had NO idea where they might be.
13. Sleep is more likely to come when eyes are covered. Will check "comfort and convenience" baggie provided by the airline next time BEFORE the duration of the flight...provided eye mask would have worked significantly better than sweatshirt sleeve or free blanket (yes, I put it against my face...I can't believe it...I must have been really tired).
14. Tim Tams and Flight of the Conchords do wonders to brighten up a morning.
15. Seeing overweight luggage wind it's way around baggage claim conveyor belt after almost 24 hours of seperation is quite like a glorious reunion.

Ok, well, there you have it! All that to say, I made it to Brisbane with luggage in tow. The first couple days have been great - more on that soon. Right now, dinner is calling and I am not about to ignore the call.