Looking back. The view from Australia.

On April 7, I came dangerously close to missing the plane.


- If that had happened, there would have been no civil ceremony of marriage ahead of the church wedding fixed for April 9. There was a problem with Qantas at Melbourne Airport.


- Qantas had converted without prior notice the check in for a domestic Sydney connector flight, to a full international check in. Added to which there were different lines and delays in waiting to reach the desk. The officil notice was to check in 45 minutes before departure, but the warning received at the sesk was that I should have checked in 90 minutes in advance.





Let's just be thankful that they rushed me through at the last minute. - The problem with Qantas is that there is no through flight between Melbourne and Manila. - Unlike other airlines, where the same plane continues on. - This means that you are required to take a domestic flight between Melbourne and Sydney. At Sydney there is chaos because the international and domestic terminals are miles apart, linked by a primitive bus service, and requiring additional baggage handling and security checks.



But on April 18, feeling weak from the effects of colds, pregnancy and Qantas, ..... Ai stepped out from melbourne Airport into the Australian sunshine. We were met by the incredibly generous Michael P., with a stretched limo!

So let's work back over the events of the weddings [plural]. Civil and then religious. And take note of the realities underlying them...