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I made it to Georgia.
Left HK in the middle of a Typhoon 8 (IDK what it was, but they started cancelling Monday flights, so it sounded pretty serious). Reached Istanbul on time as per schedule.
Istanbul was redoing their airport last time I came through here in 2022. It is the headquarters of Turkish Airlines which services a large chunk of Eastern Europe and Western Asia (and Africa, and all the major world centres).
It's freaking HUGE. And shiny. And new. But there are not enough seats, signposts, or information about what to do and where to go and what needs to be done. And nobody could tell me if I was too late to make my flight, so I didn't really have time to look at everything, although I really wanted to...
Sometimes I have to remind myself that almost everything I can get in a major airport, I can find back home in Sydney, home-made and better quality.
Made the flight to Georgia, got off, met the driver who took me to the place where the tour group was today.
There's a lot more to write about, but the highlights are:
Myself and my share roomie are the only two non-Americans on the trip. So we've kind of bonded.
(Apologies to the NJers, but...sincerely, if I said "New Jersey Yiddish" pretty much anyone who's ever watched any amount of American television absolutely will know the tenor of her voice.)
Pretty much everyone else on this tour is either more liberal-leaning or at least knows to STFU about their political thoughts.
Madam!Miami tried to shut down the Alaskan trio (yes, we have a trio that are 'from' Alaska) this afternoon when the topic of Florida banning dictionaries and thesaurii came up and the trio commented that they didn't know if Cruz or the Florida governor was worse, but the governor seems to be pulling ahead by a hair, and someone chimed in about Abbott. I had a moment of blankness and asked which one Abbott was, and a great chorus of 'TEXAS' came in, just before Madam!Miami said "no politics" and was promptly scoffed at.
Anyway, my roomie is polite and doesn't snub her, so she attaches to the roomie wherever we go as a group.
I kind of snubbed her early on. At lunch the first day, I discovered she works in the health insurance system. For Cigna. In Medicaid.
At that point, I had a feeling the conversation was going to go nowhere good.
When I admitted a basic understanding of the American system, she launched into full instruction mode. She was arguing for the 'cleaning up of the healthcare system', basically praising Trump and criticising Biden and Obama. I listened, but at the end said that it sounded like the whole system was fucked and whatever the flaws in Australian Healthcare (of which she claimed knowledge, and I admitted it wasn't perfect) I should rather that than the American system. And then before she could respond, I made like I had received a message and checked my phone. Cowardly maybe, but sometimes you just gotta go while the goings good.
We've been civil enough since, but she doesn't attach to me the way she does to my roomie.
Other than New-Jersey-by-way-of-Miami, there's a trio of Alaskans, assorted Californians (LA and SF), a Portland or two, New York, and a whole bunch of others which I haven't worked out yet. Or they told me and I've forgotten. I've just gotten the hang of everyone's names, although some of it is more my own mental gymnastics to get the correct name out, carefully associating.
It is very difficult, though, to remember that the redhead with the white skin is 'name-I-associate-with-black-women'. Or that the woman who looks like my neighbour down the road is 'popular-pithy-negative-term-name'.
Anyway, they seem a pretty neat bunch of women to travel with for the next five days, and I'm enjoying the tour and travel.
They have lovely countryside/national park. Interesting geography/history. And the food. OH THE FOOD.
More about that tomorrow. We're packing up and on the move, and I need some sleep.
--
I finally got to bed about 45 hours after I'd last properly slept flat. Hong Kong Sunday morning 5am, to Georgia Monday night 10pm.
And then today was a full day 4WDing across the mountains. Fun, but exhausting. I'm amazed I had the energy to write this. Anyway. Bed.
Next town tomorrow, I'll write on the bus.
Left HK in the middle of a Typhoon 8 (IDK what it was, but they started cancelling Monday flights, so it sounded pretty serious). Reached Istanbul on time as per schedule.
Istanbul was redoing their airport last time I came through here in 2022. It is the headquarters of Turkish Airlines which services a large chunk of Eastern Europe and Western Asia (and Africa, and all the major world centres).
It's freaking HUGE. And shiny. And new. But there are not enough seats, signposts, or information about what to do and where to go and what needs to be done. And nobody could tell me if I was too late to make my flight, so I didn't really have time to look at everything, although I really wanted to...
Sometimes I have to remind myself that almost everything I can get in a major airport, I can find back home in Sydney, home-made and better quality.
Made the flight to Georgia, got off, met the driver who took me to the place where the tour group was today.
There's a lot more to write about, but the highlights are:
Myself and my share roomie are the only two non-Americans on the trip. So we've kind of bonded.
lightly political/amusement at 'Americans':
Unfortunately for her, an American from Noo Joisey by way of Miami has "imprinted" (as someone rather amusingly described this evening) on her. Said American is conservative and works in healthcare and has an accent that...well, cuts rather sharply through the conversation, shall we say?(Apologies to the NJers, but...sincerely, if I said "New Jersey Yiddish" pretty much anyone who's ever watched any amount of American television absolutely will know the tenor of her voice.)
Pretty much everyone else on this tour is either more liberal-leaning or at least knows to STFU about their political thoughts.
Madam!Miami tried to shut down the Alaskan trio (yes, we have a trio that are 'from' Alaska) this afternoon when the topic of Florida banning dictionaries and thesaurii came up and the trio commented that they didn't know if Cruz or the Florida governor was worse, but the governor seems to be pulling ahead by a hair, and someone chimed in about Abbott. I had a moment of blankness and asked which one Abbott was, and a great chorus of 'TEXAS' came in, just before Madam!Miami said "no politics" and was promptly scoffed at.
Anyway, my roomie is polite and doesn't snub her, so she attaches to the roomie wherever we go as a group.
I kind of snubbed her early on. At lunch the first day, I discovered she works in the health insurance system. For Cigna. In Medicaid.
At that point, I had a feeling the conversation was going to go nowhere good.
When I admitted a basic understanding of the American system, she launched into full instruction mode. She was arguing for the 'cleaning up of the healthcare system', basically praising Trump and criticising Biden and Obama. I listened, but at the end said that it sounded like the whole system was fucked and whatever the flaws in Australian Healthcare (of which she claimed knowledge, and I admitted it wasn't perfect) I should rather that than the American system. And then before she could respond, I made like I had received a message and checked my phone. Cowardly maybe, but sometimes you just gotta go while the goings good.
We've been civil enough since, but she doesn't attach to me the way she does to my roomie.
Other than New-Jersey-by-way-of-Miami, there's a trio of Alaskans, assorted Californians (LA and SF), a Portland or two, New York, and a whole bunch of others which I haven't worked out yet. Or they told me and I've forgotten. I've just gotten the hang of everyone's names, although some of it is more my own mental gymnastics to get the correct name out, carefully associating.
It is very difficult, though, to remember that the redhead with the white skin is 'name-I-associate-with-black-women'. Or that the woman who looks like my neighbour down the road is 'popular-pithy-negative-term-name'.
Anyway, they seem a pretty neat bunch of women to travel with for the next five days, and I'm enjoying the tour and travel.
They have lovely countryside/national park. Interesting geography/history. And the food. OH THE FOOD.
More about that tomorrow. We're packing up and on the move, and I need some sleep.
--
I finally got to bed about 45 hours after I'd last properly slept flat. Hong Kong Sunday morning 5am, to Georgia Monday night 10pm.
And then today was a full day 4WDing across the mountains. Fun, but exhausting. I'm amazed I had the energy to write this. Anyway. Bed.
Next town tomorrow, I'll write on the bus.
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I'm glad you made it! Strength to you in coping with Madam!Miami
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"HUGS"
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