Saturday 28 July
When we check in our hold luggage, my case and Reg's rucksack are only just under the 23 kilograms allowed - the luggage weight-hook did it's job. We forget though to put the weight-hook back in the suitcase, and it turns up as a strange item in our hand luggage in the x-ray machine - because of the hook. When the security official sees what it is, she fortunately doesn't confiscate it.
The flight is good, and much more comfortable by Qatar airlines than our flights to and from South Africa last November by British Airways. This time there is room to stretch out our legs under the seat in front which is much better for Reg's long legs and my knees!
Our Qatar journey actually involves 2 flights, as we stop over in Doha for a couple of hours. When we arrive at Heathrow, at about 7.00 am British time, our body clocks tell us it's 2.00 am, as Singapore is 7 hours ahead of UK.
Our daughter Elaine and her boyfriend Jake are waiting for us at the barrier as we come into the arrivals hall, with a big poster saying "Welcome to the UK, Mum and Dad". Elaine hugs her Dad, then it's my turn, and I shed a few tears. It's good to be back on English soil, but a strange feeling.
Elaine says we have to text George and Marianne, our son and his fiancee, to tell them we're on our way down the M4. When we get home , there are "Welcome home" banners on the front door and window, and George and Marianne are there to greet us. Big hugs all round, then George cooks us a fry up brunch. They've brought all the food with them - eggs, bacon, sausages and mushrooms. It's lovely to catch up on everyone's news.
"How does it feel to be home? Did you enjoy your trip?"
Yes, we had a wonderful trip, and learned a lot about ourselves in the process, as well as about other countries and cultures. But how does it feel to be home?
Of course its fantastic to be home, after such a long time away, and to be back in the bosom of our family. Elaine's done a brilliant job looking after the house, sifting through our post as we asked her to, and opening anything important. George has mowed the lawns, quite a task when you're working and live some distance away and have your own house to see to. Jake and Marianne have helped too. We're looking forward to getting back in touch with our friends, who've been so supportive of our trip and many of whom have had Elaine around for a meal or two while we've been away! I'll be glad, too, to be able to worship regularly with others, and to be part of a Christian church community once again.
Being home though is like being in another world, which of course it is really. It's almost too much to take in all at once, and not helped by the long flight and feeling jet-lagged already. Reg and I both know it will probably take at least a couple of weeks to adjust, so we need to take it slowly. We need to gradually weave ourselves back in to our "normal" life. Reg has to readjust to the things he enjoys doing, plus the jobs that needs doing! :-) I'll have to get back into my studying, and the things I enjoy doing, interwoven with the things I don't enjoy so much but which have to be done in a house. The things people normally do.
When you're travelling and living out of a suitcase. although of course you have luggage, you have none of the physical "baggage" with which we Westerners surround ourselves at home. No furniture of furnishings (except those in our hotel or hostel, which aren't ours), no extraneous personal effects, some of which mean a lot to us because they hold precious memories, some we feel we couldn't manage without, and some we should have got rid of years ago. I think of the many people in South East Asia who live in poverty, some of whom literally have their roll up mats to sleep on, and their cooking utensils, their clothing, and very little else. Reg and I live a very privileged life.
It's great that we have 3 weddings to look forward to in September and October - not least our son George's and Marianne's wedding. I'll enjoy my sister Heather and I getting together to make the wedding cake.
One of the essential items we took with us on our trip, for me, was Reg's little notebook computer. We've been able to keep in touch with family and friends via email, and importantly, for me, it's enabled me to write this blog. Reg has faithfully "proof-listened" to every blog I've written, putting me right if he's spotted a factual error, or adding a comment, or mentioning something I've forgotten. The blog has been a part of both of us for the whole of the trip, giving our journey extra meaning, and enabling us to record precious memories. I'm astonished to read that over the weeks, people in several different countries have been reading it - the statistics on my blog tell me that altogether there have been 8,975 pageviews!
This is my last blogpost (I think!). I'd like to thank all those who've dipped into the blog, sent us comments and emails, encouraging us, and also commiserating with us when things have gone wrong. Those who are close to us know that, because of illness and family circumstances, there's no way 7 years ago that we could ever have envisaged being able to undertake this epic journey, all the way from Bristol to Singapore, by train.
How thankful we are for our blessings.
When we check in our hold luggage, my case and Reg's rucksack are only just under the 23 kilograms allowed - the luggage weight-hook did it's job. We forget though to put the weight-hook back in the suitcase, and it turns up as a strange item in our hand luggage in the x-ray machine - because of the hook. When the security official sees what it is, she fortunately doesn't confiscate it.
The flight is good, and much more comfortable by Qatar airlines than our flights to and from South Africa last November by British Airways. This time there is room to stretch out our legs under the seat in front which is much better for Reg's long legs and my knees!
Our Qatar journey actually involves 2 flights, as we stop over in Doha for a couple of hours. When we arrive at Heathrow, at about 7.00 am British time, our body clocks tell us it's 2.00 am, as Singapore is 7 hours ahead of UK.
Our daughter Elaine and her boyfriend Jake are waiting for us at the barrier as we come into the arrivals hall, with a big poster saying "Welcome to the UK, Mum and Dad". Elaine hugs her Dad, then it's my turn, and I shed a few tears. It's good to be back on English soil, but a strange feeling.
Elaine says we have to text George and Marianne, our son and his fiancee, to tell them we're on our way down the M4. When we get home , there are "Welcome home" banners on the front door and window, and George and Marianne are there to greet us. Big hugs all round, then George cooks us a fry up brunch. They've brought all the food with them - eggs, bacon, sausages and mushrooms. It's lovely to catch up on everyone's news.
"How does it feel to be home? Did you enjoy your trip?"
Yes, we had a wonderful trip, and learned a lot about ourselves in the process, as well as about other countries and cultures. But how does it feel to be home?
Of course its fantastic to be home, after such a long time away, and to be back in the bosom of our family. Elaine's done a brilliant job looking after the house, sifting through our post as we asked her to, and opening anything important. George has mowed the lawns, quite a task when you're working and live some distance away and have your own house to see to. Jake and Marianne have helped too. We're looking forward to getting back in touch with our friends, who've been so supportive of our trip and many of whom have had Elaine around for a meal or two while we've been away! I'll be glad, too, to be able to worship regularly with others, and to be part of a Christian church community once again.
Being home though is like being in another world, which of course it is really. It's almost too much to take in all at once, and not helped by the long flight and feeling jet-lagged already. Reg and I both know it will probably take at least a couple of weeks to adjust, so we need to take it slowly. We need to gradually weave ourselves back in to our "normal" life. Reg has to readjust to the things he enjoys doing, plus the jobs that needs doing! :-) I'll have to get back into my studying, and the things I enjoy doing, interwoven with the things I don't enjoy so much but which have to be done in a house. The things people normally do.
When you're travelling and living out of a suitcase. although of course you have luggage, you have none of the physical "baggage" with which we Westerners surround ourselves at home. No furniture of furnishings (except those in our hotel or hostel, which aren't ours), no extraneous personal effects, some of which mean a lot to us because they hold precious memories, some we feel we couldn't manage without, and some we should have got rid of years ago. I think of the many people in South East Asia who live in poverty, some of whom literally have their roll up mats to sleep on, and their cooking utensils, their clothing, and very little else. Reg and I live a very privileged life.
It's great that we have 3 weddings to look forward to in September and October - not least our son George's and Marianne's wedding. I'll enjoy my sister Heather and I getting together to make the wedding cake.
One of the essential items we took with us on our trip, for me, was Reg's little notebook computer. We've been able to keep in touch with family and friends via email, and importantly, for me, it's enabled me to write this blog. Reg has faithfully "proof-listened" to every blog I've written, putting me right if he's spotted a factual error, or adding a comment, or mentioning something I've forgotten. The blog has been a part of both of us for the whole of the trip, giving our journey extra meaning, and enabling us to record precious memories. I'm astonished to read that over the weeks, people in several different countries have been reading it - the statistics on my blog tell me that altogether there have been 8,975 pageviews!
This is my last blogpost (I think!). I'd like to thank all those who've dipped into the blog, sent us comments and emails, encouraging us, and also commiserating with us when things have gone wrong. Those who are close to us know that, because of illness and family circumstances, there's no way 7 years ago that we could ever have envisaged being able to undertake this epic journey, all the way from Bristol to Singapore, by train.
How thankful we are for our blessings.
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