General Discussion & Chat: Best/ worse/ ? did you learn today #28visit with friends..., 1 by Gitagal

Gitagal wrote:
Laura--TOO funny!!!!! Playing one's vacuum cleaner!!! Should suggest that for "America's Funniest Videos"!

I was only in Aussie Land for 2 weeks, and the second week was spent in New Zealand. It was NOT a touristy trip. Well-it was, sort of! We were there for a HUGE Estonian World-Wide, cultural festival that is held somewhere in the World every 4 years.
1988 was Australia's turn.
My whole family went. My husband had been eating--sleeping--breathing and dreaming about this trip for 2 years prior with his cronies. It was a HUGE deal! Of course!

From the East Coast here, we flew to California and from there to Hawaii and then, non stop to Melbourne. It is in the Hawaiian Airport only that we met up with our two daughters as we spent 3 days in CA visiting with my DH sister. THERE THEY WERE--IN THE AIRPORT--BAREFOOT AND SLOSHED! Having the time of their lives along with all their friends.

From CA to Hawaii to Australia--we lost a total of 21 hrs--so, lets say a whole day! The "DAY" we lost was Christmas Day! The good part of that was that there was almost NO jet lag after we arrived.

Now--here is the fun part........

We flew by ( I think???) "Quantas" airlines. They were known for serving complimentary drinks during their flights. Well--picture this! Half the plane was filled with hyped-up, rowdy Estonians heading to Australia--a trip of their lives!!!! I really felt sorry for the rest of the passengers! This crowd was alcohol-insatiable! We/They drank the flight dry!!! Many a birthday was 'invented" so they had to serve a bottle of Champagne. This went on and on--until they had no booze left. Can you imagine the level of "Party Atmosphere"?

Here is the sad part............

On the LONG flight--my husband and I had separate seats. I guess it couldn't be helped, but I sure hated it! Then--my husband ignored me the whole trip. The girls (then ages 20 and 23) were on their own with their own accommodations doing their own thing (that's how Daddy-O wanted it) and I was busy with rehearsals for the folk-dancing performance as well as the Kannel (an Estonian folk instrument with 37 strings that is played with your fingers) practices, so he just did his own thing. Many a night I returned to our budget hotel to an empty room. Luckily--it had the best bar downstairs. I spent a lot of time there talking to all the local people. Good beer!
I suppose this was a "sign" of the beginning of the END!

Then I started getting the "bug" and was sick most of the time we were in New Zealand. Even though we all lived on buses there (Tours--you know), I so enjoyed all the native Maori cultural performances and information. AND--AL:L the plants and flowers--of course! Drove the Tour Guide crazy woth questions! What's that?????

The "bummer" part continued, though.....Another woman on out tour started hanging around with my husband. Everywhere HE was--SHE was! Buses...Hot tub...etc.
And you know what? He had NO clue! Here i was sick, and lonely and a zillion miles from home on a once-in-a-lifetime-trip with my family!....ALL alone........Sob story....

From New Zealand we went on to Tahiti (part of the "package") and from Tahiti we spent the last 3 days in the most wonderful place I have ever been in my life----Moorea--just 7 miles off the coast of Tahiti. Moorea is an atoll island. One big volcanic mountain jutting out of the sea with wonderful beaches and scenery.
Our accommodations were fancy grass huts and they warned us not to worry about these little lizards, should we see them. They were, supposedly, "good luck".
Our bartender was a 6'-something transvestite that mixed awesome drinks. He wore a dress and never shaved his legs. Teee...Heee.....

This reminds me of a story we heard in Tahiti. Hope you all don't mind!

30% of the male population of Tahiti is gay. Gays are so looked-down upon there, that the mothers disown their sons if they are. So, they find jobs in the Restaurant/Tourist business to exist. Therefore--a lot of the waiters and hotel employees are gay men/transvestites. NO big deal!

Another observation-----In Tahiti I found it SOOO strange to see all these black, natives everywhere....BUT--they were all speaking French! Kind of a mental dichotomy!

Also---There is NO mail delivery in Tahiti. You have to go pick it up....BUT......They will deliver fresh-baked bread to everyone's house daily! OK! Now--this WAS 1988!

Something else of interest (I hope so!). The Airport in Tahiti is called "AAA"--that IS it's name--and in the Polynesian language, EVERY vowel is pronounced! Phonetically! So, you would say: The "Ah..Ah..Ah Airport".
The runway juts 2 miles out into the ocean and is, SURPRISE, an emergency landing strip for the Space Shuttle! Again--we are talking 20 years ago! Still--amazing!

Hey, Guys!!!!!

I started this thread to post pictures of the snow. WHAT the heck happened???????
I guess I just have stories to tell--and no one in my family is interested.....Well--they were there--but they have NO idea of how all this impacted ME!
I think what I have always craved is to have someone who will listen to what I have to tell. SO! Even if it is through the "nebulous internet"--YOU all are IT!!!! TAG!

Gita

PS. NOW I will post the pictures in the next Thread! I am sure there are about 10 new Threads posted int he time it took me to type all this! I am NOT like Betty! She must type about 200 words per minute. I use ONE finger on my left hand and 3 on the right.....:o)

OH!! I cannot leave you all without posting my favorite photo from the Tahiti Trip! There we were--just arrived in our Hotel and sitting out on the deck, sipping some Tropicl drink. The sun was setting on the black-sandy beach. Then--I snapped this picture!
Truly--this is of "Geographic" Quality!!!!!.............At least I think so!!!!!