Yahoo another post!

Yes the beagle as finally landed.

I have arrived on the golden shores of Australia and can now bask in its sunshine, enjoy its inexpensive food and drink (relatively speaking), gape at the new expressways of Sydney (and their fecking tolls) and gasp at the hectic pace of real city living.

I survived the 24-hour flight on Etihad Airways from Dublin to Sydney which was broken by a brief stop-over in Abu Dhabi. Now one of the major attractions of flying Etihad (apart from the price) was the fact that it went direct from Dublin to Abu Dhabi (or Scooby Dooby as my young daughters called it)then Scooby Dooby to Sydney.
(The other attraction was that I felt the risk of being taken out by a Christian suicide bomber on an Arab Airline was very, very low)

I got out of the aircraft at Abu Dhabi airport (there was not an option) to find that the airport's architects had taken the term 'international hub' literally. Passengers got on and off their aircraft at the end of the spokes of the wheel and were directed to the hub in the middle of the complex.

Sure there were shops and stalls in this 'hub' but, like a scene from an old prison movie, a great number of passengers - most of them obviously from the Middle East - were killing time walking around the hub and doing so in an anti-clockwise direction.

Now I blame the jet lag (even though I was only seven hours into the sojourn) but after observing this phenomenon for a good 15 minutes I decided to join this almost migratory movement around the terminal. But not satisfied with just joining the throng I decided to go against the tide and walk in the other direction.

I politely stepped out of people's way, waving and nodding politely to passersbys, smiling broadly to those I passed on a regular basis for the next 20 minutes.

Then the number of walkers started thinning as I am sure some became quite perturbed at the friendliness and effusive smiling of this daft Westerner.

Within half-an-hour of me starting my perambulation around Abu Dhabi airport the anti-clockwise movement of walkers had almost completely stopped and I noticed people started walking in the same direction as my good self.

SO I can honestly say that I started a new movement in the Middle East.
BOOM-TISH (I'm here all week, try the veal.)

Anyway after an hour or three in Scooby Dooby I was back on the plane and heading off to Sydney. 14 hours later I land - on schedule - and get through immigration and customs in double quick time.

I head towards the doors into Sydney international terminal ready to embrace the family I hadn't seen in almost seven years....how will they have changed? Will my parents look older? How much older? Will my brother and sister be there? Their children? An old mate had made sure he was in Sydney this week to greet me. Ahh I will enjoy that first ice-cold VB!

Don't get emotional, I say to myself. Keep it together...remember you are an adult...

The entrance to the concourse gets closer and closer and then I am through!! My eyes eagerly scour the people gathered at the entrance....and continue to scour......and keep looking...check again.

After about 10-15 minutes of looking, sometimes at an embarrassingly close range with some people, of walking up and down with my luggage through the crowds gathered at the gates - who are embracing long lost relatives and loved ones - the stark realisation hits home. THERE'S NO ONE HERE!

Oh shite...