Ottawa Ontario December 14, 2024

 Hello All; I had a great trip home on 11 December, with a surprise ending at the Ottawa airport. I was up at 04;00 on that morning, and at the airport and checked in at 05;00. They need three hours for International flights. Since we had a tail wind all the way to Vancouver, this leg of the trip was just over 13 hours. While we were still climbing to our assigned altitude of 33,000 feet, a meal was served. At 09;00, one would expect breakfast...but no, Air Canada served a very large dinner!. Twelve hours later, breakfast was served.  Upon arrival we had to claim our checked luggage, then go through Customs and Immigration which was very quick....two people on duty, but dozens of machines for passport checking and declarations of purchases. I was through the process in less than five minutes, and gave the printout to a staff member on my way out of Arrivals. We then went to a counter where our luggage was to be put on a conveyer to be routed to our respective aircraft.  At that counter, there was no one on duty....they admitted later to forgetting to staff it. I found that we could go up three floors to a check-in counter and place our luggage on a conveyer, which I did, with several others following...over a hundred waiting at the first location.

As soon as we departed Vancouver for Toronto, just after 09;00, breakfast was served. Everything went smooth for the Toronto flight, and the transfer and flight to Ottawa. I waited until the last piece of luggage was delivered on the conveyer, but...mine was not there. I went to the Air Canada counter in the luggage area and discussed the situation with the chap on duty. He checked my receipt on the system and informed me that my one piece of luggage was in Toronto, and was already loaded for the next flight to Ottawa. It would arrive, if on schedule at 01;30. It was 11;30 already, so I took a taxi home, and my luggage arrived at 09;00 in the morning. All in all, it was a great vacation.

I had one day to relax and sort out a number of things, then on Friday, I worked two hours on the Salvation Army Christmas Bells, at a Loblaws Superstore. I will be doing a shift each day until 23 December.

Take care, and have a great holiday season. I will do an update around mid January, as to where and when I will travel next.   

Bangkok Thailand December 10, 2024

 Hello all. I am now at a hotel close to the airport, where I will depart for Vancouver at 08;30 tomorrow morning.  The stay at Pattaya was great, but time has run out for this trip.  I received an email from AC this morning, so I have already checked in and have my boarding pass. I had to call the Air Canada office here in Bangkok this morning, as they had made several omissions. They still had me in Economy, to Vancouver and then on to Toronto. It was a small omission, but their request to me for meal selection only applied to the flight from Vancouver to Toronto. While speaking with the AC agent at the Bangkok office, they confirmed I was in Premier Economy for both legs. Their  system was ahead of the Head Office. I explained the meal issue and said they would pass it on. The problem nowdays is the fact that technology  is replacing people, so at times we see many issues when machines talk to each other. 

I brought my winter parka with me because I expected cold wet snow when I returned to Canada, and it looks like I will not be disappointed.

I will do a follow up from Ottawa before long after I get there. I am volunteering again for the Salvation Army Christmas kettles, so will soon be back to working a few hours a week until December 24.

Take care

Pattaya, Thailand December 3, 2024

 Hello all; Greetings from a 33 degree Pattaya.  The weather here continues to be dry, and quite warm. One week from today, I will be starting the return to a much cooler Canada. I have made the decision to treat myself to a seat upgrade , for just 300 dollars plus tax, for the flights from Bangkok to Vancouver, then the flight to Toronto. I will be in Premium Economy. This move also takes me from near the back of the aircraft, behind the wings and engines,  to 14 rows from the front, well ahead of the engines.  The aircraft for these flights is the Boeing 787-900 series. The flight to Ottawa will be a regular seat in Economy, and a much smaller aircraft.

We have here at this large hotel a nine hole par 27 golf course. Because of the heat, we have not tried it yet, but I will take two of my Thai friends out there one evening and we will give it a try. The same friends must leave here this afternoon for a ten hour drive into the north of Thailand to a city called Udon Thani. They received the sad news yesterday that an aunt had passed away. The funeral will be there on Thursday afternoon....then they will drive back here.  Some live here. I declined the invitation to go with them.

This afternoon, I will go shopping for vitamins for myself and friends back home. These are the same as available in Canada, but less than half the price.

Take care, I expect to do an update before my departure from Pattaya.