Spent an all too brief few days relaxing in Bermuda. It’s a quick 2 hour flight from NY and feels a million miles away. It seemed so quiet. Not sure if we chose a good weekend as we expected tourists and cruise ship hordes. We stayed in Shelly Bay on the northern side of the island and a long way from resorts which probably helped.
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With geography no longer a factor we made our pilgrimage to Detroit for DEMF 2009. We didn’t really know anyone heading down but had a great time all the same, almost unexpectedly. Despite the grave warnings from everyone or possibly as a result of everything turned out pretty good. We had a few misses but we still came out smiling at the end of it all.
The festival line-up overall wasn’t a major draw card, I almost feel like a spoilt brat but most of the people we wanted to see we already had. I understand that many of the locals and overseas artists don’t always get the chance for this type of crowd locally. London/Europe really did spoil us! My main impression was it was LOUD! Especially the Made In Detroit stage, a shame as most of the stuff I wanted to check out was here though they seemed to have turned everything down a few notches on all the stages by Monday or my hearing is starting to go.
Our favourite experience by far was when I dragged a tired Sam out on Saturday to the NDATL release party. Great venue with an amazing vibe and some deep ass musics, a welcome change to harder, techier beats we’d encountered at the fest and elsewhere. Chez Damier and Kai Alce were fricking ace and it was so much fun it was silly.
We stayed downtown within easy walking distance to the festival and most of the after parties we made it to. Food situation downtown is tough especially for Sam so we ended up filling up at the hotel a couple times before wandering down to the festival. We got out to Greektown and Mexicantown for some meals also.
Having a car was a nice luxury and whilst not making excessive use of it made the trek out to Melodies & Memories one afternoon to rummage their racks and then out to Oakdale but it being Memorial day everything Sam wanted to check out was closed.
We got to meet loads of interesting people and it was always entertaining people watching. I felt like a geeky cleb spotter at times, at every turn there was a DJ or producer to be found. It was a humbling experience to speak with many of these guys. I just hope i never came across as a wierd fanboy… even though I know I am…
I was a passenger on ill-fated flight AC-33 from Toronto to Sydney via Vancouver on 20th December, 2008 and ended up stuck in Vancouver for nearly two days without luggage. The flight waited in Vancouver for delayed inbound flights with connecting passengers. After a lengthy on board wait we taxied toward the runway and then promptly towed back to the terminal. The long runway needed for our take off was closed by Vancouver Airport as no staff were available to clear it. This surely should have been organised before the flight had even boarded.
We left the plane and waited an hour in the walkway back to the terminal to be told the flight was rescheduled for departure the following night and due to weather related delays we were to find our own accommodation. I waited three hours as all luggage was unloaded from the plane to discover my suitcase was not there. Several Air Canada ground crew in New York told myself and others without luggage that it would be sent through and we did not have to collect it. Being “sent through” I don’t understand as having to collect it at every leg of my journey as I was advised and discovered on my flight back to New York.
Having checked back in for the rescheduled flight (7pm Dec 21) at the gate we were told the flight was canceled and would not be rescheduled as no crew was available. Passengers were given a number to call to reorganise our onward journey. I now consider myself fortunate to have had no luggage as I joined the lengthy queue at your ticketing counter. Meanwhile I was trying to get through to the “special reservations service” and received only a busy tone for an hour.
I was put on standby for the regularly scheduled AC-33 that was to depart at 11:50pm that night and felt fortunate to have received a seated ticket once at the gate. The debacle did not end here ads this flight was delayed to 2am and then until 10am the following morning (22 Jan). Passengers slept in the airport. One unsung hero, a member of the ground staff negotiated for the luggage to remain onboard and avoid us needing to check back in a few hours later. She was still there in the morning handing out vouchers for breakfast and placed blankets on those who had fallen asleep near the departure gate.
An hour before this rescheduled flight (10am 22 Jan) was to depart there were no ground or cabin staff in sight. When some did arrive, no one could confirm the flight was departing. It seemed the flight might be grounded or take off with reduced passengers and crew. It was to some jubilation that a crew was found and the plane was being boarded. Finally airborne the drama continued on the descent into Sydney. Due to the noise curfew and a headwind the pilot announced there might be a possibility of landing in Brisbane. Thankfully this issue was resolved and the plane landed, I was also grateful my suitcase had made it.
Understandably bad weather had some part to play in this ordeal, everyone seemed totally ill equipped to deal with the situation. The manner in which passengers were treated, the lack of information and assistance when a plane load of people had their trips interrupted is inexcusable. Longhaul flights are stressful, the uncertainty of being able to make it back in time to spend with family over the Christmas period compounded this. I arrived 38 hours later than scheduled though almost cut my losses and returning back to New York to save my limited annual holidays not sleeping in an airport.
It was part last hurrah and holiday for me, mostly a chance for some european sunshine before we left for NYC. Having received our passports from the US embassy a few business days after our appointment we snuck in a really last moment break. It came down to where we could find accomodation and flights cheaply and easily enough in August. Accomodation came rediculously cheap for 5 nights in self catered accomodation so we could justify getting shafted on flights somewhat.
We ended up in Cyprus, quietly petrified it was going to be an awful suspecting the entire island would be a mess of overdeveloped resorts and sunburnt brits. We found 5 nights accomodation at a restored apartment in a village near the Troodos mountains, about 30kms from the coast. Read more…
After seemingly months in the making, torturous secrecy my job offer finally arrived, I resigned and we’re relocating to NYC in the early part of August. Now the chaos begins… even though its been a long time coming the weeks leading up to us leaving feel like we’re compressing what should be months of planning and preparations into about 6 weeks.
Whilst we’re excited about this new leg in our adventure, we’re really sad to be leaving our London friends and life behind. It’s only taken us what… 5 years to feel settled and find a comfortable groove? There’s so much of Europe left to explore and I’ve barely seen any of Great Britain, let alone Scotland and Ireland!
Most annoying though is having to move just months after finding a garden flat we’d been yearning so long for! We don’t need to pack thank goodness but we’re going to have to flog off most of our electrical goods… if you know anyone in London who’s in need of any of a TV/DVD player/Home cinema amp/PC and a few other household bits and bobs I’m sure we can do a deal 
before it goes up on gumtree/loot etc.
Pitchas
