Discovering Australia

Janette Toral sharing her tourist experience in Australia.

Wednesday 27 February 2013

Last visit: closing a chapter

I am scheduled to visit Australia for 3 weeks very soon. It will be my last visit to the place as I turn a new chapter in life. But during this visit, I will be maximizing the time to do the following:

  1. Catch up with my sister.
  2. Join dragonboat racing practice with an Adelaide based team.
  3. Read as many books as I can in the library.
  4. Finish a book (I am keeping my fingers crossed on this as that is where I was the last time when I finished the book "Blogging from Home" in 2008).
  5. Do webinars.
  6. As relationships do sometimes end, but friendship can always be embraced.
I am not sure what will happen to this blog after that trip. But I guess only time can tell.

Tuesday 5 July 2011

Malaysia Airlines experience - needs passenger service improvement

I am back in Adelaide for  a quick 10-days break. We took Malaysia Airlines for this trip from Manila and had interesting observation with its flight crew.

I think my experience boils down in dealing with some members of its flight crew that I can't help compare with other airlines tried. When you fly often enough, there are stuff that you take for granted. However, when a less than minimum expectation is met, how you got treated becomes noticeable.

What struck me was when we were putting our bags in the overhead compartment bin, the stewardess was teaching or instructing me to close it. When I wasn't able to do it, she was demonstrating it to me and so I asked my companion to do it as it requires a higher and stronger push. At any rate, she stopped him and did it herself.

That shouldn't be a big deal, however, when you are so used to other airlines, especially in the Philippines, where your steward / stewardess is more than eager to help you with your bag, put it in the compartment and close it for you, that scenario gives you a sense of unfriendliness.

For both flights, Manila to Kuala Lumpur and Kuala Lumpur to Adelaide, coffee was not served for one reason or another. A Malaysian passenger sitting infront of me was also outraged when he found out that there was still red wine. The same stewardess who was instructing me how to close the overhead compartment bin told this passenger that there was no more wine (saying something like they only have 6 bottles). Then he coincidentally asked another stewardess who said there are still more.

Anyway, we took Malaysia Airlines because it was the cheapest. I guess, in the end, you get what you pay for.

For my return flight next week, will be taking Qantas and Jetstar, hope that will be better.

Wednesday 6 January 2010

Celebrating Christmas and New Year apart

This is the first time that I celebrated the holiday season away from my family in Australia. Although we were able to exchange greetings with each other online, chat, and video, the feeling was certainly different.

Although on the other hand, if giving and loving is something you do in the family the whole year round, together or apart, I guess the holidays were more of a tradition observed with the community. Whether it is a big deal or not depends on your perspective about it.

Nevertheless, I look forward visiting again soon.

Saturday 31 October 2009

November 2 meetup: BarCamp Adelaide 2010 preparations

Organizers and interested parties in organizing BarCamp Adelaide 2010 will be having a coffee and chat meet on November 2nd.

Agenda for the upcoming meetup will be about potential sponsors to approach and and setting a date in 2010.

Details of the meetup as follows:

Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Location: The Exeter Hotel, 246 Rundle Street, Adelaide, Australia

You can RSVP at the Facebook event page. To get a feel of the community, you can also join the BarCamp Adelaide group page.