You know that feeling at the end of a really full holiday. I have had a great time: glad to be going home and getting on with my job. So much to do.
That was my mood, sitting in Phuket Airport on Thursday evening en route home via Bangkok , when the news broke .
Not terrorism. Not a virus. Not a strike . A volcanic eruption.
Now, here I sit in our hotel room in Bangkok three days later, wondering when we (my wife Conca and daughter Diana) will ever get home. 48 hours/ a week /three?
Time to plan for the worst while preparing for the best. Qantas have been superb with us their passengers on QF 001 from Sydney via Bangkok. While some airlines have deposited passengers like plastic bottles, Qantas have housed us, catered for us, and communicated with us professionally for three days. Their local manager had a round of applause as he started our briefing today.
Our emotions range from the high of being taken care of in a place where we can explore and enjoy ourselves, to the low of feeling the hotel is, for all its generous buffet meals, little more than a volcanic internment camp in need of a good escape committee.
This hotel is 20 miles from Bangkok, miles from trouble or from anything except flyovers and fork lift truck dealers . But it has nice garden a good pool, tennis and two five a side pitches and I am organising a soccer game tonight.The city is only a half hour taxi ride away
The Air France passengers are streets ahead of us. Air France withheld accommodation support after only 2 days – Qantas are offering four at least before we are on our own tomorrow. The French have elected a committee, contacted their Embassy, and organised book exchanges and a French singing night!
But the civilised self-organisation of the mostly Australian and European Qantas passengers has been quietly impressive.
And how people like me need reminding not to take nature, aeroplanes or any other aspects of our lives for granted as we do!
I wish I were back in the office tomorrow but as I can’t be I can at least pass on what it feels like to be here and engage as best as I can in the work of tomorrow’s company at this range! I would welcome other Tomorrow’s Company’s views from the edge of the volcano! This is going to do terrible damage to the economy. byut might the lessons and the enforced adjustment be valuable?