On the sofa

I’d just got back from Borneo, having come home sooner than intended. In those days airlines were much more flexible and I’d travelled overland from Pontianak to Kuching to see if I could initiate the 2nd leg of my flight a few days early. After a month of hiking in the jungle and sleeping in Dayak long houses I was exhausted and just wanted to get home. I often wonder how the trip would have been different if I’d stayed longer.

My brother had been watching BBC News and he yelled to me that a plane had crashed in New York. The mental picture this conjured was a far cry from what I saw on the screen when I came, sleepy eyed, into the living room.

We proceeded to spend the next 48-hours infront of the TV, relaying news updates via SMS to my Dad. He was travelling on business and, in the pre-smartphone era, wasn’t able to stay updated.

So, not the most exciting of stories. But still a day I’ll always remember.