Airports are small to large multi-cultural cities stuck in a time warp in another galaxy where life as we know it has ceased to exist. In no language does the expression “as beautiful as an airport” exist. Nor is the suggestion “let’s go hang out at the airport” heard very often unless one is actually flying somewhere! The best one can hope for is good coffee and free internet. I also managed to meet the most beautiful woman in the universe and get searched twice by security!

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For a brief 10 minutes in Copenhagen airport I sit across from the most beautiful woman. Ever. She has dark hair, deep dark brown eyes and light chocolate coloured skin. I listen to Something for Kate on my Ipod and read National Geographic Magazine. She flashes a winning and charming smile at me. Every time I look up she is staring straight at me and smiling. I must be having a good hair day. Or have something stuck in my teeth. I attempt to return a charming smile and hope she notices my camera bag and the NG magazine. As if NG photographers run around with an NG mag all the time. Instead she has to leave to catch her plane. Airports can be like that. Most of the time they’re just mind-numbingly boring though.

I am having the worst of luck with metal detectors having triggered 2 so far and I’m only in Singapore writing this; more metal detectors to come. I triggered the first one in Copenhagen. No metal whatsoever on me or inside my body. That I know of. I get patted-down by security guy who finds nothing. Not that he didn’t try. I triggered the second detector in London. Security guy looks at me as if I have really ruined his already shitty day. Looks at his colleagues like he’s about to give up. Looks back at me. Very disappointed. Finally says “Do you have a boarding pass”. I have to get my jacket and dig it out. Looks at it. Still tired. Disappointed. Then proceeds to thoroughly search me. Search no. 2 today. Lucky me. Again; nothing metal on me. Not even wearing shoes as they have to be removed. He finishes touching me and say’s everything’s fine. I get my bag and as I’m putting on belt & shoes he is still eyeing me and talking to his colleague. Spooky.

I must have a metal implant. Must have been abducted by aliens in X-Files style. I have been sleeping rather poorly lately. Spooky. Spooky Mulder.

Packing was extremely easy for this trip. So easy I have a feeling I must have forgotten something. But it’s 100% routine now. During my 10 weeks in Australia in 2007 I packed and unpacked my bags about 32 times. I can do it blindfolded while being strip-searched by security! No wonder I was slightly tired of moving house at the end of last years trip.

On the 13 hour flight to Singapore I manage a few hours of sleep and a lot of movies on the on-demand entertainment center. The on-demand part is up for negotiation today as our service manager has to reboot the server twice before all us movie junkies can begin streaming movies! I watch some new Australian releases. Among them the outback road movie thriller “Cactus”. OK for entertainment, great outback photography but one of the worst taglines in movie history: “Choose the wrong road and you’re…Cactus”. What? A cactus is a pretty bloody tough beast of a plant armed with spikes and able to survive in a desert! What do you become if you choose the right road?

As I wait 4 hours at Singapore airport for my third flight; the thought does enter my head that it would be easier to be obsessed with a country somewhat closer to home! But the distance is part of the ‘on another planet’ attraction. Easier also means boring. Has to be hard to be worth it.

I am somewhat excited and slightly nervous about the upcoming metal detector no. 3 here in Singapore. Will let you know the results!