Thursday, August 23, 2007

Just Step This Way, Madam...

Of course, it wouldn't have been right without having a minor drama at the airport. Last Wednesday night as I made my way through Customs I thought, oh yeah this is all right, hey! I'm on my way!

My hand luggage didn't set of any alarms this time, and as I was wearing plain boots there was no chance of any dangly bits on my footwear setting off the flashing lights.

Heh. As I wandered away from the x-ray machine thinking so where the hell do I go now? this other custom official beckoned me over. With her long evil looking wand thingy. Yikes. You've been randomly chosen... she said but really, randomly? Was it because I had a look of bunny in the headlamps terror in my eyes or do I just give off an air of arch criminality?

Anyway it wasn't so bad. She skimmed me for explosives and then prodded in my bag. And then wanted to know, in a rather suspicious manner I thought, what I was going to be doing in New Zealand.

So I told her I was on my way to a writer's conference, and she actually smiled and thawed out by several degrees. Ah, the magic of romance writers! Still, being selected as a dodgy looking individual gave me a giggle, in fact as soon as she waved me over I had the worrying urge to giggle and had to keep chewing the inside of my lip so I wouldn't start grinning like a demented troll.

But I have another pic from the conference, which the lovely Emily Gee sent through. I do have to thank Emily for sorting me out at the Thai restaurant we went to last Thursday night. I'd never eaten Thai before, and didn't want to risk upsetting my delicate stomach *snort* with something over-spicy. Anyway she helped me select something which was very tasty, although I wasn't at all sure about the large sluggy looking things I discovered lurking in the rice.




Emily, Sara, Kate, Me, Amanda & Ellie

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Christina,

There's something about airport security that always makes me feel guilty, as if I've done something wrong. The last time I went through Auckland I got through passport control without a problem but then I had two official looking men running after me, demanding to see my passport. I've no idea what it was about because they wouldn't tell me a thing. They just frowned at my passport (yep, I know the photo is bad but I didn't think it was that bad!) and finally let me go. Still puzzling about that one.

I love your conference photos. Thanks for visiting my blog. Um...are you sure it was me at the cocktail party cause I only attended the Friday part of the conference :-)

Christina Phillips said...

OMG too funny. This gives a whole new meaning to having imaginary friends...!!