From Idea to Implementation
Sabbatical. “Oh, I thought that was only for university professors.” “Are you going to write a book or something?” “Oh, it is only for three months.”
Comments from people who do not work at Mourant. If you do, you might know someone else who, or has been on sabbatical. Or perhaps you are on sabbatical yourself this very minute.
The benefit has been in place for partners since I joined the firm in 2007. Only now, the firm is very inclusive. Which means everyone can have a sabbatical after five years – for six months if you are not a partner. Partners are allowed six weeks after being a partner for 10 years, 12 weeks after 15. I fall in the latter category.
It also turns out, I had not yet had my honeymoon, having gotten married to Laureen (Lolo) in June 2022. Covid was by then dying, but not yet dead, and Asia, our preferred destination, was still largely restricted. So, my trip was timely, some say long overdue, as I have never had an extended break since I started working over 30 years ago.
The planning. Wow! I have no problem planning short trips. In fact, I’d rather do it myself, since that is how I am sure I am aware of all the details. But for unfamiliar destinations, I have previously used specialised agents who, in turn, have local agents with the knowledge you might not discover through internet research.
For this trip, we had an agent put together an outline itinerary. It was attractive in every way – except the cost, which did not include the flights to and from Asia, nor any ground or air transfers within Asa.
Plus, this trip had its unique complications. Lolo and I would take on Japan, Vietnam and Thailand. Then we would be joined by our kids Jason, Amarah and Ridwaan for Christmas in Australia. So, it was always going to be tricky to get all the flights coordinated, especially when travelling from different places at the same time.
Turns out, patience and meticulous care is all you need. And I am fairly well endowed with both, helped by the fact that it really was not that difficult to find things on the internet.
San Francisco
The start date, long in the calendar, was 2 November 2023. First, a stop in San Francisco – to check on Amarah and Ridwaan, whom we would not see again until the Christmas holiday. Uneventful enough. That is, if you ignore the fact that we missed the check-in for our AirBnb in San Anselmo by a day. Come on, it could happen to anyone.
Our check-in was already scheduled to be extremely late, following our arrival at San Francisco airport at 10:40pm. Even then, San Francisco was not the most difficult of our destinations, and previous AirBnb bookings posed no issues.
I however forgot to anticipate all the difficulties which arise when you change your mobile phone – which is exactly why my commitment to my Samsung Galaxy S10 had been unshaken for so many years. This change was however somewhat forced. Not because I was keen to have the much more advanced camera features of the S23, as handy as that would turn out on a trip such as this. Having been previously bitten by a $23,000 roaming bill (which my local provider graciously wrote off), I was justifiably twice shy. Someone recommended the eSIM app called Airalo, which allows you to roam in multiple countries. On doing the necessary research, it turned out my trusty S10 was woefully out of date and not one of the compatible devices. As a new phone costs less than $23,000, the investment analysis was uncomplicated.
The AirBnB app however, not recognising me on my fancy new phone, had me go through a 10-way test to prove I am not a robot. And even then, I was told, “Try again later.” To this day I have still not passed the AirBnB I’m Not a Robot test.
The planning and the packing leading up to the trip was quite hectic, especially since we decided to rent out our home at Crystal Harbour for the duration of the trip, and beyond as it turned out. So, no chance to look at the check-in information before the trip, and no luck viewing it whilst lingering in baggage claim. The AirBnB host did not answer our phone calls, text or WhatsApp messages. Cannot blame them, especially if they had Covid and were already in bed close to midnight. I can blame AirBnB though for not responding to my complaint, which their response two days later proved they received.
Anyway, a night in a San Franciso Airport hotel is not the worst that can happen, especially if it saves you a late-night drive across the Golden Gate Bridge, which is usually less foreboding on a clear morning following a decent overnight rest.
Yeah, great to see the kids, who were thrilled to see their mom. The “charming” AirbBnB provided a sufficient opportunity for the kids to bond with each other, an opportunity I understand they hardly get with their full-on schedules, even though in the same boarding school. We also got to meet Amarah’s friends and their parents for dinner after a victorious girls’ football (soccer) match.
The Grand Hyatt SFO, our pre-launch pad for our 7:00am flight on 5th November, was surprisingly nice. It had much of what to expect, or not expect, at an airport hotel in the US. Significantly, no bell man to carry my wife’s bags. Nor room service after a late check-in. Not even an open bar for a night cap. The bathrobes were however unexpected. And the in-room foam roller was an especially nice touch. The best recommendation for that hotel however is the fact that it is smack within the airport complex – closer to the international terminal than the car rental return, which we had the foresight to utilise the night before our flight.
From San Francisco to Tokyo
Our trip from San Francisco to Tokyo was via Honolulu on Hawaiian Airlines. I am not one for watching in-flight movies, unlike everyone else. Long flights are my best (sometimes only) opportunity to catch up on my reading. I had packed two books for this trip. In order of first priority, I had in mind The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, Volume 4, by William Shirer. I had started the series just after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, perhaps to see how closely the later event compares with the series of events which led to World War II. I had also intended to see the exact extent to which history is being repeated by the rise of so-called populist, but in reality neo-fascist leaders, in places like the USA, Brazil and Hungary. That objective was largely satisfied by Volumes 1, 2 and 3. Volume 4 is very much a chronicle of the fall, with which I was much more familiar. It also chronicles the gory details of the Holocaust as they were discovered by the conquering Allied troops.
As I was committed to making this trip as enjoyable, or perhaps as pleasurable as possible, I decided to spare myself those gory reminders of history. I therefore chose for my in-flight reading DH Laurence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover. The book had been sitting on my shelves for quite some years, being one of my collection of 100 Greatest Books Ever Written. But my decision to push it up my to-read list was prompted by my having recently watched the movie – twice. I was pretty keen to see how accurately the movie portrays certain scenes, yes, those scenes – if you have read the book or seen the movie. I made good progress during the flight from San Francisco to Hawaii, but my literary journey did not progress from Hawaii to Tokyo, as I enjoyed one of the best, and longest, in-flight sleeps I have ever had.
The five-hour or so layover in Hawaii was not enough for doing much, in my view, at least. Lolo however had other ideas. At her prompting, we took a taxi into Waikiki Beach. Although I can see why Americans from the mainland may flock to a warm weather island resort, we both vocalised the hope that the rest of Hawaii had more to offer. Granted, that may have been the biased opinion of two people who live within walking distance of Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman.
We had enough time for lunch at the Monkey Pod before our taxi ride back to the airport, and five-minute stay in the Hawaiian Airlines lounge.
Can’t say that I am dying to see what the rest of Hawaii has to offer.
Our next flight would take us, in continuous daylight, across the International Date Line to Tokyo.
Sabbatical Odyssey 
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