So what does 300,000 Frequent Flyer Points get you?

A First Class Round-the-World Ticket, that's what. Oh yes, read it and weep.

And not the type flying Air-Kraplekistan, oh no. But with the OneWorld Network. Cathay Pacific. Qantas. British Airways. *cough* American Airlines *cough*.

Sure, I booked my flights about 9 months ago, before the great points devaluation of 2005. When points were actually worth something - for example 50,000 would get you to Hong Kong and back from Sydney. These days, you'd be lucky to redeem a train ticket to Central for that amount, and would still probably have to be wait-listed.

But I managed to just scrape in and pick up one of the last few First Class tickets, cashing in all the points I've miserly scrimped and saved over the past 6 years.

And for once, I shall be invited to turn left upon entering the plane cabin, instead of a right turn into some human cage farm.

Where they serve real food, and not something vaguely protein-like that has been microwaved three times (the first to kill it, the second to cook it, the third to reheat it).

Where you have a flat bed of your own to sleep in, rather than staying awake the entire flight for fear of the fat sweaty guy drooling on you as he snores with you being pinned down by the reclined seat in front of you.

Oh yes, it will be mine. All mine (the first class cabin, not the fat sweaty guy). And as long as you let me gloat, I will open the inner sanctum and share the view with you. And gloat some more. *cue sinister laugh* BWAAHAHAHAHAHA!!

Blogging? That's so 2005.

2006. There is something magical in the air about this year.

Yes, in a very cliched kinda way, but there is something there.

Maybe it's that I've decided to finally have a blog. While I may be a geek working in a digital advertising agency, people expect me to live and breath the digital world. Own a blackberry. Own an iPod. Have three PDAs. Have a PSP. Have a huge LCD TV, blu-ray drive, home entertainment theatre. Poorly bastardise Trainspotting. Choose a podcast. Choose XML. Choose RSS Feeds. Choose a blog... now why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to have a blog, and that's the story I'm sticking to. Well, alright, maybe just one.

But maybe 2006 is special because of the looming adventure that is less than a week away for me - a tour of the planet that will take me into the money-crazed world of Hong Kong; the distinct stiff-upper lippy Britishness that is London; the oh, je'ne sais quoi of Paris; the bi-polar sanity/madness of New York; and the seedy tentacle-rape porn underworld of Tokyo.

Did I just say seedy tentacle-rape porn? Oh, I meant tasteful tentacle-rape porn. I shudder to think what ad-words will be appearing this very moment in the google ad-link box.

Bring on 2006!