The Flight

01-10-2003

Originally I had planned on getting quite a lot of things done in the time between arriving home in Atlanta from Portland, Oregon, & the time flying out to Singapore; getting my mother's apartment not only cleaned, but also quite organized so that she could handle most tasks on her own or with little support. I also planned on spending a good deal of time at the public library to use the internet, making contacts to get things rolling before I flew out. But for those of you who know how my mother can get - then you probably also realize that I was just dreaming.

Aside from the time spent getting into little stupid arguments with my mom about the priority of things on the to do list (somehow my things kept getting knocked to the bottom of the list), I also started getting back into reading often and exercising / training more, to kinda get me prepped for this trip to one of the melting pots of Asia.

I spent all night cleaning my mother's apartment and writing a letter to her next door neighbor; a letter demanding an apology of her to my mother and then at 7am beginning to pack for my flight to Singapore...which would leave at 9:40 am.

At 8:15am we called for a taxi to pick me up. In my haste, I even stuffed some dirty laundry into my bags - because I had not the time to do the wash, but I still needed the clothes!

One suitcase, almost weighing over the limit, was filled with clothes, a couple of books, a video, and some notebooks. My other two luggage pieces were one hanging-clothes bag and one "carry-on" duffel bag (Thanks to Dave). I tossed all of these into the trunk of the taxi before we dashed off for the train station.

As if the MARTA train wasn't crowded enough with the rush-hour traffic of train-riders on their way to work, there I was with these awkward and heavy luggage pieces, trying somewhat effectively not to knock into them; I barely escaped knocking one small child unconscious. LOL! I stood with the only other people obviously also heading to the airport - due to the luggage, ya know, and made some small talk. They were a stuffy couple who seemed least likely to be making the trip they were about to embark on - to visit their daughter who is studying Anthropology in Indonesia (they had already forgotten what city).

Rushing from the MARTA station into the airport (more like a draggy-leg-cripple who keeps dropping things and groaning), I found United Airlines, who my ticket was through, & yes - they are the ones who had the financial troubles - but I understand that they are getting some help anyway. The process flowed much more smoothly than I had imagined it would - it only took me 3 minutes at the ticketing stand to show my E-Tickets, get my boarding passes (for Atlanta, Chicago, & Tokyo/Narita), get electronically scanned & pointed in the right direction.

A short walk down the hallway, totally bypassing the annoying yet usually necessary shuttle train between concourses, found the T Concourse and noted that I had 30-minutes before the plane boarded, so I waltzed on over to the Smoker's Lounge (of course, right?) that I had on previous continental flights been unable to locate. Sitting there having a smoke, I glanced at the others in the room, trying to imagine where they were headed. One couple - an American guy and an Asian girl were headed over to Singapore too (difficult not to hear what they were talking about - plus I'm nosey anyway).

Thirty minutes later and I was on a plane headed to Chicago, beginning to read the Dean Koontz novel that my sister had got me for a Christmas gift when I was up there in Portland (by the way - I LOVE that town) . The population of the plane occupancy was quite spare, which was a relief, but the flight was only supposed to take an hour and a half anyway. It took us an additional half hour to leave the ground, due to bad weather in Chicago, and then once over Ohare airport, we had to circle a few times, waiting for free runway space.

So, I was suppose to have about an hour layover in Chicago, but with the setbacks, I barely had 10 minutes to find the correct gate and board the international flight to Tokyo/Narita airport in Japan.

Sitting in between an enlisted kid who was headed back to his second tour of duty in South Korea, who would later tell me the stories of sharing beers with his Korean friends a while back, watching the World Cup, who were now the same kids throwing molotov cocktailsh in protest to his military post at their presence and activities (he grew his beard out over the holidays so he could mix w/ the locals w/o being classified as a military guy before reporting to duty); and a Chinese mother of one from Singapore who had moved to Canada and came back and forth to Asia on business; she'd also become my drinking buddy above the seas, as she informed me that all cocktails were FREE (do I like free?). So off we headed on our 13 hour or so flight.

I did watch a pretty cheezy movie on the flight, as well as listened to some broken Chinese radio stations, ate some pretty great food, read a little more in the novel, and drank and laughed with ole girl.

As you may imagine, the "no smoking" thing really got to me aon that very long stretch of the trip. There were a couple of times that I actually had to visualize (a horrible usage but great thanks to the qigong methodical training, LOL!) very clearly in my mind's eye the act of smoking a cigarette, more than just a puff too, in order to quiet the addictive pangs.

I had to get up severaltimes and walk the length of the plane, stopping in the flight attendant stations to do some stretches - my legs muscles would start to bunch up and tighten and then the nerves would get on edge, I'd start to get a bit sweaty, and then my fun little drinking buddy started to look like a punching bag...so I figure I'd better walk a bit.

It was interesting to watch the large media screen onboard - even when no movies were showing; they showed seated exercises that were recommended sucha as repetitive 'toes-in, toes-out, or knee lifts.' There would alsobe information and maps being flashed onscreen - all cool graphics being updated via satellite - showing a picture of our little plane (a Boeing 737) flying over this or that country, with an arrow showing where we've been and where we're going - it'd even show it from different angles to give it perspective; also informing us of speed, time locally, temperature, remaining time in-flight, etc.

By the time we touched down in Tokyo/Narita, we had the same experience as before - we all had to hustle due to setbacks and delays in flight time - we had about 7 minutes in which we were to board the flight to Singapore - and was more like a silly obstacle course that put you back where you started. I was kinda nervous that, not immediately knowing where to go, I'd miss the plane - but luckily ole girl told me that the majority of the people on our flight would be transferring to the SG flight also, so I should just follow the crowd.

We all walked around this very strange circular hallway that held a glass wall between and the rest of the airport (it's kinda difficult to explain accurately). Round and round we went til finally we get in and then down some escalators and then through a security check - performed by some, um, interesting-looking employees that tooke me so off guard as I rounded the corner, I had to desperately try to stifle my laughter . The female guards looked more like overgrown girl scouts wearing read instead of the usual green and brown - complete with the berets and vests; much older and attractively mature. The guys looked like the cops you see in old Japanese shows - straight up. Little white glovies and the whole bit.

Anyway - we go through all this and up through the Boarding Counter - out the door and onto the....
BUS?!?! Yes - a bus. At first I just about shit my pants thinking 'What in the hell? Where am I headed now? Where did I go wrong?' Oh well. But I figured if it was taking me somewhere I might as well go along for the ride and ejoy the adventure of it all. But - round and round the bus went, until it drops us off basically right next to where we got off the plane in the first place! So we go up the ramp-stairs to the plane.

This time my seat is in the iddle row from Tokyo to Singapore - a six hour +/- flight, situated between an older Japanese couple and an American girl (yeah, the song is in my head too now). Compared to the previous 11 hour flight, this little 6 hour stretch should have been a cake-walk, but instead it seemed like an infinity, and then some.

The beautiful Japanese flight attendants made it easier, as eye-candy will do at times. I also watched Men In Black II, and a few hours worth of practical joke videos (along with another American girl in another row - the rest of the plane seemed to be sleeping - but the pair of us would burst out laughing in the silence and toss each other knowing glances). I was however, able to get in a couple of hours of reading and rest.

Finally we pulled into SINGAPORE and my friend Sabrina was absolutely right - the Singapore Changi airport has to be about the best in the world! Easy to follow directions in English, Japanese & Chinese are everywhere, pointing you to childcare, bookstores, restraunts, baggage claim around the corner, etc. Walking the plush carpetted floors & taking my time to glance around, I spotted a sign that read "Open-Air Smoking," that I followed up an escalator towards a glass door and onto a walkway out in the hot Singaporean night air and through a small beautifull man-made tropical forest. Straight ahead was the Cactus Lounge and down to the right I went off to the smoking area. Sitting down amidst the other weary travelers, I drew in on my first cigarette in more hours than I cared to count at that point, and enjoyed the buzz that delayed nicotene will allow. I made some small talk with a fellow from Dublin, stopping here on his way back from Australia.

Going through customs was surprisingly easy and my bags came right out on the little thingy pretty damn fast (which reminds me - when you get on an escalator in Singapore - you better hold the hell on - it aint no granny-pusher like those in the states - these things fly! I almost busted my ass several times already). I met my friend Sabrina, wearing her full head-scarf, etc. We hopped into a taxi where the driver sat on the wrong side of the car and drove on the wrong side of the road, headed off the hotel I'd be staying on my first night in Singapore - the M Hotel. LOL! Hee Hee. Man - Small and Large, Singapore has her differences.