Notes from the Plane Ride (or "How We Got to Beijing")

Today started with a 4:00 AM wake-up alarm for Melanie and me. Actually, both Melanie and I were up until Wednesday turned to Thursday. At least we were both in bed by 1:30 AM with 99% of everything packed and standing by the door. After just a few hours of sleep for the umpteenth day in a row, it was physically rough getting up, but the little red thread tugging at our hearts made it much easier than our bodies would admit. We took care of the final chores around the house, showered, got dressed, and woke up Boo around 4:30. She too seemed remarkably willing to “rise and shine” after a very late night (somewhere around 10:00 PM). With almost all of our last minute items complete, our dear friend, Amy Noory arrive at about 4:50 to give us a ride to the airport. That’s some kind of friend who will be at your house before 5:00 AM on a school day to give you a lift. Amy, we can’t thank you enough!

At the airport we went through a self-check-in kiosk and got our bags checked all the way through to Beijing (or so they’ve told us). I’m a tiny bit nervous about their ability to get them delivered, given the hypothetical merger of Continental (our primary carrier) and United (the operator of the flight from Dulles to Newark). Although we checked in with United in Dulles, Melanie and Lucy had to “re-check-in” with Continental in Newark. While we haven’t had any real trouble or difficulties, I just don’t have a great degree of certainty that we’ll see our bags right away in Beijing. That said, we’re hoping that since there was only one plane change (Newark), the handlers had a better chance of getting our bags on the right flight.

We’re now about three hours and 45 minutes into our Beijing flight, roughly 1800 miles flown since Newark, and we’re over the middle of the Davis Straight (between Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea). In our “up and over” polar route to Beijing both our geographical and chronological skills seem to be tested. It’s getting dark now, but it’s not even 4:00 PM EST yet. This is a result of flying this far north during the winter – it may be “the land of the midnight sun” during the summer, but this time of year the Arctic is more dark and dreary the closer you get to the pole.

During our last trip to China, we flew a route that took us from Detroit to Tokyo over Alaska. This time we won’t be flying over Monster Island, but we will see if we can see the lights on at a certain well-known workshop as we cross the North Pole. Before we get there, though, there’s still a lot of Greenland to cross.

For our first in-flight meal, we had a very nice meal. We got a choice of fish or beef, and all I could think about was the meal in the movie “Airplane!” in which all the people who chose fish got violently ill. Even though the movie offered “fish or chicken”, the similarity tickled me.

Regarding our fellow passengers, I would feel remiss to not point out that there always seems to be a lot of interest in getting on airplanes quickly when flying to, in, and from China. I can appreciate the enthusiasm with which people board the flights, but at some point the pushing and shoving does not improve the efficiency of the boarding process. Yet again Melanie had someone try to pass her while in the aisle of the plane with a suitcase in tow. Perhaps in some way, the rudeness helps these individuals arrive at their destination ahead of the rest of the passengers.

The gentleman seated directly behind me has some sort of illness that has had him coughing, sniffing, and then strangely grunting every 30 or so seconds. At first we thought he sounded like Billy Bob Thorton in “Slingblade”, but then we realized it was more the monster from Young Frankenstein during the dining room/Schwartzwalder kirsch torte/”yummy noise” scene. Every few groans, I’d lean over to Mel and say, “But you made a yummy noise”, or one of the other lines from the scene. Laughter is about the only way to deal with the situation.

We’re crossing over land now, Greenland. According to the plane’s info screen we still have 8:45 until we get to Beijing. So at this point, I think I’ll try and grab a nap on the plane. More blogging fun later.