Leaving on a Jet Plane, part three.

Note: I didn't have Internet for three days, and I wrote these while I was Internet-less... enjoy.

Thirteen and one-half hours…

The first thing you notice, other than the massive piece of steel, plastic and oil that’s supposed to take 7,200 miles across the Pacific Ocean, is the self-service beverage soda fountain next to the bathroom.

Welcome to international economy class.

I’m here on Cathay Pacific flight no. 885, service from Los Angeles to Hong Kong. The flight is only about half full, and I am near the back of this 747 –row 56, seat A. I get a whole row to stretch out – and I think I have filled every pocket within three seats. Lunch is around here somewhere.

The flight so far has been slightly interesting. The safety demonstrations are done in well, English and Cantonese, obviously. Most interestingly was a health service video about how to care for you while on a very long flight.

The flight consisted of a boy and girl, white, no older than maybe six or seven, in a park. All of the sudden, they decide to get up and do stretches. Here I am, 23 years old, with a $1,200 ticket to Hong Kong, and I am having children teach me how to sit and stretch on a plane.

I calculated it all out, and I think I arrive in Hong Kong at approximately 9 a.m. Missouri time, 7 a.m. Arizona time. I don’t usually sleep on planes.

Six hours in:
I don’t sleep on planes because I think I have a fear of flying. Why not explicitly fearing flying, I think I fear more the idea of I am trusting my life into the hands of countless people I never will meet. We’re over Kampuchea now (that’s eastern Siberia), and we hit some moderate turbulence. I slightly freaked.