China 2007

Cathay at last

Heathrow gave us a promising twenty-minute delay, but as usual, it turned out to be more than an hour, waiting for - what, exactly? At first, the weather presented problems. But as we took off, only a few planes waited in line behind us and a few clouds above. Heathrow can always make excuses. I wasn't sure how long exactly we sat there, because I fell asleep to the plane being parked in at least three different loactions before I gathered the energy to feel the magnificent force of takeoff. I had already ordered a full dinner, what I thought to be a nasty mistake after I realized it hurt to just open my eyes. I wasn't in the mood to do anything but curl up on the floor and pass out. I started smelling the caviar, the salmon, the pasta... okay, I was wide awake. And when I reclined that seat, which seemed identical to the British Airways seat, I was comfortable at a level never felt before... well, there's a reason they call it Cathay. So I stayed awake for a while. Eleven hours. This is after ten hours, six hours, and days of preparation. We've been flying through near-constant daylight, which goes unnoticed in the cabin, but it can mess with the mind. Weather about 100 miles out of London was severe, but who was I to care? I had my Mika, Snow Patrol, Nelly Furtado, Feeling, and about 20 other albums that perfectly fit my current obsessions. And I ended up watching two of the most relaxing movies: Alpha Dog and Children of Men. Seriously, not the best idea for the nerves. I kept hearing funny noises throughout the night, and weird images went through my head. Well, I didn't want to watch Dumbo... I was in heaven, which appears to be only 35,000 feet up. I believe some other source places it a bit higher... but who can criticize them, when they had such primitive technology.

posted by Chris @ 3:03 PM