Blast from the Past

Originally posted on Ruined for Life, which Google still won't restore.

I Used to Love Flying
I just got back from Seoul. Long flights are never fun, (perhaps unless you travel first class, but I have no experience with that). Well, it's just getting worse and worse, more and more unpleasant. I can remember and long for the days when we didn't have to take off our shoes at security. At least in Asia, they give you slippers to wear while your shoes are checked. It just seems that the shoe thing is overkill.

This time I called the airlines, United, to make sure I complied with any new baggage regulations. I wound up just taking a contact lens solution and minimal make up to avoid any hassle. I'll get toiletries in the U.S.

Before my flight I wandered around the duty free shops and decided to buy some perfume. The clerk checked my tickets and told me since I was stopping in Tokyo (where the duty free shopping is horrid) she couldn't sell me the perfume. Granted, I can live without this, but it was a hassle, a new hassle to add to the list.

In general the flight attendents are so bossy and expect any passenger with a request to be a passenger with a problem or bad attitude. It would be better if they could wait to get snotty till the passenger has expressed their need. I will say the United staff is better than Northwest's complaining attendents.

The movie choice was horrid. The only decent option was Little Miss Sunshine, which I'd heard great things about and thought I'd watch twice, but it wasn't that great. If Singapore Airlines can offer 60 video options, why can't an American carrier offer say 20? Singapore has classic videos and lots of television options so if there's been a slow period of good film releases Singapore passengers can watch movie classics or current TV.

I've gotten into the habit of ordering a special meal. On the way to Korea I got the kosher meal out of curiousity. I can't recall what they gave me, but it left a strong opinion, "Ultra-bland." I changed the request to low sodium. That wasn't bad. First there was a snack with a banana and 3 finger sandwiches: roast beef, lettuce (yes, a lettuce sandwich nothing else), and asperagus. The meal was couscous, grilled chicken breast, a lettuce salad with lemon juice for dressing, green beans and an almond cookie. The next snack was ramen noodles, which I hate and had hoped to avoid by ordering low sodium.

I got quite unpleasantly sick during the flight, not from the food or turbulance, but more from a reaction to a hard semester in a hostile culture. (My work informed foreign workers that we have to change our insurance and I am not happy with the choices and how this has been handled.) Thus I passed on the final meal and don't know what I would have gotten.

Is it asking too much for travel to become more pleasant?

December 15, 2006

Sadly, flying on American carriers is still an endurance and patience test.

It helps, to bring your own entertainment and order a special meal, e.g. vegetarian, low sodium, what have you.

Wondering

Why do vacation memories fade so fast? I feel like it was ages ago that I was in Nepal or Thailand. It's not quite two weeks. I wonder if going to a different climate, one requiring mittens, scarves and parkas makes a difference.

Pearl Market

Yesterday I went to the Pearl Market in Beijing. It's a lot like the Silk Market, but not as aggressive. I also didn't see any DVDs but that doesn't mean they aren't there. I think it's a better experience than the old Silk Market especially for first time visitors to the city.

One tip aim to pay 30% of the seller's opening price. So if something you want starts at 100 rbm aim for 30 rbm. Whining is okay and pouting too. Walking away usually works like magic. If they do come down to your price, the one you keep repeating ("No 30.") you better buy. Otherwise you're a bad sport.

The higher the floor, the more low key the sales pitch.

Also it's better to go on a weekday. I found that to be true at the Silk Market where I was earlier in the week.

Tip o’ the Hat

To Kuala Lumpur’s Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) for providing two hours of free wifi! But be careful, folks. Whenever you go online in such a public, open place. Someone could "sniff" your password. 

Wag o’ the Finger to all 4 and 5 star hotels that charge up to $20 for internet usage. The times they are a’changing. I view internet like cable or electricity so just put it into the price.