| Flight to China February 10 & 11 |
10, February 2006, Friday
3:10 p.m. My watch reads 3:10 p.m. We are aboard a
Northwest Airlines 747 and we have already been served a
snack of pretzels and a full dinner. Pete and I both ordered
chicken breast with green beans, oven roasted potatoes and
gravy. I have to say it was pretty tasty for airline food! I am
sitting next to the window. Peter is next to me and next to
him is a Japanese man in his thirties. The sun is gleaming
through the small window and it is warming me. The left side
of my body is illuminated and it feels divine. Many people are
sardined into this jet. I am awestruck at the enormity of this
plane and at the number of people it holds up in the air. We
are flight 19 on route to Japan. This plane will continue on
from Japan to the Philippines. In Japan we will have a two
hour layover before flying on to Beijing. As I look out the
window I am looking at the left wing of the plane. The
engine's loud and continuous roars flood our ears with a
monstrous white noise. Looking down I wonder, Where are
we? The world below is a great distance away now. The earth
below appears remote and barren from this distance. The
ground appears neatly sectioned into connecting squares and
rectangles. My guess is that I am looking down at farm land.
Much of the ground is white but intermittently it is
interrupted by long, straight paths which most likely are
roadways. The plane is bouncing as though it is riding over
waves. Suddenly the plane flutters and seems like it is stuck
in a long-lasting hiccup. This machine was made by men- how
unbelievable! It is similarly awesome that it travels at such
high speeds (about 500 miles per hour) and stays airborne. I
am sitting where I have a good look at the backside of the
wing. My view here is very clear. This plane is a "big girl" (a
family joke).
3:10 p.m. My watch reads 3:10 p.m. We are aboard a
Northwest Airlines 747 and we have already been served a
snack of pretzels and a full dinner. Pete and I both ordered
chicken breast with green beans, oven roasted potatoes and
gravy. I have to say it was pretty tasty for airline food! I am
sitting next to the window. Peter is next to me and next to
him is a Japanese man in his thirties. The sun is gleaming
through the small window and it is warming me. The left side
of my body is illuminated and it feels divine. Many people are
sardined into this jet. I am awestruck at the enormity of this
plane and at the number of people it holds up in the air. We
are flight 19 on route to Japan. This plane will continue on
from Japan to the Philippines. In Japan we will have a two
hour layover before flying on to Beijing. As I look out the
window I am looking at the left wing of the plane. The
engine's loud and continuous roars flood our ears with a
monstrous white noise. Looking down I wonder, Where are
we? The world below is a great distance away now. The earth
below appears remote and barren from this distance. The
ground appears neatly sectioned into connecting squares and
rectangles. My guess is that I am looking down at farm land.
Much of the ground is white but intermittently it is
interrupted by long, straight paths which most likely are
roadways. The plane is bouncing as though it is riding over
waves. Suddenly the plane flutters and seems like it is stuck
in a long-lasting hiccup. This machine was made by men- how
unbelievable! It is similarly awesome that it travels at such
high speeds (about 500 miles per hour) and stays airborne. I
am sitting where I have a good look at the backside of the
wing. My view here is very clear. This plane is a "big girl" (a
family joke).
| Looking out our window. |
| Taking time to write. |
10, February 2006, Friday
4:42 p.m. We are flying over snow topped mountains. The
pane of glass next to me has become my companion. Although
I am suppose to have my window shade down so that others
may enjoy the movie on board, I am fixed to this window using
my head to shield the sunlight so I can continue to view the
remarkable earth below. Do I see water? Yes..a coastline but
where? I can't help but think about how busy our lives are
and how we stay in a few places most of our lives. We are tied
to the places where we live and work. Today I am happy to be
seeing these things I usually do not. I am also thinking about
my first grade students and hoping they are doing well. I wish
they could see what I see. I am like a first grader to the
world of flying and world exploring. The ocean below our
plane is a world onto it's own. I imagine what lies "Under the
Sea." There is a solitude in this plane even though the plane is
full of people. We as a group are learning a pattern of
airplane behavior. Pete and I wait to use the bathroom until
our Japanese friend gets up to stretch. The flight attendants
establish the rules for good behavior, just like my classroom
rules for safety. We are in "flying school." Aren't we always
learning in life? Earlier Pete and I fumbled through the
airport transactions... another "new" world. We are so
grateful to Pete's sister, Karen who took us to the airport on a
work day and helped us with our first "check-in!" Suddenly
the plane engines are making a new, louder sound, hmmm I'm
wondering why?
9:40 p.m. As we fly toward China we will cross the
international dateline. I am tracking time by my watch set to
central time but I know soon we will have to make the shift to
the time in China, which is thirteen hours ahead. The week
starts sooner for those in China than for those of us in
America. I just finished a short walk up to the front of the
plane and back. Now Pete is taking his turn. Minutes ago an
announcement was made because the flight attendants are
looking for a doctor. A thirty-ish woman has answered the
call. A young boy, around five years old, has been violently
throwing up since early this morning and he cannot keep
anything in his stomach. He and his family were sitting next
to Pete and I in the airport terminal. Pete thought he was
having a seizure as he thrashed about and knocked over the
stroller he was near. I picked up the stroller and saw that his
mother held a plastic bag to his mouth because he was very ill.
Now hours later his condition has not improved. I have to
wonder what Pete and I would have done as parents in their
predicament. I'd like to think we would have skipped the
flight and stayed off the plane...but who knows? We are
three hours from our landing destination in Japan. My heart
goes out to this family. They also have a beautiful little girl
who is active at 12 months. They are on their way to the
Philippines to visit their parents and the children's
grandparents. The father tells me this will be the first time
they will see their granddaughter in person. As I look out my
window into a fabulously warm sun I realize that we have
flown into the sun most of our entire trip. I'm thinking about
how some decisions we make in life change the future more
than we ever could know. Here we are flying across the world
to love someone new...to have someone new to love us. Are you
ready little Ping Ya? The thread is shortening. I wonder if
you have any idea that your Mom and Dad are growing near.
The ocean below looks like dimpled, gray modeling clay. I
can't see any movement in it from here. We are miles above
the sparse, tufted clouds which are miles above the ocean.
What an experience! It is around noon in China. At home it is
around 10 o'clock at night. We are somewhere in between
these two worlds. Remember that great song..."Somewhere
out there beneath the pale moon light...someone's waiting for
me and loving me tonight."
4:42 p.m. We are flying over snow topped mountains. The
pane of glass next to me has become my companion. Although
I am suppose to have my window shade down so that others
may enjoy the movie on board, I am fixed to this window using
my head to shield the sunlight so I can continue to view the
remarkable earth below. Do I see water? Yes..a coastline but
where? I can't help but think about how busy our lives are
and how we stay in a few places most of our lives. We are tied
to the places where we live and work. Today I am happy to be
seeing these things I usually do not. I am also thinking about
my first grade students and hoping they are doing well. I wish
they could see what I see. I am like a first grader to the
world of flying and world exploring. The ocean below our
plane is a world onto it's own. I imagine what lies "Under the
Sea." There is a solitude in this plane even though the plane is
full of people. We as a group are learning a pattern of
airplane behavior. Pete and I wait to use the bathroom until
our Japanese friend gets up to stretch. The flight attendants
establish the rules for good behavior, just like my classroom
rules for safety. We are in "flying school." Aren't we always
learning in life? Earlier Pete and I fumbled through the
airport transactions... another "new" world. We are so
grateful to Pete's sister, Karen who took us to the airport on a
work day and helped us with our first "check-in!" Suddenly
the plane engines are making a new, louder sound, hmmm I'm
wondering why?
9:40 p.m. As we fly toward China we will cross the
international dateline. I am tracking time by my watch set to
central time but I know soon we will have to make the shift to
the time in China, which is thirteen hours ahead. The week
starts sooner for those in China than for those of us in
America. I just finished a short walk up to the front of the
plane and back. Now Pete is taking his turn. Minutes ago an
announcement was made because the flight attendants are
looking for a doctor. A thirty-ish woman has answered the
call. A young boy, around five years old, has been violently
throwing up since early this morning and he cannot keep
anything in his stomach. He and his family were sitting next
to Pete and I in the airport terminal. Pete thought he was
having a seizure as he thrashed about and knocked over the
stroller he was near. I picked up the stroller and saw that his
mother held a plastic bag to his mouth because he was very ill.
Now hours later his condition has not improved. I have to
wonder what Pete and I would have done as parents in their
predicament. I'd like to think we would have skipped the
flight and stayed off the plane...but who knows? We are
three hours from our landing destination in Japan. My heart
goes out to this family. They also have a beautiful little girl
who is active at 12 months. They are on their way to the
Philippines to visit their parents and the children's
grandparents. The father tells me this will be the first time
they will see their granddaughter in person. As I look out my
window into a fabulously warm sun I realize that we have
flown into the sun most of our entire trip. I'm thinking about
how some decisions we make in life change the future more
than we ever could know. Here we are flying across the world
to love someone new...to have someone new to love us. Are you
ready little Ping Ya? The thread is shortening. I wonder if
you have any idea that your Mom and Dad are growing near.
The ocean below looks like dimpled, gray modeling clay. I
can't see any movement in it from here. We are miles above
the sparse, tufted clouds which are miles above the ocean.
What an experience! It is around noon in China. At home it is
around 10 o'clock at night. We are somewhere in between
these two worlds. Remember that great song..."Somewhere
out there beneath the pale moon light...someone's waiting for
me and loving me tonight."
| Flying over Narita, Japan. Preparing to land. |
| Looking back at our plane in Narita, Japan. |
| The excited Daddy just off the first plane! |
4:00 a.m. (Central time) We are riding on a Northwest Airbus
A330 out of Japan flying to Beijing. It is around 4:00 p.m.
local time. We have been on planes for about twelve hours
now. We had a two hour layover in Narita, Japan (which
actually was 45 minutes on the ground) before we boarded
this plane. This is our second flight in our total package of
six. It is chilly on the plane and we are tired. Finally after an
entire day of sunlight it is dark outside. How odd it was to
cross the international dateline and have such a "log daytime."
I keep nodding off and would love to stretch my legs out more
and sleep. There is less leg room on this plane. Each
passenger has a television monitor in front of him/her that is
mounted in the seat ahead. All the flight attendants are Asian.
They all look so sharp! The plane is lovely. Pete and I are
really exhausted. We were up all night Thursday evening
preparing to leave for China. We are now sitting next to
another couple and their first adopted Chinese daughter on
this plane. We are all falling to sleep. I can't keep an eye
open any longer.
After landing in Beijing and going through customs and getting
our luggage, Peter, our tour guide from Children's Home met
us at the airport. We loaded two families and a lot of luggage
in a taxi van. Traffic appears to be wild here and very fast
moving. My best description of their driving is zip, zip, zip,
squeeze, honk, honk! Immediately we saw two buses almost
sideswipe each other on our drive from the airport. Not to
worry...they both have loud horns! This morning we woke up in
Beijing! We arrived at the Novotel Peace Hotel around 10 p.m.
tonight. The hotel has a beautiful entry way with a revolving
glass door. It reminds me of a Radisson hotel. When we
walked in there was a young female woman singing in an open
lounge to the right. She had an outstanding deep voice and
she was singing American songs in English. I was surprised to
turn and see a very petite Asian woman! The hotel gift
shoppes were open for business as we passed by and went up
to our rooms. We unpacked the things we needed and went
downstairs to look around. We ran across the street to a tea
shop where we looked at Chinese made teapots. Sales people
came up to us immediately. They stayed right by our side. A
cute young woman opened boxes and handed us green tea
candy and almond flaky cookie bites. The Chinese teapots are
very sturdily made and often are very heavy but so far they
have not been what I would consider beautiful. Peter, our tour
guide from Children's Home told us he would pick us up at ten
minutes to nine the following morning, Sunday for a walking
tour of Beijing. We decided to return to our room for sleep!
A330 out of Japan flying to Beijing. It is around 4:00 p.m.
local time. We have been on planes for about twelve hours
now. We had a two hour layover in Narita, Japan (which
actually was 45 minutes on the ground) before we boarded
this plane. This is our second flight in our total package of
six. It is chilly on the plane and we are tired. Finally after an
entire day of sunlight it is dark outside. How odd it was to
cross the international dateline and have such a "log daytime."
I keep nodding off and would love to stretch my legs out more
and sleep. There is less leg room on this plane. Each
passenger has a television monitor in front of him/her that is
mounted in the seat ahead. All the flight attendants are Asian.
They all look so sharp! The plane is lovely. Pete and I are
really exhausted. We were up all night Thursday evening
preparing to leave for China. We are now sitting next to
another couple and their first adopted Chinese daughter on
this plane. We are all falling to sleep. I can't keep an eye
open any longer.
After landing in Beijing and going through customs and getting
our luggage, Peter, our tour guide from Children's Home met
us at the airport. We loaded two families and a lot of luggage
in a taxi van. Traffic appears to be wild here and very fast
moving. My best description of their driving is zip, zip, zip,
squeeze, honk, honk! Immediately we saw two buses almost
sideswipe each other on our drive from the airport. Not to
worry...they both have loud horns! This morning we woke up in
Beijing! We arrived at the Novotel Peace Hotel around 10 p.m.
tonight. The hotel has a beautiful entry way with a revolving
glass door. It reminds me of a Radisson hotel. When we
walked in there was a young female woman singing in an open
lounge to the right. She had an outstanding deep voice and
she was singing American songs in English. I was surprised to
turn and see a very petite Asian woman! The hotel gift
shoppes were open for business as we passed by and went up
to our rooms. We unpacked the things we needed and went
downstairs to look around. We ran across the street to a tea
shop where we looked at Chinese made teapots. Sales people
came up to us immediately. They stayed right by our side. A
cute young woman opened boxes and handed us green tea
candy and almond flaky cookie bites. The Chinese teapots are
very sturdily made and often are very heavy but so far they
have not been what I would consider beautiful. Peter, our tour
guide from Children's Home told us he would pick us up at ten
minutes to nine the following morning, Sunday for a walking
tour of Beijing. We decided to return to our room for sleep!
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