I'm on my way to China

August 11, 2008

I am Preparing to leave for China! I ended up calling and talking with close friends prior to departing from Hong Kong. If I get their permission, I will post a few snippets from our conversations

August 12, 2008

Today is the day that I leave for China. The first leg of my flight to China leaves Greensboro headed for Detroit at 12:15. The second leg of the flight leaves from Detroit at 3:15PM headed to Japan. The final leg of the trip leaves from Japan destined for Hong Kong.

Morning

The time is now 10:15AM. I’m finally packed and ready to go. My flight leaves at 12:15PM and that gives me just enough time to get to the airport with an hour and a half left on the clock before the first leg of my flight takes off.

Intimate Thought

Around 10:15AM, I am a little frustrated with my mom and my brother. In general our relationship is fine, but they usually get to acting a little strange when I am about to head off for a period of time. I love them dearly, but they are sometimes just a little too protective of me.

Off to the Airport

Around 10:15, my Aunt Muz stops by the house in order to see me off. My Aunt Muz is the “Auntie” that everyone likes to spend time with. Aunt Muz is cool, funny, understanding, and very faithful. In addition, Aunt Muz keeps up to date with all the latest on everyone. I don’t know how she gets her information, but CNN could use a little help from her. If you haven’t met Aunt Muz, then you should meet her. I am sure that you will feel like you have known her forever. If you are ever in Winston Salem, you should stop by our local big box retailer that beat out K Mart and you might just see her. She usually works as a greeter. I feel bad that she saw me a little rattled this morning, but she understands.

My brother, Rodney, drove me to the airport. I fell asleep in the car during the 20 minute drive to the illustrious Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO). I’m pooped. I didn’t get any sleep last night and it is catching up with me.

Checking In At the Airport

I get to the airport and find out that the bag that I packed is 14 pounds too heavy. Yes, I packed a lot and I’m not scared to admit it!! To my credit though, I packed a medium size bag with my belongings and placed it inside of a monster size suitcase. The reason that I did this was so that I would have an extra suitcase to bring back goodies that I buy during the trip.

Nowadays, an overweight bag costs the typical traveler $50. But for those with the gift of being able to connect with anyone, a “smile” and a “hello” goes a long way. The guy was pretty cool and helped me avoid the overweight baggage fee. I guess it is as they say, “sometimes the best things in life are free.” It doesn’t cost anything to treat people with respect. My father used to tell me all the time that “Good manners will take you further than money or all the riches in the world.”

Nevertheless, I made it to the airport and checked in without any trouble. Before departing for Detroit, I talked with my oldest brother and he made me feel a lot better about the interaction with both my mom and brother. I switched the greeting on my cell phone. You never know, George Bush may call and ask me to join his staff. Don’t laugh. I’m dead serious. It has happened before to people that I know; maybe it could happen to me to too (link to website). I doubt it, but anything is possible.

Flight: Greensboro to Detroit

I fell asleep for the entire flight. I was disturbed just enough by the flight attendant long enough to wake up and order the complimentary beverage (Orange Juice). Heck yeah!! Northwest Airlines is one of the few airlines remaining giving out free beverages during the flight. I flew US Airways last week and they tried to charge me $2 for a coke. I almost lost it. Remind me to never lose it on an airplane. Losing it on an airplane is a Federal offense. Boy do I have a story for you, please read the events about my flight from Detroit to Japan. Hilarious!!!

Layover in Detroit

I went to the wrong gate. I went to C40, but I was supposed to go to A40. No big deal, I have about 25 minutes before the next flight.

On my way to the correct gate, I stop at Coffee Beanery and have a White Mocha Chocolate Frappacino. Not as good as the one that I normally get from Starbucks, but it definitely hit the spot. Hopefully this will give me a boost of energy so that I can journal.

I make it to the correct gate 10 minutes before boarding time and the agent reminds me that the flight will be approximately 16 hours. I immediately think FOOD. I barely ate the morning. I had Mom’s grits and Dunking Donut’s Bagel & Egg Sandwich. I’m not that hungry, but a 16 hour flight is a 16 hour flight. I need to be prepared.

I turn around and look for a fast food eatery, none in sight. I look harder and see what? You guessed it, the Golden Arches !! McDonalds, the cornerstone of any balanced diet. After watching Fast Food Nation and Super Size Me less than two weeks ago, I just had to have Mickey D’s. I enjoyed each movie by the way. I’m seriously studying the fast food industry right now, but that’s a story for another day.

I go to McDonalds and it is chaotic on the inside. I have never seen this many people before at an airport McDonalds. Actually the scene is utterly ridiculous. I keep it simple and order a # 10. For those that don’t know, a # 10 consists of 10 all white meat chicken nuggets, French fries, and a drink. I order, I wait, I receive my food, take a picture with the homey, and then I’m off to the races. I rush back to Gate A40 and board the plane.

I see Rohit, HBS Class of 2009, trip organizer. He worked for the NBA this past summer. Raj is a good guy and is very active on campus. I look around and observe the passengers boarding the plane and realize that I am going to Asia. 80% of the passengers boarding the plan are Asian. I guess it makes sense, I am headed to Asia. This is also when I notices that the plane is huge. We’re boarding a Boeing 747, 400 Series. According to one flight attendant the plane holds approximately 440 people.