Flights and airports

I actually didn't go over Alaska this time! Instead we went pretty much strait north from NY.... over a Canada, some of Greenland, probably pretty close to the north pole, and then down through Russia, Mongolia, and then through China till Shanghai. I didn't really get to much of a chance to look out the window during this flight and the few times I did... I couldn't really see much, but it was still cool look at the flight progress thing and see how the screen tried to represent going over the north pole on a flat map :)

Switching to a domestic flight in Shanghai was interesting.... I had to basically go get my ticket from the airlines counter and check my baggage... similar to in the US.... except that it seems in China a line means... you go wherever you have enough room to squeeze in. So don't leave any room around you or between you and the person in front of you... or someone else will jump right in there. I managed to block a guy from getting in front of me all the way to the counter... then when I moved a little to one side to put my bag on their thing for check bags (not sure what you all that).... he rushed the counter and tried to hand his ticket information to the lady first. I still won (yay for long arms).

During my delay in Shanghai... I did a bit of wondering around the airport.... and totally walked past a Chinese guy watching porn on his laptop....hehe. He closed it pretty quickly as I walked by though. I found a couple of American business men that were headed to Changchun for something... they finding out all the information on the delay and making calls to try to find other flights.. but didn't manage to. I was able to get the information on the delay from them and borrow a cell phone to call Rolland and tell him about the delay (just incase the txt message I sent over skype didn't work). The two business men were not very interesting in talking to me though.... so I left them alone.

For the majority of the delay I spent my time hanging out with a bunch of German enganeers...... if anyone can spot a group of engineers... its me :) They were headed to Changchun because it has the biggest car factory in China.... its not BMW.. but another German car company... the BMW plant is in another city ... I don't remember the name. They were pretty cool and had been to Changchun a few time.

The flight to Changchun was pretty quick (once we got on it) ... I slept for a bit of it and talked to the Chinese couple next to me for the rest of the time. They were very nice.. but obviously very new to flying. I helped them figure out how to use the seat belt and stuff like lean back the seats. They live in Changchun and had just gone to Shanghai for vacation.

Usually when getting off a plane... I don't bother putting on a jacket even if it is cold outside.. because you are just going strait into a terminal.... so why bother. Well this plane didn't land at a terminal.... it landed in what seemed like the middle of no where by the runways.. but there were other planes parked there and steps. Sadly I did not realize this fact. Luckily, while waiting to get off the plane one of the German guys yelled to me from farther back in the plane to put on a jacket and told me we weren't at the terminal. We all got off the plane.. packed into a few buses and off to the terminal.

Baggage claim was a bitch.... everyone grabs these carts and then rushes the baggage claim and packs in as tight as possibly... pushing a shoving to try to get to the front. I was able to get decently close to the front... without completely taking anyone out with my bookbag. But when I saw my bag coming I wasn't able to get close enough to grab it... so I started tapping a guy on the shoulder and pointing at my bag. He got the idea and attempted to grab it.... though it seems I packed my bag a bit to heavy for your average Chinese guy. But between him and the guy next to him they were able to get the bag off the belt and to me. I shoved my way through the crowd behind me and headed to find Rolland. (one very nice thing with the Chinese airport though... they check the sticker on your bag to make sure it matches the bag claim sticker on your ticket as you leave the baggage claim)

Then Rolland and his father picked me up outside of baggage claim. I felt kinda bad.. because they wanted to help me with my bags.. which was nice... but when getting in the taxi Rolland's dad tried to put my bag in the trunk but failed... so I put it in there.