Up, Up and Away...

We have landed in Shanghai, China. I thought I'd skip the depressing and tedious details of the flight and go to some observations we made en route.

First, we got the usual airline directions for in case of emergency and instructions on how to use the lifevests, the floatation devices and oxygen masks, etc. They even gave me a special one for babies, for Jared. Just in case, the flight attendant said sheepishly. Sure. The route we flew was over Alaska, the Arctic Ocean and Siberia. ahh... so if the airplane was to crash, and if we land safely over water somewhere, we'll have -40 degree water to float on. Yipppeee.

Second, flying is a lot like standing still, to the human body, unless there's turbulance. Jared kept saying, "We are not moving, Mommy!" As I tried to tell him to look out the window for movements to prove that we are moving, I realized, when you are 35,000 feet up in the air, it really doesn't look like you are moving! Have faith in me, kid, we're moving. Really really fast, at that. I'm not sure he was convinced.

Third. So we were walking around when the "fasten seatbelt" sign was off. Jared kept wanting to go outside, and I had to explain to him how we are floating midair and we really couldn't just go outside. But we could walk around inside though. So we did. Only, bad bad us, we walked from the back of the plane, where us poor folks sit, all the way to the front of the airplane, where the 1st class passengers get to lie down flat in their seats, and getting served smoked salmon. On our way back from the front of the plane, a flight attendant whispered to me that "for security reasons" we are only allowed within our own cabinet. Security reasons??? Are the caviars going to revolt because we went through the thin curtain that seperates the 1st class seats and the rest? Must be. How silly of me. We stayed safely within our own cabinet from then on. Wouldn't want to be trampled by the sturgeons.

Last, but not least, I observed that I'm insane. Whatever possessed me to take this trip has certainly escaped me, now that I'm here. But alas, I hope it won't be a total loss. Of course I am getting some very yummy homemade meals, so there's hope after all.