WEBmikey: Day One: Travel

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Day One: Travel
7.31.2003 10:39 AM \| Link	Jonathan and I are sitting in the International Terminal of LAX, trying to make ourselves sleepy by drinking beer. My watch says it's 12:50 PM, but it's 10:50 AM in Los Angeles where we are, and 2:50 AM tomorrow in Osaka. It's weird keeping three time zones in my head! The flight from Austin to Los Angeles was easy, and figuring out how to transfer to JAL wasn't bad, thanks to a very helpful, gigling JAL ticket counter girl. It's nice to fly JAL since I'm already seeing so many Japanese before we even get on the plane. There's lots of people listening to MD players, girls puling their hair back, and an older man in a suit doing stretching exercises, preparing for the flight. It's 12:15 PM Osaka time, and we're traveling at 571 MPH with 5 hours to go. The JAL flight attendants are extremely efficient and friendly - each seems to have a specific duty that they carry out at the moment it needs to be done. There's even a girl who runs into each bathroom on the plane to spray air freshener with someone leaves! They're constantly coming down the aisles with full trays of water, coffee, and green tea. Our flight is made a bit more "interesting" by Sergei, a Russian flying to Nara for a semi-conductor conference, who decides to get his money's worth by drinking everything in site. He's seriously drunk now, calling for more "White wine!" in a loud voice. After at least 9-10 small bottles of wine, the flight attendants cut him off (as politely as possible). Jonathan and I pass the time watching movies on the seat back screens (including 101 Dalmatians and Treasure Planet) and playing a few of the video games. I read a book and listen to my iPod, trying to stay awake now that it's "daytime", but Jonathan is fast asleep. I've just been served a nice sticky bun and green tea. Overall the flight is comfortable, but I have to say JAL legroom is lacking - I have to put my carry on in the overhead compartment or I would have no room for my feet. Sergei is snoring as we cross the International Date Line. They are a showing a stretching video to the passengers now, with exercises you can do while seated to keep the blood flowing. There's a little cartoon balloon that inflates to show you when to inhale and exhale, too! I just realized that it's around 11:00 PM back in Austin, but it kind of feels like morning to me, so I guess my time zone brainwashing is working. Labels: japan, trips


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