[This post is via e-mail; Mum can't get to Facebook or this blog! There are lots more pictures; I'll post them a little later. --Jen Cousar Costa]
So much to write! You know the story already of getting to Logan and discovering that it didn't matter that we were there only 1.5 hours ahead of flight time instead of two, since the printers for the baggage claims and boarding passes weren't working, everything was delayed. Thanks to Jen's scouting brilliance, she discovered a short line for United International passengers a few minutes before the well-projected voice of the United Airlines official asked ALL int'l passengers to move to that queue. So there was only a family going to Addis Ababa, some vacationers headed to Aruba, and some to Mexico. I briefly wondered if a North Korean worm had caused this computer crisis, but forgot that thought until I was review the day later. Jen stayed with me until I had to go through security, and I held up pretty well, I think, considering...actually, I'm always fine unless I think about being away from family for seven weeks. This is an amazing adventure.
The flight to SFO was easy and fun. The woman who sat next to me, one year older and wearing a gorgeous teal blue/lime green travel dress & sweater, and I talked much of the way. She was a flight attendant for PanAm/United for 35 years and spent much of her time making a list of all the places she had spent time in--at least a week. That list covered three pages. She had another couple of pages of places where she just spent a day or two, and other list of places she just had flown to. Karachi and Beirut and Hong Kong and--oh, I can't name them all. We also talked about kids (she had her two boys when she was 42 & 43, so they're still in college) and husbands and career changes (she's a realtor now and wonders what she should do next...). I also watched Duplicity (funny, clever, convoluted), read American Shaolin, and knit for a while. Six and a half hours is a long time.
The SFO-PEK leg was twice as long. I had a great seat: the bulkhead, so plenty of leg room. On my right was a scientist returning home who had attended a conference at UC-Davis on Chinese-American cooperation on global climate change. On my left was a young mother from Denver, originally from Beijing, who was traveling to visit family--bringing her six-year old daughter for another visit & introducing her mother to her 18-month-old son (yes, I got--get--teary at the thought of that!). Three movies, more knitting, more reading, plus a crossword puzzle, Scrabble game, numerous conversations, many gluten-free meals & snacks, and a couple of semi-conscious naps.
We had to fill out health forms stating whether we had been exposed to H1N1 or had any symptoms and giving an address/phone number where we could be reached for seven days--we will be called by a health official once or twice a day (and taken to the hospital if we have symptoms). After we landed at the Beijing Airport (code PEK), we had to remain in our seats while a squad of HAZMAT-uniformed health workers came on board and scanned our foreheads with electronic thermometers. I wasn't able to find my camera in time to photograph them. Just imagine Clockwork Orange. We all seemed to have passed--no fevers, although the mother & her children next to me were scanned both coming and going, giving us a bit of a rise--for all passengers were allowed to disembark. You'll see in the photos that we had two more health screenings to go through before we got out of the airport.
The new terminal is amazing. if you've been to Beijing before, you might recall the terminal looked kind of like Manchester [NH]'s before it was updated. Now you can see it's glassy and spacious, with industrial steel supports arching above and moving walkways below. Artwork on the walls, female voices in both Mandarin and English warning you of the dangers of getting your foot caught.
Duo, our driver, and Ying,
our aide/translator met me at the airport. W
e drove through the city so I could just see what was going on--lots of people getting out of work, more cars and fewer bikes that I saw last time, more tall buildings and fewer cranes than eight years ago. Arriving at the apartment was amazing. This place, at Maliandao Dongjie 15 (Tea Street East 15) is in a Chinese neighbborhood--I saw no tourists. It is, as you have guessed, lined with small tea shops. On a day when it's not raining, I understand the fragrance is sweet and delicious. I'm attaching photos. The apartment is lush and elegant. Because I am the older teacher, I get the huge master bedroom and Kacie will have the smaller one. The whole place is definitely fine.
Duo and Ying will return in a few minutes we can go out for supper. They were delighted to hear that I look forward to eating Chinese food and they don't have to find me pizza or fried chicken tonight.
I will write more soon.
Love,Ma/Chris
So much to write! You know the story already of getting to Logan and discovering that it didn't matter that we were there only 1.5 hours ahead of flight time instead of two, since the printers for the baggage claims and boarding passes weren't working, everything was delayed. Thanks to Jen's scouting brilliance, she discovered a short line for United International passengers a few minutes before the well-projected voice of the United Airlines official asked ALL int'l passengers to move to that queue. So there was only a family going to Addis Ababa, some vacationers headed to Aruba, and some to Mexico. I briefly wondered if a North Korean worm had caused this computer crisis, but forgot that thought until I was review the day later. Jen stayed with me until I had to go through security, and I held up pretty well, I think, considering...actually, I'm always fine unless I think about being away from family for seven weeks. This is an amazing adventure.
The flight to SFO was easy and fun. The woman who sat next to me, one year older and wearing a gorgeous teal blue/lime green travel dress & sweater, and I talked much of the way. She was a flight attendant for PanAm/United for 35 years and spent much of her time making a list of all the places she had spent time in--at least a week. That list covered three pages. She had another couple of pages of places where she just spent a day or two, and other list of places she just had flown to. Karachi and Beirut and Hong Kong and--oh, I can't name them all. We also talked about kids (she had her two boys when she was 42 & 43, so they're still in college) and husbands and career changes (she's a realtor now and wonders what she should do next...). I also watched Duplicity (funny, clever, convoluted), read American Shaolin, and knit for a while. Six and a half hours is a long time.
The SFO-PEK leg was twice as long. I had a great seat: the bulkhead, so plenty of leg room. On my right was a scientist returning home who had attended a conference at UC-Davis on Chinese-American cooperation on global climate change. On my left was a young mother from Denver, originally from Beijing, who was traveling to visit family--bringing her six-year old daughter for another visit & introducing her mother to her 18-month-old son (yes, I got--get--teary at the thought of that!). Three movies, more knitting, more reading, plus a crossword puzzle, Scrabble game, numerous conversations, many gluten-free meals & snacks, and a couple of semi-conscious naps.
We had to fill out health forms stating whether we had been exposed to H1N1 or had any symptoms and giving an address/phone number where we could be reached for seven days--we will be called by a health official once or twice a day (and taken to the hospital if we have symptoms). After we landed at the Beijing Airport (code PEK), we had to remain in our seats while a squad of HAZMAT-uniformed health workers came on board and scanned our foreheads with electronic thermometers. I wasn't able to find my camera in time to photograph them. Just imagine Clockwork Orange. We all seemed to have passed--no fevers, although the mother & her children next to me were scanned both coming and going, giving us a bit of a rise--for all passengers were allowed to disembark. You'll see in the photos that we had two more health screenings to go through before we got out of the airport.
The new terminal is amazing. if you've been to Beijing before, you might recall the terminal looked kind of like Manchester [NH]'s before it was updated. Now you can see it's glassy and spacious, with industrial steel supports arching above and moving walkways below. Artwork on the walls, female voices in both Mandarin and English warning you of the dangers of getting your foot caught.
Duo, our driver, and Ying,
our aide/translator met me at the airport. W
e drove through the city so I could just see what was going on--lots of people getting out of work, more cars and fewer bikes that I saw last time, more tall buildings and fewer cranes than eight years ago. Arriving at the apartment was amazing. This place, at Maliandao Dongjie 15 (Tea Street East 15) is in a Chinese neighbborhood--I saw no tourists. It is, as you have guessed, lined with small tea shops. On a day when it's not raining, I understand the fragrance is sweet and delicious. I'm attaching photos. The apartment is lush and elegant. Because I am the older teacher, I get the huge master bedroom and Kacie will have the smaller one. The whole place is definitely fine.Duo and Ying will return in a few minutes we can go out for supper. They were delighted to hear that I look forward to eating Chinese food and they don't have to find me pizza or fried chicken tonight.
I will write more soon.
Love,Ma/Chris
Hooray! You arrived safely and were not quarantined. I hope you enjoy your time in China and can't wait to hear about it. I was wondering how you were going to post things in China...email is a great thing! Have fun!
ReplyDeletexoColleen
Dear Chris,
ReplyDeleteI am so happy that you there,safe and no problems.It's so nice when things run smooth!!
The blog was a fantastic idea,and I am enjoying it all ready.
Love you!Emma