Long, running report to London, Beijing, and Hong Kong
Mar 11, 2005, 8:07 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Circle City
Posts: 3,568
Long, running report to London, Beijing, and Hong Kong
I decided to write an ongoing trip report of a fairly long adventure that many close to me have known about and been very supportive of. You know who you are, and I thank you in advance. As I sit in PHL airport, I decided to take an opportunity and set up the trip, why I am going, etc. The main chunk will be in Beijing and Hong Kong but I do need to make a short trip to London so I thought I would throw it in for good measure.
Background:
The story begins some time last year. I believe in October. A professor, who is also a good friend, was doing a fellowship at Tsinghua University School of Law in Beijing, China. I have known him for several years and he is a self-described Chinaphile. It began several years ago when he went under a Fulbright Fellowship to teach international law at Tsinghua. Needless to say, he was a very popular influence so the Chinese government has asked him to return each year since.
Although my learning has been diverse, most of my schooling has been in international commercial arbitration and international trade law. UNCITRAL, CISG, New York Convention, etc. I enjoy it because it's new and not as restrictive as other parts of the law. It also fits my personality. I have been fortunate enough to travel quite a bit (some of which is archived on FT) and I love learning about and interacting with other cultures. Last year, this professor and I spoke about the various opportunities in China and other Asian countries in the region and I expressed my interest in learning more about their respective laws. The advice given was that China is so big and diverse that if I wanted to "do" China, that I needed to commit myself 100% to the study of its legal system. For unimportant reasons, I decided that jumping in with both feet was premature at that moment and I chose to pursue other opportunities. I ended up being hired by an arbitrator in London for a bit, which unfortunately fell through when he got called to a long assignment on the continent, and I volunteered at an Ecuadorian law firm for about 6 weeks. I also have been working for a judge for the past two years so I worked with her for about a month before going to Ecuador.
Stepping back a moment, I became involved last year in an international trade law and arbitration competition held in Vienna each year which in short is referred to as "the Vis" because it's named after Willem C. Vis. http://www.cisg.law.pace.edu/vis.html About 175 schools from about 60 countries generally participate, but it has continued to grow exponentially. Last year, in fact, the coordinators began a secondary competition held in Hong Kong. The problem is identical, but the entrants are different and it is generally geared toward schools in Asia and the Pacific (Oz, NZ, etc.). A few schools from the U.S. participate but not many. In fact, few schools from the U.S. participate in either moot. I believe the last count was around 30. The competition is in three stages: (1) draft claimant's brief; (2) draft respondent's brief; and (3) oral arguments in either Vienna or Hong Kong. As I said, I participated last year including in the oral arguments. We did well but did not advance.
Back to the future. While the aforementioned professor was in Beijing last semester, he contacted me about working with a group of students from Tsinghua who were interested in participating in the Hong Kong competition. He would work with them on the sales part while I would work on the arbitration section. Feeling honored for being asked at all, I immediately accepted. Soon after, however, I found out that the people on the team had absolutely no training in either international arbitration or international sales law. In fact, their only international experience was in human rights which is all but useless for this context. I realized that I had to start from scratch and build their knowledge from the fundamentals. It took time and a lot of work but the group was ultimately successful at producing a very solid submission for the competition. In December, I was asked if I would be interested in going to Beijing to prepare the team (which was down to 3 members) for the oral competition and then accompany the team to the competition itself. In January, I was named an official coach of the team and the invitation was formalized.
Unfortunately, money is in very short supply and the government has told me that they won't loan me any more of it. However, due to the generosity and kindness of a few Flyertalkers who will remain nameless by request, I was able to arrange a flight to Beijing and Hong Kong to join the team. I cannot say how excited I am for this opportunity both for me and for the other people involved. I also am looking forward to becoming immersed in the Chinese legal environment, even for a short while, and finding if it is something I want to continue with. Next year, I will be clerking for the judge I have been working with for the past two years, but I am still undecided about my direction after the term is finished (Sept 06). I am being encouraged to jump right back into school for an LLM in international trade or arbitration law and have been encouraged to submit applications to some of the higher international universities that are either in Asia or specialize in Asian relations. Any opinions are more than welcome and I am happy to forward my resume to give a better glimpse of my background, as it's fairly diverse at this point.
The trip to London is just because I never took it and decided to go visit friends for a couple of days. Nothing out of the ordinary there.
As I said, the main chunk is in Beijing and Hong Kong. I will be in PEK for a bit over 2 weeks and then in Hong Kong about a week.
I am going to try and write this on an ongoing basis. Sort of a running trip report instead of one that I write after the fact and post. I will do my best to include some pictures here and there but I will be somewhat constrained by time and Internet access so I might have to wait until I return. I will put them up eventually. My reports aren't for everyone. I know that. There is a lot of my thoughts in them. Sometimes funny, sometimes serious. I write in a conversational tone which will be more emphasized with this report just because of how I will be writing it. I also generally don't spend a whole lot of time on the flights, though I might more on this trip because a lot of it is on airlines I haven't flown before.
I do hope you enjoy...
Background:
The story begins some time last year. I believe in October. A professor, who is also a good friend, was doing a fellowship at Tsinghua University School of Law in Beijing, China. I have known him for several years and he is a self-described Chinaphile. It began several years ago when he went under a Fulbright Fellowship to teach international law at Tsinghua. Needless to say, he was a very popular influence so the Chinese government has asked him to return each year since.
Although my learning has been diverse, most of my schooling has been in international commercial arbitration and international trade law. UNCITRAL, CISG, New York Convention, etc. I enjoy it because it's new and not as restrictive as other parts of the law. It also fits my personality. I have been fortunate enough to travel quite a bit (some of which is archived on FT) and I love learning about and interacting with other cultures. Last year, this professor and I spoke about the various opportunities in China and other Asian countries in the region and I expressed my interest in learning more about their respective laws. The advice given was that China is so big and diverse that if I wanted to "do" China, that I needed to commit myself 100% to the study of its legal system. For unimportant reasons, I decided that jumping in with both feet was premature at that moment and I chose to pursue other opportunities. I ended up being hired by an arbitrator in London for a bit, which unfortunately fell through when he got called to a long assignment on the continent, and I volunteered at an Ecuadorian law firm for about 6 weeks. I also have been working for a judge for the past two years so I worked with her for about a month before going to Ecuador.
Stepping back a moment, I became involved last year in an international trade law and arbitration competition held in Vienna each year which in short is referred to as "the Vis" because it's named after Willem C. Vis. http://www.cisg.law.pace.edu/vis.html About 175 schools from about 60 countries generally participate, but it has continued to grow exponentially. Last year, in fact, the coordinators began a secondary competition held in Hong Kong. The problem is identical, but the entrants are different and it is generally geared toward schools in Asia and the Pacific (Oz, NZ, etc.). A few schools from the U.S. participate but not many. In fact, few schools from the U.S. participate in either moot. I believe the last count was around 30. The competition is in three stages: (1) draft claimant's brief; (2) draft respondent's brief; and (3) oral arguments in either Vienna or Hong Kong. As I said, I participated last year including in the oral arguments. We did well but did not advance.
Back to the future. While the aforementioned professor was in Beijing last semester, he contacted me about working with a group of students from Tsinghua who were interested in participating in the Hong Kong competition. He would work with them on the sales part while I would work on the arbitration section. Feeling honored for being asked at all, I immediately accepted. Soon after, however, I found out that the people on the team had absolutely no training in either international arbitration or international sales law. In fact, their only international experience was in human rights which is all but useless for this context. I realized that I had to start from scratch and build their knowledge from the fundamentals. It took time and a lot of work but the group was ultimately successful at producing a very solid submission for the competition. In December, I was asked if I would be interested in going to Beijing to prepare the team (which was down to 3 members) for the oral competition and then accompany the team to the competition itself. In January, I was named an official coach of the team and the invitation was formalized.
Unfortunately, money is in very short supply and the government has told me that they won't loan me any more of it. However, due to the generosity and kindness of a few Flyertalkers who will remain nameless by request, I was able to arrange a flight to Beijing and Hong Kong to join the team. I cannot say how excited I am for this opportunity both for me and for the other people involved. I also am looking forward to becoming immersed in the Chinese legal environment, even for a short while, and finding if it is something I want to continue with. Next year, I will be clerking for the judge I have been working with for the past two years, but I am still undecided about my direction after the term is finished (Sept 06). I am being encouraged to jump right back into school for an LLM in international trade or arbitration law and have been encouraged to submit applications to some of the higher international universities that are either in Asia or specialize in Asian relations. Any opinions are more than welcome and I am happy to forward my resume to give a better glimpse of my background, as it's fairly diverse at this point.
The trip to London is just because I never took it and decided to go visit friends for a couple of days. Nothing out of the ordinary there.
As I said, the main chunk is in Beijing and Hong Kong. I will be in PEK for a bit over 2 weeks and then in Hong Kong about a week.I am going to try and write this on an ongoing basis. Sort of a running trip report instead of one that I write after the fact and post. I will do my best to include some pictures here and there but I will be somewhat constrained by time and Internet access so I might have to wait until I return. I will put them up eventually. My reports aren't for everyone. I know that. There is a lot of my thoughts in them. Sometimes funny, sometimes serious. I write in a conversational tone which will be more emphasized with this report just because of how I will be writing it. I also generally don't spend a whole lot of time on the flights, though I might more on this trip because a lot of it is on airlines I haven't flown before.
I do hope you enjoy...
Mar 11, 2005, 9:36 am
#2
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,778
Darren, it's a fascinating read to catch up with what you have been doing the past year or so. I've known bits and pieces, and just learned so much more from the above. Enjoy your down time in London, as I'm sure Beijing and Hong Kong will be intense.
Mar 11, 2005, 12:37 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,149
Darren!
You write some of the best Trip Reports on FT. You need to write more! Thisll be a good start. I really enjoyed your Colombia report and one other one that was quinda weird but then that's why I liked it. Have a great trip!
Also, if you've the time, might I recommend Bill Holms book "Coming Home Crazy". It's about his experiences teaching in China and you might find some common ground with Bill before it's all said and done.
You write some of the best Trip Reports on FT. You need to write more! Thisll be a good start. I really enjoyed your Colombia report and one other one that was quinda weird but then that's why I liked it. Have a great trip!
Also, if you've the time, might I recommend Bill Holms book "Coming Home Crazy". It's about his experiences teaching in China and you might find some common ground with Bill before it's all said and done.
Mar 12, 2005, 11:14 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Circle City
Posts: 3,568
I arrived at the Philadelphia airport quite early because my girlfriend had to go to work. I didn't mind so much because I had to get a ticket reissued and I knew it would take a while. Now, everyone is allowed at least one dumbassed moment in their lives. This was mine. I have said before that there are only three things I will ever need to travel: 1) ticket; 2) passport; and 3) credit card. If I lose one of the three, I am in a world of hurt. If I lose anything else, it might be a pain in the arse but it can be overcome. I am standing in line at USAirways terminal B (which is traumatic to begin with) and I turned white as a ghost as I realized that I forgot my passport. I will say in my defense that this was the first time I have *ever* forgotten one of my major threes. A quick call to a very annoyed significant other, and I was standing out at the street once again getting slowly poisoned by exhaust fumes. I suppose I deserved it even though it has temporarily caused me to forget how to multiply.
In track, this is the equivalent of the false start. So back to the blocks we went where my passport was waiting for me, almost taunting me. I think that it called me a dumbass, but that might have been by girlfriend. By this time I had been able to get a hold of another friend who was willing to schlep me back to the airport. Fortunately this time I didn't jump the starting gun. The SO, however, was a bit late but no harm, no foul.
After getting my ticket reissued and paying a mysterious extra $50, I was back to the right terminal for my flight. I do not know where this $50 came from and will speak with USAir when I return since the agent couldnt tell me why there was an addcollect. My itinerary was the same with two date changes pre-departure. I don't mind paying for something but I don't like when I don't know what I am paying for.
I schleped back to terminal A for the fourth time in two hours. It was also the last as I waited out my time in the Admirals Club catching up with a few things. The AC in Philadelphia is small but has a television, a bar, and a computer. Really, the last is all I wanted since I didn't bring my laptop on this trip.
My upgrade pre-cleared only on this first segment. I am routinely made fun of because I don't like to fly coach but in reality I couldnt care less. I don't like flying any more in first than coach and I regard it as a means to an end. I think I have done two pure mileage runs in my life and both were a pain in the arse. Literally. But given a choice, first is nice so I was grateful for it. AA's MD-80s don't have inflight entertainment so I had to find ways to entertain myself for the three-hour journey. Mostly, it was spent staring at the inside of my eyelids. I was tired so the rest was good. Lunch was served. Chicken fingers and penne pasta or roasted veggie pizza (yuk). The lady tried to sell it by pointing out that it was Uno, but I was suspicious. I had the chicken but passed on the pasta which tasted a bit like....nothing, actually. It was served with a salad and a sack of 6 oatmeal-applesauce cookies. I have to admit that I am a sucker for the oat.
Three hours later, we cruised into Dallas right on time. It has been a long time since I was last in Dallas because for reasons I can't explain most of my traveling has gone through Chicago. The lounge is nice but I forgot they did away with the flagship portion. Not entirely sure why but it didn't matter since I was only there for about 15 minutes. In fact, all I wanted was to use the computer...of which there are 4. Woefully inadequate for a lounge of that size. They are only terminals, for crying out loud. You can probably get new ones for $400 each. But finally one opened up where I jumped on and got the info I needed.
The upgrade on the flight to LA did not pre-clear but the agent promised that I was first on the list and told me to wait. I need to say, she did great. There were about 15-20 employees standing by and she did eventually give me the last seat. I was appreciative since I know that first often turns into employee class and that there have been reports of last seats going to friends. Maybe the agent had no friends, I don't know. She was nice, though, so I think she probably did have friends but still gave the seat to me. Bravo.
The 767-300 had lots and lots of room and the nicer seats. The movie was Wimbledon with Kirsten Dunst and the English guy from Beautiful Mind. It was entertaining but not one I would go out of my way to see unless it was in front of me. I don't watch much television at home, but I am still a man and pretty flashing pictures still attract my attention like a moth to a flame. Not to mention that Kirsten Dunst prancing around in tiny little shorts has a certain appeal to my 12 year-old side. In any event, man tennis player meets woman tennis player and proceed to do the nasty at any opportunity. The woman player (who was 10+ years his younger, I might add) has a protective father who tells man to stay away. He doesn't and many unsleeping nights are spent. He begins to do well after their interactions and she begins to fall apart. Eventually she is eliminated and he wins the championship. I believe that I have seen this premise before....repeatedly....but not with Kirstin Dunst in tiny shorts so it held my attention.
Being able to divert my attention because of the movie was good because lunch was served. Mushroom-cheese pizza or Salmon. I don't do fish, I don't do mushrooms, and the salad was wilty so I did a tomato and a cookie. Yes, *a* cookie since they were whisked away from me prematurely. I didn't mind since they were lemon and I don't get quite as excited about the lemon as I do the oat.
The plane to London was switched from the suites to the coffins which made me very unhappy. BA didn't have a seat available so I was stuck but these last minute plane changes are extraordinarily irritating. See the AA board if you want to see others irritated about it. AA is going to begin or continue to lose pax to other carriers if it keeps this up. It's not like they are the only carrier on this route. More importantly, I lost my window seat. I don't even understand how. The old config has three aisles, the new three aisles, so if you had 6 on windows before the change then bloody put them on the windows after.
The lounges in LA are nice. The AC can get busy but has computers. One of the best ideas anyone in AA had regarding that lounge was to put the computers on a bar-style table so people cannot sit and use the computers. It really does effectively limit their usage and you don't find people spending 2 hours on the computers even though there is a sign telling them to limit their use to 15 minutes. It's like the picture of a parked car under a "no parking" sign. Eventually, the flight called boarding and we were off.
As I said, the seats are the old style which are alright but nothing to write home about. Mine was broken, of course. The headphone jack wasn't screwed in and sound only came out of one side. Great. Since the plane was full, I didn't say much and just let it go. The padding on the seat also seemed a bit flat and the lumbar support was more painful than usual. Lumbar support. This had to have been invented in 1940s communist Russia as an American torture device. Here. Here's a good idea. Lets take a bar and stick it right across someone's back. We can make it go out. We can make it go in. But we will make it so it doesn't go away completely just for sh!ts and giggles. Whoever is responsible for this should be sentenced to sit in one of these seats for a month. It meant for a restless night, unfortunately.
The movie selection on the plane was nice, boasting about 20 titles of nothing much I wanted to see with two exceptions: Lemony Snicket and Garden State. I decided on Lemony Snicket which turned out to be a very odd film. Two orphans being chased by the evil count olaf, played by a creepy Jim Carrey, and the story of the adventures that ensued. A few cameos including John Cleese and Glenn Close. Dustin Hoffman as well. Was entertaining and better than Harry Potter but I can see why it didn't do as well. It was a bit dark and could have been scary for kids who were obviously the intended audience.
Dinner was a choice of chicken-something, chateaubriand (which the FA referred to as beef stew), pork loin, and gnocchi. I had the pork which was served with green beans and a fig sauce. Tasty, not terribly overdone. Dinner was also served with a nice salad, a terrible roll, and a sundae. I passed out pretty quickly after the movie finished and didn't get up until 20 mins outside of London. My back hurt, though, so it was a rough sleep. Damned bar.
Flight attendants were great. Smiling, friendly, helpful, etc. Overall, I would give the flight a 5. Had the FAs been bad, it would have been a 2, and if the plane hadn't changed, it would have been an 8 or 9. But the plane change was irritating and turned it into a very, very average journey on an absolute scale. Relative to BA, it was below average because of the seats. The only saving grace was the flight crew.
Crew....10
Food....5
Seat....2
Lounge....7
The fact that we didn't circle Heathrow for two hours....priceless.
In track, this is the equivalent of the false start. So back to the blocks we went where my passport was waiting for me, almost taunting me. I think that it called me a dumbass, but that might have been by girlfriend. By this time I had been able to get a hold of another friend who was willing to schlep me back to the airport. Fortunately this time I didn't jump the starting gun. The SO, however, was a bit late but no harm, no foul.
After getting my ticket reissued and paying a mysterious extra $50, I was back to the right terminal for my flight. I do not know where this $50 came from and will speak with USAir when I return since the agent couldnt tell me why there was an addcollect. My itinerary was the same with two date changes pre-departure. I don't mind paying for something but I don't like when I don't know what I am paying for.
I schleped back to terminal A for the fourth time in two hours. It was also the last as I waited out my time in the Admirals Club catching up with a few things. The AC in Philadelphia is small but has a television, a bar, and a computer. Really, the last is all I wanted since I didn't bring my laptop on this trip.
My upgrade pre-cleared only on this first segment. I am routinely made fun of because I don't like to fly coach but in reality I couldnt care less. I don't like flying any more in first than coach and I regard it as a means to an end. I think I have done two pure mileage runs in my life and both were a pain in the arse. Literally. But given a choice, first is nice so I was grateful for it. AA's MD-80s don't have inflight entertainment so I had to find ways to entertain myself for the three-hour journey. Mostly, it was spent staring at the inside of my eyelids. I was tired so the rest was good. Lunch was served. Chicken fingers and penne pasta or roasted veggie pizza (yuk). The lady tried to sell it by pointing out that it was Uno, but I was suspicious. I had the chicken but passed on the pasta which tasted a bit like....nothing, actually. It was served with a salad and a sack of 6 oatmeal-applesauce cookies. I have to admit that I am a sucker for the oat.
Three hours later, we cruised into Dallas right on time. It has been a long time since I was last in Dallas because for reasons I can't explain most of my traveling has gone through Chicago. The lounge is nice but I forgot they did away with the flagship portion. Not entirely sure why but it didn't matter since I was only there for about 15 minutes. In fact, all I wanted was to use the computer...of which there are 4. Woefully inadequate for a lounge of that size. They are only terminals, for crying out loud. You can probably get new ones for $400 each. But finally one opened up where I jumped on and got the info I needed.
The upgrade on the flight to LA did not pre-clear but the agent promised that I was first on the list and told me to wait. I need to say, she did great. There were about 15-20 employees standing by and she did eventually give me the last seat. I was appreciative since I know that first often turns into employee class and that there have been reports of last seats going to friends. Maybe the agent had no friends, I don't know. She was nice, though, so I think she probably did have friends but still gave the seat to me. Bravo.
The 767-300 had lots and lots of room and the nicer seats. The movie was Wimbledon with Kirsten Dunst and the English guy from Beautiful Mind. It was entertaining but not one I would go out of my way to see unless it was in front of me. I don't watch much television at home, but I am still a man and pretty flashing pictures still attract my attention like a moth to a flame. Not to mention that Kirsten Dunst prancing around in tiny little shorts has a certain appeal to my 12 year-old side. In any event, man tennis player meets woman tennis player and proceed to do the nasty at any opportunity. The woman player (who was 10+ years his younger, I might add) has a protective father who tells man to stay away. He doesn't and many unsleeping nights are spent. He begins to do well after their interactions and she begins to fall apart. Eventually she is eliminated and he wins the championship. I believe that I have seen this premise before....repeatedly....but not with Kirstin Dunst in tiny shorts so it held my attention.
Being able to divert my attention because of the movie was good because lunch was served. Mushroom-cheese pizza or Salmon. I don't do fish, I don't do mushrooms, and the salad was wilty so I did a tomato and a cookie. Yes, *a* cookie since they were whisked away from me prematurely. I didn't mind since they were lemon and I don't get quite as excited about the lemon as I do the oat.
The plane to London was switched from the suites to the coffins which made me very unhappy. BA didn't have a seat available so I was stuck but these last minute plane changes are extraordinarily irritating. See the AA board if you want to see others irritated about it. AA is going to begin or continue to lose pax to other carriers if it keeps this up. It's not like they are the only carrier on this route. More importantly, I lost my window seat. I don't even understand how. The old config has three aisles, the new three aisles, so if you had 6 on windows before the change then bloody put them on the windows after.
The lounges in LA are nice. The AC can get busy but has computers. One of the best ideas anyone in AA had regarding that lounge was to put the computers on a bar-style table so people cannot sit and use the computers. It really does effectively limit their usage and you don't find people spending 2 hours on the computers even though there is a sign telling them to limit their use to 15 minutes. It's like the picture of a parked car under a "no parking" sign. Eventually, the flight called boarding and we were off.
As I said, the seats are the old style which are alright but nothing to write home about. Mine was broken, of course. The headphone jack wasn't screwed in and sound only came out of one side. Great. Since the plane was full, I didn't say much and just let it go. The padding on the seat also seemed a bit flat and the lumbar support was more painful than usual. Lumbar support. This had to have been invented in 1940s communist Russia as an American torture device. Here. Here's a good idea. Lets take a bar and stick it right across someone's back. We can make it go out. We can make it go in. But we will make it so it doesn't go away completely just for sh!ts and giggles. Whoever is responsible for this should be sentenced to sit in one of these seats for a month. It meant for a restless night, unfortunately.
The movie selection on the plane was nice, boasting about 20 titles of nothing much I wanted to see with two exceptions: Lemony Snicket and Garden State. I decided on Lemony Snicket which turned out to be a very odd film. Two orphans being chased by the evil count olaf, played by a creepy Jim Carrey, and the story of the adventures that ensued. A few cameos including John Cleese and Glenn Close. Dustin Hoffman as well. Was entertaining and better than Harry Potter but I can see why it didn't do as well. It was a bit dark and could have been scary for kids who were obviously the intended audience.
Dinner was a choice of chicken-something, chateaubriand (which the FA referred to as beef stew), pork loin, and gnocchi. I had the pork which was served with green beans and a fig sauce. Tasty, not terribly overdone. Dinner was also served with a nice salad, a terrible roll, and a sundae. I passed out pretty quickly after the movie finished and didn't get up until 20 mins outside of London. My back hurt, though, so it was a rough sleep. Damned bar.
Flight attendants were great. Smiling, friendly, helpful, etc. Overall, I would give the flight a 5. Had the FAs been bad, it would have been a 2, and if the plane hadn't changed, it would have been an 8 or 9. But the plane change was irritating and turned it into a very, very average journey on an absolute scale. Relative to BA, it was below average because of the seats. The only saving grace was the flight crew.
Crew....10
Food....5
Seat....2
Lounge....7
The fact that we didn't circle Heathrow for two hours....priceless.
Mar 12, 2005, 11:44 am
#5
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,778
Darren, if misery loves company - my husband once showed up at the San Diego airport without his paper RTW ticket. Fortunately, it was for a domestic flight sequence. I was headed off in another direction, so he had to return to the parking lot, retrieve his car, drive 30 miles home, get the ticket, and then return. Needless to say, he missed his original flight. On the other hand, I was gone, so he didn't have to put up with an angry woman.
Thank God you didn't have a domestic run first before heading onward. Just imagine if you had an LA layover, then was checking in for London. Ooops!
Thank God you didn't have a domestic run first before heading onward. Just imagine if you had an LA layover, then was checking in for London. Ooops!
Mar 12, 2005, 12:04 pm
#6
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SFO
Programs: United 1K 2MM / Marriott LTP
Posts: 5,077
Originally Posted by Darren
After getting my ticket reissued and paying a mysterious extra $50, I was back to the right terminal for my flight. I do not know where this $50 came from and will speak with USAir when I return since the agent couldnt tell me why there was an addcollect. My itinerary was the same with two date changes pre-departure. I don't mind paying for something but I don't like when I don't know what I am paying for.
Mar 12, 2005, 1:48 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Circle City
Posts: 3,568
Well, then I feel a bit better about it. Since you and I have spoken before about our respective itineraries, I know they were booked at about the same time and more or less had the same type of routing. I just don't get what's so secret. I feel sometimes like I am dealing with a covert military agency because everything is so opaque. If a customer asks, I don't see why the airline can't just give a list of the taxes with a reference of the codes. I can't imagine it would take more than an hour of code writing to integrate it, but what do I know... What I do know is that when I go into Best Buy to get a pair of headphones that are listed at 9.99 and I am charged 10.80, the receipt at the bottom says sales tax 8.25%......$.81 Or when I buy a car and contract says an amount, the different (bullsh!t) fees are individually listed on the contract in a manner that I can at least know what the fees are even if I don't know what the fees actually do. Finally, I have the opportunity to debate the issue and question the fees. Since I don't know what the $50.10 was for, I don't know if it was legit, and I don't know whether to question the fees. I do know that my ticket is marked with one stopover where it should have been marked a connection (in Singapore on the way out). I think that's a few bucks of it but certainly not $50. Who knows...
Mar 13, 2005, 3:31 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Circle City
Posts: 3,568
I had a long layover in London during which I thought of going into the city and visiting the British museum but in the end decided not to and just to get some work done at the airport. I am not so arrogant to think that the US' currency policy should be dictated by my travel habits, but with the weak dollar and the strong pound, just getting into the city would have cost me more than it would have been worth. Especially since I would have only been able to be at the museum about an hour. So as I said, I caught up on a little shuteye and got some work done. I do enjoy the Concorde lounge in London though it gets a little obnoxious when it gets crowded. Fortunately, it generally wasn't except for about an hour before the Oz and east coast US flights.
I decided to eat dinner before getting on the plane. A choice of four entrees was offered including beef filet, chicken jalfrezi, chicken breast, and pasta-somethingoranother. I chose the beef with a goat cheese appetizer. Not what I expected, but tasty nonetheless. It was served with rice and two sections of naan. Although I rarely drink anymore, I did have about a quarter glass of a Spanish red which was nice with the spicyness of the meal and I think I cleared them out of sparkling water. I don't know why, but I do like that highland springs bubbly. There was also a choice of about 4 other reds that I don't recall and two whites which I had no reason to ask about since I find it to be vile. Although the layover was long, it passed rather quickly and I was soon off to Dubai.
The plane was the 777 and packed to the gills. I began going to Dubai about five years ago now and I have been back several times since. Although parts are a bit antiseptic, I do enjoy the hustle and bustle of the city and the heat does me some good. I am allergic to the cold, as many near me know, and I like to go to warm places when I can. The flight was fine and I slept the whole way since it was an overnight. I find BA's sleepers to be fairly comfortable overall though the cabin was a little warm. I did get a menu even though I didn't eat anything. I sort of collect menus and write the flights and dates on them to remind me of when and where I went. The entrees inlcuded roast lamb, halibut, chicken tikka masala, and duck confit. The appitizers included prawn and tabouleh salad, pecorino and potato tart, pumpkin soup, and salad. As I said, I didn't eat and didn't watch people eat so I don't know how things looked. One thing I did find odd is that when the FA's came through with the arabic coffee (which I am on a hunt for at the moment), one pax asked the FA whether there was coffee in it. The rather surprising answer was "no" and that it was a mix of spices. The coffee is very weak so it's plausible, but I thought it was a bit strange that "arabic coffee" would be sans coffee.
The flight went quickly and soon we were landing in Dubai...the land of gold and construction. I don't know what is being built at the airport, but it appears to be yet another terminal. Hundreds of Indian and Pakistani workers milling about in front of a building with towering mineret shaped arches. If it's indeed a new terminal, God bless them and I wish them all the luck. I don't know if I think that DXB has the potential of being the world hub that Dubai and Emirates Airlines wants it to be, but you have to give them credit for trying.
We landed at 8am and it was 85 degrees. Wonderful. I left my bag and sweater in London to avoid having to carry them and a little bird on my shoulder tells me that I won't need them. Passport control was little more than a formality (Dubai has even done away with landing cards) and I was soon sitting on a bus heading into the city. Three dirhams, such a bargain. There was a bit of traffic but the trip into Diera only took about 20 minutes or so on the air conditioned bus. I doubt it would have taken much shorter by taxi.
I made my best effort to avoid being here on a friday because the city dies during the day so today it was alive with hustle and bustle. Throughout the souks, the Pakistani porters shuffled bags back and forth for the Russian customers. One difference from when I first began coming here is the number of caucasians that one will see. In the past, the city was fairly limited to only Russians and the occasional European. Although white people are still limited, there are more than in the past. Dubai is a very mixed city. There are, of course, local Emirati but they are a minority. The majority of people are either Indian, Pakistani, African, Filipino, or Chinese. I have seen a lot more Chinese flags on this trip than on the previous. The Indians and Pakistanis are very friendly and I think just happy to be in a place where they can make some money and have a decent life. They are the most curious about where you are from, who you are, etc. I find it interesting the bias that the US media has *against* the United States but in reality people are generally very pro-US and enjoy talking to Americans and visiting America when they can. For example, just today, I have had an Iranian offer to allow me to stay with his family in Shiraz if I ever make it to Iran and I had a long conversation with a man from North India about his trip to the US during which he went to Rochester and Minneapolis for reasons I didn't quite understand. I believe the former was for his wife and the latter for the Mayo Clinic, but he also toured LA, Chicago, and NY while there and was very complimentary of the country and the people he had met while there. In fact, I have never had anyone tell me how much the US sucks....except for in western Europe, where it has happened many times. Go figure.
My quest for my three items continued. I wanted to purchase a bit of saffron for someone I work with, I wanted to get my girlfriend a perfume bottle like one she had admired on a trip to Philadelphia one time (the guy wanted $50...uh, no), and I wanted some arabic coffee for me. The first was easy. The second, a bit more difficult. The third, I haven't accomplished quite yet. I have also taken a few moments to sit with the fishermen over a shwarma and a cup of chai (tea) and to visit the Heritage House which was interesting but the country has better. Sharjah and the Islamic Museum comes to mind. I do enjoy the campy displays, though, since I am interested in the desert lifestyle and in arabian history.
The weather is getting hotter and more humid as the sea begins to meet the sky. Around the souks, the smell of spices permeates the air and is held down by the increasing humidity. Old men find shade while the women retreat into their abodes. This the time of day to get into an internet cafe and write an ongoing trip report for Flyertalk. I believe I might go hunt down a museum and spend some time there while the heat subsides a bit.
I decided to eat dinner before getting on the plane. A choice of four entrees was offered including beef filet, chicken jalfrezi, chicken breast, and pasta-somethingoranother. I chose the beef with a goat cheese appetizer. Not what I expected, but tasty nonetheless. It was served with rice and two sections of naan. Although I rarely drink anymore, I did have about a quarter glass of a Spanish red which was nice with the spicyness of the meal and I think I cleared them out of sparkling water. I don't know why, but I do like that highland springs bubbly. There was also a choice of about 4 other reds that I don't recall and two whites which I had no reason to ask about since I find it to be vile. Although the layover was long, it passed rather quickly and I was soon off to Dubai.
The plane was the 777 and packed to the gills. I began going to Dubai about five years ago now and I have been back several times since. Although parts are a bit antiseptic, I do enjoy the hustle and bustle of the city and the heat does me some good. I am allergic to the cold, as many near me know, and I like to go to warm places when I can. The flight was fine and I slept the whole way since it was an overnight. I find BA's sleepers to be fairly comfortable overall though the cabin was a little warm. I did get a menu even though I didn't eat anything. I sort of collect menus and write the flights and dates on them to remind me of when and where I went. The entrees inlcuded roast lamb, halibut, chicken tikka masala, and duck confit. The appitizers included prawn and tabouleh salad, pecorino and potato tart, pumpkin soup, and salad. As I said, I didn't eat and didn't watch people eat so I don't know how things looked. One thing I did find odd is that when the FA's came through with the arabic coffee (which I am on a hunt for at the moment), one pax asked the FA whether there was coffee in it. The rather surprising answer was "no" and that it was a mix of spices. The coffee is very weak so it's plausible, but I thought it was a bit strange that "arabic coffee" would be sans coffee.
The flight went quickly and soon we were landing in Dubai...the land of gold and construction. I don't know what is being built at the airport, but it appears to be yet another terminal. Hundreds of Indian and Pakistani workers milling about in front of a building with towering mineret shaped arches. If it's indeed a new terminal, God bless them and I wish them all the luck. I don't know if I think that DXB has the potential of being the world hub that Dubai and Emirates Airlines wants it to be, but you have to give them credit for trying.
We landed at 8am and it was 85 degrees. Wonderful. I left my bag and sweater in London to avoid having to carry them and a little bird on my shoulder tells me that I won't need them. Passport control was little more than a formality (Dubai has even done away with landing cards) and I was soon sitting on a bus heading into the city. Three dirhams, such a bargain. There was a bit of traffic but the trip into Diera only took about 20 minutes or so on the air conditioned bus. I doubt it would have taken much shorter by taxi.
I made my best effort to avoid being here on a friday because the city dies during the day so today it was alive with hustle and bustle. Throughout the souks, the Pakistani porters shuffled bags back and forth for the Russian customers. One difference from when I first began coming here is the number of caucasians that one will see. In the past, the city was fairly limited to only Russians and the occasional European. Although white people are still limited, there are more than in the past. Dubai is a very mixed city. There are, of course, local Emirati but they are a minority. The majority of people are either Indian, Pakistani, African, Filipino, or Chinese. I have seen a lot more Chinese flags on this trip than on the previous. The Indians and Pakistanis are very friendly and I think just happy to be in a place where they can make some money and have a decent life. They are the most curious about where you are from, who you are, etc. I find it interesting the bias that the US media has *against* the United States but in reality people are generally very pro-US and enjoy talking to Americans and visiting America when they can. For example, just today, I have had an Iranian offer to allow me to stay with his family in Shiraz if I ever make it to Iran and I had a long conversation with a man from North India about his trip to the US during which he went to Rochester and Minneapolis for reasons I didn't quite understand. I believe the former was for his wife and the latter for the Mayo Clinic, but he also toured LA, Chicago, and NY while there and was very complimentary of the country and the people he had met while there. In fact, I have never had anyone tell me how much the US sucks....except for in western Europe, where it has happened many times. Go figure.
My quest for my three items continued. I wanted to purchase a bit of saffron for someone I work with, I wanted to get my girlfriend a perfume bottle like one she had admired on a trip to Philadelphia one time (the guy wanted $50...uh, no), and I wanted some arabic coffee for me. The first was easy. The second, a bit more difficult. The third, I haven't accomplished quite yet. I have also taken a few moments to sit with the fishermen over a shwarma and a cup of chai (tea) and to visit the Heritage House which was interesting but the country has better. Sharjah and the Islamic Museum comes to mind. I do enjoy the campy displays, though, since I am interested in the desert lifestyle and in arabian history.
The weather is getting hotter and more humid as the sea begins to meet the sky. Around the souks, the smell of spices permeates the air and is held down by the increasing humidity. Old men find shade while the women retreat into their abodes. This the time of day to get into an internet cafe and write an ongoing trip report for Flyertalk. I believe I might go hunt down a museum and spend some time there while the heat subsides a bit.
Mar 14, 2005, 5:29 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Circle City
Posts: 3,568
First, it's late and I want to go to bed so this will be short. Second, I am going to start posting #2, #3, etc., instead of keeping to tag them on top of each other. It's just for readibility.
I did in fact hunt down a museum by wandering over to Bur Dubai. In fact, I hunted down several though I was too late for one. The first was Sh. Saeed Maktoum's old house. It was built in the 1800's and at some point was moved from the end of the peninsula up a bit to it's current spot. The house is an interesting glimpse into a traditional arab living arrangement, but it does not have the displays of some of the other houses and therefore it's hard to imagine what some of the rooms are used for unless you have a guide of sorts. What it does contain, however, is photographs of Dubai and its various rulers. The difference in the city between 1950 and 2000 is absolutely amazing. It really turned into a group of houses surrounded by fishing boats to an enormous metropolis. I took a photo of a photo of 1950s Dubai which I will post at some other point. The house is not a must-see, but is certainly worth the 2dhs and a half hour.
Next to the house is the Heritage Village. I honestly didn't quite get the point of it. There were a lot of closed doors and some ladies out making food. I stopped and drank a bottle of water but quickly moved on.
Because of my aforementioned dumbassed moment, I promised the one that re-took me to the airport that I would bring her something. She wanted cloth so I headed over to the old fabric souk. Most of the sellers were only interested in wholesale but I did find a dealer with a cloth I liked and who was willing to sell me a few meters. Like most men, asking me about cloth is like asking a baby about calculus. They will just look at you with an empty stare and drool a lot. This was no different, but I know what I like so I guess we will take our chances. I thought about getting the pretty indian sari material with the pasted on holographic dots but no one would sell it to me. Again, stare and drool.
After a bit of walking about (and unfortuntely finding the Dubai Museum closed), I headed back on an abra across the river to Deira. I enjoy turkish and arabic coffee very much so I stopped at a local place to pick up a half kilo to take home. They also had wonderful lemon pistachios. Not sure if I can bring them home, though my feeling about stuff like that is declare it and deal with the consequences. If the customs officer says no, it gets dumped and my life goes on. That being said, I have rarely had problems with brign foods back. Dinner would be served at a small hole in the wall in an alley off of Al Subkha St. near the bus terminal. 11 dirham (about $3.50) bought three "meat" kabobs, a salad, soup, and bread. Tap water was fine enough and was refreshing after a long walk. That is one thing that makes me smile. You can get a "chicken" kabob or a "meat" kabob. First, last I checked, chicken is a meat, and second, what is "meat". I believe it's a mix of lamb and beef, though I don't actually know. Nor do I care all that much except for being an intellectual curiosity. I do know the most important part which is that they are tasty.
Well fed, I headed back to the bus station for the trip to the airport. Traffic was a bit heavy, so 3 dirham and 40 mins later and I was back at DXB. British Airways hadn't opened yet so I killed some time in the food court where there was a Baskin Robbins. I admit that I am not generally a fan of ice cream, but one caught my attention and begged for the 10dhm note in my pocket. Honey Baklava Crunch flavor. Well, when in Rome... It was great but very, very sweet. I like my flavors intense so it was fine. For like minded folk or those who like new things, I highly recommend it.
Through ticketing and immigration and I was off to the lounge. I seem to remember at one point the BA lounge having showers, but no. However, there is an airport hotel which will either rent you a room for a given number of hours or sell you shower access. The rooms are dependent on the number of hours and the size and run from 400 dirham to about 1000 dirham. Pricy. The shower was about 40 dirham ($12) but I was feeling so dirty and yucky that it was a definite necessity. A half hour later and 40 dirham poorer, I was like a new man. Tired but new. Headed back to the lounge to drink a lot of water in a vain attempt to ward off dehydration. The lounge became crowded but it wasn't constricting at all. Seeing out over the tarmac was nice.
Another round of security including another set of xrays (including belts, shoes, coats, whatever) and a thorough pat-down and I was on my way to the plane. The rest of the trip was a distant memory since I literally passed out for the next 7 hours. I did get a menu, though, which included lamb kebab or grilled hammour and a grilled prawn salad for an appetizer.
London immigration went pleasantly smooth and I was out in about 20 mins. 10 mins later I was through customs and off to the lounge where I was able to get a shower within about 5 more minutes. As I got out, there were about 40 people waiting so my timing was perfect. The arrivals lounge is nice. Birds chirp, lots of windows, wood floors, etc. Breakfast included a Wheetabix (personal pleasure) and the funny little sausages that you only find in England. Soon enough the friends I am visiting arrived and we were off to their place in Henley.
Henley has changed quite a bit in the past nine months. New shops in, old ones out. I did laugh to myself though because when I was here in May I said to the friend that Henley was in deperate need of a Starbucks or another suitable coffee shop. Sure enough, they have now built one. They are also building a new hotel and restaurant overlooking the water. The restaurant is done and we will go tomorrow evening. The name is the Hotel du Vin and Bistro and apparently is owned by a famous chef and hotelier who is beginning to set up several throughout the country.
That brings us to 1230am and time for my bed. As I said, I will post new portions in new threads just for housekeeping reasons.
I did in fact hunt down a museum by wandering over to Bur Dubai. In fact, I hunted down several though I was too late for one. The first was Sh. Saeed Maktoum's old house. It was built in the 1800's and at some point was moved from the end of the peninsula up a bit to it's current spot. The house is an interesting glimpse into a traditional arab living arrangement, but it does not have the displays of some of the other houses and therefore it's hard to imagine what some of the rooms are used for unless you have a guide of sorts. What it does contain, however, is photographs of Dubai and its various rulers. The difference in the city between 1950 and 2000 is absolutely amazing. It really turned into a group of houses surrounded by fishing boats to an enormous metropolis. I took a photo of a photo of 1950s Dubai which I will post at some other point. The house is not a must-see, but is certainly worth the 2dhs and a half hour.
Next to the house is the Heritage Village. I honestly didn't quite get the point of it. There were a lot of closed doors and some ladies out making food. I stopped and drank a bottle of water but quickly moved on.
Because of my aforementioned dumbassed moment, I promised the one that re-took me to the airport that I would bring her something. She wanted cloth so I headed over to the old fabric souk. Most of the sellers were only interested in wholesale but I did find a dealer with a cloth I liked and who was willing to sell me a few meters. Like most men, asking me about cloth is like asking a baby about calculus. They will just look at you with an empty stare and drool a lot. This was no different, but I know what I like so I guess we will take our chances.
I thought about getting the pretty indian sari material with the pasted on holographic dots but no one would sell it to me. Again, stare and drool. After a bit of walking about (and unfortuntely finding the Dubai Museum closed), I headed back on an abra across the river to Deira. I enjoy turkish and arabic coffee very much so I stopped at a local place to pick up a half kilo to take home. They also had wonderful lemon pistachios. Not sure if I can bring them home, though my feeling about stuff like that is declare it and deal with the consequences. If the customs officer says no, it gets dumped and my life goes on. That being said, I have rarely had problems with brign foods back. Dinner would be served at a small hole in the wall in an alley off of Al Subkha St. near the bus terminal. 11 dirham (about $3.50) bought three "meat" kabobs, a salad, soup, and bread. Tap water was fine enough and was refreshing after a long walk. That is one thing that makes me smile. You can get a "chicken" kabob or a "meat" kabob. First, last I checked, chicken is a meat, and second, what is "meat". I believe it's a mix of lamb and beef, though I don't actually know. Nor do I care all that much except for being an intellectual curiosity. I do know the most important part which is that they are tasty.
Well fed, I headed back to the bus station for the trip to the airport. Traffic was a bit heavy, so 3 dirham and 40 mins later and I was back at DXB. British Airways hadn't opened yet so I killed some time in the food court where there was a Baskin Robbins. I admit that I am not generally a fan of ice cream, but one caught my attention and begged for the 10dhm note in my pocket. Honey Baklava Crunch flavor. Well, when in Rome... It was great but very, very sweet. I like my flavors intense so it was fine. For like minded folk or those who like new things, I highly recommend it.
Through ticketing and immigration and I was off to the lounge. I seem to remember at one point the BA lounge having showers, but no. However, there is an airport hotel which will either rent you a room for a given number of hours or sell you shower access. The rooms are dependent on the number of hours and the size and run from 400 dirham to about 1000 dirham. Pricy. The shower was about 40 dirham ($12) but I was feeling so dirty and yucky that it was a definite necessity. A half hour later and 40 dirham poorer, I was like a new man. Tired but new. Headed back to the lounge to drink a lot of water in a vain attempt to ward off dehydration. The lounge became crowded but it wasn't constricting at all. Seeing out over the tarmac was nice.
Another round of security including another set of xrays (including belts, shoes, coats, whatever) and a thorough pat-down and I was on my way to the plane. The rest of the trip was a distant memory since I literally passed out for the next 7 hours. I did get a menu, though, which included lamb kebab or grilled hammour and a grilled prawn salad for an appetizer.
London immigration went pleasantly smooth and I was out in about 20 mins. 10 mins later I was through customs and off to the lounge where I was able to get a shower within about 5 more minutes. As I got out, there were about 40 people waiting so my timing was perfect. The arrivals lounge is nice. Birds chirp, lots of windows, wood floors, etc. Breakfast included a Wheetabix (personal pleasure) and the funny little sausages that you only find in England. Soon enough the friends I am visiting arrived and we were off to their place in Henley.
Henley has changed quite a bit in the past nine months. New shops in, old ones out. I did laugh to myself though because when I was here in May I said to the friend that Henley was in deperate need of a Starbucks or another suitable coffee shop. Sure enough, they have now built one. They are also building a new hotel and restaurant overlooking the water. The restaurant is done and we will go tomorrow evening. The name is the Hotel du Vin and Bistro and apparently is owned by a famous chef and hotelier who is beginning to set up several throughout the country.
That brings us to 1230am and time for my bed. As I said, I will post new portions in new threads just for housekeeping reasons.