1dream

Thai Airways currently flies to 84 destinations worldwide and are truly one of the world’s underrated airlines. Granted I’ve only flown with them a half dozen times but every single journey I’ve made with them has been outstanding. The food is delicious, cabin crew courteous and I’ve been lucky to fly on some of their best airplanes (A350, 747 and 787).

One fun fact about Thai Airways is that the crew has an in-flight uniform change policy which means that they have a purple corporate suit that they wear throughout the airport and onto the plane. Once on the plane and before the passenger’s board the ladies change into a traditional Thai dress. They then change back prior to disembarkation.

After arriving in Seoul (LINK) I had 4+ hours in the Asiana Business Class Lounge where I enjoyed a light breakfast and a long shower. To me, there is nothing better than a pre-flight shower while transiting especially after an ultra-long-haul flight. The Asiana Business Lounge was crowded as always, and I had about 40 minutes of wait time prior to my shower. I figured that since I had to wait 40 minutes, then I’d reciprocate with a 40-minute shower. Needless to say, I emerged very clean and refreshed.

I was first in line to board and I made my way down the jetway to the A350 which would be our home for the next 2,282 miles. I love the A350. It’s quiet, airy and new! Today’s business class cabin showed 26/32 seats full and I had a selfie queen across the aisle from me and it was amusing watching her out of the corner of my eye taking selfies the entire flight. Our amenity kit was placed on our side table and had the usual lip balms, lotion, socks and ear plugs.



Thai Airways is one of my favorite ways to move through the sky, no matter how many stars they have or awards they win. They truly put the customer first both on the ground and in the sky and I’m always excited to fly the purple and yellow. With my menu already at my seat my mouth started to water at the options.



Today’s flight started off with a pre-departure beverage, with the choice of orange juice, apple juice or water. I chose the orange juice and we were soon airborne. I made the decision to go with the Thai option and boy was it flavorful.



Flight attendants were soon distributing mixed nuts to start off the meal service which was soon followed by another drink and a prawn/shrimp appetizer. The appetizer had nice flavors and soon thereafter my main course was delivered.



The main course was a Thai beef in a mildly spicy curry sauce served with jasmine rice. It was as good as any Thai restaurant I have been to and one thing I never get at Thai restaurants is garlic bread and I pleaded the flight attendant for two pieces today. The essence of Thai cooking are the amazing flavors that come with their dishes and today was no exception.



The meal service concluded with a cheese plate and a mango ice cream and sticky rice dessert. Quite a lunch service.





After lunch I resumed watching a hodgepodge of TV shows, catching some shut eye and watching selfie girl next door. The IFE system is easy to use as you can either use the touch screen or the handheld controller pictured below.



While bringing by the immigration cards the flight attendant also brought by a voucher for free internet service. While I do enjoy being “disconnected” while airborne I appreciated the gesture, entered the code and enjoyed the free internet for about 2 minutes before my data usage expired. So much for that idea!



Our flight was approaching a rainy Bangkok and we dodged raindrops as we descended through the clouds arriving 13 minutes early which is always appreciated. Another great flight by the underrated Thai Airways.

1dream

What Would You Do? is the American TV show that puts the viewers in awkward dilemmas and using hidden cameras it records their reaction. Did they walk away, or did they intervene? Split second decisions must be made and it’s a very interesting social experiment.

While travelling in Bangkok I had my own What Would You Do? predicament. Minding my own business at the Terminal 21 super mall, I was enjoying my ridiculously cheap and delicious Thai noodles with chicken and lemon iced tea which cost me a whopping 48 Bhat ($1.45) when I witnessed the quandary.



Seated about 20 feet from me was a family of four; husband, wife and two daughters (ages 5 and 3). I was chopsticks deep in my dinner when I heard a commotion and I looked up to see the father slap the 5-year old daughter on the head. It wasn’t a tap on the head, it was a full on, “I’m gonna slap the .... out of you swat.” She didn’t retaliate, cry or react negatively but that didn’t stop the father from grabbing her by the hair and yanking it. The poor little girl was expressionless, mom was starting to freak out, but the father was in a rage and he then managed to grab the daughter’s smoothie and dumped it on her head. I could not believe what I was seeing a grown ... man acting like a 10-year old. By this time, the mom was screaming and grabbed the daughter and took her away, presumably to the restroom.

Several diners including myself watched this action unfold over the course of 30 seconds and none of us did anything and I’m pissed about that. In the USA, this man probably would have been arrested but we were in Thailand and unfortunately nothing would come of his dastardly acts. Over the next 10 minutes the father showed no emotion and continued to eat. He didn’t care and in fact he decided to eat both of their dinners while they were gone. Mother and the 5-year old returned with the mother eyes showing rage and the 5-year old’s showing fear. I had a knot in my stomach and a pain in my heart as I knew this probably wasn’t the first time or the last time he had acted in such a way.

What should I have done? I’ve watched Locked Up Abroad many times and have no desire to spend a night (or a year) in a Bangkok prison for punching a child abuser. Having just read about the American football player who punched a Chinese man in a bar and now will spend 4-years in prison, I knew better than getting physical. Language was a barrier as well because I could have swore at him in English or Spanish, but unfortunately I don’t think he would have understood either. I also had thoughts of walking by him and dumping his steaming soup in his lap, but I vaguely remembered the McDonald’s lawsuit over their steaming coffee and decided to stay out of the Thai courts.

What did I decide? I decided to stare at him and take his picture and put it for the world to see. I’m all for privacy, but when you abuse your child you’ve lost that privilege. Hopefully the man gets help and the mother and daughters are safe in the days, months and years to come.

1dream

Air Asia has been named the world’s best low-cost carrier for 9-straight years. Some of the incredible statistics that Air Asia claims include: average aircraft utilization rate of 13 hours per day, breakeven load factor of 52% and an average aircraft turnaround time of 25 minutes. If I would have known these stats before my flight my perspective might have been a bit different.

Since 2012, Air Asia has flown exclusively out of Don Mueang Airport (DMK) in Bangkok and as usual the joint was jumping with a ton of Chinese tourists with the VAT refund line at least 100 deep. After making my way through security and immigration I found the Coral Lounge which is part of the Priority Pass network. My last visit to DMK was 2 years ago and at that time there were no lounges available and I totally forgot to check the options for my most recent visit and thus I was pleasantly surprised to see the Coral Lounge right after passing through security.

The lounge was an unsuspecting surprise with some fun drink options, I chose the Thai mojito, some lousy food options and a random 15-minute head and shoulder massage by a lounge attendant who just walked up to my seat and asked me if I wanted a massage. Of course, I said yes to the free massage and although it wasn’t quite as nice as the Thai Airline offerings across town at the “real” airport, it was still a kind gesture and much appreciated.

After the massage I made my way downstairs to the large open hall of madness, where gate #2 was located. We boarded the bus to take us to the remote boarding area of our A320 which would take us the 3 hours to Hong Kong.

Upon boarding I sensed a very snotty attitude by the flight attendants. They were young, seemed cocky and weren’t super helpful with the boarding process. I squeezed into my aisle seat (15C) and I suddenly remembered how little legroom Air Asia offered. With 29 inches of pitch, thank goodness that the man in front of me didn’t recline his seat as I would have suffered two broken knee caps. Luckily, I had a petit girl next to me, so I didn’t feel too bad borrowing her armrest for the trip duration. The 300-pound Chinese man behind me wasn’t so petit and he bumped my seat no less than 50 times during the trip. I’ve requested never to have him sit behind me again!



In one of the more unusual things that I’ve ever seen, as the passengers were still boarding and with probably a dozen still in the aisle putting away their bags, the plane started rolling toward the runway. The flight attendants are hurriedly telling people to find their seats, often a bit rude in doing so. The pilot was in no mood to wait for the cabin to be secure and ready to go he just decided to take off. Thankfully everyone was seated and assumedly buckled up as we sped down the runway and ascended into the warm Thai afternoon.


Once the seatbelt sign was off I asked one of the FA’s if I could move up two rows to one of the exit row seats. All twelve seats were empty, so I thought it wouldn’t be too big of a deal. Well, the FA proceeded to tell me that that section was closed, and I couldn’t sit there. Sounded like a bunch of ........ to me but I’m not too confrontational so I let it go.

After a hurried meal and drink service, if you’ve ever been on Air Asia you know what I’m talking about I settled into my favorite podcasts and watched as another passenger moved into an exit row seat and was immediately scolded by the young and .....y flight attendant about the section being closed. I was utterly confused as to why no one could sit here. What would happen if we did have an emergency and no one was there to open the door?



My question was answered just a few minutes later when my favorite FA with attitude decided that she wanted to sit in the exit row, so she hopped into one of the window seats and stared out the window for about 30 minutes. I’ve never seen a FA take a seat during a short flight like this one, but I guess this is the reason they had closed the exit row section, so she could have a seat. Looking ahead about 10 rows I saw her male counterpart sitting in an otherwise empty row 2 as well. I’ve seen pilots take a business class seat on a long haul to catch some zzz’s, but I’ve never seen nor heard of FA’s taking a seat during such a short flight.

Air Asia is not my favorite by I respect their business model and the success that they’ve achieved over the past decade. They make money, offer low fares and get passengers from city A to city B but the crew’s indifference to their passengers today really turned me off and I hope it’s an exception rather than the norm because I fly them again in 2 weeks’ time.

opushomes

The reason that you were not allowed to move to the empty exit row is that on all AirAsia flights these seats are extra cost that you can book either online or at the airport. No payment, no movement and they are very strict in keeping non-payers from grabbing the seats after boarding to avoid paying the minimal upcharge. This is what you experienced.

1dream

Thanks for the info... however upon checking in I asked about paying to upgrade to exit row and they said there was no availability. Which is why I was confused upon boarding and seeing all exit row seats empty???

aserican

You have to do it ahead of time... up to 4 hours before departure time.

1dream

The Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park is the city’s largest hotel with over 1300 rooms and suites. Today’s trip from the airport took about 45 minutes as traffic was busy as usual and my GRAB driver expertly darted in and out of the congested traffic.



Separated into two towers, the Marriott Marquis is centrally located about a 5-minute walk from the Sky Train and Emporium Mall and features an enormous and grand lobby with size more reminiscent of an airport terminal than hotel. Four different restaurants and a great M Lounge offer a wide variety of food options.



I’ve had great success as a Platinum member receiving suite upgrades during my 3 visits here. This trip was no exception as I enjoyed a “M Suite” featuring a 775 square foot room with separate living and sleeping quarters with a great view above Bangkok.







The rooms are very well appointed, and everything still has the new car smell to it. The bathroom is enormous with a shower that you could fit a small car in and a bath tub that you could fit a large person in. It’s an unbelievably comfortable hotel room.







As a platinum member, the M Lounge is where breakfast is taken each morning. Granted this is a huge hotel, however the lounge is equally proportional to the hotel size and thus never felt crowded. The breakfast spread was sufficient, and the food quality was excellent. The lounge staff really was on point, attentive and a huge bright spot for this hotel. The M Lounge also featured a lunch and dinner service with quality food options. The lunch always had a selection of 3 main courses (Thai, Western & Veggie) and dinner also had a wide variety to tempt every palate.



The hotel has two swimming pools on site, with one on the 4th floor (reserved for events) and the other on the 9th. The pool was a little crowded at times with a lot of small children which could bother some people looking for some peace and quiet, but hey this is Bangkok and peace and quiet is tough to come by unless you are sequestered deep inside one of the city’s many great spas.



In a city of many great hotels the Marriott Marquis is one of the best. They treat Platinum members exceptionally well, the staff is world class and the location is perfect for exploring the city of smiles.

1dream

Hoopin’ in Hong Kong



After an afternoon of shopping at the Ladies’ Market in Mong Kok, our group hopped back on the MTR and emerged at Wan Chai at the world famous Southorn Playground. The adjoining gymnasium hosts most of the big basketball events in Hong Kong with 3,500 seats and is where I saw Kobe Bryant several years back and boxed out 3,500 of my Chinese friends for a signed basketball that Kobe threw into the stands. Back outside, the Southorn Playground is home to four full courts for basketball and a full length, albeit cement soccer pitch, this has been the home of hoops and soccer in the Central area of Hong Kong since the 1930’s.



Smack dab in the middle of the high rises the concrete playground is where the hoop dreams of many Hong Kongers and foreigners alike have begun. On most nights the soccer pitch is filled with locals, most nearing the back end of the physical prime kicking the ball in 7 on 7 games which seem to be part of an organized league. The four basketball courts feature a hodgepodge of ages, nationalities and skill levels. From local high school leagues to little kids learning the game via training sessions and 4 on 4 half court games where every player represents a different nation, the Southorn Playground is proof that the NBA’s globalization of basketball is working.



On this night, the weather was a typical 85 degrees and humid with a slight breeze in the air. Not the best weather for dunks and dribbles on an outdoor court, but the rain stayed away and the breeze was minimal so the only factor determining makes and misses was the skill level of the shooter. The talent level was pretty sub-par but the memories were amazing.

Following our 90-minutes on the court, we enjoyed a brisk 20 minute walk to the Star Ferry pier for the epic journey across Victoria Harbor. Probably the best 30 cents we spent all trip.

The ferry docked in Kowloon just as the Festival of Lights was beginning and our long day in Hong Kong was nearing it’s conclusion. It was a day spent on a bus, a train, our two feet and a boat and through it all we had no lost persons (we lost one last year), no sprained ankles and a lot of hot, sweaty and tired young men.

1dream

The Best Airline Dessert EVER

Desserts at 35,000 feet are often times unremarkable. Small cakes, maybe a mousse or a cheesecake nibble. My sweet tooth is often times does not reply favorably to the offers at hand. However, I am a sucker for a good ice cream sundae or even a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie, but on yesterdays Singapore Airlines flight from Singapore to Johannesburg the bar has now been raised … introducing Viennetta Ice Cream.

As I’m based in the USA, we don’t see this item in the supermarket. My waste line is thankful.

Wikipedia explains the deliciousness in more detail:


The in-flight dessert in the sky has been taken to a whole new level. Well done Singapore Airlines.

nequine

Yes Vienetta's are delicious - you can also get them in mint and I've seen a toffee one too!

1dream

Shenzhen Basketball Never Stops

Let’s get a few things straight. Everything that you’ve heard about the Chinese is probably true. In general terms the country is obviously very crowded, the male population loves to smoke, drivers somehow harmoniously all get along, meals are an absolute made for TV event and most importantly the Chinese love their basketball.


Great BBQ - Stomachs Did Not Agree
Fueled by the their relentless marketing efforts, the NBA has worked to develop basketball on the mainland through various youth initiatives while helping market its stars through pre-season games, player tours, social media and the proliferation of NBA games on television. Unfortunately, loving the game doesn’t equate to playing the game at a high level which we once again observed first hand.


Safety First - How to Simultaneously and in Synchronization Perform CPR on 10+ People

The summer of 2018 marked our 6th year of hosting the 1 Dream Elite Basketball Clinic in Shenzhen, China. For 16 days, 12 American high school players are joined by 10 American coaches as we put on a coaching clinic for 7 days and a youth camp for the next 7 days. It’s a lot of basketball and a great opportunity for all of us to spread our love for the game.


Air Cobb - Elihu Cobb with another dunk (yes he made it!)

The 1 Dream Elite Basketball Clinic began in 2013 when we brought 8 American coaches to Shenzhen for 8 days to put on a basketball camp for about 100 Chinese students ages 10-19. As the camp has developed it has grown. In 2016, we hosted simultaneous camps in Wuhan and Shenzhen with 12 American coaches and 12 students at each location as we welcomed nearly 500 Chinese basketball coaches and players. Last year, due to a scheduling snafu, the Wuhan camp was cancelled, and we had all 24 American coaches and 24 American players in Shenzhen which to say the least was a bit of an over staffing issue.

When doing business with the Chinese there are a lot of uncertainties no matter how much pre-planning is done. This past summer was no exception. The daily schedule constantly changes, communication is always difficult due to the language barrier and the number of photos taken per day is nearly exceeded by the number of toasts done at the evening dinner.


1 Dream Hits the Streets for 3 on 3 Tourney

One consistency that I’ve always had on any of my 10+ visits to China, they are incredible hospitable. The Chinese treat their guests really well. The food options are endless, usually delicious and often mysterious. The drink options are typically room temperature beer, coconut water, warm water and the coaching favorite, Mao Tai. We have baseball as our national pastime, the Chinese have Mao Tai and this year we even saw some Chinese magic!


Chinese 24 Carat Magic in the Air

Mao Tai carry the scent of gasoline, the taste of bleach and yet after about 4 or 5 shots it smells like roses and tastes wonderful. It's not cheap with bottles costing several hundred dollars and the hangovers being equally costly the next morning. The Chinese love their ceremonies: opening, closing, dinner and everything in between. An event calls for a ceremony and most ceremonies including drinking or at least a lion show.


Opening Ceremony with Lion Dancers


Being in another country for 2+ weeks is always a challenge to the psyche. The hotel beds, the food, the language and the weather all take some acclimation to. However, no matter how many miles we are from the Hofschulte Gym in Santa Maria, Olive Branch, Mississippi or Concord, New Hampshire, the coaching colleagues that are part of the 1 Dream family always have us yearning for more time together.


2018 Coaches Clinic

The highlight of this trip is always the company that we keep and this year was no exception as we had a great collection of coaches from throughout the United States:

• Mark Berokoff – 3-time National Champion from Randall University (Oklahoma)
• Joey Craigue – Director of Cap City Basketball (Concord, New Hampshire)
• Adrian Hernandez – Former professional player and coach in Puerto Rico and current high school coach in Florida
• Eric Rombaugh – State champion and Nike Elite Coach at Olive Branch HS (Mississippi)
• Alex Raj – Cuesta College Assistant Coach and Director of Optimum Basketball (California)
• Mike Escobedo – Mendocino College Assistant Coach
• Eli Burk – Freshman Coach at St. Joseph HS
• Austin Cowger – Sophomore Coach at St. Joseph HS
• Garrett Wood – Associate Head Coach at St. Joseph HS and Director 1 Dream Hoops
• Keith Datu – Current senior member of Chico State University basketball team

2018 Coach and Player Squad

Our first week in Shenzhen brings together about 150 Chinese basketball coaches from throughout the country. This coach’s clinic is partially sponsored by the Chinese government and serves as a type of professional development for the attending coaches. While the American coaches teach various aspects of the game, the American high school students serve as the on the court demonstrators. Each day features a 2-hour morning session and another 2 hours in the afternoon… a lot of opportunities to get better both as coaches and players.

A Ball and A Dream

Following the coaches camp, we bring in the youngsters for two separate two-hour sessions. This year we ran camp from 10am-12pm and from 3pm-5pm for 7-straight days. Compared to a camp in the USA that typically are offered for 3-5 days this is a marathon and by day seven we are exhausted. The 2018 version saw kids ages 4-19 participating and the skill levels and attention spans were spread across the spectrum. We were excited to see a lot of girl campers this year and the young ladies did a great job!


Coach Eli Burk with Future WNBA Players

Unfortunately, most students were in the 7-11 age range and had limited skills, so our drills were quite rudimentary and basic. Each session had 70-100 students and luckily, we had 4 baskets upstairs and another 10 downstairs to ensure plenty of court time for everyone.


The Famous Downstairs Courts - aka The Sweatbox

During our two weeks in Shenzhen we also participated in 6 different “community” games held in various neighborhoods in the sprawling metropolis which is home to roughly 15 million people. These community games were always a ton of fun, with packed gyms, high flying dunks and a lot of pictures and autographs. During one of these games, we even made with an unbelievable alley-oop by former St. Joseph HS player Elihu Cobb.


The Dunk that Earned Elihu Cobb on #SC Top 10

Los Angeles Clippers’ point guard Patrick Beverley joined us for 4 days and was a great basketball ambassador. “Mr. 94 Feet” as he is called due to his relentless defense, participated in two of the games, helped coach the kids during station work and even participated in a 3-point contest at one of our outdoor community games during a windy rain storm, not ideal shooting conditions to say the least.


Media Throng in Full Effect with Patrick Beverley

So why is a country of nearly 1.4 billion (which is 1 billion more than the USA) have so much trouble succeeding in any type of team sports? One can point the finger at a variety of factors such as demographics, athleticism, facilities and coaching, but to me and many others the prime reason is the Chinese parents.


1 Dream President Tom Mott Interviewed by Chinese TV

Basketball (and sports in general) are not given a high priority by Chinese parents. The emphasis is more often on academics and to a lesser extent music and thus the basketball (and most other sports) talent level is sub par. Personally, I think it will take at least a generation for the Chinese to make a dent in their struggles. With the singular Chinese child often being raised by two parents and two sets of grandparents it’s tough to break with tradition. Imagine six people raising a kid and the pressures and spoils which that child would face, but with a country of over 1 billion, hopefully the talent will soon appear.


Shenzhen Sky as Night Falls

Kids in Shenzhen and throughout China love basketball. Nikes are on the feet of most of the serious ball players and Kobe and Lebron are the first names that come off the tongues when asked who their favorite players are. The NBA and the shoe companies know that there is money to be made in China and with Shenzhen being noted as one of the wealthiest cities in China it’s a high priority location. We were part of the hoops scene for 15 days and it’s tough to tell whether we made a lasting impact when faced with a country so full of traditional upbringings which thrust non-academic endeavors to the background with such regularity. Only lots of time, and probably a lot of Mao Tai, will ultimately tell the tale.


Dessert Art - 1.4 Billion People = lots of people needing jobs

1dream

Intercontinental Singapore - A Tad Tired

Using my free night thanks to my IHG credit card anniversary I recently spent an unremarkable night at the Intercontinental Singapore. This is one of the two IC’s in Singapore and the more mature version. Colonial in style, the hotel is very dated from the elevators to the guest rooms and everything in between. If you can dismiss the tired room interiors, then you’d be pleased with the convenient location as the surround area of Bugis has plenty to do both day and night.





My 16-hour layover in Singapore was due to a repositioning flight from Bangkok so I could hop on the Singapore A350 to Johannesburg. I had visited Singapore a few months prior, staying at the trendy Andaz Hotel and the brand-new Courtyard by Marriott. Trendy and brand new aren’t words that I’d use to describe the Intercontinental.



Check in was handled in an efficient albeit cold manner by a pre-occupied desk agent. I was given a room on the 10th floor with a few to the surrounding mall below. A narrow entry way led to bedroom that if it wasn’t at an Intercontinental could have been found at a Holiday Inn in Peoria (if there is such a place!). Everything just seemed dated.

The bathroom was a step back in time as well with old fixtures, terrible water pressure in the shower and towels that felt like sandpaper.



During my quick visit I longed for a trip to the pool however it was closed during my 16 hours and even though the front desk was very apologetic and somewhat accommodating, they told me that they could drive me to the Holiday Inn, one of their sister properties, for a quick dip. I didn’t relish the idea of taking a 10-minute taxi to go swim, so I passed on their offer. Furthermore I chose not to pay the $30 upcharge for breakfast, so I can’t comment on the food although upon touring the options, my palate was intrigued.



Free hotel stays are tough to complain about so the only thing I will stay is that although the Intercontinental was sufficient, I would not pay to stay there with so many other outstanding options nearby. Congrats to the lovely couple (and their getaway car) on getting married!

daKav

I live in SBA and I know what you mean!

offerendum

Yeah, fancy is something else... But the flowers on the Porsche are nice

1dream

Perfection.

The Singapore A350 from Singapore to Johannesburg checked all the boxes. Although we left about 30 minutes late due to some heavy air traffic around Changhi, how could you complain when you are sitting in arguably the best business class in the world. A huge and comfortable seat 19A was my throne for the 9 plus hour flight.



Let’s talk about that seat. Thanks to everyone online who recommended 19A due to the extra leg room due to a small cut out in the foot rest.



My main thing on airplanes is the ability to sleep and sit in different and comfortable positions. Obviously the smaller the seat, the less options that you have. Well with Singapore’s huge seat, the options were limitless. I could lay on either side, on my stomach or back and be comfortable. If I could never fly in another plane, I wouldn’t mind a life time supply of this exact seat…and airline.



After settling in with a pre-departure orange juice I fired up the extensive entertainment system and ultimately ended up watching 3 movies and several TV shows during this 11 hour flight. Headphones did a great job of cancelling out what little noise the A350 emits and begin seated in the back business class cabin with only 4 others, it was a quiet afternoon in the air.

I pre-booked the chef. Soya Beef for lunch which was the best steak I’ve ever had at 35,000 feet. The steak was juicy, flavorful and oh so tender. Damn it was tasty.



Introducing the steak was a delightful marinated scallop appetizer and two slices of delectable garlic bread.



The steak was plated with rice and veggies which were all very well prepared. The best dessert in airplane history followed and man was I satisfied.





After my first meal, I watched the huge TV screen and dozed off for an hour or two. About 3 hours prior to landing in Johannesburg we were served our second meal. Once again utilizing the “book the chef” feature I chose the Veal which was equally as good as my first beef dish of the day. The crusted veal was accompanied by asparagus and mashed potatoes.





The veal was preceded by a smoked duck breast appetizer and more garlic bread. I'm not a huge duck fan, but Singapore did a great job with the flavors and I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Dessert concluded the meal service and my 2nd dessert of the flight was a Bavarian coffee cream cake which wasn’t my favorite.



No matter how good the hard product is, if the crew isn’t pulling their weight than the experience will suffer. Singapore Airlines has an amazing staff and they do a great job of taking care of their flyers. Smiles galore, polished service and just an overall great attitude are the hallmarks of the Singapore flight attendants and this flight was on point. We even got to fly over Madagascar, which was a first for me.



Singapore Airlines is a tough redemption for long haul business class and I’m a lucky man for this opportunity. Top notch in every single category and there’s a reason why they are considered the top airline in the world. Singapore delivers!