From Takeoff to A Room With A View

Wednesday, July 25, 2007
The Plan:
8AM Leave home
9AM Drop off Yatsu at Bone-a-Fide
10 AM Meet Chris Remington for ride to the airport
11AM Arrive SeaTac Airport
Pass through security
Shop Duty Free for officials’ gifts
2:50 PM Flight 7 on NW Airlines departs (flight time 10 hrs 15 mins, distance 4,776 mi)

Wednesday, July 26, 2007
5:05 PM Arrive Tokyo-Narita Airport
6:25 PM Flight 11 on NW Airlines departs (flight time 3 hrs 55 mins, distance 1,313 mi)
9:20 PM Arrive Beijing Airport
Meet Guide (Charlotte)
Transfer to Wangfujin Grand Hotel
Sleep.

The Event:
Before we left, Remy wished us an uneventful trip. Apparently his blessings count for something, because this is about how it went. A short delay at takeoff was made up on the way to Narita, the AC was too cold on the second flight, and the video failed on the Narita-Beijing leg of the flight, so I never got to find out if Jasmeet married parent-approved Arjun or stuck with her English boyfriend in the Bollywood movie Namaste London as a result. But I did learn that Blades of Glory is Will Ferrell's best movie ever; you can really train animals to do anything (102 Dalmations, live action); Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz made a statement on American foreign policy while wearing corsets, trick riding and robbing banks in Bandidas, and Garden State really was a good indie movie.

Our hotel abuts the hutongs and our room has a view of the Forbidden City. Unfortunately, we can't find the camera connection cable, so there won't be any pictures.