Back to the States

In June we finally made the decision to take a trip home during the summer and so we made arrangements to return to the US to see our families. This was the first trip back to the US since we left for China last year and we kept it quiet since we knew it would be a quick trip. For all our friends that we were unable to visit, we apologize and hope that you understand that we wanted to see everyone but in reality, that would be impossible. Traveling this distance puts you at a large disadvantage for taking other smaller trips (not from necessarily a desire but from an energy standpoint, at some time you need to take a break on your vacation…know what I mean?). Traveling halfway around the globe would provide enough of a challenge for us.

So, did I mention that it took 15 hours to fly from Shanghai to Greenville, SC. Our day started at 3:30 am when we woke up to get some breakfast and do the final touches on packing and get ready to meet the driver to take us to the airport (5:00 am). It was a pretty uneventful ride with the exception of an issue at one of the toll booths. There was some kind of altercation with a driver which led to a short chase between him and the security at the toll area. I’m not sure what it was all about but one of the security guys grabbed for his gun as the chase began and I thought it was all over for the “lawbreaker”. Instead he stopped running and it became a Benny Hill routine with the cop grabbing him, smacking him upside the head and grabbing his hair and stuff. We’re stuck behind the rig he was driving (which was a flatbed loaded with some stuff covered by a tarp) so we waited, not knowing how this would end. A few moments later we see him running across traffic on the other side of the road and over the wall he goes and makes his escape (not one of the security guys seemed to notice he was gone). We are then told to back up and go around to another booth. We look and they are crawling all over this truck so I think he had a little bounty of illegal goodies he was transporting. Given we had no idea what was happening, I speculate on this so take it with a grain of salt (hey, it’s no different than some of the news reporting back home. Interesting to note that in a book I purchased that details a lot of Chinese slang, they have a saying “Don’t be too CNN” meaning don’t lie or distort the truth. Even the Chinese know CNN is full of it!). One piece of advice when traveling; stay away from spicy food the night before you travel (do I need to spell it out for ya?), it makes for less “stress” on the trip.

At the airport, we go through the long lines at Delta since the “Self Service Kiosk” didn’t work (as usual…note to Delta, the kiosks are a really good idea but I’m sure they would be better if they actually WORKED!!!) So while we are in line Tammy starts to chat it up with an older lady who came with the Geritol Group on a whirlwind tour of China. It all starts with a simple question, “Where are you from?” “Do you mean originally or now?” [Argh! Here we go…] So while we wind through the rope maze, each time they come close, the conversation continues. They are from Florida (What!?! A group of seniors that live in Florida; what are the odds?!?!). After checking in, we then head for the security gate. The interesting part about their security is that they break you into groups. They allow about 10 people to pass and as you walk by they wipe down every bag with a cloth. Then you are roped off until the cloth has been tested and no residue for explosives is found (I assume that is what they are testing for). Then you move to the standard metal detector and x-ray section (just like any other airport).

We make it through and it’s time for something to eat so we go to Burger King for a quick bite. Tammy and I couldn’t do it but the kids, a cheeseburger, chicken fingers and fries at 8:00am, not a problem. [Editors note: They don’t have a breakfast menu at BK or McDonalds here, regardless of the time of day it’s the same menu options] When they call us to board the plane, it’s through another checkpoint before we can board. In this case, they are again checking for liquids in your carry on. Keep in mind, all beverages you might have were purchased inside the terminal. I don’t understand but it’s the rules and tough luck if you don’t like them. So we get on the full plane and prepare for the long flight ahead of us. Luckily, the plane has the individual entertainment screens so we can play games, watch movies, etc. The food on the plane; not good (this is where the Chinese airlines crush Delta). The service was good but I have another piece of advice (are you surprised!?!) for the airlines. Stop badgering people, when you are stuck in a large metal tube 39,000 feet in the air and you have to go to the bathroom, you have to go. Stop turning the seat belt sign on and off and giving the announcement about the seat belt sign is on. Just tell people to loosely fasten their seatbelts when seated and be careful when moving around the cabin. Let people walk around, stand and go to the bathroom in peace. If it was that bad, the flight attendants would also be in their seats so if they are up; leave everyone else alone. Oh, what is this, you have to use the restroom in your part of the cabin? I guess I can understand that they don’t want to disturb the first class folks (they don’t want to share their cushy toilet seats with the vermin in the back). But for the people in the back, what difference does it make which lavatory I use, the one at the far back or the one in the middle of the plane? Do I win a prize for using the right lavatory? (Congratulations! You are the 50th customer today…you get real chicken in your chicken meal.)

So after a long flight (I timed it out to be 13 hours), with no sleep, we arrive in Detroit for our connection to Greenville. We were late getting into Detroit so we really needed to get moving to be sure we were on the flight. First stop; Customs. Everything went smoothly there after a 15 minute shuffle through the rope maze, but then you have to get through security again. This time they tell you take your shoes off, belts off, don’t put that in the bin, put that in the bin, move along, this way please hustle and bustle while we sound annoyed and continue to repeat ourselves (TSA….the people that rent-a-cops wouldn’t hire). We’re tired and this was a real nuisance, yes for our own good but c’mon. Seriously, take off my belt!?!? Luckily I had on pants that weren’t too big or I’d be forced to try and hold my pants up while grabbing my shoes, belt, computer and computer bag. You think they could provide a few chairs and some room to sit without being run over by the people behind you but not in Detroit. Atlanta has much better spacing. So, we make it through and then have to grab our bags and re-check them. Now this was really pointless. Pick up your bag from the carousel, walk to the security person who will ask your destination, and then take your bag to another security person who will place it on the belt to get loaded on to your plane. This makes no sense at all; basically you picked up your bags from one carousel and moved them to another. They could’ve done that without my involvement but this is the same everywhere that I have been. It’s a government thing, add another layer of bureaucracy when you aren’t sure what to do next (if you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with b___). Now we really have to move fast to get to the connecting flight. They have the moving sidewalks in Detroit but people are oblivious, hello, move to the side please so people can get past you. Warren and I would sometimes not even bother with it and walk alongside it and still be to the other side before the lazy people. Just as we arrive at the gate, the young lady calls our names and we go to the counter to get our seats. It’s a small Canadair jet so it doesn’t take long to load and get wedged into the seats. This was less than a 2 hour flight so it was no problem; we were too tired at this point to care. We got off the plane and headed to pick up our luggage when we were surprised by a greeting party of my Mom & Dad to welcome us back to the US. We were not expecting it so it was very nice to have someone there to greet you, especially after so many hours in the air. So, we started the day at 3:30 am on Friday and ended the day at my parent’s house around 5:00 pm on Friday. Keep in mind, we left on China time and ended up in Eastern Standard Time so we traveled “back in time”. For those who can’t do the math that means that we were up for 25 ½ hours and still needed to wait a few more before it would be bedtime.

So this is our story of our day to get back to the US (long post but even longer trip). While we were there we observed many things but that is another post. Stay tuned for our “Eye on America” exclusive report.