The route we took to Shanghai went over the Aleutian Islands and the Kamchatka Pennisula, skirting Japan and down through China. A long flight. When a flight is over 12 hours, we bring three first officers and one captain. We split the flight in half, 2 sleeping right after take off, a switch halfway through when the other 2 go to bed. I’d flown with the other FOs before. Nice guys. Actually, most of the pilots I fly with are good folks. However…sigh…every once in a while you come across someone who’s difficult. This captain, oh boy, he was a piece of work. I’m a professional, we’re all professionals, we deal with the tiresome captains in a safe way. But you know that the mutiny on the Bounty thing? I can understand how something like that could happen. I’d never consider mutiny, don’t get me wrong; I’m just saying is that he got me thinking about Captain Bligh, and months and months with a guy like that on a small ship. I’d probably have jumped overboard and swam to an island, too!
I really enjoy Shanghai. The city is one of contrasts–very cosmopolitan, very modern skyscrapers mixed with dingy apartments and hovels. Besides being the land of fabulous shopping and replica aka knock-off purses & designer clothing, and 6 dollar massages that are to die for, Shanghai is known in my book as a place for fantastic food. I have a little mom & pop type place near the hotel that I like and often bring back takeout from there. This trip I decided to try something new: #14 special, translated as “perch in sweet sauce and pine nuts.” It sounded pretty good. But when I got it back to my room and opened up the styrofoam container, I was shocked to see Mr. Perch’s yawning maw, and all the way down to his little fried tonsils:
And all they supplied with which to consume him was a pair of chop sticks! His fried lips grinned in challenge, daring me to turn away in disgust. You think I wimped out? No way! I was hungry! The first thing I did was groan as I removed his head. (I shoulda been a neurosurgeon) I dropped it in the paper bag the food came in and put it outside in the hallway. Blech. Then I mixed the fish with some steamed rice, trying to avoid obstacles and choking hazards like fins and a tail. Ugh! Next time I want fish, I’ll stick to shrimp!
The next day it was time to go home. Despite knowing it’d mean 10 more hours with Captain Bligh, I was anxious to get going. On the 747 the cockpit is upstairs, forward of the upper deck business class area of seats. Because we are so out of the way, few people ever come to see us. But this time we had a Chinese family come visit– a dad and four children, 2 boys and 2 girls. (Interesting, I’d thought there was a one child rule, but maybe it doesn’t apply to the wealthy and upper middle class–and there really is a true middle class in China now, living in Western style subdivisions with 4000+ square foot homes, SUVs, designer clothes, the whole America dream. They even give the children western names like Isabelle and Emily). Like these two adorable girls who loved sitting in the pilot seat more than their brothers did! THIS is the future of China:
Thanks for coming along with me on my trip to Shanghai. Next week I’ll go to the “Land Down Undah”–Sydney, Australia! And summer time!!! Woo!
