The joys of international flight

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

DETROIT (Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008, 2 p.m. CDT) – The 19 hours in the air from Guangzhou to Detroit, including time spent at airports in Guangzhou and Tokyo, has taken a large toll on Pam and I.

Simply put: We are tired. Drained. Exhausted. We got virtually no sleep on the Guangzhou to Tokyo flight and the Tokyo to Detroit flight. We don’t feel good. And we are ready to go home.

Now we are stuck in Detroit for another six hours waiting for our connecting flight to Jackson. And to make matters worse, the best place we could find for food was Fudruckers.

Just how much of a challenge was today’s flights? Well consider these facts:

In flight meals: These were terrible, horrible and completely tasteless compared to the food served on the way over to China. Bland eggs for breakfast. Nasty chicken for lunch.

In flight films: Nothing to write home about here. “The Women,” which sucked. “Wall-E,” which sucked. A few television shows, which sucked.

Sleep deprived: Pam and Matthew were so tired that they fell asleep waiting in the lounge area waiting for our flight to Jackson. Matthew slept on the seats, Pam on the hard floor.

Restroom blues: When Pam woke about an hour or so before our flight left, she decided to use the restroom. Minutes later, she rushed back to the waiting area breathlessly to tell me she was so tired she didn’t realize she used the men’s room until she left the stall and noticed urinals lining the wall. As she told me, a gentleman who apparently was in the same restroom passed by laughing and waving to her.

The joys of international flight. Can’t wait to get home.

Copyright 2008 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.