This is a test to see if I can post to the blog from Beijing. Did it work? Somebody commented let me know.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Anthony Bourdain, Mak's Noodles and Bordeaux, etc
Thursday, September 20, 2012
First full day down, plus, marketing on steroids
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Ahhhhhhhh
Tomorrow, the real work will begin. But, for tonight, I am enjoying a glass of Shiraz and this view. The wine is overpriced, but not bad, the view is free and incredible.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
That's how an airline should work
I flew Cathay Pacific from Tokyo to Hong Kong today and it has to have been the best flying experience of my life! Even long lines moved quickly, the crew was attentive, polite and helpful. The food was good and there was plenty of room, even in economy. American Airlines, are you listening?
Scrambled eggs and buttered corn
My unplanned layover in Japan included a free breakfast. The "western" offerings included scrambled eggs, buttered corn, and a pasta they called Florentine. I had yogurt, fruit, and a wonderful seafood noodle dish.
Toilets and flight delays
My connection between flights in Chicago was a little tight, but I made it and was even able to grab a burrito to take on with me. I thought things were going well.
Then, the captain came on to explain that, just as they were finishing their safety checks, they discovered that half the toilets on the plane weren't working and they were trying to fix them before we left. Two hours later, he comes back on to tell us that they have to pump the toilets out and that doing so could release "a biohazard" and everyone has to get off. We disembark, but not for long.
Soon, they are rushing everyone back on the plane. You know they are in a hurry when they let all of the economy flyers use the priority lane as well as general boarding. It's a little after 4 and we are told that if the plane doesn't pull away from the gate by 4:30, the flight will be canceled. so, on we rush and the plane pulls away at 4:25.
But wait, there's more! We no sooner pull away, then we hear the engines turn off. It turns out there's bad weather on our flight path and they have to re-figure. Anyway, we are eventually airborne.
Needless to say, I missed my connecting flight to Hong Kong. The airline is putting me up at a hotel near the airport, but I had to go through immigration and customs to get here. I hate lines!
The folks at the airline in Japan were very helpful, getting me an early flight to Hong Kong, providing hotel and meals. So kudos there.
And, after spending so long traveling domestically, I'm finding there are some nice benefits to international travel"
-No baggage fees
-Meals are provided. By no means great, but edible.
-Beer and wine are free. Again, by no means good, but I had a glass of bad French white Bordeaux with dinner.
-No charge for pillows and blankets
-A selection of movies. I watched Men in Black 3, not bad, and Snow White and the Huntsman, terrible.
Hopefully, my next post will be about how wonderful Hong Kong is.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Still in Chicago
After sitting at the gate for more than two hours as the airline tried to fix the toilets on our plane, we have been sent back to the terminal because of the potential of a biohazard.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Almost time
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
It begins
Several months ago, I accepted a new position as the director of international advancement for the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This blog will document my travels and experiences. It's mostly for my friends and family, but all are welcome to follow along.