Across the Pacific

  Los Angeles, California, United States
Sunday, August 26, 2007

We arrived at LAX and are spending a couple of hours communicating and working on various projects while we have phone and Internet access.

Monte working

I'm updating this blog using the tiny iPaq PocketPC that has been so handy to travel to Africa with the last few years.

JE typing

All is going well and our luggage was checked all the way through from Phoenix to Shanghai. We just found out that we have exit row seats, so there will be good leg room for the long flight to China. We are now boarding our flight on China Eastern's Airbus A340 wide body jet. It is a 14-hour nonstop flight that traverses the entire Pacific ocean. We really hope the ground crew remembered everything, like topping off the fuel tanks, and bringing some food. Boarding the jet was interesting as you suddenly enter a small world where people do not look, dress or speak as you do. Holding our boarding cards the petite stewardess said, "Winjiquaimottoshomqwuingin" and pointed a finger thatta way. We think finger pointing may become an important part of this trip.

China Eastern LAX

Eleven-hour-long flights coming home from Africa on London to Phoenix leg have become routine. But this flight to China is around 14 hours, with a tailwind. Long haul Western aircraft these days offer many amenities like personal video screens, multiple choices of entertainment, neck rests, etc.. We soon realize that seats on China Eastern were, well, just seats. A bit hard, uneven and had no features to speak of, except for a 110V American outlet plug on every seat. Our entertainment for the flight is a choice of the airline's magazine, written in Mandarin Chinese, and a communal TV screen playing videos in Chinese. But we brought along many e-Books, Bibles, Church literature, sermon MP3's, audio books, and our personal offices all stored on our computers. So we literally have months worth of things to do on this flight. Not to mention electronic Sudoku and Solitaire. We talked of world conditions, financial markets, end-time prophecies and how we were juggling striving for balance in spiritual and physical responsibilities. Monte napped while Attorney General John Ashcroft read his book "Never Again" to me through the noise canceling headset attached to my iPaq 1940. Later we talked more over our choice of lunch; "Beef, o pok"? We asked for beef and I was immediately served. After a few minutes they came with a tray for Monte and said, "only have pok lef, no beef." But someone interrupted and triumphantly presented him with a newly discovered dish of beef.

Our route from LA took us up the California coast nearly to San Francisco before heading out to sea. The schedule was for a departure at 1pm PDT on Sunday and a 6:30pm arrival on Monday. It seemed like a logical overnight flight extended by a few extra time zones crossing the Pacific. However, during the flight we were informed that they would be serving lunch, a snack, and dinner. Soon we realized that this would not be an overnight flight. Flying west about the same speed as the sun, there will be no night until after we land. Rather, half way across the Pacific, this Sunday afternoon suddenly became Monday afternoon.

I love to fly with a window seat. But outside is only the bright white over overcast below with occasional peeks at blue ocean beneath. We are blessed to have been given exit row seats affording us six feet of legroom. In contrast across the aisle a young man snores in a curios tangle with his legs twisted up onto the seatback in front of him. At least he is sleeping.

Twisted sleeper

Chinese cartoons are playing on the wall monitor with all the characters drawn in Genghis Kahn era clothing amidst ancient temple backgrounds. Behind us a man is boisterously singing along to a Chinese opera. This trip is already quite a cultural contrast to the place we just left.

Late in the long afternoon at 39,000 feet over the Eastern Pacific it is 70 degrees below zero outside.

Intl Date Line

At last the promised snack was served consisting of one small tea sandwich, "Vegatabo an pok."

Airline staff has repeatedly been asking for anyone with medical training to come forward. I finally let them know I had wilderness first aid and CPR, but am not doctor. I was hurried up front to the side of a lady who turned out to be five months pregnant and in serious trouble with potential miscarriage complications. Thankfully at the same moment a gynecologist also responded, to everyone's relief. The situation evidently deteriorated rapidly as the captain soon announced an emergency stop at Tokyo, Japan.

Approaching the Japanese coast are endless cargo ships waiting at anchor for their turn in harbor. Nearly all appear to be rice haulers. The Japan we soon see below us is a patchwork quilt of endless light green rice paddies laced with roads, railways and houses.

Japan rice paddies

The verdant countryside abruptly changes to an urban Tokyo sprawling forever in a humid haze under the summer sun. Toyotas, Hondas and Mitsubishis are at home on the roads here, although configured for English-style driving on the left.

Our plane landed safely and quickly at Tokyo International airport. Two ambulances met us at a maintenance area. Blue gowned paramedics wearing navy ball caps with gold braid boarded the plane along with police. After lengthy examinations the woman was taken off and transported to hospital. An hour after we arrived, the ground crew backed the plane onto the taxiway. Then they all bowed toward the plane several times before hurrying off to assist with other flights.