Hello from Hong Kong! My flight from San Francisco over to Hong Kong took a lot longer than I anticipated it would, but I made the best of it. I still can't believe how big a Boeing 747 really is. Whenever I felt bored during the more than 14-hour flight, I would just get up and walk around exploring the double-decker, wide-body aircraft. Being that this was my first time flying on an Asian airline, I thought there was a marked difference between just the overall service and feel between Cathay Pacific and, say, an airline back home in the United States. Everything seemed a bit more organized and taken seriously, most noticeably how the 18 flight attendants checked literally every single seat in every row to make sure your seatbelt was on, and did so in a polite, professional manner. I was very impressed. Luckily, I had a window seat on the long haul across the Pacific. I'm not sure why, but there is something quite special about being 38,000 feet up in the sky at night, surrounded only by the bright glow of the moon.
A question I already received via email was whether I got any sleep. Ah, not really, haha. The bottom of my seat slid forward maybe a foot, but the seatback itself didn't recline, so for my tall self, it was nearly impossible for me to sleep comfortably. I did attempt maybe a six-hour nap that was mediocre at best. A true test of precision and patience was attempting to pop your contacts out in an airplane's compact lavatory during turbulence.
My meals onboard this Cathay Pacific flight (dinner, a snack, and breakfast) were delicious, and an eight-inch or so touchscreen in every seatback in coach kept me entertained. I played a round of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" (which I lost epically in), and watched two movies: "Machete" (which was ridiculously gory and violent yet shockingly entertaining) and "Splice" (which, well, sucked). I was shocked by how much turbulence we went through on our way over to Hong Kong. It seems as if every 30 minutes, the flight crew went into panic as our big 747-400 got tossed around like a kite in the wind. It added a bit of adventure to the flight, which I didn't mind at all.
As we began our descent into Hong Kong, I couldn't help but turn on my iPod and play the iconic theme song to the movie "Rush Hour", lively music that got me pumped as we landed. I started smiling as soon as I walked off the jetbridge because, for the first time in my life, I had been across the world in Asia, something I've always wanted to do. There's something so nostalgic about being halfway around the world, traveling by yourself at such a young age (I'm only 20). I think it's cool because in essence...you really are more independent. The Hong Kong International Airport was beyond massive, and I was wowed by how sprawling it was in size.
It's early in the morning, and my next flight to Ho Chi Minh City boards soon.
~Robby
