Project Runway, Too

OK, OK, the title is a TV/Airplane pun and an unabashed plug for Valerie Ormond’s next book, Believing In Horses, Too. Check out my sister’s website: www.believinginhorses.com. Her second book will, once again, follow the exploits of our favorite young protagonist, Sadie, the love and healing power of horses, and the strength behind her military family. This second runway writing will follow Ping’s travels as he takes flight on the second plane taking him to Asia…

Ping's Plane lifts off for China

Made it to the connection, Yay! Once out of the plane we find ourselves waiting in line with the green tab for the carry-on luggage that would not fit onto the United Express. This made us a bit nervous about the connection flight and Ping didn’t have a watch. All the better. Other travelers were going to Gate C so, time-wise, all is OK. We had to go to another gate not far from the one we left and opted to waddle down a flight of stairs with two monstrous bags in each hand. The elevator was not available because there was a wheelchair waiting for the next lift. People jammed into that lobby quickly (more unnoticed foreshadowing) to await an “Air Shuttle” to the C Gates. OK – not bad – had some fiery ankle-biters and Fagin’s boys banging baggage, but no pockets (or, Too;-) were picked.

As it turns out Gate C123 was all the way around the corner and we just left C70 (123-70=53 that is a lot). No rush, as there was a line waiting to check in. Whew! Ping could go to the little duck’s room. Not truly appreciating that this would be the last restroom with plenty of paper towels, Ping heard the PA system calling for groups 2 and 3. Being group 7, we had plenty of time. Some people tried to board early and the officials “got” them! (Another underappreciated act in the US.) Some people were even notified that the other gate bound for Dallas was theirs. Hopefully, not another case of foreshadowing for us as Ping is very observant and hears well with those little yellow ears.

OK, Right plane - Yucky seat. Ping got stuck smack in the center of the plane; both front to back and side to side as well!

            Seats:  A   B   C   Aisle   D   E   F   Aisle   G   H   I  Seat Guess?         Yuppers, “E”

The nice girl in seat “D” was kind about our disrobing of layer after layer of clothing (packing for almost a whole year, remember) and repeated trips to the overhead storage bin. The Russian guy to the right was ignoring everyone except for the person he was speaking with in some Slavic language on his cell phone before he blew up his neck pillow. Ping had his pillow in his bag and lots of people carried theirs aboard. One chick was “spotted” wearing her pillow which was covered in a leopard pattern in line!

The time on the screen says the Arrival city Time is at 4:30 PM that would  = 16:30 Military Time. The ticket says the arrival time is at 20:30 = OMG, Hope someone calls ahead!!!!

US TO CHINA IN YELLOW!

Oh! There’s the route we’ll be taking on the screen, too! Ping will be flying over Santa’s home! Neato-ho-ho! The trip will cover 8,291 miles. Ping is fretting about that arrival time, though. People from the program are meeting us at the airport in Hong Kong at 16:30. He’s checking that he has telephone numbers of all parties involved and considers emailing Mary, too. Let it go… (This ability will be repeatedly challenged over the next few months:), but he can’t. The plane hasn’t even taken off yet and he’s losing feathers. O0op! The plane is revving up. Look, the screen changed again. Now it says the destination time is 4:33 AM! AM? Oh, that is probably what time it is there NOW!!!! Ping has found his cell and checks his phone. (Yes, he’s a modernized bird.) It is 3:37 PM here and that means it is 4:37 AM in Hong Kong. WHEW! (Forget the foreshadowing thing - Ping makes GREAT strides in letting the pressure of things go in future episodes – BUT – he still wants others to do so, for the sake of serenity, and in order to get his Zen on in Shenzhen:)

Ping's 1st. Backseat TV Appearance

Now, there are 15 hours and 2 minutes more aboard this 777 aircraft. What to do while crammed into the middle of this flight? Play with the music and look at the movie selections… Oh, there are tiny movie screens on the back of everyone’s seats so that passengers can choose different movies. “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” will be Ping’s choice! The plane is still on the tarmac… moving just now, no window like before, but it is raining. Ping misses home and wonders if it is raining there and how his pal, Apollo the Dog, is doing. Moving straight ahead now. The plane movements are uneventful as we take off. Ping doesn’t want to freak out his neighbors by turning his head back and forth to catch a peak of the window view! It’s bad enough he’s been preening, sorting, organizing and writing for about an hour. We’ve stopped the ascent and it looks really dark out there. 5:06 current time and -58 degrees F outside. Ping chose a different movie to watch first: “Now Is Good.” And it is a good time to serve dinner. “Chicken or Beef?” Ack! Ping chirps for beef!

Dinner came with a the main course wrapped in plastic and a box containing a salad with shrimp and a balsamic vinaigrette, Triple Doe Brava????????, a funny bun and butter, and a fortune cookie!

Altitude is now 32,001 ft., traveling at 569 mph, 7,399 miles to go, and it is -68 degrees F outside (foreshadowing of Harbin!)

The last part of the movie, starring Dakota Fanning who is dying of Leukemia, had a great line in it…

“Life is just a bunch of moments building up to this one.”

Well, that is so true. Especially the moment leading up to all THESE moments!

Speaking of moments, a Ping Pic (window view) was almost captured when we thought the gal next-door was leaving, but she stayed. (Skipped that, we don’t want to seem too crazy!) However, Pocket Ping’s escape plan has now been “hatched,” executed, photo’s taken, as a ‘head call’ diverted Ping's seat-mates just long enough. Now Ping is resting peacefully in the leather bound journal – all before both returned. Success!!!

We are over the Hudson River as the really good movie about Timothy Green springing from the garden begins.

375 miles to go! Guess studying some Chinese phrases would be a good plan.

Just filled out the paperwork for Hong Kong. Wow! 37 more minutes… They keep track of that on the “movie screen” We just finished another movie, “The Middle,” with Whoopi Goldberg.

Wow! China celebrates Christmas.

We have to get ready to meet Roy at the airport. Maybe Mary will be there, too. We’ll need help with the luggage as our greatly missed pal, Doug, was there to assist at the other end. My flight looks like it is right on time. Getting out the door, meeting Roy, getting luggage, finding the car, taxi?, exchanging money in Hong Kong? – so much to think about.… Time for the “Pat-Pat” as Valerie calls it, our pocket check for all needed materials before departure… Check Traveler’s vest pockets for passport, candies, phone, plane tickets, glasses, etc. Pants pocket for wallet, check for anything left in the seat netting, where is the tiny notebook from Uncle Sam? In shoes? Nope, in the first “Pat-Pat” – Vest yes! Whew!

OK, all stowed away and ready for touchdown. Oh, the screen says we just turned around some islands, Macau being one of them. Ears popping, Time to Destination 0:07, Wow!

The outside temperature is 64 degrees. There go the wheels. Ping wants to keep the airline’s blanket-not much of a blanket really. It was just a thought really, sorry. He kept an airline cookie for “breakfast” even though it is night here. Wonder if work is scheduled right away tomorrow morning? Distance traveled 8,260 miles. Wheels touch, brake, rattle-rattle, feeling pushed forward, calmer, calmer = whoosh! Maps off the screen – We’re Off!

Posted by EddyTour-In-Chief: Doug

Stay Tuned - 稍候

PROJECT RUNWAY

Bye, Doug! Thanks for driving us to the airport. We can see the window of the airport where we were all just sitting from our new spot; window seat 15A. This airplane is so small that the carry-on rolling suitcase had to be checked because the overhead is so tiny! The flight attendant said, “Oh, sure there will be plenty of room on the next flight,” when I expressed my concern about stowage on next plane that will carry us to Hong Kong. Room for the carry-on, fingers crossed. Wow! I’m going to Hong Kong!

It was a very easy check-in procedure – just put your passport up to the glass at the airline counter and Voila! It had the flight info and all. Used the screen to weigh both bags (The second costs $70) and they both made it! We had weighed them at home and then at the head of the check-in line. Of course, no one was ahead of us, as we arrived 3 hours early for the 10AM plane. On their scale one bag weighed the perfect 50 pounds and the other 49 – Yippee!

Ping is now paying special attention to the Flight Attendant, as this is his first flight, on an airplane, that is. Oh! It is rolling – backing away from gate D14. The Embrier 145 Flight 4498 probably has 19 rows to carry 60 passengers and is ¾ full. Ping is getting emotional. He’s tearing up and is scared and excited all at the same time. He already misses home. We're glad we are in seats by ourselves.

Is this what we wanted so many DAYS? ago? Ping just wanted to escape, but he had worked on himself, first to be ready to grow to believe it truly was the right step in any good direction, and now to fly in a new way into a very old culture.

As we are rolling down the runway in this small plane to Newark, NJ. Bump! Now we have a 12 minute delay. They have rain in NY/NJ. Hope we make good time because we only have a one hour lay-over to catch the next flight. We’re flying to China!! Too many missed flights on “The Amazing Race” TV show has spooked us about making connecting flights…

The cabin is getting a canned air smell, engines rev and quite down again. We are behind a SouthWest plane. Ah! Found the fresh air button just as a United Airlines flight touched down. Now taking a U-turn to the left that takes about 20 seconds to complete. Stop and see another UA plane behind us where we just were moments ago. Hold, rev, finally moving, running, running, running past gate – nose up, Klunk! We are up and circling to the left. We see Baltimore smoke stacks, water, and more trees than expected thru the window that is three aisles away from the emergency exit… Clouds now–just cotton candy puffs like I have pulled from the Home Depot Christmas Tree displays on Bell Nursery’s short cart of mini-poinsettias. Banking left and making the turn slowly opens a view of an inlet of water. So cool. Is that the Patapsco River? We see piers and streets and…

“Welcome Aboard,” the Captain says and asks us to keep our seat belts on during the entire length of our short trip. He hopes to make up the short delay of time but, please enjoy the complimentary magazine and beverages. “Once again, welcome aboard.” Whoosh, and we are above the whitish fluffy clouds on a not so bright day. Remember rain = Newark. I think we’ve packed our rain hats and Flo’s rain poncho in the carry-on that is in baggage claim. Wait! No, the poncho is actually in the Traveler’s Vest! Yay!

We can use our portable electronic devices now. Oprah’s book club selection and a bunch of freebies were downloaded to the Kindle this morning figuring the second leg (16 hours) might get boring. We hope Valerie finishes Believing In Horses, Too so we can read that – Too! :)

I’m going to live it up now and have a Cola. Oh darn, my glasses are in the overhead and I was going to read the free magazine. I’ll just look at the pictures while sipping my complimentary beverage.

Stay Tuned,

Posted by EddyTour-In-Chief: Doug

VISA VICTORY

  

THIS WILL BE EASY!

DING DONG DELIVERY...

Ping’s   paperwork perplexed his pals. It took time and teamwork to travel. First there were hurdles on the American side, then more on the Chinese side – too numerous to mention them all. A particularly high hurdle was the expired Teacher’s Certificate that was acceptable, then it was not and then it was again, and has now been approved. A new passport was in order and finally, the Letter of Invitation from China and a Work Permit needed to arrive in America before any Visa would be processed. All of this took over a month.

YOU COME BACK! 

The Chinese Embassy website and others, in the 'know' stated that for an extra fee one could arrive at their office early in the morning and pick up a Visa later that same  afternoon.  
To quote: “Same-day rush service: Visas can be obtained on the same day. (Visas will be granted in the afternoon of the same day if applications are made by 12:00 P.M.)” 
Well, not the day Ping popped in!

NOT AVAILABLE TODAY!

A day off from work was arranged on Friday and plans to meet our friend Betsy for lunch were made. We decided to drive into town around 9:15 AM (See how worldly Ping is getting already?) and saw some monuments on the way. Once at the Visa Office Window we were processed and told to “Come back Wednesday.” Huh? Ping inquired about the box checked on the Visa Application for Same-Day Rush Service. “Not available today, you come back Wednesday,” the Chinese lady in the mouth mask mumbled. Perhaps Ping picked up wrong. So, he inquired again about the website and paperwork’s information, since he was willing – OK suffering – to pay the extra fee. “Not available today. You come back Wednesday!” he was told again from the lady avoiding germs. Dumbfounded, he stood there, feeling like, well, a duck out of water. “Not available today,” rang in his yellow pinhole ears. The masked lady recognized a duck in distress and emphatically stressed, “YOU come back Wednesday!” And that is what Ping now planned to do.

NEPHEW DUNCAN RHYS

Very down in the bill, he went outside to process the information. A phone call was made to his friend Betsy and he whined to her about his morning, how he had paid for a full day of parking and how
there was really no need to have lunch and wait around for the office to process the now, come-back-Wednesday-paperwork. Nephew, Rhys, would have been able to come to lunch, too. Bummer. So, Ping proceeded back to his pad.

Wednesday came and this time street parking was in order. True to her masked word, the Visa was ready and it only took minutes to pick it up. Yay! A celebratory bagel and coffee was in order!

PING CAPS COFFEE & BAGLE WITH EDDY

Next, Ping heads home to pack!




Posted by EddyTour-In-Chief: Doug

PING PACKS

            Now that Ping has the much needed paperwork he’s ready to take flight – in a plane that is! The weather in Shenzhen is “Sub-tropical” and it seems as if shorts and t-shirts are in order. Oh, but just what to pack and how many suitcases to bring. A bit of research shows that the suitcases must weigh 50 pounds or less and: only the first suitcase is free; the second is $70 and the third; $200!!!! Ping will pack two – one for his school clothes and the other for play clothes. A backpack and rolliecase will work for carry-on. We mention all of this because it is a great dilemma for a frugal and pack-ratty bird like Ping to decide what to pack and what can be purchased overseas!!!

PING DIVES INTO PACKING!

EDDY DIVES IN TO SAVE PING

            So, all of Ping’s potential wardrobe had to audition for the role of packing worthiness. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to preen his feathers and several contenders were plucked right away and set aside as Purple Heart donations as they had some wear and/or tear on them. Lots of dress shirts and ill-fitting pants went into nine boxes for the good cause. Ping’s pals were happy to act as “America’s Got Style” judges and deciding which contestants would be making it to China and which would not. Then the only thing left to do was separate the piles into categories and make the final decisions on what to cull.

BEHIND BARS BEATS PACKING...

             Finally, everything that was packed was written down for those panicked moments of memory loss. (Did I pack two belts?) Next, the weigh-in. Doug helped as the heavy bags were put on the scale, or he stood on the scale, then Ping read the results… Bummer! They were both too heavy. So, some items were released back to the wild and the weigh-in continued. Ouch! One more time… So Close! One suitcase weighed 40 pounds and the one borrowed from Ping’s mother weighed 60! Shuffle, shuffle, and toss 5 pair of work-pants and Voila! They made it to the airport scale weighing 49 and 50 pounds! We’re off!

Posted by EddyTour-In-Chief: Doug