I’m experiencing my first bits of culture shock on the flight. The two ladies I’ve been interacting with are both very nice, warm, and seem to also be effortlessly funny. The first, was seated next to me while I was in the middle row. She was a woman somewhere around my age who was returning to Beijing from a business meeting in D.C. We exchanged broken small talk in English, and giggled together as our fellow passengers struggled to make sense of the seating. A short bit later, an older lady sat on my right. She did not speak English, and I did not speak Chinese, but for some reason both of seemed compelled to talk anyway, she in her language, me in mine. Giggles, smiles, and blank stares filled the spaces in between her antics. She kept hopping on and off her seat to get things in and out of the overhead compartment. After she was satisfied with her packing above, she proceeded to cover her seat with a mountain of clothes, then sit on top of it. As the crew went over their safety presentation, I helped her figure out the seat buckle. (She needed a lot of extra room due to the clothing cushion under her rear.) During the safety show, I smiled and paid keen attention to the male flight attendant closest to us. It must have paid off, because right after their presentation ended, he offered me one of the open window seats! Yee haw! So instead of being crammed, and I do mean crammed, between my two newest friends for fourteen hours, I was allowed to stretch out across two empty seats, and gaze out of the window as the world passed below us. This was exactly what I’d hoped for.

I love to fly, and nothing ices that particular cupcake better than a window seat. The blanket of clouds outside is incredibly beautiful in and of itself, but the tiny windows of landscape that peek through capture my attention completely. I am probably in danger of hurting my neck due my constant peering. Because we are traveling just ahead of the sun, this entire 14 hour flight will be during daylight hours. Ever since Fro took posted his pictures of Siberia, taken with his camera phone, I have been aching to see it for myself. There are some places, the arctic circle, for example, that I may never get a better glimpse of. To me, the chance to soak up even a glimpse of something so glorious, is well worth a crick in the neck. My new friend, let’s call her Mrs. Chinese Lady, appreciates it as well. She came by for a visit so that she could peak out the window too.

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