Day 1 (23/6) - Singapore-Hong Kong-Shanghai
Ed: The pictures in this post were restored in late December 2010 after Mediafire deleted my account in 2007
Cathay Pacific's in-flight magazine is 'bilingual' (in a manner of speaking), with some articles being translated into both languages, and others remaining in one. One of them claimed that the body takes about a day to adjust per hour of time zones passed. This is ridiculous.
Usually flight attendants wear less once the plane has taken off than before (eg they take off their vests). Cathay Pacific is the first exception I've seen.
The baggage allowance for the US is crazy. What a difference crossing the water makes.
The moment the plane came to a stop somewhere before we'd reached Hong Kong airport's terminal building, the PRCs and Hong Kongers jumped to their feet. The same happened in Shanghai - only before the lights had even gone on (it was a night landing). The only time I've seen such an impatient crowd is when the plane is filled with Singaporeans.
The security personnel at Hong Kong airport are very helpful - they have a liquids counter just before security screening with ample plastic bags for your use and they help you pack your liquids.
Shanghai Tang Orientalism! I've never seen such a short cheongsam.
Ed: I don't know why this is crooked. It displays normally before I upload it.
Stupid Hong Kong names: "Patsy" (some girl at the airport bookstore, "Relay"). This is defined by The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language as "A person easily taken advantage of, cheated, blamed, or ridiculed." Also seen in the bookstore: "Why Men Marry Bitches: A Woman's Guide to Winning Her Man's Heart". The trouble is that there's omitted variable bias - men don't go for bitches per se.
Prayer room sign in Hong Kong Airport.
In total, I walked 4 times into 3 outlets of the bookstore, and each time they were piping Movement 2 of the Emperor Concerto. Gah. I wonder how the staff stand it.
The flight information panels at Hong Kong airport run ads where people gush effusive with praise for the place. On loop. Gah.
"Woman's pure essence" and "Man's pure essence". Actually in Chinese, they're health supplements for men and women.
On touching down in China I reflected that it'd been a long time (a decade and a half?) since I'd been in a place more authoritarian than Singapore.
At Shanghai Airport, International arrivals were grouped together with those from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Hurr hurr.
At the checkin counter at Changi, there had been a sign telling us to remove old luggage tags from our baggage. I ignored this as ridiculous, since I had not changed my address, and left my Japan Airlines tag on my backpack. On collecting my backpack in Shanghai, I noticed that the tag had been all but torn off, leaving only the elastic spring and a bit of paper attached to it. Damn, those luggage handlers must really hate the Japs. I'm lucky they didn't throw my bag into the sea!
Shanghai has bike lines in which motorbikes travel. Wth.
Quotes:
[On the Shanghai Maglev] Isn't that how our MRT works?
Return the complete common tard to our cabin crew (comment card)