I didn't mention in my email about the flights and what you get on a flight. Now, I don't know whether this is just luck of the draw as to what planes were available but the nicest airline setup was the Malaysian Airlines with a Boeing 777 featuring the little screen in the back of the seat in front of you which, if you lean forward and put your eyes really really close to screen you, can almost pretend to be watching a big screen! Unfortunately, the least bit of turbulence pretty much puts your nose through the screen which mucks up the image, so this is not a great alternative. But I didn't have to watch what everyone else was watching. Also, they have screens that show you where in the world you are, the time of day (night time/ day time) how high how fast how long how cold terrain underneath you (graphical representations). As I right this I am midway through Afghanistan, you know, east of Kandahar, rocketing along here at 611 miles an hour with a 52 mph tailwind and an outside temperature of -72. I am from Canada, I laugh at -72 weather. It's kind of a maniacal laugh, but a laugh is a laugh, it doesn't matter why you are laughing, right? Right! (made you smile). So anyway, as I look down through the broken clouds at what must be Afghanistan I see feeble attempts of people to use rocket launchers to hit us, I see we are being escorted by Pakistani and US Air Force fighters and our plane is weaving through the anti-aircraft flak from the approaching rebel Cessna 172 with two rebel Afghanis, complete with SCUBA tanks for breathing air and a really really good set of parkas, that is approaching our aircraft. Okay, I am now in hour 6 of an 11+ hour trip at 37000 feet and just maybe I am a little tired. Maybe it didn't really happen that way, I only fantasized about it, like maybe it was an episode from JAG or something silly like that. So, because my sister is going to be reading this and asking for justification as to why Air Canada did not get the nod or even Lufthansa, but Malaysian Airlines, here is my defensive list (please don't hurt me when I get back!) peanuts, all the peanuts you could ask for (got an allergy? Tough!) metal utensils (although they did grab my nail clippers, go figure!) pretty little Malaysians (heck, even the guys have pleasing features) flight attendants who patrolled the whole trip with water and buns
On screen map showing where we are
Another in-airplane screen shot
