New blog for new phase of my life – now on holiday in Lonoke, Arkansas.

Day 2 of my trip to the US. Apparently I woke up too early and woke Randall up, but I actually just wanted to check my mail (and the time) and head back to bed. Wasn’t as tired as I expected to be – the 22 hours of flying had not killed me yet, although I was terribly naseous by the time I disembarked at Little Rock.

Anyway, this particular entry is a rant against China Airlines. I will probably never on free will take another flight with China Airlines ever again. It was certainly true that one gets exactly what one pays for, in my case, poor service, lousy food, and cramped conditions on a Third World ticket.

1) There was little service to speak of. Sure, they brought me my food on time, but the stewardesses never once asked me whether I wanted more drinks (simple Chinese tea, not even beer or wine) on my 12-hour flight to LA. They couldn’t even find the runaway shoe of the passenger seated behind me – it was later found by another passenger 2 rows in front.

2) The food was abysmal. I mistakenly requested for vegetarian food, thinking that they might actually be a little for careful preparing it since there would only be a handful of vegetarians. But I had 3 potato nuggets with stewed broccoli and cauliflowers for lunch, rice with more steamed veges for dinner, and very oily fried noodles with shrunked kailan for breakfast the next day. And I didn’t even get a comforting cake for desert that regular patrons had – instead I was given a few grapes (with seeds!)

3) The conditions were demoralizing, to say the least. I mean, the lack of leg room aside, there was no individual console to watch movies on that even ANA provided the last time I flew to Chicago THREE years ago. The toilets had few amenities to speak of, no toothbrushes, shavers, or combs. Even the hand moisturizer smells like the stuff one washes toilet bowls with. Yucks.

As I later reminded myself when I landed, I wasn’t even sure I was going to reach the US in one piece, which I thankfully did. So, before the heavens decide to take revenge on me for my incessant complaining, I should count my blessings that I am at least able to enjoy 3 weeks of fun before I try to return to Singapore on China Airlines again.