It’s currently 1:27 AM. But that doesn’t really mean anything when you’re halfway over the Norwegian Sea. I didn’t even know there was such a thing as the Norwegian Sea until I discovered the flight map on the computer thing in the back of the seat in front of me.
We’re flying on Emirates Airlines. It’s kind of absurd how nice this plane is. First of all, it’s massive- a Boeing 777. Second of all, the flight attendants wear these really interesting hats and also actually enjoy their job, or at least they do a really good job pretending to. You have no idea what a luxury kind flight attendants are. Thirdly, the seats are rather large and comfotable and are also equipped with a personal TV/computer-ish thing that has TV (good TV too, so far I’ve watched Flight of the Conchords and Grey’s Anatomy and I think I still have time for some Office) Movies (Mary Poppins was quite entertaining) Games (I’ve already played a solid two hours worth of Tetris) a phone (you can call the ground at an outrageous price, but you can also call other seats on the plane, which is somehow really entertaining) and then there are all these other things you can do with it too, I just haven’t finished exploring. My favorite application though is “Airshow” which shows you where you are on a map nd also shows you the view from cameras placed on the front and bottom of the plane. My dad would be obesessed with it. So far the cameras haven’t been very intersting though because it’s been pitch dark the whole time, but we’re chasing the sun and should catch up soon so we’ll be able to see outside. Additionally, when we first boarded, the flight attendants passed out steaming hot towelets for us to use to wipe down our faces and hands. Strange, but very relaxing. We were also givn this little kit that included a blanket (a real blanket too- not your usual nasty airplane blanket), pillow, socks, toothbrush and toothpaste, a sleeping mask, and headphones. They have a “Guide to Airplane Health” that gives you exercises to do every once in a while so you don’t.. well actually, I’m not quite sure what the purpose of that really is. The ceiling in the aisles has minature lights in it so it looks like the a starry sky. Dinner was a choice of lamb or creamy chicken, with an appetizer of shrimp salad. Obviously, my team did not touch the shrimp salad. Tag said that last time he flew on Emirates they served him roast pheseant for dinner. I was kind of disappointed that we didn’t get the same, but the chicken was delectable. I’ll be honest though, I’m a little let down about the bathrooms. They’re way nicer than normal, but nothing incredibly special. Still really small, still that weird airplane bathroom smell.
The fact that I get to travel with people I love makes it fun too. We’re all in the same general vicinity and it’s nice to be able to talk to normal people instead of making awkward small talk with strangers. Somehow I never get seated next to the really interesting people that everyone else seems to have awesome conversations with on planes. I always try to make them interesting anyway though and force conversation. It’s not usually successful. It’s actually never successful. I don’t know what I was expecting the demographic to be like on this flight, but I was thoroughly surprised when we were at the gate and outnumbered 10 to 1 by Arabic people. I suppose it only makes sense, but it’s a strange feeling to be the minority once again. We’ve been the minority in Mexico for the past two months, and will likely be the only white people for miles the whole time we’re in Africa. I should probably get used to it.
It’s ironic really that this is how we’re starting this journey. We’re en route to a poverty stricken and dying country on this scandalously nice plane. And on the way, we’re stopping in one of the most affluent cities in the world. There couldn’t be a greater contrast. It makes you think a lot about how exactly we got to this point. How I can be sitting here, laptop and iPod in hand, watching my course over the planet, being fed bananas and orange juice while there are people dying in Swazi simply because they don’t have water to drink. I know we hear about the poverty gap all the time, and we all get kind of sick of it. But I mean really, how can we be okay with this?
I don’t have answers to the question you’re asking yourself, or at least the one you should be asking yourself- “What am I supposed to do about it?”. But as I watch the sun rise over the clouds I know that God’s hand is in there somewhere and He has a place and a roll for all of us in fixing it.
Dubai- 25 years ago Dubai was just desert, there was nothing there. You would never guess that by looking at it now. Sky scrapers dominate the horizon and none of them are the same. They’re all very modern and very interesting. The tallest building in the world is there. Obviously it was mind blowingly huge. The most bizarre thing about Dubai is that everything sparkles. Literally. Everything is shiny. And if it’s not naturally sparkly they make it sparkly. It might be the most vain place on the planet. There’s no real purpose to anything, except to be big, shiny, and expensive. The whole time we were there all that’s all I could think about- how pointless it all was. It wasn’t even really beautiful. I’m glad we went, but I have no real desire to go back again.
