Day 2 – The Longest Day Pt1

Part 1: Hong Kong to London

Figure 1 Hong Kong at night wallcoo.net

As the plane made its approach into Hong Kong a sight met our eyes that took our breath away. You have not seen a city from the air until you see Hong Kong on approach.

It was a magical sight, the streams of lights disappearing and reappearing from the distance, sweeping and spinning in a kaleidoscope of glistening roadways. A thousand skyscrapers individually lit, flooding the spaces between with 3 dimensional columns of light. The pitch black of the midnight hour contrasted and mingled with the low hanging, gray cloud. My words don’t do it justice and I’m kicking myself for stowing the camera in the overhead locker. But then the depth and vastness of the city would merely be hinted at.

Nicholas is asleep, finally, we are three hours from Hong Kong, I can’t sleep, my feet hurt, I can’t read for fear the overhead light will awaken Nicholas. My only option is to go for a walk. I head to the back of the plane, it is where the fruit, water and assortment of snacks is hiding.

Figure 2 B747 Cathay Pacific,Hong Kong Airport panoramio.com

As I draw the curtain back I startle a steward. She’s on her first long haul flight. Her usual routes during training have been between Hong Kong and Japan, which she tells me is about four hour hop. But those jobs are for training and the senior staff with families and wider responsibilities. The grueling long haul is for the young, the keen and the single.

It’s a big step for Vivanne. Last year she was working at a bank in Hong Kong, a cubicle on the 22^nd floor. Now she is seeing the world. I ask her if she is really seeing the world, or is it an endless roundabout of airport hotels and boarding lounges?

She said, “Of course, we often have two days of at the turnaround shift and that often happens somewhere other than Hong Kong. She has seen much of Japan, has enjoyed the Auckland sites and Waihiki Island over last weekend. After another day off tonight she’ll be heading to Australia.

Her parents don’t like it and sometimes she feels guilty about her career choice but she says she needs to do this while she is young. All too quickly marriage children and societal responsibilities will be upon her. We chat for a few more minutes as she explains Hong Kong airport, the escalators, the monorail, the transfer station and the care that we need to take as we amble through the departure lounge. I ask if there are seats so Nicholas can get an hour or two horizontal sleep before we board for the final leg.

She says there are a few but not nearly enough. It turns out she is absolutely right… And with red rimmed eyes Nicholas and I attempt to amuse each other while we sit and wait… and wait … and wait.

Its hard to grasp where one day finishes and the next begins. But somewhere between one plane landing and the next taking off the midnight hour clicks over.