Lounging

I apparently will do anything for a window seat. That includes showing up way earlier than any sane person would show up for a flight. In this case, it means preparing to leave for the airport at 10 a.m. for a flight that doesn't depart until 12:50 -p.m. Yes, it's crazy. But crazier still is sitting on a middle seat for 12 hours. So yeas, I'm in the boarding lounge for an extra hour. But payback comes when I get to stretch out in 35L while everyone else squeezes in between the snot-nosed two-year-olds and the flatulent fat dude.

Past couple of days have been crazy, trying to get the trip planned all the while not knowing if my visa would come through. It is now, finally, here: arrived on Monday. It is an imperfect document -- I need 45 days, my visa says only 15 -- but at least it gets me into the country for now. I'm planning to work out a visa for the remainder of the trip once I get there. No assurances that will happen, though, so there's still a significant element of worry surrounding this whole endeavour. In a way, it's fitting, though. Seems like nothing about this trip has come easily.

At least I will be able to enter the country -- this was very much in doubt last week, after the consulate denied my visa application and demanded an official government invitation to the country; somehow, a guy I called managed to help me get one through a back channel -- it was not looking promising. So I'm going to count my blessings, hunker down over my Mandarin phrase book and pray for the best.