This morning I scrambled to the mall to pick up some power plug adaptors and a converter. Then I had a nice lunch with Jenn, Brandon, and my parents. Since I was going to be leaving the good ole' US of A, I decided to have a burger, fries, and sweet ice tea. I checked in to the Continental ticket counter and I was surprised I could use the self check in with a international flight. The security check was relatively painless except the lady turned my laptop on and closed the lid before it could wake up. It never hibernated and ran full bore the entire time. We started the second season of Lost this week. So I surveyed the gate to see if I could handle being trapped on a island with my plane-mates. Since this flight was Myrtle Beach to Newark, it was pretty much full of people from Joyzee going home from vacation. I didn't feel good about my potential castaways. Pretty much everybody was overweight, loud, and/or a baby. I seriously don't recall being on a flight with so many toddlers and babies. There was only one "screamer" on the flight and it was far enough in the back of the plane to not bother me. Fortunately, there aren't a lot of uncharted islands between South Carolina and New Jersey. What did bother me, however, was the little metal rod that goes along the top of the barf bag/SkyMall pouch. It dug in just under my kneecap the entire flight. There's no SeatGuru fix for that! I was glad I had already reserved an exit row seat for the Newark to LA leg.

Newark is a dumb airport. There's 3 seperate terminals. When I say seperate, I mean really seperate. Like if say, your plane arrived at terminal A but your connecting flight is in terminal C, you have to go through security again. My flight was supposed to arrive at terminal C, but for some reason they changed it mid-flight. Whatever the reason, I think it was also the cause of the most massive security check in line/mess I had seen so far. Fortunately, they were scanning boarding passes at the back of the line and I was redirected to another security line. I got that security line and I was redirected to another much shorter line. I don't know, I just go where people tell me. I'm just a sheeple like that. That's where I realized my laptop was scalding hot from running inside it's case and almost totally draining the battery. Oh well, I didn't really want to work on the plane, anyway. After the de-belting and de-shoeing, I went to the gate and inquired about a first class upgrade (just for you, Andre). No dice. But I only had one other dude on my exit row. Not only did I get leg room, I got some spread out room as well. The in-flight movie was Something New. Eh, no thanks. Forunately for me, Jenn let me borrow her PSP for the trip and I had yet to see the Spider-Man 2 UMD she has for it. After watching the movie, I played Need For Speed Underground for 2 more hours. I still love this little machine! All of that was on the same battery which is still going strong. I have two more fresh batteries in reserve for the flight to Taiwan.

I knew the critical point would be the LAX arrival for several reasons: 1) I'd be switching from Continental to China Airlines, 2) I've never flown out of the country before 3) I had barely any information about my next flight. Armed only with my itenerary, I hoofed across the LAX ground to find the Air China counter to get checked in. I found the counter about 8:30pm and it was pretty much dead and the terminal seemed pretty ghetto as far as terminals go.. There were some people hanging around, but no agents working. I nervously stood in the queue towering over everyone else in line. Finally, I figured out the counter didn't open until 9:30pm. Then I decided to take a chance and jump in the empty business class line. I'm really glad I did that because the Air China guy told me I needed China Airlines instead. Hey, the itenerary says "Air China Airlines"- so I had a 50/50 shot.

Of course China Airlines is in a totally different terminal.

I finally navigate the ebb and flow of really short foreign people and locate the China Airlines counter. At first, I got in the Economy class line until an agent walked by. Once he confirmed I was indeed business class, I was escorted to the no waiting "Dynasty Class" line. The agent was super nice. He told me which floor of the plane my seat was on. That's a first for me! He asked if I was checking any bags and I told him that I checked one bag in Myrtle Beach and I was wondering if it would be routed straight through. He asked for my baggage claim ticket and I told him I was never given one which surprised me. Fortunately, I've got all of my bathroom stuff, an extra t-shirt, pair of shorts, and several pair of clean underwear and socks in my backpack. So if my luggage gets lost, I won't be totally miserable. But that bag has 2 of my favorite pair of sneakers in it and that would be a bummer. The annoying thing is it wouldn't be lost as much as just unclaimed. He agreed that I should've gotten a claim ticket and he said that I should check back with him at the gate later. Then he gave me a special ticket for the Dynasty Lounge and gave me directions to the 5th floor. I would've felt all fancy and important except along the way I had to endure standing in yet another security line shoeless and belt-less. At this point, I can pretty much take my belt off and put it back on in a couple of seconds... with one hand.

I got to the 5th floor shortly thereafter. It's really weird. It's a long, dingy hall with doors all along the left side. Not unlike the hall of backdoors in the Matrix movie- except more dimly lit. Each door has what could only be described as marquee lights kind of like a movie theater. Each door looks pretty ominous with a doorbell buzzer. I found the China Airlines movie theater door and ring the bell. A nice Asian woman answers the door and says, "Welcome! By the way, the door was open". Oh. Oopsie. I'm a rookie at this high falootin' travel stuff.

The lounge has marble tile floors and table tops with ambient asian sounding music playing softly. It's very relaxing. Or it could be that I'm just tired since it's 2am my time. There's a cooler stocked full of juices, waters, beers, and soft drinks. I don't know why it's stocked full because any time someone takes a beverage, a tiny woman comes from a door in the back to replace it. She's almost like a cuckoo bird clock or one of those wacky animatronic coin banks. There's also a food bar with various snacks, finger sandwiches, and fruits. There's another cuckoo clock woman that comes around and gets your empty wrappers and plates. I tried to be sophisticated by having fruit with a couple of teeny sandwiches. But the bag of Cheetos is calling my name. I wonder if it's consider uncool to grab a couple snacks for the road?

I only have another hour in the lounge before I should make my way to the gate. I almost can't relax because I'm nervously watching the clock. I get that way with any appointment I have. But especially when flying. I have to get checked in and know where my gate is before I do anything else. I think sleeping on the flight to Taiwan is not going to be very difficult.