The day started early, 3 AM, in Sweden where we were going into day 3 of a snowstorm. Luckily it was wet snow that melted a bit during the day, so we were able to get out through about 8 inches of snow blown over the road. My husband and daughter dropped me off at the train station, and I had about 20 minutes to appreciate the windy cold that I was leaving. I'd done online check-in the night before so I didn't have to do battle with the check in machines, but I still had to stand in the same long line to drop off my luggage. Regardless it went smoothly. The only hassle I had was at security where they confiscated my precious hand sanitizer. This really irritated me because it's something I really like to have for airplane lavatories (not to mention the prospect of public restrooms in China), and I've had no trouble traveling with it many times in the past. Anyway, TSA guys are the same all over the world, and when they're on a power trip, there's no point in arguing or begging. This guy's line was that it was a fire hazard.
The British Airways flight to London was uneventful, as was changing terminals and finding my next flight. There was this lady that had been on the same flights with two boys about 2-3 years old. I felt so sorry for her as these kids ran totally wild. I briefly considered offering to help, but it seemed that she wasn't all that interested in keeping them under control, so I quickly got over that thought. Flying alone is downright relaxing.
On the longer flight, I watched the movie Duchess which I enjoyed. It was a chick film, which is kind of a shame because I would have liked it even more if they'd focused more on her political involvement and influence on society (which was pretty much unthinkable for a women in her day). I also did a few sudoku puzzles and read my book, Amy Tan's The Opposite of Fate.
We arrived in Hong Kong at 7 AM. I'd heard so much about the planes flying in low over Hong Kong then dropping like a rock to land before skidding into the bay (kind of like San Diego, but even more so), that I was a bit disappointed to glide in smoothly over the bay. Apparently they built a new airport. My mom's flight arrived just a half hour after mine, so I met her at the baggage claim, and we took a taxi to our hotel. We'd been planning on taking the bus, but Uncle was anxious to meet us for breakfast and insisted on the taxi. Traffic was pretty bad, and they drive on the "wrong" side of the street very aggressively, so it was both an exciting and scenic ride.
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