A Day of Firsts

My first time on a commercial airline, my first time in Las Angeles, CA, my first time in China, my first taxi ride, my first experience trying to buy from someone who doesn't know English, and right now my first Chinese game show!
     I have finally ridden on a commercial airline, but 12 hours was not as fun as 4. The flight from st. Louis to Las Angeles was perfectly smooth. While we were waiting on to taxi out to the runway I started talking to the guy sitting next to me who was kind enough to explain everything about the flight to me (i.e. all the strange sounds and what to expect). LAX was an interesting experience. We were delayed at the docking area because somebody forgot to go and flip the switch to move the hallway thing out to let us off the airplane. The terminal I landed at and the terminal I departed from were on nearly opposite sides of that huge place so I had to high tail it to the other side.
Oh, just FYI most international flights require you to check in at least 3 hours before boarding where as domestic flights are typically only 2. While I was waiting in line to check in for the Air China flight to Beijing I was defiantly a minority. Out of the 50 or so people in line I was one of four non-Chinese people. The 12'ish hour flight was good, but long. The majority of the way there was filled with intermittent turbulence so we couldn't get up and walk around much at all. The in flight meal was filling and pretty good. The picture here is a potato salad, various melons, yogurt, hot (but, cold) roll, rice, bok choy, and beef stir fry.

     When we finally landed in Beijing I was in awe of how big it was. There were moving sidewalks hundreds of yards long, and to get to baggage claim I had to take a 5 minute train ride. Another quick tip that the Chinese people apparently didn't know. Trains arrive every couple of minutes! They literally crammed as many people as they could in, until the doors were shutting on the people try to get in, while the non-Chinese just stepped back, laughed, and waited for another train to arrive.
     We got a taxi back to the hotel which was an experience unto its own. The roads here aren't as bad as the pictures you see from India, but lines are only a suggestion, and lights are regarded as a good idea not always followed.
     When we got to the hotel there was some confusion with the dates, because they though I was checking out the 18th instead of the 28th. That was a bit of fun when the 4 people at the desk could barely speak English.

     So far the jet lag hasn't been too bad for me, something my professor said about being younger than her but what ever... :) I took her suggestion and when I got onto the overseas flight I switched to their timezone and only woke up for meals. It was kind of strange because we were following the sun so my body got confused, because the sun never went down. That was a strange experience. Unfortunately according to the graphic on the right going back home will be the problem, but at least I will be in my own comfortable bed.
     While I was writing this I decided to find something English on TV, but unfortunately the only good thing I could find was a strange singing game show. What happened was 2 people one from each team would sing a sing using a random tune and the winner was chosen by who opened the treasure chest with the trophy in it.