Back in the Big Smoke

Today's weather  (Shanghai)   High = 36 Low = 28

Sunny and sweltering

 

I'm surprised at how quickly I got back here, and also how smoothly the flight went!  With a quick drive to the airport from where I was staying in Richmond, I sailed through check-in and security, enjoyed a coffee with friends and my father, and then got right onto the plane with an empty seat.  The plane left on time, and I managed to get a significant amount of sleep on it, due to the extra room.

 

Things were really quiet at the airport, and perhaps it was because that particular day was the best summer day that Vancouver had enjoyed all year.  Fittingly enough, I was out of there on the best weather, and moving right into sweltering heat and humidity on another continent.

 

I enjoyed a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean and Gulf Islands before the plane disappeared into the clouds and then I pulled down the window shades.  Air Canada is an excellent airline and they offer a choice of movies and TV programs to watch and while away the hours.  When I wasn't sleeping, I enjoyed a few good flicks, including the much-cliched movie about aliens invading Los Angeles and the almighty US Marines coming together to save the city.

 

Arriving in Shanghai, the flight was actually early.  Not only that, but I sailed through immigration in 15 minutes, making it the smoothest and most hassle-free flight I've experienced in years.  This was a big different from the year before in 2010, and the 2009 flight, both of which were nightmares.  I actually got into the city center by 3:30pm on Sunday which was ample time to catch a church service and then later go out for dinner with a bunch of friends.  There was enough energy to do that, and I then promptly crashed at my place around 8ish to sleep for 15 hours straight.

 

Keep in mind on previous nightmare flights I wouldn't get in until 10 or even 11pm at night, so this was way ahead of schedule and why not catch a party.

 

Due to all of this, I don't have any jet lag, which is a first. 

 

I was able to run a bunch of errands right off the bat and get set up with a new phone number, taking care of overdue bill payments, and set up the internet at my house.  Later on I worked out at the gym hardcore.  I'm in negotiations with Susan (she runs the place) to get a longer membership and renew for a better deal. 

 

The only difficulty now is the extreme heat, which I'm not used to after an ultra-chilly spout of weather for the past 3 weeks in Vancouver.  I was wearing a jacket nearly every day as the temperature barely broke 20 degrees.  Now it's the other extreme and I've quickly developed a rash.

 

Will keep chilling out here and then eventually head to Thailand.