the first few days ...

Feb. 1, 2006
Saving the day …
Beginning with an Air France employee behind the counter at LAX, who promptly told me my one bag being checked in was 3 kilograms over the airline’s limit, I thought to myself, “What a way to start my journey -- I’d overpacked and it would cost me before I even leave the U.S."
Not only was I taking along one big suitcase on wheels, but I’ve also got a bag for my laptop which also has an assortment of wires, cables and tiny notebooks and pens as well as a travel bag that actually has a daypack inside of that for those days when the less I carry the better.
Nevertheless, the man quickly instructed me to go to another window and pay for the overweight freight. I went to the counter, waited for someone to hear my plight when a lady, who could not have been nicer, promptly gave me my boarding pass and told me to enjoy the flight. Woohoo! I’d already saved myself some money. Now THAT’s how one gets off on the right foot when he’s on vacation.

Feb. 2, 2006
Plane states and vanishing stewardesses …
It’s funny when you fly on Air France. Amazing to see the progress of your flight on one of dozens of TV screens that show your little plane in Los Angeles and sharing space on the map as Palmdale, Mt. San Antonio and Malibu. As I feasted on decent ravioli, salad, bread, an orange and chocolate mousse cake and water, lots of water), I found myself enjoying seeing such states as Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska highlighted, wondering to myself if any of these people going on a flight to Paris -- and very few Americans were on board if I had to venture a guess -- even knew or cared.
I stopped watching that and instantly began intently listening to a bevy of stewardesses go through their routines, talking to each other in French and just wondering what they could possibly be talking about. The women were gorgeous, by the way. But the most interesting thing about taking a flight that spans so many time zones is that the crew members open a door and proceed to walk downstairs, a place that is right by my seat -- an exit row with a reclining seat and lots of leg room (thanks for the suggestion dad!) -- so they can take a nap or take a break from the passengers.