The chicken or the egg?

You know that age old question... what came first? the chicken or the egg?

I believe there are hundreds of answers to that questions, but along the same lines, on board my flight here, I was wondering about something else....

Does United serve terrible food because it is poor (just got out of bankruptcy and probably about to go into bankruptcy again soon)? Or does the terrible food it serves cause them to be poor because no one wants to fly with them?? 

I didn't fly United on this trip. In fact, as much as possible, I try to avoid American airlines. Their food is bad (almost to the point of inedible), their service sucks, their flight attendants could be my grandparents (and yes I know my grandparents have passed on... but that's exactly my point). So, I flew ANA. Their food is still airplane food but it's definitely many, many times better than the crap United serves on board their flights.

So, if they are bankrupt because of the food they serve, they deserve it. And if they are serving shitty food because they were almost bankrupt, maybe they should remain there... bankrupt.

First time for everything...

Some people say that there is a first time for everything... yesterday, as I was arriving into SF, I experienced a "first time experience".

First off, it's really troubling that there are no more flights that don't experience some kind of problem/delay/mistakes. And I am not talking about the hassle in the airport during security screening. As a frequent traveler, I actually don't have a problem with the airport security screenings, better safe than sorry. What I am talking about is what happens after the screening... especially the delays... 

Surprisingly, the flight I took departing out of Singapore departed TWENTY MINUTES EARLY. Yes, the departure time was supposed to be 8:20am but the flight left the gate at 8am. However, once we were inflight, we were informed that there was a tropical depression to the East of China and that we would be taking a slightly longer route. That ended up with the flight landing in Narita (Tokyo, Japan) ONE HOUR LATE. I rushed from my gate to the connecting flight which had almost completed boarding. The rest of the flight was was uninteresting.

One hour to landing in SFO:

Everything seems normal, no announcement.

15 mins to landing in SFO:

No announcements but I realize the plane is "circling"... several minutes after I had noticed the "circling", the pilot comes on to say that there is congestion due to weather and Air Traffic Control is making us stay in the air for awhile longer. Pilot estimates 15-20mins. 15mins later, pilot comes on to say that we will be delayed a little longer, maybe another 15-20mins. At about 45 mins after the first announcement, we proceed toward landing... good, I thought.

As we are reaching the final approach, which I have taken many, many times, and it's always the same approach at SFO, I looked out the window and spot the usual landmarks. However, as we are going by the San Mateo Bridge, I think to myself that we are too high. Usually, we are a lot lower  by the time we get to the San Mateo Bridge, as in, I can see things on the ground more clearly... just as I am thinking that, I hear the plane power up it's engine and I feel the plane ascend. It is a rather rocky ascend as it had been slowing down, and descending for the last who knows how long and so the entire plane starts "trembling" as the pilot ascends. After a short period of ascension, the pilot (don't know the terminology) stops accelerating and kind of cruises. It's at this point that the flight attendant comes on to say that we just had an ABORTED LANDING. I had never experienced an aborted landing previously and as mild as it sounds in my description, there was some point during this aborted landing that I asked myself... should I start saying my last prayers right now?? 

On the second final approach, the pilot did not seem to be able to keep the plane stable, most likely due to the wind. The plane kept swaying and ... well, we landed safely and I am posting this blog... so, there you go. First time for everything....

Back to SF... for a few weeks.

Jessica leaves early tomorrow morning and I leave on Tuesday. We will be back in SF for the most part of August. 

We will be attending a wedding on 8/8/8 and the rest of the time, Jessica will be working from the SF office while I will be... doing what I have been doing the last 6 months... bumming around... lol.

Somehow, in all honesty, this trip feels very different. I am looking forward to it very much (for reasons many of you have heard a million times) but it just feels different.

I am posting with a vengeance today. 

The book I should have written

Shortly after we had returned to Singapore after Shasta had passed on, I received a package in the mail. I opened it up to find the book "Marley and Me" by John Grogan. I had seen the book many times previously, at Costco, at Target, but honestly, the interest in reading about someone else's dog never caught fancy with me... we had our own dog... why read about someone else's dogs pranks? The package also came with a card wishing us condolences about Shasta and saying that from reading what was written on our blog about Shasta, we would enjoy and relate to this book. 

I was still too upset to read the book and so I set it aside. Jessica started reading the book first and from her overall reaction, I knew I would have to read it sooner or later. 

About a week ago, I started reading the book. And last night, I put it down... completely read. I cannot honestly say that it is even close to the best book I have read. However, it terms of reality, there is nothing that comes close. Although Shasta was not even half as naughty as the author's dog Marley, everything else the author talked about with regard to unwavering loyalty, selflessness, friendship and most importantly, the fact that no matter what you did to him, he would never stay angry with you for more than all of 5 secs hit home so much. For those of you with interest in reading the book, I will not spoil it for you. My favorite part of the book was the last section. It touched me so much I was drawn to tears for the first time in about 6 weeks when thinking about Shasta. I recommend it as a "must read" to all pet owners, especially dogs, 'cos fish and hamsters just don't bring about the same emotions. Whether your "man's best friend" has passed on or not...

Another prop to the author, many stories that he told in the book, we have experienced. However, it takes a special person to be an author and reading this book convinced me that that little thought at the back of my mind about one day writing a book... he put it to rest. I don't know how he could put into words those actions that seemed so simple yet were too difficult to describe and draw your audiences' attention. I don't know... maybe that thought will one day come back and I might give it a try. But for now, I will stick with blogs.

Once again, the book's name is Marley and Me by John Grogan and the website is:

www.marleyandme.com

Happy Reading... if the book, then, our blog...

I have decided

to venture into the business about blogging about "society". However, it will NOT be on this blog AND it will be created in the safety of foreign soil. So, for those of you who are eagerly waiting, it'll be here shortly. The rest of you who are not interested, you will continue to get the less controversial stuff here on this blog.... stay tuned. Should be up in about a week or so.