Seatmates
I had a quiet trip this time around. I'm an aisle person and was glad to get all the seats I wanted. Going to Manila, I was lucky to have vacant middle seats in both legs of my flight. From LA to Tokyo, I had a Chinese man occupying the window seat. We didn't talk much and peacefully shared the vacant middle seat filling it with my water bottle & knitting yarns and his reading materials.
From Tokyo to Manila, I got my aisle seat alright, but it was in the middle row. I was greeted by a couple, a Japanese man and a Filipina, loudly speaking to each other. The Filipina had gold rings on all her fingers, hair swept up and had a dozen tiny, shiny clips on it, and her cell phone had a half a dozen charms dangling on one side. The man had a buzz cut, white socks and traditional Japanese slippers. They were speaking in Japanese so I couldn't understand, but they looked like an old married couple arguing about every little thing. As they settled in the middle seats, I looked at the chatterboxes beside me take their shoes off pull out wet hand towels from their pockets and sling them around their necks! O brother! At that very moment I hear the flight attendant announce the cabin door has been closed. Right away I searched for an empty seat to transfer. Luckily it was an aisle seat again on the left row. The middle seat was again vacant and a very nice American man sat by the window. Soon as he said he didn't mind, I was out of that middle row. That's more like it. The plane took off and I drifted off to sleep only to be kicked awake by a little Japanese boy sitting behind me. Aaargh! I talked to him a few times but I couldn't determine if he understood a word I said. He was lucky it was only a short flight, or I would have his neck. At least it forced me to stand more often, letting my body stretch out and blood flow properly. During the times I was seated, I chatted with he American and found out he works for a company that develops milk aid programs (something like that) in developing countries. He works with Filipino companies like Alaska, RFM, and others. I beat him at a round of Suduko, too! I was behind him in line in my hour long wait at immigration. We spent the hour in line talking about many different things, from his travels and mine, living in Minnesota and LA, traffic and weather. It made the wait painless.
On the flight from Manila to Tokyo, I had a mother and daughter beside me. They were well dressed but they were carrying those big, flat, translucent square plastic bags with x-rays in them. I remember from previous travels that only those who were seeking employment overseas carried these. Hmmm, I continued to wonder. I had the urge to strike up a conversation out of curiosity, but I strongly sensed they were timid. The mother would not go anywhere without the daughter and the daughter was not allowed to go anywhere without the mother. Just as we were about to take off, the mother turns to me asking, "Do we need to put this on?" I look at the object she was pointing to, the seatbelt, and exclaimed, "Yes it’s mandatory!" "But how do you do this?" she asks. I was dumbfounded. Lucky for me, the daughter interrupted us and showed her mother how to finagle the device. I also advised her to watch the video coming up. Reality check for me. There are still first timers around. My hopes for a conversation were dashed after that. Soon after, I noticed they were mimicking everything I did. When I ripped open the bag containing the blanket, they ripped theirs open, too. When I opened the bag of the headphones the airline provided, they opened theirs, too. They even chose the same food I did. Creepy!
I enjoyed the leg from Tokyo to LA the most. I was seated just behind the exit row, not too crowded. I had a Navy diver in the middle seat and an Indian woman in the window seat. As soon as our row was complete, all three of us started talking. This young Latino guy was on his way home from a job in Guam. He was telling us how wonderful diving was in Guam, the clear waters and the warmer ocean. I told him I just watched Men of Honor and his eyes lit up. Apparently he is nicknamed Cookie after Cuba Gooding's character because he is the only brown brother in his team. I asked him when he would be Master Diver, and he shook his head and told me he didn't want to be one. All he wants is to achieve the rank of First Diver and then he'll retire. I can't blame him as he's been in the Navy over 10 years. The Indian lady is a textile designer whose company has an office in Tokyo which she frequents. She travels a lot but calls Newport Beach home. The funniest part was when we all would need to go to the loo. It was like synchronized musical chairs, we would take turns holding each other's food tray as each one got in and out. It felt like a team, though.
This is what I like about traveling. You'll never know who you'll meet.
From Tokyo to Manila, I got my aisle seat alright, but it was in the middle row. I was greeted by a couple, a Japanese man and a Filipina, loudly speaking to each other. The Filipina had gold rings on all her fingers, hair swept up and had a dozen tiny, shiny clips on it, and her cell phone had a half a dozen charms dangling on one side. The man had a buzz cut, white socks and traditional Japanese slippers. They were speaking in Japanese so I couldn't understand, but they looked like an old married couple arguing about every little thing. As they settled in the middle seats, I looked at the chatterboxes beside me take their shoes off pull out wet hand towels from their pockets and sling them around their necks! O brother! At that very moment I hear the flight attendant announce the cabin door has been closed. Right away I searched for an empty seat to transfer. Luckily it was an aisle seat again on the left row. The middle seat was again vacant and a very nice American man sat by the window. Soon as he said he didn't mind, I was out of that middle row. That's more like it. The plane took off and I drifted off to sleep only to be kicked awake by a little Japanese boy sitting behind me. Aaargh! I talked to him a few times but I couldn't determine if he understood a word I said. He was lucky it was only a short flight, or I would have his neck. At least it forced me to stand more often, letting my body stretch out and blood flow properly. During the times I was seated, I chatted with he American and found out he works for a company that develops milk aid programs (something like that) in developing countries. He works with Filipino companies like Alaska, RFM, and others. I beat him at a round of Suduko, too! I was behind him in line in my hour long wait at immigration. We spent the hour in line talking about many different things, from his travels and mine, living in Minnesota and LA, traffic and weather. It made the wait painless.
On the flight from Manila to Tokyo, I had a mother and daughter beside me. They were well dressed but they were carrying those big, flat, translucent square plastic bags with x-rays in them. I remember from previous travels that only those who were seeking employment overseas carried these. Hmmm, I continued to wonder. I had the urge to strike up a conversation out of curiosity, but I strongly sensed they were timid. The mother would not go anywhere without the daughter and the daughter was not allowed to go anywhere without the mother. Just as we were about to take off, the mother turns to me asking, "Do we need to put this on?" I look at the object she was pointing to, the seatbelt, and exclaimed, "Yes it’s mandatory!" "But how do you do this?" she asks. I was dumbfounded. Lucky for me, the daughter interrupted us and showed her mother how to finagle the device. I also advised her to watch the video coming up. Reality check for me. There are still first timers around. My hopes for a conversation were dashed after that. Soon after, I noticed they were mimicking everything I did. When I ripped open the bag containing the blanket, they ripped theirs open, too. When I opened the bag of the headphones the airline provided, they opened theirs, too. They even chose the same food I did. Creepy!
I enjoyed the leg from Tokyo to LA the most. I was seated just behind the exit row, not too crowded. I had a Navy diver in the middle seat and an Indian woman in the window seat. As soon as our row was complete, all three of us started talking. This young Latino guy was on his way home from a job in Guam. He was telling us how wonderful diving was in Guam, the clear waters and the warmer ocean. I told him I just watched Men of Honor and his eyes lit up. Apparently he is nicknamed Cookie after Cuba Gooding's character because he is the only brown brother in his team. I asked him when he would be Master Diver, and he shook his head and told me he didn't want to be one. All he wants is to achieve the rank of First Diver and then he'll retire. I can't blame him as he's been in the Navy over 10 years. The Indian lady is a textile designer whose company has an office in Tokyo which she frequents. She travels a lot but calls Newport Beach home. The funniest part was when we all would need to go to the loo. It was like synchronized musical chairs, we would take turns holding each other's food tray as each one got in and out. It felt like a team, though.
This is what I like about traveling. You'll never know who you'll meet.
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