I returned to America yesterday and finally feel equipped to write more than a sentence. I attempted to write last night but gave up after about three words due to jet lag. I couldn't even watch basketball last night, the speed of the game made me nauseous. The thirteen hour stretch of my journey almost killed me I'm still really feeling the effects of a different time zone and probably only have brain function at about 70% so please excuse me if my writing is shoddier than usual.
I said my goodbyes to Shehrish and friends at the Kathmandu airport around 4:30 and waited for my flight to Dubai to board. My itinerary indicated that I would be fed on this stretch but it didn't tell me that I would have to pay for it in rupees or dihrams, the UAE currency. I had exchanged all of my rupees and obviously didn't have UAE dihrams so I went hungry. I landed in Dubai five hours later where it was about 10:00 at night. Dubai is part of the UAE and has a robust economy grounded in oil monies. The skyline looks like it was constructed to look as cool and futuristic as possible, having the largest tower in the world (worth a look) amid other architectural spectacles. My new goal in life is to make enough money so that I can live in the magical playland of Dubai. The airport itself was an aesthetic marvel and I seriously would have delayed my flight to explore it further if given the option. I successfully navigated its complex system that reminded me of the scene in Revenge of the Sith where Yoda fights Darth Sidious in the senate hall and checked in with my airline, Emirates. Every part of the airport felt filthy rich including the moving walkways, bathrooms and water fountains. The terminal had a champagne and caviar restaurant that looked as ritzy as any place I have ever been to in the USA. Even the duty free shops were dripping with extravagance, boasting bottles of cognac and liquor with price tags between $15000-25000 USD. Around 2:30, my Emirates flight to New York boarded and I was dismayed to discover I was stuck in the middle seat right next to one of the bathrooms, never a good place to be on a long flight where you get three meals. My seat was 20J and I stupidly assumed the rows of seating were 3-3-3-3, which would have had me in the aisle. The actual formation was 3-5-3 and I was sandwiched between a woman with a jersey accent and a rotund man who reeked of booze and never stirred for the entire thirteen hours. I've never flown such a distance and will never do it again. Thirteen hours is way too long to be flying and I still feel jet lagged to the core. The flight trajectory was a slingshot over the northern hemisphere but I never could see anything. I was unable to get much sleep and made my return to American soil in New York as a walking zombie. I don't really remember any of the customs/immigration hassle except that it was long and I got lost in the airport. After a final layover, I boarded my final flight to Charlotte, got picked up and drove back to Winston.
Commentary On American Stuff That I Never Realized Or Thought About:
Size: Everything is bigger: cars, roads, fruits, people, beers, portions, toilets etc. I ordered a salad at some place on the way back and it was as large as a salad serving bowl. We went out to eat last night and I was shocked as to how big the portions were; no wonder people are huge and America battles obesity. I went running yesterday and felt like I was running through a vibrant green meadow; Americans have big lawns! My toilet feels like a throne. The size of everything is magnified after being in a country where most things are small.
HDTV/TV in General: I watched Bayern Munich and Real Madrid play this afternoon and could see three times more of the pitch than what I had gotten used to. Also got used to standard definition; returning to HD picture is amazing. Should just be in the previous paragraph, oops. Told you my brain is still recovering.
Internet Speed: Nepal internet was like dial-up speed, so bloody fast here.
Beds: My bed is so much bigger and softer than what I remember it being. I struggled sleeping last night because it was so comfortable, a bizarre thing to say but completely true. I miss the hardness of my Nepali bed.
Air: So clean, even though it's springtime and spring season is brutal in North Carolina with my allergies. I can take a pill to neutralize allergens; I couldn't take pills to avoid smoggy, dusty air. I could have run for hours today if not for the heat, already mid to high 80's (30-32 C).
Frivolous Stuff: Perhaps I was just exhausted but I found the SkyMall catalog thoroughly amusing after a year in a much more pragmatic culture. Life size lawn yetis for $1500, how fun! Bedbug-thwarting sleeping cocoon to prevent bedbug bites while at hotels, only $80! A Koozy Kaddy, raised drink holder for $35 so you don't have to bend down and reach into your cooler! And my favorite, an inflatable 120" movie screen complete with gas powered blowers, stakes and tethers for $250! A bit unfair to present the SkyMall catalog as the norm but us Americans do have a fondness for useless crap.
I haven't really done anything outside the house besides going out to dinner last night and jogging this morning but will write more if I'm struck by anything else. I already miss Shehrish and Nepal but am enjoying being back home and seeing the differences that I never noticed or thought about. Contact me if you want to meet up, I'll be in Winston for a bit.
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