Cancelled flight versus business class upgrade

Air travel in China is like a roller coaster ride.

The travel agent at the Shangri-La Guangzhou called in the morning, informing me that my 1:30PM flight to Shanghai has been cancelled with no reason given, and that I was re-booked to a 4:30PM flight. I cannot believe my ears: How come that both inbound and outbound flights to Guangzhou by China Southern Airlines are cancelled, given the fact that Guangzhou is the hub of China Southern Airlines?

Of course, the 4:30PM flight was so packed as passengers on the original 1:30PM flight had to be booked to this one. Luckily, since China Southern Airlines is part of the Skyteam, I was able to check in via their Elite/First Class counter, and got a pretty front seat, 8H.

I have to say, the Guangzhou Baiyun Airport is beautiful. It is modern, huge, but unbelievably clean, despite that there is construction going on. Plus, it is amazing just to observe that how crowded the airport is, even for its size, making me wondering whether there is indeed a global economic crisis going on right now.

Just as Northwest, the check-in process begins with Elite/First Class as well, so I was the first one on board their almost brand new A330 economy class. While waiting for other passengers boarding, I was busy playing games on my iPod Touch, when someone leaned over and said to me: “Excuse me, you are on my seat.”

I was confused. I am sure I was on the right seat.

The guy returned with a flight attendant who then verified my seat number: It turned out that two passengers were assigned with the same seat. The guy and the flight attendant left. I was back on my games.

Apparently, this is not an isolated incidence. A guy standing nearby told another fellow passenger that a seat in this flight was assigned to three different passengers. “They messed the seat assignment up, and they ended up upgrading the two poor guys to business class.” He added.

Five minutes later, another flight attendant showed up in front of me: “You have been upgraded. Here is your new seat number.”

The neighboring passengers all heard what he said, and I sensed the silent envy as I rose to collect my luggage. Some obviously were confused that why me, not the guy who was double-booked, was upgraded. I guess this is where the elite status pays off.

The business class is great. I do not mind flying the economy cabin with Chinese airlines—they are far more comfortable than those in the United States. But a business class seat in a new A330? Unbeatable!

Then we took off on time.  I guess I was quite upset when my flight was cancelled, but I certainly do not mind a business class upgrade.

Happy Birthday, Stinky Monkey!

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to my dear monkey, happy birthday to you!

Breakfast reading: The China Mosaic

It felt like a separate world: I mean, reading the Global Times, an English newspaper published locally, while having my breakfast at the Westin Beijing Financial District, made me realize that the world actually is so different and vivid than what I could have recalled from watching TV news in America.

The Global Times published on July 3, 2009, had some really funny stories about China under its World Mosaic, an edition that gathers short news stories from other media sources. Here are some the highlights that made me laugh so hard that I almost spilled my Cappuccino.

(1) Head and shoulders and everything else

An elderly nude woman brought diners to a halt last week in a KFC in Qingdao, Shandong Province when she entered the restaurant and strolled in to the restroom, locked the door and emerged 10 minutes later with shampoo foam on her head. She had apparently used the restroom to clean up.

“I was just leaving the KFC after having an ice cream, when I saw an old woman with short hair and no clothes come into the restaurant and go into the restroom.” A young customer, Wang, said. “Customers were shocked. Some were scared away. But she looked very posed as she left the restaurant.”

(News source: www.bandao.cn)

(2) Fruitless message

A watermelon farmer in Chiayi, Taiwan, frustrated at the theft of her fruits, wrote a warning on two watermelons in an effort to shame thieves away. Furious at the loss of all but two she wrote, “Anyone who seals my watermelon is shameless.”

However, the message proved futile. Neighbors spotted the thief and alerted police who caught the culprit, an 80-year-old thief man who told him he was illiterate.

(News source: TVBS)

(3) Bonded by coincidence

A recently married copule in Danjiangkou, Hubei Province has more in common than most newlyweds. Both share the same name (Wang Yang) and birth date as well as occupation.

Wang and Wang were born on April 29, 1982 and met after joining the PLA and working at the same military facility in Hebei Province. However, their name and birth date have also caused problems. When they travel together, their IDs are often viewed with suspicion and computers have also failed to process heir information if the travel on the same plane. Even their marriage caused concern when they were closely questioned due to fears that they might be related. They said, however, that their similarities have made their marriage stronger.

(News source: Chutian Metropolis Daily)

(4) Which way to Tripoli, officer?

A motorist, Huang, in Wuhan, Hubei Province who was pulled over by police for speeding 185km/hour in his Audi and had no Chinese driver’s license tried to weasel out of trouble by showing the officer a driver’s license he acquired in Libya.

The officer told him that a Libyan license isn’t recognized in China and fined him 2,000 yuan ($290) on the spot for speeding and driving without a license.

(News source: www.cnhan.com)

(5) Stand and fly

A budget airline, Spring Airlines, has applied for permission to sell low cost standing-room-only tickets.

Passengers would pay a reduced price to stand in the aisles during flights, reports IC Media.

Spring Airlines president Wang Zhenghua said tickets would go on sale as soon as the government agreed the proposals.

He said he was confident of government backing—because the idea had been suggested by Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang.

“He suggested that, for a lower price, passengers should be able to get on a plane like catching a bus, with no seat, no luggage consignment, no food, no water, but very convenient,” said Wang.

He added that the company had consulted with Airbus, the company which built most of its airplanes, and had been told the proposals were safe.

“So once the government approves it formally, we’ll try it,” said Wang.

A sad day

Today is definitely not my day.

After a stressful morning dealing with extremely fixated co-workers, and wrestling pouring deadlines, around the noon came the news that actress Farrah Fawcett, the “Charlie’s Angels” star, lost her battle to cancer at age 62.

I do not remember her work that clearly, as I watched the old version of Charlie’s Angels” a long time ago, I still can recall her symbolic “feathered blond hair and dazzling smile”.

Then just as I prepared to take a break from the work and sneak out to watch the new Transformer sequel, there was a nasty fight that totally ruined my mode.

Now when I checked my Yahoo email, all of sudden I spotted the headline from Yahoo news that reads “Michael Jackson dies in LA hospital” this afternoon, of heart attack.

I could not believe my eyes. For a while, I thought there must be some jokes. Last time I heard, he is preparing for his London concert tour.

Then as I am writing this post, WIKIPEDIA has already updated his bio as August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009.

Of course by now there is already massive media coverage everywhere, radio, TV, internet, about this shocking news.

A legend has all of sudden passed us by. 

Today is really a sad day…

Amazing Hanauma Bay

I have snorkeled at Hanauma Bay many times, but this time the snorkeling is sensational.

When we got there by 9:00AM, I was worried that we were too late.

The issue with Hanauma Bay, besides the limited parking space, is that everyone has to watch this orientation video, which lasts about 8 minutes, but is shown in certain time slots in a room with limited seats. Depending on the crowd, the wait time can be half an hour or more.

Yes, one can get his/her name registered so that within one year of time he or she can skip the video, but everyone is required literally to watch it once a year, which happens to be our case.

We ended up with a 9:30AM video showtime. But while waiting for the video orientation and applying waterproof sunscreen, I took a peek at the water down in the bay. It seemed a rather low tide, which was a good sign. High tide and strong wave tend to mess up the underwater pictures.

Indeed, when we arrived at the bay area at 9:40AM, I found the ocean especially calm and tide especially low. With a bright sky, what can I complain?

One thing that I like about snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, is that fishes here are not afraid of people, and you can get up close to them.

Although the bay is a bit crowded, even on a Monday, I saw so many different kinds of fish (click individual pictures below to see larger size photos), in such a clear water, that all my unimpressive and unpleasant snorkeling experience for this trip is gone. All I wish is that my digital underwater camera has a longer battery life and there is no limit on my memory card!

Surfing all the way in Waikiki

Another sunny day in Waikiki. From our balcony, it is such an enjoyment to watch the ocean with various shades of color blue, and surfers with their boards playing with the waves.

Great waves, and great surfers!

From Waikiki to Chinatown

Checking out of the Turtle Bay Resort and driving for another hour, we finally arrived at Waikiki.

I always enjoy Waikiki. Yes, many people have told me often that Waikiki is too commercial, but I do not find it offensive. Let’s face it, unlike Kona, the Big Island, you won’t find any restaurant along Kalakaua Avenue closes at 8:00PM.

Besides the convenience (literally ABC stores are at the corner of every block), the Waikiki beach is gorgeous.

The morning snorkeling at the North Shore wore us out, and the greasy food these days started to make my face break out. I desperately need some fresh fruits.

It is therefore the “Chinatown time.”

I normally do not bother with a car. Finding the parking spot can be tricky in Chinatown area. Either #2 or #13 bus will take us from Waikiki to Chinatown.

The bus fare is $2 per person, and offers a transfer for any other buses (including the return bus) up to 2 hours. That would be enough for me to sample some nice meals and shop for these exotic fruits.

When we asked the girl at the Concierge desk for bus schedules to Chinatown, she raised her eyebrows. “I’d warn you to be careful in Chinatown.”

Then I was surprised. “Why?”

“It is just a shabby place.”

Hum. For a moment I thought she meant that New York gangsters have taken over Honolulu Chinatown recently.

I nodded politely and thanked her.

The bus ride was smooth, and within 20 minutes we were in Chinatown already.

There are tons of grocery stores, nearly one after the other, along the Hotel Street (the main street that the city buses run through).  Fresh produces and fruits are displayed in boxes and on stands.

It literally took us less than 2 minutes to find what we want:

Dragon fruit, Dragon eyes, Lychee, mangosteen…We loaded up!

After the short and intense shopping, time for snack. We always go to this place Mei Sum Dim Sum (65 N Pauahi Street #A, Honolulu, HI 96817, 808-531-3268) whenever we are in Hawaii.

They have some nice dim sum selections, but what I like more is the dynamics of this place.

The restaurant seems to be run by a group of Chinese grannies, who serve efficiently and quickly. Even when they chat with us, the sentences are in a faster speed.

Snorkeling at Kuilima Cove

The snorkeling site Kuilima Cove is right in front of the Turtle Bay Resort. However, as I mentioned in my previous post, snorkeling is decent only if the water is calm, which, given the location of the snorkeling site, is very unlikely. The sea bottom is full of those white coral flowers and is unique to me, but the visibility is not ideal and the water can be cloudy.

I also find that fishes at Kuilima Cove are especially shy of humans and tend to be much smaller comparing to their peers at Hanauma Bay. Especially my all time favorite, Humuhumunukunukuapua’a, or Picasso Triggerfish (a.k.a, Lagoon Triggerfish), is too sensitive here. Even when we were far away, they can sense our presence, and shooting out a stream of sand, run like crazy.  

Beautiful Turtle Bay

There are only four resorts outside Waikiki in Honolulu. The Turtle Bay Resort is one of them. As its name suggests, the resort is located in Turtle Bay, (not to be confused with the Turtle Beach, also located in the North Shore of Oahu, along Highway 83).

The resort is nice in my own view: The snorkeling site Kuilima Cove is right in front of the resort, and my all time favoriate Shark’s Cove is just about 5 miles away, southbound of Highway 83. Being in a far less competitive environment, it does not come in cheap.

Now the whole blog starts to sound like my tripadvisor review.

The trick is to entroll free for the I-Prefer program, which, besides special deals and discounts, gives its member priority early check-in and late check-out, free room upgrade when available, and complimentary internet access.

Although for Turtle Bay Resort, they charge a $20 per day resort fee, which includes internet, parking, daily newspaper, local and 800 phone calls. But the priority early check-in definitely worked for us, as we arrived in the mid-morning, way ahead of their 3:00PM check-in hours.

The priority late check-out is not that a big deal, however. When I requested a late check-out, I have it until 12:30 PM, as their check-out time is 11:00AM.

But I have to say their ocean view room is very nice: Spacious, clean, tons of towels, and great views. The walk along the shoreline is also very pleasant.

However, I do not have particularly good luck with snorkeling at Kuilima Cove. Some claims that this site is most protected by reefs, but keep in mind it is also located near the northernmost point of Oahu island, so the wind and therefore the waves can ruin everything: The underwater view is not that fantastic as most of time the water is a bit cloudy. On top of that, you will get sand all over your swimming wear and snorkeling gear.

I also find that unlike those in Hanauma Bay, fishes in the north shore area, Shark’s Cove and Kuilima Cove included, are not used to human and tend to be smaller. In my previous visit to Kuilima Cove, I once chased a Humuhumunukunukuapua’a fish (a Picasso Triggerfish, also Hawaii’s state fish), but it dashed out as quickly as possible, with strong waves making me especially difficult to catch up with it.

Shark’s Cove never disappoints

It seems that I tend to have a better luck of snorkeling in Oahu than in other islands.

Shark’s Cove is my favoritate snorkeling site in the North Shore of Oahu. I especially like the tide pool on the left side of the cove. Sometimes, the cove iteself can be so crowded with divers that people there probably exceed the fish count.

Actually, the rocky but large tide pool left to the cover offers shallow and calm water (more protected), and crystal clear visibility, but still tons of fishes. The only possible nightmare to snorkel here is when the tide is extremely low.

The lifeguard would normally warn people with a red flag sticking out near the entrance to the tide pool, and a sign that says: “Low Tide, Watch the Rocks”.

Shark’s Cove rarely disappoints me. Even in this early afternoon, when people normally say is not a good time to see fishes (Click the pictures below to see larger photos).

We can stay snorkeling at Shark’s Cove forever. But what is more a fun experience after snorkeling, is enjoy a grilled Opah fish sandwich at the nearby Shark’s Cove Grill across Highway 83 (Kamehameha Highway).

Here is a description from Travel + Leisure:  

Sharks Cove Grill
59-712 Kamehameha Hwy.
Haleiwa, Oahu, HI
(808) 638-8300

What An aquamarine-paneled truck parked in a palm-shaded gravel lot across the road from the eponymous cove, this propane-powered galley kitchen serves taro burgers and chicken salad to ravenous boarders who hang ten in nearby Waimea Bay.

Who Chef (and surfer) Willy Asprey raided his mother’s recipes for the Grill’s pesto shrimp skewers, and his grilled tuna skewers, drizzled with a creamy sesame-shoyu sauce, definitely merit the scenic drive to find him along Kamehameha Highway. Instead of the more typical macaroni salad, crunchy baby greens and brown rice herald a healthy shift in plate lunch side dishes.

Don’t miss The Bash smoothie is a taste of some of the island’s freshest produce, with bananas, apple juice, strawberries, and honey.

Well, I did not try any of the above mentioned treats. But my grilled Opah fish sandwich is delicious! With a large french fries, for a total of $7. Yumm!