The Root Cause of My Difficulty

Ahh, Beijing at 4:20 AM.  Great ta see ya.  Next to no one is at immigration.  I’ve got an entire Chinese flight crew in my little shuttle car into the baggage area.  Their uniforms are different from Air China and I can’t discern whom they fly with.  They all look so young and clean cut.  It’s only been three weeks but I’m marveling at both the familiarity and otherness of Chinese civilization.  My luggage takes a while.  In fact, I’m just about to start getting frustrated when I see my bloated black bag making its way around the carousel and I’m out into the familiar arrival hall, striding over to the escalator up to departures. 

I’m flying Jun Yao air.  I don’t know what they are.  I hadn’t checked.  They could be in a different terminal, which would be an inconvenience, but not a disaster.  I seem to recall they are associated with Air China.  When I ask at the two young guys at the ticket counter they say they aren’t familiar with “Jun Yao” air.  I don’t know which Jun and which Yao make up the name and they ask me to explain in English.  I walk away frustrated, assuming I’ll just try my luck at the Air China counter.  (In fact, I have just discerned the root cause of my difficulty: “Juneyao” is their Romanized name.  The characters are in fact:  “Ji Xiang” Airlines or Lucy Airlines.  I could have said Jun Yao till I was blue in the face and they would have never gotten it.)

My guess pays off and I am able to check in at the Air China business counter.  It’s only 5:30AM but the departure terminal is packed.  I need to get a fresh change of clothes out of my luggage and I grab a shirt and pants quickly as I feel the pressure of the line behind me.  Later I regret not having pulled out a light coat, as its freezing here inside the air-conditioned hall and I’m in short sleeves. 

The gate isn’t where Air China usually stages all its Shanghai and Hangzhou flights.  And as I walk the distance, I notice all the flights that are currently departing.  How is that there are a dozen flights to anywhere else in China at 5:20AM but not to Shanghai?  En route I bump into an old friend.  I turn and walk with him a while.  It's wonderful to see him.  He looks older and I'm certain that I do as well.  At my gate, I sit down and plug in to one of the public charging outlets.  A few seats down is a young lady in enormous sneakers.  I wonder for a moment if she is concerned that I have sat here to chat.  Soon though, I’m preparing for my lecture that will commence in a few hours and I’ve forgotten about her completely. 

Friday, 7/19/19