I’m back in Beijing. I arrived last night. I suffered through the longest and most painful set of flights possible. I flew with the main airline of the Great White North (I’d mention the name, but I’d rather not get sued for libel) and it sucked. Here’s why:

1. No food from Vancouver to Beijing – GWN air is having a contract dispute with its caterer, so no food for me (they did have drinks)

2. A 7 hour delay in Vancouver – I can understand this, but no explanation was given and we were strung along – just fifteen minutes more, just thirty minutes more

3. I ended up sitting next to an older lady who could hardly hear and seemed a little disoriented. During each movie she would elbow me viciously every five minutes or so and then ask me to explain what had just happened. She also gave two long monologues – one about UFOs and aliens and one on the different types of demons and angels (according to tradition.) It was fantastic.

4. The movies sucked. We saw Man on Fire, Fantasia (a crappy Hong Kong movie, not the Walt Disney classic) and Hellboy. Feeling a little depressed and abandoned? Try watching Hellboy while listening to an incoherent monologue on demons after 10 hours of a 14 hour flight.

But I’m back in Beijing now – I’ve been cleaning and rearranging furniture today. Not much else is happening around here - most of the teachers are arriving over the weekend.